The Defence of Duffer's Drift
Abstract
The Boers, Dutch for "farmer," first settled what is now Cape Province, Republic of South Africa, in 1652. After Great Britain annexed this territory in 1806, many of the Boers departed on the "Great Trek" and created the Republic of Natal, the Orange Free State, and the Transvaal. Gradual commercial control by the British and discovery of gold and diamonds, among other things, served to create hostility between the Boers and British, resulting in the South African War or Boer War from 1899 to 1902. The Boers initially outnumbered the British and were well-equipped, scoring impressive victories in the areas adjacent to their territories. Even though the Boer armies finally surrendered, apparent victory for the British was retarded by extensive and coordinated guerrilla warfare. The war was finally ended by the systematic destruction of the Boer guerrilla units and hostilities were terminated by the Treaty of Vereeniging in May 1902. The Boer territories were annexed by Great Britain and were organized into the Union of South Africa eight years later. This book presents a fictional account of a young, inexperienced British officer who is ordered to hold a river crossing (Duffer's Drift) with 50 men against a larger Boer force. His failures and eventual success provide lessons learned for contemporary soldiers regarding the concepts of small group tactics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1905
- Accession Number
- ADA494829
Entities
People
- Ernest D. Swinton
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College