7 JUNE 1900 - DE WET’S RAILWAY ATTACK NORTH KROONSTAD

[archie777]

Although the British had taken Pretoria two days earlier, the Orange Free State forces remained very active, blowing up bridges and ambushing supply convoys. As a result, Roodewal Station, which had been taken by the British on 23 May and garrisoned with men of the 4th Derbyshires, was the temporary railhead where goods were off-loaded until the railway to the north could be brought back into commission.

 

De Wet captured a wagon train en route to Heilbron from Vredefort Road Station at Zwavelkrans, near the Rhenoster River on 5 June. It surrendered without resistance as the 200 men on board were outnumbered three to one. Fifty-six wagons of supplies were taken. On 6 June, still undetected, De Wet returned to the railway line where he divided his force into three.

 

The first (300 men and one 75mm Krupp under Steenekamp) had to deal with Vredefort Road Station at sunrise the next day: they took 38 prisoners with ease.
The second (another 300 men, two Krupps and a Pom-Pom under Froneman) were ordered north to attack the 

 

British camp at Rhenoster River bridge: in heavy fighting 36 men were killed, 104 wounded and 486 officers and men surrendered to the Boers. De Wet himself, with eighty men and one Krupp, headed for the station at Roodewal itself. The British, who were attacked at dawn, resisted fiercely and De Wet’s men were pinned down until the northern party had succeeded at the camp and brought two more 75mm Krupps south to help. 

The increased artillery fire forced a British surrender. De Wet observed that their fortifications were constructed of bales of clothing and blankets, which kept British fatalities down to twenty-seven men, while 200 or so were captured. The richness of the prize was beyond Boer powers to exploit, for they lacked the transport to carry it away. The post-bags were opened and looted by Boer and British alike and what the commando could not carry off was to be burnt.

 

De Wet had to work hard to ensure a place for rifle ammunition among the goods his men took, then, according to De Wet: 
“When the sun set, the burghers were again on the march. But what a curious spectacle they presented! Each man had loaded his horse so heavily with goods that there was no room for himself on the saddle; he had, therefore, to walk, leading his horse by the bridle.”

Edited May 31 by archie777