The battle of Kakamas took place in Kakamas, Northern Cape Province of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 on 4 February 1915. It was a skirmish for control of two river fords over the Orange River

Orange River

The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...

 between contingents of a German invasion force and South African armed forces. The South Africans succeed in preventing the Germans gaining control of the fords and crossing the river.

Prelude

South Africa had assembled a force of 6,000 men in Upington and Kakamas, under the command of Colonel J. van Deventer. Deventer's men were to from one of the columns in a planned invasion of German South West Africa. In a pre-emptive move German Schutztruppe under the command of Major Ritter invaded South Africa.

Battle

Ritter attacked Kakamas on 4 February 1915, hoping to capture two Orange River

Orange River

The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...

 fords and head south further into South Africa. A fierce skirmish developed with the Germans being beaten back, with the loss of seven dead, sixteen wounded and sixteen taken prisoner.

Aftermath

Following the battle van Deventer called up the rest of his column from Upington, 80 kilometres away, crossed the Orange River and proceeded to advance slowly into South West Africa.

Memorial

Just outside the town, in the town's cemetery, there is a memorial dedicated to the German soldiers killed in the battle.

See also

• Battle of Keimoes June 1901 during the Second Boer War
  Second Boer War
  The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
  
  
• Maritz Rebellion
  Maritz Rebellion
  The Maritz Rebellion or the Boer Revolt or the Five Shilling Rebellion, occurred in South Africa in 1914 at the start of World War I, in which men who supported the recreation of the old Boer republics rose up against the government of the Union of South Africa...
  
  or the Boer Revolt occurred in South Africa in 1914 at the start of World War I.

Further reading

• "Agter Die Skerms met Die Rebelle" by C. F. McDonald, (1949)
• 1. Boer Rebels and the Kaiser,s Men and 2. Kakamas: von Hadeln's reconnaissance section, Die Boervolk van SA, 25 August 2009.