Battle of Paardeberg

Battle of Paardeberg
Part of Second Boer War
Sketch depicting British and Boer positions at Paardeberg Drift
Date 18–27 February 1900 Location Paardeberg Drift, Orange Free State 28°59′27″S 25°04′31″E / 28.99083°S 25.07528°E / -28.99083; 25.07528 (Battle of Paardeberg) Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Canada	South African Republic  Orange Free State
Commanders and leaders
Frederick Roberts Herbert Kitchener John French Thomas Kelly-Kenny William Dillon Otter	Piet Cronjé  Christiaan De Wet
Strength
15,000 men	7,000 men
Casualties and losses
348 killed 942 wounded[1]	350 killed and wounded 4,019 captured[1]
class=notpageimage| Battle of Paardeberg

The Battle of Paardeberg or Perdeberg ("Horse Mountain", 18–27 February 1900) was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near Paardeberg Drift on the banks of the Modder River in the Orange Free State near Kimberley (now in Letsemeng Local Municipality, Free State).

Lord Methuen advanced up the railway line in November 1899 with the objective of relieving the Siege of Kimberley (and the town of Mafeking, also under siege). Battles were fought on this front at Graspan, Belmont, Modder River before the advance was halted for two months after the British defeat at the Battle of Magersfontein. In February 1900, Field Marshal Lord Roberts assumed personal command of a significantly reinforced British offensive.

The army of Boer General Piet Cronjé was retreating from its entrenched position at Magersfontein towards Bloemfontein after its lines of communication were cut by Major General John French, whose cavalry had recently outflanked the Boer position to relieve Kimberley. Cronjé's slow-moving column was intercepted by French at Paardeberg, where the Boer general eventually surrendered after a prolonged siege, having fought off an attempted direct assault by Lieutenant General Herbert Kitchener.