 Rakarayirwa kuti ridzokere kumusha muna 1899, Powerful rakatsauswa kubva panzira pfupi yaipfuura nomumugero weSuez kuti ritsaukire kumucheto wokumaodzanyemba kweAfrica nemhaka yokunetsana kwakanga kuri kuwedzera pakati pevaBritain nevaBoer muSouth Africa. Ngarava yakabva kuHong Kong, China, musi wa17 Gunyana uye yakasvika kuSimonstown musi wa13 Gumiguru, mazuva maviri mushure mekunge Hondo yechipiri yeBoer yatanga; Lambton ave atora hafu-bhationi yeKings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry kubva kuchitsuwa cheMauritius pachake. Ngarava yake yehanzvadzi,, yaitungamirirwa naKaputeni Percy Scott, yakasvika zuva rakatevera uye Scott akavandudza zvigadziro zvepamba zvepairi ye4.7-inch 120 mm uye vaviri ve Terrible 12-pounder pfuti. Pashure pechikumbiro chaLt. General George White, mutungamiriri wemauto akanga akombwa paLadysmithNokuda kwezvombo zvakawanda zvepfuti refu, Powerful yakaendesa zvombo zvose zvina kuDurban, ichisvika pa 29 November. Lambton akawana imwezve pair ye 12-pounders ndokutungamirira brigade yomugungwa iyo yakasvika kuLadysmith pazvitima zviviri zvokupedzisira kuti ipfuure. Mushure mekununurwa kweLadysmith pakupera kwaFebruary, brigade yakabva mutaundi musi wa7 Kurume ndokusvika kuSimontown musi wa12. Powerful yakasiya Simonstown mazuva matatu gare gare ndokusvika paPortsmouth musi wa 11 April. 