VAAL KRANTZ.
'The best laid schemes o' mice and men
Gang aft agley.
And lea'e us naught but grief and pain
For promised joy.'
_Burns._
On January 30th we were reinforced by a draft of 400 men, principally
militia reservists, who were brought up by Captain Venour. They were a
welcome addition, being a physically fine body of men, and, although
their training was naturally not so good as that of their 'regular'
comrades, they proved equally brave and ready to follow their
officers.
The battalion shifted its camp on January 29th to Spearman's Hollow,
where it stayed a week. It was here that Sir Redvers Buller visited
every brigade in turn, and made his speech stating that the fighting
around Spion Kop had enabled him to discover the key to Ladysmith. He
had earned the gratitude of the men by putting them on extra rations,
and was always a warm favourite with the rank and file, who love a
brave man and instinctively know one.
On February 2nd the regiment left Spearman's Hollow for Spearman's
Hill, and, on the afternoon of Sunday, February 4th, marched with the
rest of the brigade towards Potgieter's Drift. The trek was a short
one, and at 6 p.m. we bivouacked behind Swaartz Kop. At nightfall the
officers were assembled and informed of the proposed operations for
the next day. The idea was to make a feint attack on Brakfontein and
then assault Vaal Krantz, the capture of which, it was thought, would
break the enemy's line.
We rose at dawn on the 5th, had a comfortable breakfast, and only
moved off about 7 a.m., just as the heavy artillery on Mount Alice and
Swaartz Kop began the fight by shelling Brakfontein. The hills around
rolled with the thunder of the guns, while the faint echoes of the
lyddite explosions on the distant ridges formed a piano accompaniment.
With this music in its ears, the battalion marched through the gap
between Mount Alice and Swaartz Kop by the road leading to Potgieter's
Drift. There was a short halt made at the gap, from which a splendid
view of the battlefield was obtainable. Immediately below stretched
the silver line of the Tugela, with all its many loops and twistings
visible. Beyond came a small brown ridge, which had evidently been
held by our troops, since a few biscuit-tins glistened on the near
slope. Further away was the background formed by the Boer position,
extending in a gigantic curve from Spion Kop on the spectator's left
to the lofty mass of Doorn Kloof on his right, the centre being formed
by Brakfontein and Vaal Krantz, over both of which heavy columns of
smoke were hanging. The Lancashire Brigade had commenced the feint
attack, and its extended lines could be plainly seen as they advanced
slowly in succession, while behind them the batteries of field
artillery had unlimbered on the plain, and were already shelling the
Boer trenches.
After a short pause the regiment began to descend the hill. The 5th
Brigade was following the 4th, both of them marching in 'fours.'
Before reaching the drift, the head of the column wheeled to the right
and proceeded along the narrow plain between the Tugela and Swaartz
Kop. The sight of that long winding line must have been a great
temptation to the Boer gunners, but they remained silent. Not even a
rifle had spoken. It was only when the Lancashire Brigade began to
retire that the enemy disclosed himself. Then Brakfontein spluttered
with musketry, and the Boer artillery vented its wrath on the
batteries dotted over the plain. But both our infantry and gunners
seemed to treat the fusillade with contempt. The former marched
back without apparently quickening their pace, and the latter,
limbering up, trotted off to support the attack on Vaal Krantz. This
hill was being literally covered with shells, and soon had the
appearance of a smoking volcano.
[Illustration: Casualties at Tugela Heights.
Second Lieut. LANE. _Wounded at Hart's Hill._
Lieut. J. MCD. HASKARD. _Wounded at Pieter's Hill._
Second Lieut. BRADFORD. _Wounded at Pieter's Hill._
Capt. A. V. HILL (_1st Battalion, attached_). _Wounded at Pieter's
Hill._
Second Lieut. BRODHURST HILL (_1st Battalion, attached_). _Wounded
at Pieter's Hill._]
About 1 p.m. the Durham Light Infantry filed over the pontoon under
Swaartz Kop, and extended for the attack. At the same time we were
moved to a position below the southern end of the Kop in order to
cover by long-range rifle-fire the right of the 4th Brigade. 'B'
company fired a few volleys at some invisible snipers on the slopes of
Doorn Kloof, but with this exception we did not come into action.
Watched by the whole army the Durhams advanced against Vaal Krantz,
which they took about 4 p.m. amidst the cheers of the onlookers. But
with this success the operations practically ended for the day.
The battalion remained all the afternoon in the same position, and
then finally bivouacked there, having luckily succeeded in
communicating with the transport, so that the men had blankets. Its
outposts were pushed well round the southern slopes of Swaartz Kop,
thus overlooking the Tugela. A reconnoitring patrol was fired on from
the left bank, but otherwise the night passed without incident.
