SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS SURRENDER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS SURRENDER

FRONTIER FIGHT WITH GERMANS ' (Reo. October 7, 11.15 p.m.) t, , , , London, October 6. neuter s correspondent with the Namaqualand expedition, cables, October i, ttte details of the fighting leading to the surrender of two squadrons of the boutlr African Mounted Rifles and a section of the Transvaal Artillery. ihe advance guard of the force occupied a water-hole, which was approached through a narrow defile. The Germans, had apparently retired, but wiien the party outspanned for the night two thousand Germans, .with ten guns, attacked them from the surrounding kopjes and seized the defile. ' Tho lglit was continued the following morning, and every Transvaal gunner was killed or wounded. ■ , Meanwhile, the main force made desperate efforts to rescue the advance guard, and two squadrons suffered heavy casualties from machine guns in attempting to force a second entrance into the valley. By noon the British ammunition was exhausted; the party destroyed the guiis, while the riflemeu kept dowii the enemy's fire. The British then hoisted the white flag, i . e German commander-complimented the South Africans on their gallantry and the accuracy of the gunfire. They treated the prisoners well and buried the. British dead with the honours of war. Namaqualand lies immediately to the south of tiie Orange River-the boundary between South Africa and German South-West AfricT-Wr its en* W i ? S i ea - i IH ™ ber ° f - Sm , ail ' oncount ?r s frontier posts have