|
State Artillery Regiment
The State Artillery Regiment (formerly the Transvaalse Staatsartillerie) is a reserve artillery regiment of the South African Army. History The original Transvaalse Staatsartillerie The first attempt by the South African Republic (''Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek'' or ''ZAR'') to form a professional full-time artillery unit was ''Batterij Dingaan'' (Dingaan Battery), which could be seen as the forerunner of the Transvaalse Staatsartillerie. The use of artillery pieces was not completely foreign to the Boers and that they had used the few that they had to great effect during some battles that occurred during the Great Trek. However, prior to the formation of ''Batterij Dingaan'', all artillery units of the ZAR were part-time volunteers, organised under its commando system. In 1874, President Thomas Francois Burgers purchased some artillery pieces, for the intended permanent artillery corps of the ZAR, in Europe and also recruited a number of European officers in order to assist in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South African Army Artillery Formation
The South African Army Artillery Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army artillery units. It draws much of its history from the South African Artillery, established in 1934 but with roots that reach back to 1921. The formation consists of both regular and reserve units. There is a separate South African Army Air Defence Artillery Formation that directs army anti-aircraft warfare units. History Origins The South African Permanent Force, created in 1913 as the Permanent Force and re-designated with effect from 23 February 1923, included the South African Field Artillery (SAFA), and the South African Permanent Garrison Artillery (SAPGA). The SAPGA had begun operations some time before, when the coastal defences of the Cape Peninsula (manned by the Cape Garrison Artillery) had been handed over to South Africa in December 1921. In Proclamation No. 246 of 1934, the Governor General of the Union of South Africa merged the two organisations with effect from 1 Septe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malaboch War
The Malaboch War ( af, Malaboch Oorlog) (1894) was between Chief Malaboch (Mmaleboho, Mmaleboxo) of the Bahananwa (Xananwa) people and the South African Republic (ZAR) Government led by Commandant-General Piet Joubert. Malboch refused to pay taxes to the Transvaal after it was given back to the Boers in 1881 by the British, which resulted in a military drive against him by the South African Republic (ZAR). Background The Malaboch war broke out when Chief Malaboch refused to leave his kingdom in Blouberg after being asked to leave by the government of South African Republic in April 1894. Piet Joubert Petrus Jacobus Joubert (20 January 1831 – 28 March 1900), better known as Piet Joubert, was Commandant-General of the South African Republic from 1880 to 1900. He also served as Vice-President to Paul Kruger from 1881 - 1883. He served in Fir ... led the Transvaal forces to an overwhelming victory leading to the surrender of the Bahananwa. References {{Authority contr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spioenkop
Spion Kop ( , ; af, Spioenkop, ) is a mountain in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is located near the town of Ladysmith, 27 km to the WSW and about 2.5 km to the north of the Spioenkop Dam, a reservoir for the waters of the Tugela River. History This mountain has historical significance. Its hilltop was the site of the Battle of Spion Kop (one of the most important battles of the Boer Wars) from 23 to 24 January 1900. near the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa Spion Kop Nature Reserve is located beneath the southern side of this mountain. See also *Battle of Spion Kop *Spion Kop Battlefield Memorials *Spioenkop Dam *Spion Kop (stadiums) * SAS Spioenkop (F147) - a Valour-class frigate of the South African Navy The South African Navy (SA Navy) is the naval warfare branch of the South African National Defence Force. The Navy is primarily engaged in maintaining a conventional military deterrent, participating in counter-piracy operations, fishery ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Dalmanutha
The Battle of Berg-en-dal (also known as the Battle of Belfast 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. Before Hostilities commenced in October 1899. On the Cape front the British forces broke through in February 1900 and the next month they were in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State. Pretoria, the capital of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) was captured in June 1900. The government of the ZAR and a few Boer commandos fled eastwards along the railway line to Lourenço Marques (now Maputo). They were pursued by General Pole-Carew and his 11th Infantry Division (7,500 officers and men) and a cavalry division commanded by Lieutenant-General French. Prior to the Battle of Diamond Hill on 11 June 1900, Gener ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Komatipoort
Komatipoort is a town situated at the confluence of the Crocodile and Komati Rivers in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The town is 8 km from the Crocodile Bridge Gate into the Kruger Park, and just 5 km from the Mozambique border and 65 km from the Eswatini border. It is a small, quiet town within the Lowveld with some attractive tree-lined streets. It is one of the hottest towns in South Africa where temperatures can reach almost 48 °C ( on 12 December 1944) in the height of summer, but also with a perfect winter climate around . History 'Komati' also takes its name from Khoekhoe, one of RSA First languages and once the wealthiest cattle owners on this land, 'koma' meaning cows and 'ti' meaning my. 'Komati' takes its name from the Komati River whose original native Swazi name is Nkomazi, translated as "river of cows". It is where the Crocodile and Komati Rivers meet to flow through the 'Poort' (mountain pass) through the Lebombo Mountains into Mozambiqu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crocodile River (Mpumalanga)
