Global Information Lookup Global Information

Battle of Kraaipan information


Battle of Kraaipan
Part of Second Boer War
Derailed armoured CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 at Kraaipan
Derailed armoured CGR 3rd Class 4-4-0 1889 at Kraaipan
Date12–13 October 1899
Location
Kraaipan, South Africa
26°17′49″S 25°18′23″E / 26.29694°S 25.30639°E / -26.29694; 25.30639 (Kraaipan)
Result Boer Victory
Belligerents
Battle of Kraaipan United Kingdom Battle of Kraaipan South African Republic
Battle of Kraaipan Orange Free State
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Lt. RH Nesbitt South African Republic Piet Cronjé
South African Republic Koos de la Rey
Strength
unknown 800
Casualties and losses
9 wounded none

The Battle of Kraaipan was the first engagement of the Second Anglo-Boer War, fought at Kraaipan, South Africa on 12 October 1899.

On the 11 October 1899 President Paul Kruger of the South African Republic in alliance with the Orange Free State declared war on the British. That night 800 men of the Potchefstroom and Lichtenburg commandos[1] under General Koos de la Rey (one of General Piet Cronjé's field generals) attacked and captured the British garrison and railway siding at Kraaipan between Vryburg and Mafeking, some 60 kilometres (37 mi) south west of Mafeking. Thus began the Second Anglo-Boer War. Under the orders of Cronjé the Mafeking railway and telegraph lines were cut on the same day.

The armoured train, "Mosquito", carrying two 7-pounder cannons,[1] rifles, ammunition and supplies was derailed and after a five-hour fight the British surrendered the next morning. The cannons, rifles, ammunition, supplies and prisoners were taken. The Boer troops discovered British Mark IV ammunition (better known as dumdum) on the train.[2]

This incident made De la Rey famous, but exacerbated his conflicts with the cautious and unimaginative Cronjé, who sent him to block the advance of the British forces moving to relieve the Siege of Kimberley in the north-east of the Cape Colony.

  1. ^ a b "The First Shots of the War – 12 October 1899" Archived December 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine by Elria Wessels in KEUR, 2 October 1998.
  2. ^ "Boer War" from History-net.com.

and 10 Related for: Battle of Kraaipan information

Request time (Page generated in 0.7808 seconds.)

Battle of Kraaipan

Last Update:

The Battle of Kraaipan was the first engagement of the Second Anglo-Boer War, fought at Kraaipan, South Africa on 12 October 1899. On the 11 October 1899...

Word Count : 253

Second Boer War

Last Update:

Africa and of whose extent and efficiency the British were as yet unaware.: 81  The Boers struck first on 12 October at the Battle of Kraaipan, an attack...

Word Count : 23532

Petrus Johannes Liebenberg

Last Update:

of Kraaipan on 12 October 1899. Later he fought in the Battle of Modder River (Afrikaans: Slag van die Twee Riviere, 28 November 1899) and the Battle...

Word Count : 1477

List of battles in South Africa

Last Update:

Boer republics of the South African Republic (Transvaal Republic) and the Orange Free State. Battle of Kraaipan (Afrikaans: Geveg by Kraaipan )12 October...

Word Count : 1710

Lichtenburg Commando

Last Update:

such as: Battle of Kraaipan in 12 October 1899, capturing a British garrison between Vryburg and Mafikeng. At Belmont, covering the retreat of General...

Word Count : 356

Military history of Australia during the Second Boer War

Last Update:

the Battle of Kraaipan on 12 October 1899. Late at night, 800 commandos rode south into the Cape Colony, attacking the British garrison at Kraaipan and...

Word Count : 6375

Koos de la Rey

Last Update:

led an attack that resulted in the first shots of the war being fired at Kraaipan in an attack on a British armored train that was on its way from Vryburg...

Word Count : 3030

Siege of Kimberley

Last Update:

first action of the war between Kimberley and Mafeking at Kraaipan by Boers under the command of fighting general De la Rey, the hero of the western Transvaal...

Word Count : 5189

Armoured train

Last Update:

inch naval gun, was used in support of the British Expeditionary Force in the opening phase of the First Battle of Ypres in October 1914. Two armoured...

Word Count : 4750

Royal Elthorne Light Infantry Militia

Last Update:

with detachments at Maribogo, Kraaipan and Maritzani. Later the battalion headquarters moved to Maritzani, where part of the battalion took over duty on...

Word Count : 3799
PDF Search Engine © AllGlobal.net