Battle of Vaal Krantz

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Vaal Krantz


caption=
partof=Second Boer War
date=February 5 - February 7, 1900
place=South Africa
result=Boer victory
combatant1=flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
combatant2=flagicon|Transvaal Transvaal
flagicon|Orange Free State Orange Free State
commander1=flagicon|United Kingdom Redvers Buller
commander2=flagicon|Transvaal Louis Botha
strength1=c. 20,000
strength2=c. 5,000
casualties1=333 casualties
casualties2=LightThe Battle of Vaal Krantz (February 5 to February 7, 1900) was the third failed attempt by General Redvers Buller's British army to fight its way past Louis Botha's army of Boer irregulars and lift the Siege of Ladysmith. The battle occurred during the Second Boer War.

Background

In the first and second attempts at relieving Ladysmith, Buller's army was defeated by Botha and his Boer army at the battles of Colenso and Spion Kop. British casualties soared to 3,000 men, while the Boers lost only a few hundred.

Battle

Vaal Krantz was a ridge of "kopjes" (small hills) a few miles east of Spion Kop. Buller tried to force a bridgehead across the Tugela River. After three days of skirmishing, the British general found that his position was so cramped that there was no room to drag his superior artillery up to support the British infantry attacks. Buller called a council of war and, "All his generals agreed that there was nothing for it except to try a new attempt elsewhere." [Pakenham, p 361] The British suffered 333 casualties. [Pakenham, p 322] Boers losses are unknown, but were probably light.

Val Krantz was a minor defeat. On February 14, Buller launched his fourth attempt at the Relief of Ladysmith and finally succeeded.

ources

* Pakenham, Thomas. "The Boer War." New York: Avon Books, 1979. ISBN 0-380-72001-9

Footnotes