Battle of Vaal Krantz

British army to fight its way past Louis Botha's army of Boer irregulars and lift the Siege of Ladysmith. The battle occurred during the Second Boer War

Rifle Brigade and Durham Light Infantry (2nd Division) prominent amongst his troops. After three days of skirmishing, the British general found that his position was so cramped that there was no room to drag his superior artillery up to support the British infantry attacks. Buller called a council of war and, "All his generals agreed that there was nothing for it except to try a new attempt elsewhere."^[1] Pakenham wrote that the British suffered 333 casualties,^[2] but Symonds put the British casualties at 30 dead and 350 wounded with Boers casualties were 30 dead and 50 wounded.^[3] Vaal Krantz was a minor defeat. On 14 February with the Battle of the Tugela Heights, Buller launched his fourth attempt at the Relief of Ladysmith