Its flat summit was a superb position for one of the best Boer artillery pieces, a 12cm Krupp howitzer. This gun outranged all of the British field guns in Ladysmith, except for their 4.7 inch Naval gun for which there was very little ammunition.. It was mounted low on its carriage which had relatively small, sturdy wheels. Although intended as a siege weapon, the Boers managed to transport it easily over rough terrain. It was a quick-firing gun which used a brass cartridge case.
