Battle of Colenso
The Battle of Colenso, fought on December 15, 1899, was a significant engagement during the Second Anglo-Boer War, where British forces sought to relieve the Siege of Ladysmith. Led by General Redvers Henry Buller, the British army encountered formidable resistance from Boer troops under the command of Louis Botha, who had fortified positions on low hills near the Thukela River. Despite preliminary bombardments, the British assault was poorly coordinated and suffered from a lack of intelligence regarding Boer positions. As British forces advanced, they were met with devastating fire from well-entrenched Boers armed with smokeless rifles, leading to heavy casualties for the British, who lost over 1,100 men including 145 killed, while Boer losses were minimal. The battle marked the end of what was termed "Black Week," a series of defeats for the British that underscored their vulnerabilities against a well-organized and determined enemy. This engagement highlighted a shift in military dynamics, revealing that the British forces, confident in their imperial superiority, were unprepared to confront a European-style military conflict. The aftermath of Colenso would prompt significant reassessments within the British military command.
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Subject Terms
Battle of Colenso
Type of action: Ground battle in the Boer Wars
Date: December 15, 1899
Location: Colenso, Natal, South Africa
Combatants: 18,000 British vs. 4,500 Boers
Principal commanders:British, General Redvers Henry Buller (1839–1908); Boer, Commandant Louis Botha (1862–1919)
Result: British forces were defeated in their attempt to lift the Siege of Ladysmith
A British force under General Redvers Henry Buller advanced to lift the Siege of Ladysmith. Ten miles south of Ladysmith, Boer commander Louis Botha established a defensive position on a series of low hills running east to west, on the north side of the Thukela River, next to Colenso. Buller shelled Boer positions two days before launching an assault, but this had a negligible effect on the well-entrenched and concealed Boers. On December 15, Buller sent four brigades forward, completely ignorant of enemy dispositions. Little thought was given to seizing a hill on the Boer left that could have threatened their entire position. British forces were pinned down along the riverbank and in Colenso by accurate fire from the Boers, who were armed with smokeless Mausers. Two British gun batteries recklessly deployed at close range to the enemy and had most of their gunners and horses shot down. His troops already withdrawing, Buller called a halt to the attack in a matter of hours. Ten guns were lost to the Boers. The British suffered 1,127 casualties, 145 of which were deaths; Boer losses totaled barely 50.
Significance
Colenso was the final defeat of “Black Week,” halting the first British offensive. These debacles were a shock to the smug British imperial mind-set and revealed a British army trained to fight primal tribesmen but poorly prepared to face well-armed and determined European opponents.
Bibliography
Hall, Darrell. The Hall Handbook of the Anglo-Boer War. Durban, South Africa: University of Natal, 1999.
Knight, Ian. Colenso: 1899. Osprey Campaign Series. London: Osprey, Reed International Books, 1995.
Pakenham, Thomas. The Boer War. New York: Random House, 1979.