At about midday on the 05th Feb, Boers of the Johannesburg Commando noticed the tell-tale flashes from the muzzles of heavy guns on the summit of the flat top of Swartkop – Black Mountain – about 5 kms away.They may still have been wondering how the British had managed to get them up that high, when their world dissolved into a hell of exploding shells and screaming men. “It seemed as if all the guns of the British army were being fired at us,” Commandant Ben Viljoen was to say later.
It had taken the gunners and the engineers, no doubt assisted by hundreds if not thousands of ordinary soldiers, seven days to build a 25 km long track to the base of the hill and to drag 16 guns of various calibers to the summit. There the guns were concealed behind the few scrubby trees ensuring that the opening salvos caught the Boers completely by surprise.
British infantry had been advancing on Boer positions along the Brakfontein Range since early morning. Colonel Wynne’s 11th Brigade had commenced with a demonstration as early as 06h00 – this in an attempt to draw Boer forces away from the main target of Vaalkrans.
A little later three further brigades deployed near Swartkop but it was not until early afternoon that the Rifle Brigade and Durham Light Infantry began an open order advance on Vaalkrans itself.
Throughout the day the Boers had been subject to artillery fire from more than 60 British guns. Stubborn defense by the Johannesburg Commando caused over 160 casualties amongst the advancing infantry but by 16h30 a final bayonet charge drove the Boers from the southern summit of Vaalkrans.
But the Boers did not go far. They still held the northern section of Vaalkrans as well as the adjacent feature to the west, Kranskloof. Both sides held their positions until nightfall when, under cover of darkness, the Boer commanders moved more men and artillery into the area, in particular onto the high ground to the east.
On the morning of the 06th, both sides resumed their artillery duel and despite attempts by both sides to improve their positions, little changed. The British held portion of Vaalkrans was not suitable for the deployment of artillery and General Buller was faced with, as he believed, the inevitability of incurring massive casualties in the event of his attempting to push through to Ladysmith.
Caught in an agony of indecision, it was not until late the following day that Buller decided to abort the attempt to find a way to Ladysmith via Vaalkrans.
Once more, ground that had been gained with the blood and sweat of the British infantry, was abandoned and the exhausted men withdrew to the south bank of the Thukela, leaving the Boers to re-occupy the trenches that they had been driven from 2 days earlier.
General Buller’s adventures in the region of the Upper Thukela were over. The camps were broken and the army began the long walk back to the railhead at Frere and Chieveley.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
...Drakensberg accommodation...
...on the Midlands Meander...
...for information, enquiries or reservations...
phone Janette on +27 (0)33 263 2696
