Dr Gustav Norval
Die meeste Long Tom bomme wat die Boere-artilleriste afgevuur het, het nie ontplof nie en volgens Ashe het die verskaffers ou voorraad teen verhoogde pryse aan ‘n liggelowige Transvaalse regering verkoop. Hy beweer dat van die Long Tom bomme selfs met saagsels gevul was. Magte en kragte agter die skerms het saamgespan om die Boere selfs met hul wapenaankope te saboteer. Hier kan daar vir interessantheid genoem word dat daar ook probleme was met die Mauserpatrone: die sg “kortnek patrone” (7,65 mm, 53 mm. lank) het makliker in die loop gebars en kon selfs die loop laat bars in vergeleke met die “langnek patroon” (7mm kaliber, 57 mm lank).
So skryf google: angloboerwar.com hieroor:
All, however, was not well regarding the 7mm Mauser rounds themselves. Complaints were made about "certain Mauser cartridges causing Mausers to burst" and that "men put the cause down to certain cartridges – and refused to take them". The rounds in question were described as having "short" cases.
Langnek (bo) en kortnek Mauser patrone
It certainly was not a Camp Rumour. Observing the conflict from the Boer side was the US Military attache; who reported that special "short neck" Mauser ammunition was made for the Boers and that ruptured cartridge cases were common, bullets broke up frequently but all of this was "fairly overcome" by lubricating the bullets. Correct specification 7mm Mauser rounds had a cartridge case length of 57mm; whereas the "short" cases measured 53mm.
Die groot spinnnekop van die Britse Vickers wapen-maatskappy, was ene Sir Basil Zaharoff, ‘n baie kontroversiële figuur wat beskryf was as die “most wicked man on earth”. Sy agtergrond is steeds onbekend, sommige beweer hy was ‘n Armeniaan, ander weer meen hy was ‘n Rus, of Griek, Turk of Jood. Jannash beskryf hom as die “eigentlike hoofd der Engelsche bewapeningsindustrie en oorlogmaker”, iemand wat beide kante van ‘n konflik stook en bewapen het. Hy het masjiengewere en pom-pom kanonne aan beide die Boere en aan die Britse weermag verskaf. Die Britse Premier Joseph Chaimberlain het ‘n soortgelyke rol gespeel. Hy het ‘n vennootskap gehad in die Mauser wapen-maatskappy, wat gewere aan Duiters, Britte en Boere verskaf het. Daar was gerugte dat die duisende Mausergewere wat Duitsland tydens 1897 aan die Transvaal verkoop het, gewere was wat deur die Duitse weermag verwerp was, aangesien die geweer nie as doeltreffend genoeg beskou was om in oorlogsituasies te gebruik nie. Die Britse mediese dienste het ook melding gemaak van die feit dat die Mauser se wonde nie ernstig was nie en dat die Mauser ‘n “ most humane” wapen was met ‘n lae “kill ratio”. Danksy Chaimerlain.
Chaimberlain Zacharoff
Oor Zaharoff skryf Mike Dash in die Smithsonian Magazine in Februarie 2012 as volg:
Few men have acquired so scandalous a reputation as did Basil Zacharoff, alias Count Zacharoff, alias Prince Zacharias Basileus Zacharoff, known to his intimates as “Zedzed.” Born in Anatolia, then part of the Ottoman Empire, perhaps in 1849, Zacharoff was a brothel tout, bigamist and arsonist, a benefactor of great universities and an intimate of royalty who reached his peak of infamy as an international arms dealer—a “merchant of death,” as his many enemies preferred it. He made a fortune working as a super-salesman for Vickers, the greatest of all British private arms firms, whom he served for 30 years as “our General Representative abroad.” He expressed no objection to, and indeed seemed rather to enjoy, being referred to as “the Armaments King.”
Hy was ‘n intieme vriend van die Britse monargie, ridder van die koninklike Britse Order of the Garter, maar ook ‘n internasionale misdadiger wat oorloë gestook het, betrokke was in spioenasie, moordkomplotte en prostitusie. Die volle omvang van sy misdade is onbekend want hy het berge dokumente vernietig.
Bronne :
Jannash: Onder Boeren en Bantoes, Amsterdamse Keurkamer Uitg., Amsterdam, 1942.
Ashe ERO: Besieged by the Boers, Doubleday, Page and Co., London, 1900.