On the same day when the southern military district of East Africa launched an attack on Cape Town and Natal, the British Army commander Count Roberts also initiated a round of military operations targeting East Africa.
Count Roberts concentrated four divisions with nearly fifty thousand troops, launching an attack on the Guard Division and the 512th Division stationed in the southeast direction, attempting to reopen the southeast passage.
At this time, Count Roberts was fighting a decisive battle, using the Limpopo River as the boundary, so only a small amount of forces were needed to delay the northern East African Army's offensive, while the remaining forces mainly focused on the west to hinder the western military district of East Africa from supporting the Guard Division and the 512th Division.
