The times., 1899-10-30
ENGLkND's PLAN OF WAR.
The Orange River Bridge the Key to
the TransvaRl.

! me orange River brlAse 1hS ntS ~
the TransvaRl.
LONDON. Oct. 2O.-Now that war in
| South Africa has become an actual fact.
it is necessary to take cognizance in a gen
eraI preliminary survey of its chief mill
! tary features. The battle at Glencoe and
! the advance of the Beers into northern
! Natal have given a fairly adequate idea Of
| the character Of the campaign which will
! be carried on in that quarter. The real
! fighting, the real war, according to the
/ British plans, will be carried on, not on
the east, but on the south and west OF
the two Republics 1t is now quite clear
that the British main force will go north
! from Cape Town. Port Elizabeth and East
London, converging probably at some point
near the southern boundary Of the Orange
Free State. Thence il will invade the Free
| State either in a single column or second
division will follow the line of the railway
on the west and turn east toward Pretoria,
perhaps at about the point where jameson
and his misguided band crossed the border,
shall deal in this letter with the key
to the British plan of operations. This
| is admittedly the Orange River Bridge,
/ spot about 500 miles northeast Of Cape
! Town and about 100 miles southwest of
! Kimberley. 1t is both a natural battlefield
and strategic position which commands
access TO the entire region north and east.
1t comprises merely a railway station and
in ordinary times no inhabitants beyond
two or three railway employees and a few
natives. Today, however it bristles with
artillery, is transformed by hastily con-
structed fortiications and throngs with
redcoats. Colonel Kincaid an officer who
wen distinction with Lord Kitchener in
the Soudan is in command, and he has
been busy for weeks in making the posi-
tion, as he hopes, impTegnable.
correspondent of the Times writing
at the end of September, gives an excellent
description of the position which is to
be the military base of the principal Brit
ish operations. The western frontier Of
the Orange Free State and the Transvaal
is not an imaginary line but a fence, origi-
nally erected to prevent the entrance of
cattle infected with rinderpest but it has
now fallen into decay. The immediate
borders of the river at Orange River
Bridge are fiat, the valley being enclosed
by low-lying hills which are better de-
scribed as ragged, steep mounds.
Within the circumference of the ridges
1t is sandy and fat and over its red ex
panse stretches the haze of the heat. The
frontier lies five miles down the valley,
and should the scene Of operations en-
brace the bridge, the valley, and the i'm
mediate area-and it Is to be hoped 1t may
be sO-any advance by the Orange Free
State troops would be under the coucen-
trated fire of British artillery from the
heights about the river. Nature has
adapted the place for a battlefield, for the
lie of the land marks out the probable
direction from which any attack from the
Orange Free State troops will emanate.
The British position here is purely de-
fensive one. From the point where Col
onel Kincaid's first earthworks begin Until
the frontier fence is reached, the inter
vening stretch of country is broken into
a series Of minor ridges and dried-up
water courses. which, if available for ar
tllery are equally calculated to hinder any
very rapid movements of troops upon either
side.
The Orange Free State" the Times
correspondent writes, has Communicated
its forces just across the border, and today
We saw the dust OF the irregular horse.
But should a fight come, 1t would be be-
tween batteries Of artillery from the diyid-
ing hills upon the river aided by as great
variety of guerrilla warfare as regular
troops are capable of. The hollows Of the
plain and short rises OF the hillside pro-
vide very ample shelter to sharpshoOters,
the lines Of earthwOrks which have been
raised in the valley assisting the artillery
, in its protection OF the camp and more
distant approaches to the bridge.
In the opinion of Colonel Kincaid the
bridge over the river, which is the main
feature Will Withstand any attempts at
demolition which the Beers may make. 1t
is constructed of iron girders and support
ed upon eighteen concrete pillars. IL is
very narrow and about 800 yards long. The
artillerymen banker for a few howitzers,
which, If in a position at the base of the
! low-lying range surrounding the camp,
could be fired over the intermediate ranges
while the men enjoyed comparative i'm
munity and the consolation of conjecture
within shelter OF the facings. The defences
which are in process of construction at
Orange bridge and upon adjoining heights
may be regarded as impregnable. Redoubts
sweep the surrounding areas with deadly
effect No attacking force can possibly
sustain any advance in face of their fire.
Once within range of these batteries the
Republican forces Will realize that they
have had their day, For many weeks past
the troops from across the border have
had opportunity to seize the position and
had this been accomplished by the Staats
artillery it is doubtful if the combined
force OF the imperial artillery in Africa to-
day could have expelled them. In this re-
spect the delay of the Beers to attack the
British forces upon this frontier is as
founding to every member Of our force
If the front Of the position has been
thus secured, the situation of the field and
Maxim batteries which command the east
ern and rear flank of the British position
fills the hearts of the artillerymen with
rapture. The entire British lines are with
in the area of its protecting fire. To the
northwest it viii support the main position
in the protection of the Orange River
bridge should the bridge defences by the
aid of miracles be driven in; to the east
and rear flank it's Maxim fire viii lop down
the ranges with the precision of a garden
hose. In the same way that the Orange
River plain is a perfect battlefield, the iso-
lated group of hills which embody the
position was designed for artillery occupa-
ton"