Pieter Hendrik Kritzinger
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Pieter Hendrik Kritzinger (20 April 1870, 'Wildemanskraal', Alexandria, Port Elizabeth District, Cape Colony – 2 October 1935, Cradock, Eastern Cape), was a Boer general and Assistant Commandant of the Forces of the Orange Free State and Commander-in-Chief of the Boer Rebel Forces in the Cape Colony and noted guerrilla commander during the Second Boer War who led the Boer invasions of the Cape Colony during the Guerilla Phase of the Second Boer War.
Pieter Hendrik Kritzinger | |
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Born | (1870-04-20)April 20, 1870 Wildemanskraal, Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony |
Died | October 2, 1935(1935-10-02) (aged 65) Cradock, Cape Province, South Africa |
Allegiance | Orange Free State |
Service/ | Army |
Commands held | Rouxville Commando |
Battles/wars | Second Boer War |
Spouse(s) | Anna Dorothea Michau (m. 1907–d. 1935) |
Children | 3 |
This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (May 2020) |
General Kritzinger was probably the only senior Boer officer to invade the Cape Colony four times during the Anglo Boer War. He did so as a burgher of the Rouxville Commando in November 1899, during the failed attempt of General Christiaan de Wet during the Second Boer Invasion of the Cape Colony on 16 December 1900, and returned to the Cape Colony for a third time on 15 May 1901 as a general until withdrawing on 15 August 1901. After recuperating and resting in the Ladybrand District, he made a fourth and last attempt to invade the Cape Colony via Sandrift on the night of 14/15 December 1901. With his commando he crossed the Noupoort - De Aar railway line late in the afternoon of 16 December 1901. Whilst turning around for the third time to pick up stragglers, he was shot through the chest and captured by soldiers of the Third Battalion, Grenadier Guards.
As a part of General Christiaan de Wet's Free State forces, Kritzinger's commando and its offsplits of commonado's, under the leadership of Gideon Scheepers and Johannes Lötter, successfully launched attacks deep into the Cape Colony on the British troops. The British communications, railway and supply lines were severely disrupted.