The Defence of Duffer’s Drift Book Review .pdf

The Defence of Duffer's Drift is a short 1904 book by Ernest Dunlop Swinton. Lieutenant Backsight Forethought (BF) and his command of fifty men are given the task to defend Duffer's Drift, a natural ford to a river. A large force of Boers, unknown to BF, is moving toward his position. This scenario is played out six separate times, in six "dreams." In the early scenarios, BF and his British troops are ignominiously defeated. After each defeat, BF learns lessons and adapts his strategy for the later encounters. The later dreams end more inconclusively, and in the final dream, BF and his command successfully hold out long enough to be relieved. The book encourages critical thinking and careful use of position and terrain to mount a successful defence.
The book has been imitated many times, both for the British Army and for the US Army, and new adaptations continue to appear in the 21st century.

1. BOOK
UNDER
REVIEW
making it legal

2. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 2
•TheDefenseofDuffer’sDriftisoneofthemostimportantworkseverwrittenon
smallunittactics.
•ItwaswrittenbyMajorGeneralSirErnestDunlopSwintonin1904whenSwinton
wasaCaptain.
•ThestorylineisfictionalnarrativeinwhichayoungBritishOffrservingintheBoer
Warstrugglestocommandaplatoon(+)formationwhileestablishingsomebasic
tacticalconceptsforthereader..
•ThebookisnarratedbyfictionalcharacternamedasLtBacksightForethoughtbythe
author,whowasincommandof50meninfantryplatoon(+)todefendafordinthe
river.
•LtBacksightForethoughthadaseriesofdreamsinwhichhisforcewasdefeatedby
theBoers.
INTRODUCTION

3. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 3
•Aftereachdream,LtBacksightForethoughtanalyzeshisperformanceand
determineslessonslearned.
•Bythefinaldream,hisforcewassuccessfulinholdingoutthedefensesuntilrelieved.
•ThelessonsLtBacksightForethoughtlearnedarethetimelesslessonsofsmallunit
tacticsandareasvaluabletodayastheywereattheturnofthecentury.
•Thisbookisessentialreadingforsoldiers,studentsoftacticsandmilitaryhistory.
INTRODUCTION

4. •Introduction
•About the Author
•Synopsis of the Book
•The Six Dreams
•Dream
•Outcome
•Lessons Learnt
•Concl
The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 4
SEQUENCE

5. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 5
Born 21 October 1868, BangaloreIndia
Died 15 January 1951(aged82)
Oxford,Oxford shire
Allegiance United Kingdom
Arm / Svc Royal Engineers
Mil Svc 1888–1919
Rank Major General
Battles / WarsSecond Boer War
First World War
Awards Knight Comd Order of the UK
Companion of the Order of Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Otherwork Air Ministry, Citroën,Chichele
Professor of Military Historyat
Oxford University
Col Comdtof Royal Tank Corps
Other Books by the Author
The Defence of Duffer's Drift, 1905
The Truth About Port Arthur, 1908
The Russian Army & Japanese War, 1909
Twenty Years After the Battlefield : 1914 –18
The Green Curve, 1914
The Great Tab Dope, 1916
The Tanks, 1918
The Study of War, 1926
Eyewitnesses of the War, 1932
The Tank, 1918
The Study of War, 1926
Over My Shoulder (1951)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

6. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 6
•Major General Sir Ernest D. Swinton, was a noted English soldier.
•Author, scholar and professor.
•Considered by Field Marshal Earl Wavell as one of the most far-sighted officers
the British Army.
•HewrotebeforeWorldWar-Iontheeffectsofairwarfare,miningandof
psychologicalwarfare.
•In1914SirErnestcompletelyrevolutionizedwarfarebyhisinventionofthe
machinethatwastobecameknownasthe“Tank".
•He served as Professor of Military History at Oxford from 1925 to 1939, and as
Commandant of the Royal Tank Corps from 1934 to 1938 --earning the rank of
Major General.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

7. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 7
•TheDefenseofDuffer'sDriftisafictionalwork,writtenin1907byBritishArmyMajor
General(thenCapt)ErnestD.Swinton,thathasbecomeaclassicofmilitarytraining
literature.
•ThestorytakesplaceinSouthAfricabetween1899and1902,duringthewarbetweenGreat
Britainandthe"Boers"orDutchsettlers.
•ThestoryisofLtghtForethought,whoisgivenresponsibilitytosecurea“Drift"orlowarea
onariverwhereitispossibletocross.
•Hewaschargedwithdefendingthedriftandnotallowinganyenemytocrossortakethe
drift.
SYNOPSIS OF THE BOOK

8. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 8
•Hisresourcesincludeacompanyof50soldiersandNCOswithperswpnsandsomeaxes,
picksandshovels.
•AfterLieutenantForethoughtbeginsthinkingabouthisdefensiveplan,hefallsasleepand
hasseveralsequentialdreamsinwhichtheenemyattacksanddefeatshiscompany.
•Eachchapterisadreaminwhichabattletakesplace.LtBacksightForethought,learns
severallessonsineachdreamandthenappliesthemtothenextdream.
•Onawaking,heuseshisnewknowledgetosuccessfullyachievehismission.
SYNOPSIS OF THE BOOK

9. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 9
■ANT HILL: A large cone-shaped mound of earth.
■BOER : Dutch and Huguenot population settled in SA in 17th century.
■DONGA : South African gully or ravine.
■DRIFT : A geographic location, A ford shallow place in a stream or river that can
be crossed by walking or riding on horseback.
■KAFFIR : A fierce black tribe of South Africa (19th Century).
■KOPJE : A rocky hill or butte of South Africa usually 200-800 mtrshigh.
■KRAALS : A village of South African natives surrounded by a stockade protection.
■STOCKADE: A barricade of felled trees with branches facing the enemy.
■Table Mt: A flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the
city of Cape Town in South Africa.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS

10. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 10
•TheBoerWar(Afrikaans)or 'SecondFreedomWar’Oct1899–May1902.
•BoerWarwasfoughtbetweentheBritishEmpireandthetwoBoerRepublicsi.e.the
SouthAfricanRepublicandtheOrangeFreeState.
•ItwasfoughtovertheEmpire'sinfluenceinSouthernAfricafrom1899to1902.
•FollowingthediscoveryofgolddepositsintheBoerRepublics,therewasalarge
influxof"foreigners",mostlyBritishfromtheCapeColony.
•Beorwerenotpermittedtohaveavote,andwereregardedas"unwelcomevisitors",
invaders,andtheyprotestedtotheBritishauthoritiesintheCape.
BOERS WAR | 1899-1902

11. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 11
•Negotiationsfailedand,intheopeningstagesofthewar.
•TheBoerslaunchedsuccessfulattacksagainstBritishoutpostsbeforebeingpushed
backbyimperialreinforcements.
•ThoughtheBritishswiftlyoccupiedtheBoerrepublics,numerousBoersrefusedto
acceptdefeatandengagedinguerrillawarfare.
•Eventually,Britishscorchedearthpolicies,andthepoorconditionssufferedin
concentrationcampsbyBoerwomenandchildrenwhohadbeendisplacedbythese
policies,broughttheremainingBoerguerillastothenegotiatingtable,endingthewar
BOERS WAR | 1899-1902

12. 12
Duffer’s Drift |Landmarks
Kopje
Inciden-tambaRocky Hill
Kraal Village
(Stockade Protected)
WaschoutHill
(gradually rising hill)
Sillia-AsvogelRiver
(only aval for wheeled tfc)
Drift
(ford foot Xing)
Table Mountain
Dutch Farm
under Kopje

13. 13
Duffer’s Drift |Landmarks
Kopje
Inciden-tambaRocky Hill
Kraal Village
(Stockade Protected)
WaschoutHill
(gradually rising hill)
Sillia-AsvogelRiver
(only aval for wheeled tfc)
Drift
(ford foot Xing)
Table Mountain
Dutch Farm
under Kopje

14. 14
SIX DREAMS
T h e D e f e n c e o f D u f f e r ’ s D r i f t
o f L t B a c k s i g h t F o r e t h o u g h t

