Foro Militar General

Chromolithograph after Richard Caton Woodville (1856-1927), 1901. Published by Gilbert Whitehead and Company Limited as a supplement to 'Holly Leaves Christmas Number', 1902.

On 17 September the presence of a squadron of the 17th (The Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers at Modderfontein farm, 25 km north-west of Johannesburg, was reported to General Jan Smuts, whose commando was starving and short of horses. Smuts ordered a section forward to locate the British cavalry, while he brought up the rest of his men. The advance section ran into a troop of the 17th Lancers which at first mistook the khaki-clad burghers for British troops from another column. When the Boers opened fire, bringing down several of the Lancers, the survivors withdrew to a low, stony ridge further down the road which was held by the rest of the squadron armed with rifles, a machine gun and a mountain gun.

At this point, Smuts arrived with the main body of his commando and attacked the Lancers from a hill to their rear. Close-quarter fighting developed in which the gun crew were killed; the rest of the squadron fought to the finish, though one troop, posted a little further away, was able to escape after expending all its ammunition, the last few rounds being used to shoot their horses to prevent them falling into the hands of the Boers. The total strength of the 17th Lancers engaged was 140, of whom four officers and 32 men were killed and four officers and 33 men wounded.

Oil on canvas by John Henry Frederick Bacon (1868-1914), 1900.

The Siege of Ladysmith was one of the most famous incidents of the Boer War (1899-1902). Following initial successes against the invading Boers at Talana and Elandslaagte (20 and 21 October 1899), Lieutenant-General (later Field Marshal) Sir George White (1835-1912) commanding the Natal Field Force, was driven back. White concentrated his forces at the strategic town of Ladysmith where he was besieged by Boers. Some 13,500 troops, the vast majority British regulars, were confined with 7,500 civilians within a 22.5 km perimeter.

The Boers began their bombardment on 2 November with 17 guns, later increasing to 22. During the siege, the inhabitants of Ladysmith made a number of unsuccessful sorties, while the Boers tried hard to take the town by storm. By the end of January the full rigours of the siege began to be felt in the town, where there was an alarming increase in sickness. The serious shortage of food led to the introduction of horseflesh into the rations.

General Sir Redvers Buller (1838-1908) and his troops finally relieved the town on 28 February. In this painting, which may not depict an actual event, Lieutenant-General Sir George White shakes hands with Colonel (later Lieutenant-General) Lord Douglas Hamilton, 12th Earl Dundonald (1852-1935), representing Buller's relieving force at nearby Pieter's Hill on the outskirts of Ladysmith.

Known as the 'Bovril War Picture', the photogravure of this picture was sponsored and offered free to those who collected 21 shillings-worth of special coupons which accompanied bottles of the product sold in 1901.

Hlodowig escribió:Seguiremos con el tema, a pesar de la reciente afrenta...

Luis M. García escribió:

Hlodowig escribió:Había pasado por alto esto...

De Güiner escribió:

Luis M. García escribió:En todo caso somos nos, quienes estamos en deuda con el señor caballero, y si un día se acerca por estos andurriales astures, será festejado convenientemente, ea!

No lo pongo en duda. Otra cosa sería que pretendiera VM que se estirara el caballero.

Moral nos haría falta, después de lo siguiente...

De Güiner escribió:

caballero alcoyano

Creo que ha cometido cierto error de bulto, con perdón.

La infamia de ayer no caerá en el olvido...

Rayos! Doyme a todos los diablos, señor Caballero; mas os he de asegurar que fue ignorancia supina y no fatal villanía quien tal dislate me fizo afirmar.

Más aun he de argüir, pues fue cierto elemento, quien con ligereza zascandileó en mis oídos la equívoca especie, y a buen seguro fue el mismo que a los vuestros acercó el nefando soplo...

Pero ya el cilicio mortifica mis magras carnes en muestra de expiación, tened pues por presentadas mis excusas más sinceras.

Y ya pasado el trago, he de decir que esta última serie de 6 láminas pareciéronme maravilla; especialmente la primera y las dos últimas de la serie.

Reciba vuecelencia gentil reverencia.

Luis M. García escribió:Pero hombre, si ya os hemos dado satisfacción...

Orange Free State, South Africa, February 19th, 1900 during the Second Boer War. Cronje had requested a cease-fire to bury the dead after Bloody Sunday, the first day of the Battle of Paardeberg.

The furious moment depicted in this painting occurred during an action near Klerksdorp in the Transvaal, about 160 kilometres south-west of Johannesburg, during Lord Metheun's operations in the district after the fall of Klerksdorp itself, against the forces of Boer General De la Rey. This art work was inspired by an illustration by British military artist R Caton Woodville, which appeared in 'The Illustrated London News'. Field Marshal Paul Sanford Methuen (Lord Metheun) (1845–1932) was a British Army officer, who took a prominent role as General Officer Commanding the 1st Division in the Second Boer War. General Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey (1847–1914), known as Koos de la Rey, was a Boer general during the Second Boer War and is widely regarded as the bravest of the Boer generals and as one of the leading figures of Boer independence.

The picture shows a despatch rider coming under fire from Boer Marksmen. The picture is also known as 'A Yeomanry Scout Galloping With Despatches in the Boer War'.

Meanwhile, as Hildyard moved towards Colenso, the two batteries of field guns under Colonel Charles James Long forged ahead of him, and deployed in the open well within rifle range of the nearest Boers. Once again, this was too tempting a target, and the Boers opened fire. The British gunners fought on, even though suffering heavy casualties, but ammunition could not be brought to them and they were eventually forced to take shelter in a donga (dry stream bed) behind the guns. The bullock-drawn naval guns had not been able to keep up with the field pieces, but were able to come into action 1,500 metres (1,640 yd) from the Boer trenches.

Buller, who had also heard that his light horse were pinned down at the foot of Hlangwane and unable to advance, decided to call the battle off at this point, even though Hildyard's men, advancing in open order, had just occupied Colenso. He went forward (being slightly wounded himself) and called for volunteers to recover Long's guns. Two teams approached them, hooked up and brought away two weapons. One of those mortally wounded in this action was Lieutenant the Honourable Frederick Roberts, the only son of Field Marshal Lord Roberts, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Corporal George Edward Nurse was also awarded a Victoria Cross for his efforts in retrieving 2 of the Guns that day amongst other actions. Several other VCs were also awarded. A second attempt to recover the rest of guns failed when horses and volunteers were shot down by Boer rifle fire.

During the afternoon, the British fell back to their camp, leaving ten guns, many wounded gunners and some of Hildyard's men behind to be captured during the night. Although Buller had committed few of his reserves, he reasoned that a full day under a boiling sun would have sapped their morale and strength. Lyttelton committed some of his troops to help Hart's brigade withdraw, but the cautious Major General Barton refused to support Dundonald's or Hildyard's hard-pressed troops.
Buller's army lost 143 killed, 756 wounded and 220 captured. Boer casualties were eight killed and 30 wounded.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Colenso

General Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey (1847–1914), known as Koos de la Rey,

descendiente de una mezcla de franceses hugonotes, holandeses, españoles, alemanes, y portugueses. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koos_de_la_Rey

Luis M. García escribió:
Rayos! Un tipo con tal mezcla de sangres había de ser un guerrero excelso...