155 mm Creusot Long Tom part of the war the time fuses did not work properly. Case shot was used as a last resort when the enemy's foot soldiers were close to the gun. Case shot was effective up to 400 metres. During the Second Boer War the guns were deployed as field guns and siege guns at Vaal Krantz, Ladysmith, Mafeking, Kimberley and Bergendal. During the early stages of the war these guns gave the Boers an advantage as they had longer range than any British guns that were deployed in South Africa at the time. After all their ammunition had been expended, the
Battle of Ladysmith commanded by Brigadier General J.H. Yule) as he feared that Boers from the Orange Free State were about to attack Ladysmith. This decision highlighted Ladysmith's exposed position. Yule's force had to make an exhausting four-day march across the Biggarsberg hills before they could rejoin White in Ladysmith. On 24 October, White made a demonstration at Rietfontein against the Boers pressing forward down the railway line from Glencoe to Ladysmith, to distract them from attacking Yule. The British suffered 132 casualties, mainly from artillery fire. Rather than retreat south of the Tugela, White continued to mass supplies and reinforcements in Ladysmith.