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While the massacre is happening in Isandlwana, on the other side of the river, the soldier in Rorke’s Drift look on. The Camp is an old Mission Station and an old trading post. The British have set up a field hospital in Rorke’s Drift for the sick and wounded 24 Regiment soldier.
In term of number, the situation is even worse than the odds British facing in Isandlwana. In Rorke’s Drift, only 150 or so Defender fending off about 4-5000 Zulu warriors, compare to the battle of Isandlwana (1800 British against 20,000 Zulu), the situation in Rorke’s Drift is even more dire.
Background of the battle
Sitting on the other bank of Buffalo River, Rorke’s Drift is sitting in the border between British Natal and Zulu Kingdom.
The drift is a former Irish Trading Post turn Mission station and Hospital before the British Commandeer the place. The hospital set up served as a Forward Field Hospital and in support with 24th Warwickshire Regiment of Food forward deployment.
The post was used as a launching point for the campaign, Lord Chelmsford column were at one point based/camped on Rorke’s Drift, the station is commanded by Major Henry Spalding of Chelmsford staff, and the single company defending the station is from B company 2/24 and commanded by Lt. Gonville Bromhead.
On Jan 20th Colonel Durnsford and his Royal Engineer detachment arrived at Rorke’s Drift. Durnsford column stayed for a night and left for Isandlwana on the 21st, taking all the detachment with him. But send back Lt John Chard and his wagon driver to repair a pontoon bridge bridging the Buffalo River.
While there, Lt John Chard took command of the whole defense of the camp, that is when the news that Zulu have broke thru the British Camp at Isandlwana. That 4 to 5,000 Zulu reserve troop is coming to the camp after having defeated the British at Isandlwana. By 1300, Lt Chard have the camp building up defense and prepare for the Zulu invasion.
Deposition of force
The British force in Rorke’s Drift started out with B Company, 2/24, commanded by Lt Gonville Bromhead. The company comprise of 134 men, with about 100 men is fit for fighting, while the other are bed ridden hospital patient exchanged from other company
Also presented in the camp are a large NNC company, which mainly comprise of local garrison
They were then joined by 2 men with 5th Field Company, Royal Engineer, Lt Chard and his Driver.
And finally just before the battle begins was joined by the retreating NNH Company from Isandlwana, 100 men.
On the Zulu side, the force is of Undi Corp, which was placed in reserve in the battle of Isandlwana, upon realizing they are not needed after the turning point in the battle. At about 1300, they moved south and trying to swarm the British Camp at Rorke’s Drift.
Undi Corp numbered about 4000 men and is commanded by prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande, which both equipped themselves with the traditional assegai but also captured rifle from the British as well as their own old and antiqued rifle,
Tactical Consideration
For the British, this is the last stop, if Rorke’s Drift fallen then there would not have any British Fortification left in support of the Zulu Invasion campaign. Worse, if Zulu took Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift and gone after Lord Chelmsford’s remaining column. That would be the ball game of British Campaign in Kingdom of Zulu. With all 3 defeats, the British would suffer a humiliation that’s beyond any imagination. The British Counselors can take 1 disaster, maybe 2. But with 3, that would mean the end of British invasion, worse, it may mean the end of British Empire.
Even though the British have just over 400 troops in Rorke’s Drift, they most definitely cannot give up the position, even when they know they are facing the reserve troop from Zulu.
On the other hand, even though the King of Zulu ordered their troop not to go in Natal and attack the English, but since the defeat of British in Isandlwana, the opportunities of scoring a total defeat is too tempting to pass over. There, right after the defeat in Isandlwana is sealed, the Zulu impi just jump in and trying to siege Rorke’s Drift.
For the Zulu, it’s important for them to catch up the success where now the Zulu morale is the trongest and where the British morale sinks when they hear the news of Isandlwana. So, their tactical consideration is speed, while at one hand they need to capitalize the advantage they had carry over from winning a decisive battle, and also, any delay would mean Lord Chelmsford column could have turned around.
Beginning of Battle
Battle started at 1620 on January 22, when the Zulu met Henderson’s NNC Company behind Oscarberg. After a brief engagement, Henderson’s NNC troop, frest from the battle of Isandlwana, grew tired and ran out of ammunition, retreat to the main camp at Helpmekaar.
Right off the bat, Chard loses 200 men before the Battle at Rorke’s Drift begin.
Things got worse in the next 10 minutes. Just before the Zulu surrounded the camp, the reminder of NNH troop, upon seeing the NNC fled, they abandon their post in the stations. Furious about the fact that the union soldier is bolting, the British firing at the fleeing troop and the first KIA in battle registered to a Corporal William Anderson, shot by the British.
So, before the battle begins, the British Garrison reduced to just 150 men, of those, 30 men were walking wounded.
At 1630, the Zulu start probing the line of defense to the south, as the Zulu move north. Once the move is complete, the Zulu from the south withdraw and the probing of the Northern Line commence. Once the attack on the North wall started, the Zulu from Oscarberg fire their own rifle at the British.
While the whole evening into the dead of night, Zulu repeated the system of Probing the south wall and move on to the North or Northwest wall, and then harassment fire from the south as the troop move. This has keep on, until around 1900, when the Zulu finally broke thru the NW wall and entered the Hospital Structure.