The Crocodile River, also referred to as Crocodile River (East), ( af, Krokodilrivier) is a large river traversing Mpumalanga province of South Africa. It is a tributary of the Komati River. Course It originates north of Dullstroom, Mpumalanga, in the Steenkampsberg Mountains. Downstream of Kwena Dam, the Crocodile River winds through the Schoemanskloof and down the Montrose Falls. It then flows eastwards past Nelspruit and joins the Komati River at Komatipoort. The Crocodile River in Mpumalanga has a catchment area of 10,446 km2. Upstream it is a popular trout fishing place. It flows through the Nelspruit industrial area, the Lowveld agricultural area and borders the Kruger National Park. The decrease in flow of the river is due to water abstractions for irrigated fruit and sugar cane farming. Tourism on the Crocodile The river forms the full southern border of the Kruger National Park. It creates the setting for game viewing in and on the banks of the river. Fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
155 Mm Creusot Long Tom
The 155 mm Creusot ''Long Tom'' was a French siege gun (artillery piece) manufactured by Schneider et Cie in Le Creusot, France and used by the Boers in the Second Boer War as field guns. Four guns, along with 4,000 common shells, 4,000 shrapnel shells and 800 case shot were purchased by the South African Republic (informally known as the Transvaal) in 1897. The guns were emplaced in four forts around the country's capital, Pretoria. Description The gun The Long Tom gun consisted of a barrel and a separate carriage. The barrel was 4,2 metres long and weighed 2,500 kg (49 cwt). The carriage weighed 3,000 kg (59 cwt). The gun was placed on a wooden platform, consisting of three layers of beams (deals) each measuring 7,5 cm by 7,5 cm by 4,5 m. The size of the platform was 4,5 m by 4,5 m by 22,5 cm. The layers were placed at right angles to one another. The platform weighed 5,200 kg. The platform had to be placed level in all directions to ensure ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Commandant-General
Commandant-general is a military rank in several countries and is generally equivalent to that of major-general. Argentina Commandant general is the highest rank in the Argentine National Gendarmerie, and is held by the national director of the gendarmerie and his senior deputies. Depending on the appointment, it may be equal to any Argentine army rank from brigade general to the highest Argentine army rank, lieutenant general. Ireland During the Irish Civil War of 1922–23, the Irregulars, or anti-Treaty IRA, applied this term to the leaders of their various brigades throughout the country. The term was acquired from the Boer ranks, through veterans of the Irish Transvaal Brigade. Italy The ''comandante generale'' (commandant general) in Fascist Italy's Blackshirts was the title of their head and was held by Benito Mussolini from 1922 to 1943. The title is now held by the commander of the ''Carabinieri''. Portugal and Brazil Historically, commandant-general ( pt, comandante-g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pigeon post is not. Ancient signalling systems, although sometimes quite extensive and sophisticated as in China, were generally not capable of transmitting arbitrary text messages. Possible messages were fixed and predetermined and such systems are thus not true telegraphs. The earliest true telegraph put into widespread use was the optical telegraph of Claude Chappe, invented in the late 18th century. The system was used extensively in France, and European nations occupied by France, during the Napoleonic era. The electric telegraph started to replace the optical telegraph in the mid-19th century. It was first taken up in Britain in the form of the Cooke and Wheatstone telegraph, initially used mostly as an aid to railway signalling. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lieutenant-colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence. Sometimes, the term 'half-colonel' is used in casual conversation in the British Army. In the United States Air Force, the term 'light bird' or 'light bird colonel' (as opposed to a 'full bird colonel') is an acceptable casual reference to the rank but is never used directly towards the rank holder. A lieutenant colonel is typically in charge of a battalion or regiment in the army. The following articles deal with the rank of lieutenant colonel: * Lieutenant-colonel (Canada) * Lieutenant colonel (Eastern Europe) * Lieutenant colonel (Turkey) * Lieutenant colonel (Sri Lanka) * Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom) * Lie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volksraad Of The South African Republic
The ''Volksraad of the South African Republic'' (English: "People's Council" of the South African Republic, Afrikaans: Volksraad van die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek) was the parliament of the former South African Republic (ZAR), it existed from 1840 to 1877, and from 1881 to 1902 in part of what is now South Africa. The body ceased to exist after the British Empire's victory in the Second Anglo-Boer War. The ''Volksraad'' sat in session in Ou Raadsaal in Church Square, Pretoria. In 1840, at the beginning of the Natalia Republic, an adjunct ''Volksraad'' was created in Potchefstroom for settlers west of the Drakensberg. The Potchefstroom ''Volksraad'' continued despite the Natalia_Republic#Annexation, British annexation of the Natalia Republic in 1843. It eventually passed the Thirty-three Articles, the precursor to the 1858 constitution (''Grondwet''), in 1849. In 1858 the ''Grondwet'' permanently established the ''Volksraad'' as the supreme authority of the nation. Initially a u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johannesburg Fort
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demographia, the Johannesburg–Pretoria urban area (combined because of strong transport links that make commuting feasible) is the 26th-largest in the world in terms of population, with 14,167,000 inhabitants. It is the provincial capital and largest city of Gauteng, which is the wealthiest province in South Africa. Johannesburg is the seat of the Constitutional Court, the highest court in South Africa. Most of the major South African companies and banks have their head offices in Johannesburg. The city is located in the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills and is the centre of large-scale gold and diamond trade. The city was established in 1886 following the discovery of gold on what had been a farm. Due to the extremely large gold dep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