15. 15
1
st
DREAM
NO DEFENCE
T h e D e f e n c e o f D u f f e r ’ s D r i f t

16. In 1
st
dream Lt BF arrthe loc with a
platoon (+) str and left prep of defsfor
next day and conc as admcamp
16
1
st
DREAM | NO DEFENCE

17. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 17
•LtBacksightForethought(LtBF)wasgivencomdofaplatoon(+)of50xMentohold
Duffer'sDriftagainsthostileBoertribe.
•LtBFassumeditasachanceforfameandglorylikefightingtheBattleofWaterloo,
orGettysburg,orBullRunandwithhisintellect,heanticipatedresolvingtheproblem
beforethefirstshotisfired.
•Hechooseshallowareaoftherivertodefend,whichcaneasilybecrossedbysldrs
andhorsemenwitheqpt.
•HehasnodefplanoranyideatodefendhisAOR.
•HehasseveralexperiencedNCOs,buthedidnotconsultthemtoplanapotent
strategytodefendthearea.
1
st
DREAM | NO DEFENCE

18. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 18
•Heallowedlocalinhabitantstoenterhiscamptosellfood,milkandbutter.
•Hehasthefdeqpttopreparedefsbutorderedtounloadandletsthesldrsto
takerestandsleep.
•Hedetailedtwogdsoneachpostandallowedthemtobuildbonfirestokeep
themcomfortableduringsentryduty.
•Afterassigningguardduties,hewenttosleep,planningtomakedefprepthe
nextday.
•Fortificationsnotprepared,andthesentriesdepictedtheirlocsbybonfiresat
dutylocsandsitingtheirtentsbesides,allowingtheBoerstoeasilysneakup
anddefeatthesleepingBritishSldrsintheirtentswithoutresistance.
1
st
DREAM | NO DEFENCE

19. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 19
•Boersasltduringdarkhrsandobservingdef/sentrylocsduetobonfireand
noisesafterevery30mins.
•LocalsaidBoersbyprovidingintfrominsidecamp/defs.
•Boerconvoycrosseddrift/fordtoavoidthreesideriverbanks.
•Britishtpsgotdefeatedduetounprepareddefsandrelaxattitudetowards
hostileBoers.
1
st
DREAM | OUTCOME

20. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 20
•Donotputofftakingyourmeasuresofdeftillnextday.
•Donotcompromiseondefmeasuresagainstcomfortofyourmenandsettlingdownof
admcamp.
•Posncampwithreftodeflayout.
•Donotallowstraycivilians/localsincamparea.
•Donottrustnativesforprovidingyoucommoditiesorfoodtoyouinthetacloc.
•Donotletyoursentriesadvertisetheirposnbylightornoisetohostilegpsinenarea.
•Donotremainintentswhenbulletsarerippingthrough;atsuchtimes,aholeinthegr
isworthmanytents.
1
st
DREAM | LESSONS LEARNT

21. 21
2
ND
DREAM
CP TRENCH
T h e D e f e n c e o f D u f f e r ’ s D r i f t

22. After 1
st
dream of no def and cas’to Lt
BF’s Platoon, BF converted the locality
into def posnby digging square CP
Trench all around the camp
22
2
nd
DREAM | CP TRENCH

23. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 23
•LtBFbeganhisdefprepimed&orderedtobuildatrencharoundthecamp.
Somesldrserectedthetentsandprepfood.
•Thetrenchwasanunbrokensquareof100meterseachsideof1-1/2meter
deepwithparapetordirtmoundof1-/2meterhighinfrontoftrench.
•Aroundtheircampabout100meters,scrubbrush&vegetationgavenatural
cover&clt.
•Healsosentouttwogpsoflistening/obsnposts.Sentrieswereplacedout,
butnowwithoutbonfirestoavoiddetectionbytheen.
2
nd
DREAM | CP TRENCH

24. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 24
•DuringduskBoersattackedthecampalthoughtheydidnotoverrunright
away,buttheybegantowearawayattheBritish.
•SincetheBritishtpsusedthecoverofdirtmoundshence,toshootdownen
theyhadtobreakthecoverresultingtheirheadsshotoffbyBoers.
•OnceBoerssurroundedthesquaretrenchedcampfromallsides,theywere
abletoshootacrossthecampintothefrontsandbacks.
•LtBFeventuallygaveupatdawn.
2
nd
DREAM | OUTCOME

25. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 25
•Withmodernrifles,togdadriftorlocdoesnotnecessitatesittingontopofit
unlessthelocissuitabletoholdforotheranddefreasons.
•Defendermustutilizethecover&cltintelligently,tokeepeninclearfieldoffire
insteaditislefttotheadvantageofentobeusedagainstowndefs.
•Anon-bullet-proofparapetorvisibleservesmerelytoattractbulletsinsteadof
keepingthemout,theproofofthicknesscanbepracticallytested.
•Whenfiredatbyanenatcloserangefromallround,alowparapetandshallow
trencharenotofmuchofuse,asthebulletsdonothitthedefendersonone
sidehitthoseonanotherside.
2
ND
DREAM | LESSONS LEARNT

26. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 26
•Itisnotenoughtokeepstrangemenoftheen’sbreedawayfromyouractual
defs,lettingthemgofreetowarntheirfriendsofyourwhereabouts.
•Itisnotbusinesstoallowlazymentositandpicktheirteethoutsidetheir
kraalswhilsttiredsoldiersarebreakingtheirheartstryingtodoheavylaborin
shorttime.
•Itismorethedutyofasldrtoteachthelazyneutralthedignityoflabor,andby
keepinghimundergdtopreventhisgoingawaytotalkaboutit.
2
ND
DREAM | LESSONS LEARNT

27. 27
3
RD
DREAM
LINEAR TRENCH
T h e D e f e n c e o f D u f f e r ’ s D r i f t

28. After 3
RD
dream defeat & cas’
Lt BF reorg and def the loc in the form
of linear trench against hostile Boers
28
3
rd
DREAM | LINEAR TRENCH

29. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 29
•AfterdefeatfromBoers,LtBFdecidedtocorrecthispreviousmistakesby
sendingapetroltocollectallthemalevillagersbringtheminsidecamp.
•Healsochosecamploc800meterssouthofthedrift.
•Heinstrsldrstodigashallowlineartrenchof50meterslongperpendicularto
theroadorientatedtowardsthedrift.
•NextdayagpofBoersapchthecamp.Femalevillagerswerewaitingforthe
BoersandwarnedthemoftheBritishloc.
•BoersretreatedoutofriflergandbegantoshelltheBritishtpswiththeirarty,
3
rd
DREAM | LINEAR TRENCH

30. 30
Kopje
Inciden-tambaRocky Hill
Kraal Village
(Stockade Protected)
WaschoutHill
(gradually rising hill)
Sillia-AsvogelRiver
(only aval for wheeled tfc)
Drift
(ford foot Xing)
Table Mountain
Dutch Farm
under Kopje
BF’s 50 MtrsLinear Trench
BOER ARTY
BOER TPS
BOER TPS
BOER TPS
3
rd
DREAM |TAC DISPOSN

31. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 31
•WomenvillagersassistedBoersinlocatingBritishdefs.
•BoerschangedtheirattkplanandusedtheirArtyfromIncidetambaHill.
•DuetoBF’sperfectlylineartrenchdefs,Boerscorrectedtherangeoftheir
Artyguns(posnatIncidetambaHill)anddroppedtheshellsrightinside
shallowlineartrench.
•LtBF’shadnochoicebuttosurrenderwithhycas’.
3
rd
DREAM | OUTCOME

32. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 32
•Withmodernrifles,togdadriftorlocdoesnotnecessitatesittingontopofit
unlessthelocissuitabletoholdforotheranddefreasons.
•Defendermustutilizethecover&cltintelligently,tokeepeninclearfieldoffire
insteaditislefttotheadvantageofentobeusedagainstowndefs.
•Anon-bullet-proofparapetorvisibleservesmerelytoattractbulletsinsteadof
keepingthemout,theproofofthicknesscanbepracticallytested.
•Whenfiredatbyanenatcloserangefromallround,alowparapetandshallow
trencharenotofmuchofuse,asthebulletsdonothitthedefendersonone
sidehitthoseonanotherside.
3
rd
DREAM | LESSONS LEARNT

33. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 33
•BritishtpsmusthavesamewpnsasofBoers(havingArtyguns).
•BF’sdecisionofcollectingmalevillagersinsidecampwasnotfruitfulrather
assistedBoerstochangetheirplanofArtyshelling.
•Thetrenchgivesthegunnersanobjecttolayonandgivesnoprotectionfrom
shrapnel.
•Againstwell-aimedlong-rgArtyfire,itwouldbebettertoscatterthedefenders
intheopenhiddeningrassandbushes,orbehindstonesoranthills,thanto
keepthemhuddledinsuchatrench.
3
rd
DREAM | LESSONS LEARNT

34. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 34
•Withyourmenscatteredaround,youcansafelylettheenemyfillyourtrenchto
thebrimwithshrapnelbullets.
•Tostopashrapnelbulletmuchlessactualthicknessofearthisnecthantostop
ariflebullet,yetthisearthmustbeintherightplace.
•Tohollowoutthebottomofthetrenchsidestogiveextraroomwillbeeven
better,becausetheopentopofthetrenchcanbekeptthelesswide.
•Themorelikeamereslittheopentopofthetrenchis,thefewertheshrapnel
bulletswillgetin.
3
rd
DREAM | LESSONS LEARNT

35. 35
4
TH
DREAM
BROKEN TRENCH
T h e D e f e n c e o f D u f f e r ’ s D r i f t

36. 36
4
th
DREAM |TAC DISPOSN
Kopje
Inciden-tambaRocky Hill
Kraal Village
(Stockade Protected)
WaschoutHill
(gradually rising hill)
Sillia-AsvogelRiver
(only aval for wheeled tfc)
Drift
(ford foot Xing)
Table Mountain
Dutch Farm
under Kopje
BF’s Broken Trench
BOER ARTY
BOER TPS
BOER TPS
BOER TPS

37. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 37
•4
th
battlebegunashadearlierbuthereBFmadesomechangesanddefwork
startedimed.BFchosenanareaawayfromthedriftthathadaravine.
•Britishtpsimprovedtheravine(adeep,narrowgorgewithsteepsides)used
asdeffightingposn(DFP)i.e.atypeofearthworkconstinamilcontext,gen
largeenoughtoaccommodateanythingfromonesoldiertoafireteam(or
similarsizedunit).
•BFsentOPsonnearbyhighgrounds.
•Sentpatrolstocollectciviliansfromvillagesandallowedthemtodigdef
posnsthemselves.
4
th
DREAM | BROKEN TRENCH

38. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 38
•BForderedhistpstocontimprovingDFPsthroughoutnextday.
•WhentheeneventuallyshowedtheywereunawareofBritishpresence.
•However,1800mtrsawayBoersnoticedseverecontrastbetweennatural
earthandspoilsofBritishDFPs.
•BoersplacedsomeArtyonanearbymountainandbegub=nshellingover
British.
•AlthoughArtyshellingdidnotharmBritishbutkepttheirheadsdowntoallo
BoerstogetclosetonearbyvegetationtoBritishtrenches.
4
th
DREAM | OUTCOME

39. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 39
•BoersagainutilizedthecovertofiredirectlyonBritishlocs.
•Boerssuccessfullymnvraroundthetrenchesfromtheflanksandkilledmany
British.
•TheBritishsurrenderedwithhycas’
4
th
DREAM | OUTCOME

40. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 40
•Forasmallisolatedpostandanactiveenemy,therearenoflanks,norear,or,toput
itotherwise,itisfrontallround.
•Whenplacingandmakingyourdef,thatwhenyouareengagedinshootingthe
enemytothefrontofyourtrench,hispalcannotsneakupandshootyouintheback.
•Bewareofbeingenfiladed.Itisnastyfromoneflank-farworsefrombothflanks.
•Therearefewstraighttrenchesthatcannotbeenfiladedfromsomewhere,ifthe
enemycanonlygetthere.
•Donothaveyourtrenchnearrisinggroundoverwhichyoucannotsee,andwhich
youcannothold.
4
th
DREAM | LESSON LEARNT

41. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 41
•Donothuddleallyourmentogetherinasmalltrenchlikesheepinapen.
•Coverfromsightisofoftenworthmorethancoverfrombullets.
•Forcloseshootingfromanon-concealedtrench,headcoverwithloopholesis
anadvantage.
•Tosurprisetheenisagreatadvantage.Ifyouwishtoobtainthisadvantage,
concealyourposn.
•Totestthecltorotherwiseofyourposn,lookatitfromtheenemy’sptofview.
4
th
DREAM | LESSON LEARNT

42. 42
5
TH
DREAM
WASCHOUT HILL
T h e D e f e n c e o f D u f f e r ’ s D r i f t

43. After 4
th
dream defeat & lesson
learnt Lt BF decided to estbhis posnat
KaarlVillage at the top of WaschoutHill to
have clear Fdsof Fire / Obsns
43
5
TH
DREAM | WASCHOUT HILL

44. 44
5
th
DREAM |TAC DISPOSN
Kopje
Inciden-tambaRocky Hill
Kraal Village
(Stockade Protected)
WaschoutHill
(gradually rising hill)
Sillia-AsvogelRiver
(only aval for wheeled tfc)
Drift
(ford foot Xing)
Table Mountain
Dutch Farm
under Kopje
BOER ARTY
BOER TPS
BOER TPS

45. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 45
•In5
th
dream,LtBFplaceshiscomdtentatthetopodWaschoutHill.This
allowedclearhimtoobservethedriftandallotherareasoftacimportance.
•Heconcealedhiscomdpostbetweenabandonedhutsgarbagestakes.
•HeorderedcontainmentoflocalinhabitantsofKaarlVillage,soastouse
themasaworkforceanddenytheirabilitytoactasspiesforBoers.
•LtBFbuiltacircleoftrenchesaroundallowingobsnandfireineverydir
againsthostileBoers.
•HealsosentseveralNCOsouttoobservetheposnfromen’sperspective.
5
th
DREAM | WASCHOUT HILL

46. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 46
•Ontheinforecdfromhisoutposts,LtBFnoticedthatevenFofFsandobsnare
clearfromthetrenches,buthecannotshootattheDriftortherdbelowduetorgof
wpns.
•LtBFdecidedtofireuponthemainbodiesastheypassthroughthenarrowfire
window.
•HeisforcedtogiveuphisposnasBoerScoutsrideupthehillandfireduponbythe
British.
•SeveralBoerscoutswerekilledorwounded,butthemainbodyrushesthroughto
theDriftandgetsaway.
•Britishinflicthycas’ontheBoerbutfailedtostoptheirattackontotheposn.
5
th
DREAM | OUTCOME

47. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 47
•Bewareofconvexhillsanddeadgr,especiallytakecaretohavesomeplacewhere
theenmustcomeunderyourfire.
•Choosetheexactposiofyourfiringtrenches,withyoureyeatthelvlofthemenwho
willeventuallyusethem.
•Ahillmaynot,afterall,thoughithas"comd,"necessarilybethebestplacetohold.
•Aconspicuous"bluff"trenchmaycausetheentowastemuchammoanddrawfire
awayfromtheactualdefs.
•Insteadofsleepwithun-prepdefs,wemustimproveourdefsagainstpossibleattks.
•Dominatingposnmustnotcompromisewpnrgstotgtparticularareaofattackingen.
5
th
DREAM | LESSON LEARNT

48. 48
6
TH
DREAM
RIVERBED
T h e D e f e n c e o f D u f f e r ’ s D r i f t

49. The 6
th
and last dream Lt BF reviewed all
lessons learnt and dev different strategy to
defeat the Boers and to make
The Def of Duffer’s Drift
A Success
49
6
TH
DREAM | RIVERBED