We did not move on the 6th, and had practically nothing to do. The
artillery on both sides fired continually, although the damage done
must have been very small in proportion to the noise and expenditure
of ammunition.
Every one watched with special interest a duel between our heavy
artillery and a large Boer gun which had suddenly been unmasked on
Doorn Kloof. This gun fired black powder, and its discharge could be
plainly seen, but it was apparently run up for every round behind a
parapet. It displayed absolute impartiality in its attentions. One
round would be directed against the infantry on Vaal Krantz, another
covered with dust a field battery on the plain, a third just missed
the battalion, while a fourth shell would crash among the trees on
Swaartz Kop. All our heavy guns had a try at silencing it, and their
efforts sometimes met with partial success. The Boer gun would cease
firing for a time, but it always re-appeared when least expected.
Towards the evening it became quite lively and put a shell through the
pontoon bridge.
The night of February 6th-7th was spent in comparative peace, although
the Boer artillery somewhat spoiled the first part of the night by
shelling Vaal Krantz. February 7th was a repetition of the 6th, except
that the gun on Doorn Kloof paid slightly more attention to our
position. The Colonel found it necessary to post a man on the
look-out, whose duty it was, on seeing the white puff of smoke, to
blow a whistle, whereupon everybody sought the shelter of the nearest
and largest boulder. But although, when the huge shell burst, the air
seemed unpleasantly full of whizzing iron fragments, no damage was
done, and the gun merely mitigated, to some extent, the monotony of
idleness.
By this time it was clear that Sir Redvers Buller did not intend to
press the attack home, and no one was surprised to find the army in
retreat on the morning of the 8th. The battalion acted as rearguard
and marched back between the river and Swaartz Kop in widely extended
lines. The Boer guns on Doorn Kloof, the shoulder of Spion Kop, and
Brakfontein shelled us on our way, and one man of the rear company
('H') was killed, this being our only casualty between February 5th
and 8th. The heavy artillery on Mount Alice covered the retreat and
prevented the enemy's guns from being too attentive.
The 5th Brigade halted at Springfield, and two days later went on to
Pretorius' Farm. On the 18th it made a march of fourteen miles to the
Blaukranz River, starting about 3.30 a.m. The day was hot, and as
there was no water on the route the newly-joined militia reservists
suffered considerably. After a rest of two days the brigade moved to
a camp near Gun Hill at Chieveley, where the naval six-inch gun was in
position.
The rest of the army was now engaged in the operations against Cingolo
and Hlangwane, and the battalion occupied itself in guarding
Chieveley, in beginning the construction of a railway to Hussar Hill,
and in convoying ammunition to the latter place. This was a somewhat
trying task, as during part of the way the convoy became the object of
many a Boer shell. The operations against Cingolo and Hlangwane proved
successful, and these positions were captured on the 19th. The next
day General Hart took the regiment on a reconnaissance towards
Colenso. It advanced cautiously on the west of the railway in column
of extended companies. The village was found unoccupied, but a party
of Boers, holding the horseshoe ridge on the left bank of the Tugela
opened a vigorous fire. The leading companies at once doubled forward
and lined the right bank, whence they answered the Boer marksmen. The
left half-battalion remained in support behind the village. A
detachment of Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry appeared on the scene,
and having forded the Tugela above the road bridge, turned the Boers
out of their position. Later on in the afternoon a train steamed into
Colenso station from Chieveley, and took us back just before dusk.
At 6 a.m. on February 21st, the Connaught Rangers and the Dublin
Fusiliers went by train to Colenso, where they were joined by a
battery. The horseshoe ridge on the left bank was being held by a
detachment of Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, but General Hart was
desirous of crossing the river with at least part of his force. For
this purpose he had brought on the train a boat, which was promptly
launched. As, however, the boat was small, and hardly capable of
holding more than four men, the General gave orders for the
construction of a raft. After some trouble this was ready by 4 p.m.,
and some two hours later about seven companies of the Connaught
Rangers had succeeded in reaching the left bank.
General Hart now received an order to cross early next morning, with
three battalions of his brigade, the pontoon bridge, which had been
constructed under Hlangwane. The regiment bivouacked in Colenso, and
at 5 a.m. on February 22nd marched down the right bank and crossed the
bridge. One company had been sent back to Chieveley for the purpose of
striking the camp, and with the transport rejoined the battalion about
7 a.m., after the latter had crossed the bridge and taken up a
position on the western side of the horseshoe ridge.
Here it stayed the whole day, all ranks passing the time in examining
the Boer trenches, and picking up more or less worthless loot. Heavy
fighting was taking place in front, but only an occasional shell fell
near the ridge.