Battles & Campaigns · 1914
Battle of Sandfontein
Sandfontein, Namibia
What happened
South Africa invaded German South West Africa from the south early in the First World War. A larger German force attacked the South African troops at Sandfontein at dawn from two directions. After a day of fighting, the South Africans raised a white flag in the evening.
Why it matters
Sandfontein had the only good water wells for 75 kilometres, so it mattered for any large army in the desert. Its loss ended South Africa's first attempt to invade from the south.
What came next
South Africa invaded again from several directions, and the German forces surrendered on 9 July 1915.
Did you know?
The Germans knew a lot about South African plans partly because a South African commander, Manie Maritz, had turned against his government.
Timeline
- 26 Sep 1914Battle of Sandfontein.
- 24 Oct 1914Maritz is defeated and flees to the Germans.
- 9 Jul 1915German forces in South West Africa surrender.