50. 50
6
th
DREAM |TAC DISPOSN
Kraal Village
(Stockade Protected)
WaschoutHill
(gradually rising hill)
Sillia-AsvogelRiver
(only aval for wheeled tfc)
Drift
(ford foot Xing)British Def Layout on
the Banks

51. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 51
•Aftersendingoutthepatrols,andplacingagdonWaschoutHill,andstores
werebeingcollected,LtBFconsidereddeeplywhatpositionshouldtakeup.
•HewalkeduptothetopofWaschoutHilltospyouttheland.Onthetophe
foundaKaffirKraalVillage,whichhesawwouldassisthimmuchas
concealmentshouldhedecidetoholdthishill.
•Butafterafewmins’bytrialoftheshapeofthegr,withthehelpofsomemen
walkingdownbelow,LtBFfoundthatitsconvexitywastoseeandfireonthe
Driftandtheapchonthesouthside,heshouldhavetoabandonthetopofthe
hill.
•FriendlycltoftheKaffirhutsandtakeupaposnontheopenhillsidesome
waydown.
6
th
DREAM | RIVERBED

52. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 52
•ThisideawastoholdtheriverbedandbanksoneachsideoftheDrift.
•Iresisted,struggled,butfinallyfelltotemptation,dressedupintheplausible
guiseofreason.
•Theadvantagestoholdtheriverbedwere:
•Perfectcvrandcltfromsight.
•Trenchesandprotectionagainstbothrifleandgunfirepracticallyready
made.
•Commundergoodcover.
•TheenwouldbeoutintheopenveldexceptalongtheRiverbank,where
we,beinginposnfirst,wouldstillhavetheadvantage.
•Plentifulwatersupplyathand.
6
th
DREAM | RIVERBED

53. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 53
•Undercoverofthedark,theencameupto600metersinopenveldonthe
northandroundtheedgesofWaschoutHillonthesouth,andkeptupa
furiousfire,probablytodistractourattn.
•BoergunsshelledBritishforaboutanhour.Assoonasthegunfireceased,
theytriedtorushBritishalongtheRiverbedEast&Westbutowingtothe
abatisandtheholesinthegr,Boerswereunsuccessful.
•FewBoersdidsucceedingettingintoourposn,onlytobebayoneted.Luckily
theendidnotknowourstr/
•Nextmorning,withsomanymenoutofBritishoriginal40outofaction(notto
inclWaschoutHilldetachment)mattersseemedtobeserious.
6
th
DREAM | OUTCOME

54. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 54
•Twenty-twolessons,concludedtofinallyholdtheRiverbedclosetoDrift.
•Trenchessoplacedtocoverdeadgr.
•DecentralizedcomdentrustedtoexperiencedNCOs.
•BestuseofnaturalcoverbyBritish.
•BF’sextensivedeceptionworked,andBoerssurprisedandlost.
•Thetpswereabletoholdthedrift.
•Casualities
•Brits: 11Killed&15Wounded
•Boers: 30-40Killed
•ThenextdayBritishrftcomeandLtBF’stpswererelieved
6
th
DREAM | OUTCOME

55. 55
CONCLUSION
T h e D e f e n c e o f D u f f e r ’ s D r i f t

56. The Defence of Duffer’s Drift 56
•Theauthorhadendeavoredtoteachjnrldrsvaluabletaclessonsforsmallunit
tacticsinaclassicmiltext.
•Inthestory,LtBFmadetwomajmistakesledtodefeatinthe5dreams.
•Firstly:hedidnotusehisexperiencedNCOsinprepofdefposn,planning
andexecofeverymission.
•Secondly:absenceofanyplantodefendthedrift
•Theauthormadeawellthoughtoutplanutilizingsmallunittacticsindefops.
•Authortriedtotrach22lessonslearntin5dreamstofinallyovercomethe
mistakesandfinallysucceedindefendingtheduffer’sdrift
•ThelessonsdiscussedintheambientofPlatoonLvlTrgandlure-inthejnrldrsto
understandthetacticsofsmallunitrelatedtograndaprctheown,enandctr
measures.
CONCL

57. THANKS
making it legal