Battle of Bergendal
The Battle of Berg-en-dal (also known as the Battle of Belfast[3] or Battle of Dalmanutha) took place in South Africa during the Second Anglo-Boer War.
The battle was the last set-piece battle of the war, although the war was still to last another two years. It was also the last time that the Boers' four 155 mm Creusot Long Tom guns were used in the same battle.
Battle[edit]
21 August[edit]
General Buller advanced to the farm Van Wyk's Vley, about eight miles (13 km) north of Twyfelaar. General French remained on his left flank. While advancing the last three miles, Buller's right flank came under fire from the Bethal commando on Frischgewaagd.[16] A fight ensued and it lasted until early evening. British casualties were 36 (including 7 dead and 3 missing) and 3 Boers were wounded.[17]
22 August[edit]
Buller was peeved. He sent Major-general Walter Kitchener to teach the Bethal commando a lesson. Two battalions foot soldiers, four squadrons mounted troops and eight guns accompanied Kitchener. The Brits did not know that during the night the Carolina commando joined the burghers from Bethal. They fought all day. British casualties were two dead and five wounded. No casualties were reported on the other side.[18]
Aftermath[edit]
As a result of this defeat, the Boer line of defence was breached and on 28 August Buller's troops marched into Machadodorp. The ZAR government, meanwhile, had decamped to Nelspruit. A few days later, on 1 September, Lord Roberts proclaimed the entire South African Republic British territory.
However, the capture of Machadodorp and Roberts' proclamation did not end the war. Although the British had won the battle, Botha's main force had managed to stay intact. The Boer commandos subsequently dispersed to Lydenburg and Barberton and the next phase of the war—guerrilla warfare—started. This second phase would last even longer than the first, conventional, phase and peace would eventually only be declared at the end of May 1902.