Boer weaponary

At the start of the conflict the Boer artillery comprised seventeen pieces but was later increased to twenty-two and were under the command of Colonel Trichardt of the State Artillery. WT MAUD of the Graphic however does not agree as he places 29 pieces on his map commencing at Gun Hill and moving clockwise. The discrepancy probably arose because several of the guns were moved from time to time during the siege.

The breakdown of the guns was 3 x Long Tom; 3 x Pom Pom; 3 x 4.7 Howitzer; 12 x 12 pounder; 2 x machine guns; 3 x 19 pounders; 2 x 9 pounder; 1 x 8″ Mortar.

On Gun Hill, a Long Tom (Silent Susan), pom-pom 4.7 Howitzer and two 12 pounders next door on Umbrella Hill. On Umbulwane Mountain, a Long Tom (Puffing Billy), three 12 pounders and a Maxim. A 9 pounder and two 4.7 were on the hills across Klip River from the Dam. Opposite Caesar’s Camp were two machine guns and three 19 pounders.

Leon Grunberg was a French engineer, sent out in 1895 by the French firm of Schneider et Cie of Le Creusot, with fellow engineer Captain Sam Leon, to introduce improved ordnance to the Staatsartillerie of the Transvaal. With his companion, Grunberg established an engineering factory in Pretoria which, with government help, took over the British company of Thomas Begbie greatly increasing the efficiency. Upon the outbreak of the War, the two men supervised the manufacture of munitions in Begbie’s Foundry and, in the Railway Workshops, Pretoria, repaired the damaged Long Tom from Gun Hill, Ladysmith.

Middle Hill had a Long Tom, the “Medler”, originally on Pepworth and a 12 pounder.

On Wit Kopje, two hills south of Middle, was a 12 pounder whilst next door on Rifleman’s Ridge there was a 9 pounder. Further north on Telegraph Ridge, a 12 pounder and later during the siege the Pepworth Long Tom was moved from Middle Hill where Caster and Pollux had made things very hot for it. Also on Telegraph Ridge the Boers had a searchlight and an hospital. Moving east to Thornhill Kopje were two pom-pom and a 12 pounder. On the adjacent hill, Surprise, was a 4.7 Howitzer whilst at the bottom was and 8 inch Mortar. Nicholson’s had a 12 pounder and to complete the ‘circle’ there was the third Long Tom and a 12 pounder on Pepworth Hill.

 

  

                       Long Tom gun pit Ladysmith                                    Freestate artillery

FIELD GUNS:

There were two models of the 75 mm Field gun in use by the Boers, the Krupp and the Creusot.

The Krupp was manufactured by the Krupp Armament Works in Essen Germany, fired Common (percussion) shells of 14 lb. and Time Fuse (Shrapnel) shells of 11 lb. over a distance of 6000 and 3500 metres respectively.

The second model was manufactured by Schneider et Cie Creusot using a Common shell of 12lb. and a Shrapnel shell of 14 b. both of which could be fired a distance of 6000 metres.

The 120 mm Krupp Howitzer was the gun used by the Boers at the Battle of Dundee. It was a breech loading field piece and fired Common and Shrapnel shells of 35 lbs. a distance of 5750 metres.

The British destroyed two of these at Gun Hill and Surprise Hill and there was a third on Umbulwane called Slim Piet named after General Piet Joubert.

 

Boer artillery

The Boer Pom Pom, Maxim Nordenfelt, manufactured by the Krupp Armament Works in Essen Germany and the Vickers Armstrong Works in England, were single barrelled 37mm belt fed pieces mounted on a pair of wheels easily drawn by a team of men.

It had an automatic action and the recoil after firing ejected the cartridge and took a fresh one from the feed belt of 25 shells, placing it into position for firing and so on. It was capable of discharging six hundred explosive shells per minute and was accurate at twelve hundred metres. Because of its rapid-fire rate it got very hot and the barrel was water cooled with a jacket containing about one litre. The shell was made of cast-iron, weighed 1 pound had a range of 2700 metres, was nicknamed the “pom-pom” or “ten-a-penny” by the British troops and used by both sides.

There were two in Ladysmith under the command of Lieutenant KG Kincaid-Smith with 24 men.

The Boer State Artillery had over 50 like the one shown above. 

NICKNAMES: 

“Fiddling Jimmy“ was a Long Tom situated on Middle Hill. It was later moved to Telegraph Hill and then Vaalkranz. This Long Tom was damaged by either Caster or Polux on 27th November 1899.

“Faith”, “Hope” and “Charity“ were Boer black powder guns situated on Telegraph Hill. 

 

LONG TOM AT MAFEKING

“Puffing Billy” was a Long Tom situated on Umbulwane. With great presence of mind Louis Botha moved this gun just before General Buller arrived with the relief force. Like the other Long Toms, it used a black powder, giving off white smoke when fired which usually gave the residents plenty of time to take cover.

“Silent Susan” was a 4.7 inch howitzer, so called because it was inaudible until the shell had reached its objective. “Susan” arrived on Pepworth Hill on the 29th October 1899 and remained there until 24th November when she was removed to Gun Hill. It was this gun which was blown up during the Gun Hill Hill sortie on 8th December 1899. The badly damaged gun was taken away to the Railway workshops in Pretoria where it was repaired by having the barrel shortened. Thereafter it became known as “The Jew”. “Silent Susan” fell under the command of Major J.F. Wolmarens of the Staatsartillerie.

“Slim Piet“, a 40 pound Howitzer named after General Piet Joubert and was sited on Umbulwane.

Other names were Faith, Hope, Charity, Whistling Willie, Weeping Willie, Blustering Billie, Sausage Machine, Diarrhoea Dick, Frenchie, Spitfire Jack and Sauntering Sally.

For a more detailed and professional description of the Boer artillery pieces I would recommend contacting MC Heunis through John Woolfaardt at  the Bloemfontein museum or read Darrrell Hall’s book “Halt Action Front.

 

The fancied Boer hand weapon was the mauser.