 In the Boer War (1899–1903), they succeeded in holding Mafeking against Boer forces with the help of a mixture of real and fake minefields; and they laid mines alongside railroad tracks to discourage sabotage.In the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, both sides used land and sea mines, although the effect on land mainly affected morale.The naval mines were far more effective, destroying several battleships.