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711:, the British Commander-in-Chief in South Africa, publicly ascribed the defeat to bad luck only, and it was also suggested that his guides had been treacherous, Gatacre was blamed by many soldiers and commentators for the defeat. He was known for restless activity and for imposing needless marches and labour on his troops. He remained in command of the understrength 3rd Division, but after General
691:
The commanding officer of the
Northumberland Fusiliers took it on himself to order a retreat, and most of Gatacre's force began to fall back in disorder. Gatacre gave the order to retreat to Molteno. Mounted Boer reinforcements appeared and attacked from both sides. The retreat of the exhausted
662:
There was no time for reconnaissance, and preparations were rushed. Early the next day, the
British troops hastily boarded the trains, but then sat for hours under a hot sun while locomotives were found. They were already tired when they reached Molteno, to set off on a night march with fixed
683:
gun under
Sergeant Hendrik Muller of the Free State Artillery Corps, opened fire. Although Gatacre's force had merely to march around the hill to force the Boers to retreat, about half the infantry rushed forward without orders to storm it. They found that the hill was a typical
715:
replaced Buller as
Commander-in-Chief, he was sidelined to various occupation and "mopping-up" duties. He was eventually relieved of command after failing to rescue the Royal Irish Rifles who surrendered to Orange Free State Commandant-General
688:, ringed by a vertical rock face, which most of them were unable to climb. A few soldiers scrambled to the top, only to be swept off by the British guns which came into action with the rising sun in the gunners' eyes.
643:, the nearest railway station to Stormberg still in British hands, and march by night to attack a hill known as the Kissieberg, which dominated the Boers' position. The force consisted of the 2nd Battalion, the
628:
after disasters there, and
Gatacre's reduced force arrived late. By the time they were ready to take the field, Boers from the Orange Free State had already seized the important railway junction of
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guns were lost. Not until they reached
Molteno did Gatacre realise that over 600 men had been left behind on the Kissieberg. Hopelessly cut off, they were forced to surrender.
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The Free State Boers and local rebels were slow to take advantage of
Gatacre's defeat. By the time they did so, British reinforcements had arrived, and the area was secure.
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bayonets after a hasty meal and very little rest. Gatacre's locally engaged guides were soon lost, and the force wandered about the
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and 250 mounted infantry detached from various infantry battalions. Other detachments (including the 1st
Battalion, the
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639:. He determined to make an immediate counterattack to recover the place. A force of 3,000 was to be taken by train to
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When the
British first drew up a plan of campaign against the Boer republics, it was intended that the
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659:) which were intended to join the force failed to arrive because telegraph orders were not sent.
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British infantry was covered by the mounted infantry and the artillery, although two
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would secure the area known as the Cape
Midlands, immediately south of the
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A History of The Great War (Chapter 10 - The Battle of Stormberg)
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616:, in preparation for an advance along the railway running from
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585:, in which three successive British forces were defeated by
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As dawn broke, the British at last came in sight of the
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Gatacre heard of the loss of Stormberg on 8 December at
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Northumberland Fusiliers in action against the Boers.
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867:"Battle of Stormberg — The Boer War"
842:Goodbye Dolly Grey: Story of the Boer War
745:
7:
900:Battles involving the United Kingdom
679:. A small Boer picket with one 75mm
647:(960 men), the 2nd Battalion, the
16:1899 battle of the Second Boer War
14:
873:from the original on 24 May 2008
734:Military history of South Africa
581:was the first British defeat of
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129:
37:
829:Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1917).
895:Battles of the Second Boer War
1:
869:. britishbattles.com. 2007.
608:commanded by Major General
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835:. George H. Doran company.
804:. Cardinal. p. 395.
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657:Royal Berkshire Regiment
645:Northumberland Fusiliers
910:1899 in the Cape Colony
844:. New English Library.
610:William Forbes Gatacre
160:William Forbes Gatacre
154:Commanders and leaders
840:Rayne Kruger (1964).
707:Although General Sir
653:Royal Field Artillery
190:Casualties and losses
95:31.29806°S 26.25472°E
915:December 1899 events
757:Conan Doyle, Ch. 10
579:Battle of Stormberg
165:Jan Hendrik Olivier
100:-31.29806; 26.25472
91: /
24:Battle of Stormberg
649:Royal Irish Rifles
555:Colesberg District
383:Pretoria Offensive
178:250 mounted troops
905:Conflicts in 1899
724:on 3 April 1900.
720:after a siege at
718:Christiaan de Wet
614:Orange Free State
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535:Cape Colony Front
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468:Blood River Poort
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148:Orange Free State
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875:. Retrieved
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802:The Boer War
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713:Lord Roberts
706:
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622:Bloemfontein
606:3rd Division
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578:
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488:Hart's River
458:Duivelskloof
433:Nooitgedacht
428:Leliefontein
423:Rhenosterkop
398:Diamond Hill
373:Sanna's Post
363:Poplar Grove
315:
311:Modder River
276:Elandslaagte
199:696 captured
123:Belligerents
114:Boer victory
74:South Africa
722:Reddersburg
667:all night.
473:Bakenlaagte
393:Faber's Put
368:Driefontein
336:Vaal Krantz
271:Talana Hill
98: /
70:Cape Colony
889:Categories
877:2008-06-21
740:References
694:15-pounder
677:Kissieberg
600:Background
590:irregulars
583:Black Week
564:Groenkloof
453:Groenkloof
418:Bothaville
341:Paardeberg
204:26 wounded
197:68 wounded
86:26°15′17″E
83:31°17′53″S
700:Aftermath
630:Stormberg
618:Cape Town
551:Stormberg
546:Kimberley
483:Tweebosch
413:Bergendal
331:Spion Kop
316:Stormberg
291:Chieveley
266:Kimberley
195:26 killed
183:2,300 men
66:Stormberg
871:Archived
728:See also
478:Groenkop
438:Helvetia
403:Witpoort
388:Doornkop
261:Mafeking
256:Kraaipan
202:8 killed
171:Strength
61:Location
29:Part of
641:Molteno
592:in the
493:Rooiwal
326:Colenso
306:Graspan
301:Belmont
180:12 guns
848:
808:
671:Battle
378:Boshof
185:3 guns
111:Result
686:kopje
681:Krupp
626:Natal
846:ISBN
806:ISBN
665:veld
587:Boer
577:The
53:Date
620:to
891::
800:.
771:^
748:^
632:.
596:.
72:,
68:,
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854:.
814:.
527:e
520:t
513:v
233:e
226:t
219:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