Fighting at the hospital soon resort to close quarter combat, while the Zulu penetrated into the main hallway of the hospital, the British Soldier occupied individual room and denied access to the Zulu.
The hospital is occupied between 15-20 defender and patient. Distributed in 4 different room, where the outside potion of the Hospital facing outside the camp and the inside potion of the hospital connect to the courtyard via a single large window. With individual room fighting their own little battle of their own, soon the Brits realized that they need to get out of there.
So, Zulu engage the British Room by room, while the British dig tunnel to each adjacent room. Which defended by a single soldier and 9 patients/ Then again, the same thing repeated and the British need to dig another hole which connect to yet another room in order to escape, while soldier who are walking wounded or not so seriously wounded would defend the window, doorway and the hole they cam thru.
50 minutes passed, the hole is now big enough for people to pass thru, and by now the roof is on fire, and the hospital is being burn down, the British once again went to work, with the new room only occupied by 1 patient, and the next room would be the big room with the big window that connected to the courtyard outside. The men dig the hole like crazy.
Finally with no quarter given to either side, the battle inside the hospital turns out to be more bloody then the fighting on the outside, mostly because of the close quarter nature. And when finally the British soldier finish digging the hole to the last room, and escape thru the window. There are 4 British dead and about 70 dead Zulu soldiers died in or around the hospital complex.
Even after those men escape the hospital, they are by no mean escape the fighting. Now with the hospital burning, the perimeter have shirked but still defended by nearly all the defender that’s once available. Estimate British dead is now at 9 and estimated Zulu dead in hundreds. Now the British only holding the courtyard, store room and the cattle kraal
While the fighting keep on, at 2200, the cattle kraal had fallen to the Zulu as well, further reduced the perimeter to the store house and the courtyard that overlooking the storehouse. Now with almost everyone standing at the courtyard for the last stand. The next 2 hours we would see the bitter close quarter combat ended and a renew assault of open terrain combat resume.
However, with the basic defense intact and the perimeter is too small for Zulu concentrate on, Zulu at the end call off the assault at around 0000 Jan 23, while the Zulu continue firing their musket from Oscarberg to cover the withdrawal of Zulu by the camp. The camp was clear of Zulu by 0200 and the Station felt silence at 0359, finally ending 12 hours of insane combat.
What Went Wrong??
There are got to be some reason why the Zulu cannot take rorke’s drift. Many aspects were discussed and the most agree on the way the Zulu fight.
Traditionally, Zulu fight with a formation resembles a water buffalo. Their attacking troop would have formed up like a water buffalo, with 2 horns on both side and the main column that come up in the center. What they generally do is. They will use their right horn to cut into the enemy and with the horn locked in place, the Zulu will use the let horn to envelope the enemy and the center (Breast/Body) would then digest the main force when both horns clip the enemy in place.
However, at Rorke’s Drift, the Zulu did not attack using this formation, which proven deadly in Isandlwana. Instead, they have been using a musket formation that the British use themselves.
What the Zulu did was, they took the high ground and position riflemen on the high ground, where the ground infantry assault the station on the other side while the musket men fire at the camp, essentially, they draw out, or dilute the defense of the defending troop and trying to crash them with overwhelming probe.
In theory, that would work, if your musket man is any good. But in fact the accuracy and the rate of fire for Zulu musket man is so bad that there are some investigation even suggest that some of them were killed by their own musket…Either failure to load them resulting the round explode in front of their face or that they overload the gunpowder and the rifle simply exploded…
Still, with a 40:1 ratio, the situation should not be that bad even with crappy musketman, but one also need to know when the musket fire from the south, the southern probe could not be engaging the British or they will caught in the cross fire between Zulu and British Gunnery duel. Hence, by diluting the force between North, South Assault Force and a Musket force. The Zulu inadvertedly feed their troop into British line in piecemeal. Instead of 1200-2000 men strike the whole line at once. The Zulu fed 500-600 troop supported by 1000 musketman (Estimated) to the British line, where the latter have minimal or neglectable impact to the British Defense. 5-600 strong assault force is more than defendable to the 150 strong British defense forces
Aftermath
While the battle of Rorke's Drift won against even more military odds, the winning did not do any good to Lord Chelmsford and his reputation of a field commander. Right after the Battle of Rorke's Drift concluded, his command was relieved and was replaced by Lord Garnet Wolseley. Although Chelsmford did not give up his command immediately and go on to win 2 more battle for British before he did so. He never command any field unit ever again.
The news of a Larger Scale defeat at Isandlwana have in most part overshadowed the success in Rorke Drift's which is more of a Military Miracle. The success only did come as some solace of comfort to that bigger scale of defeat.
However, it does creat military history with the success of defending the Rorke's Drift. 11 VC were awarded in one day and 7 to the same company of man, which is the most for VC awarded to a single unit with a single engagement. The man that awarded VC are:
More improtantly, this serve as how static defense can act as Force Multiplier to a much greater and stronger force. And the Compartmental Defense was adopted in many Military Unit in the world, which provided both outer defense and inner defence so you can dynamically defend a static structure.
Perhaps this give many information for Military Historian to learn about the tactics and stragety in use by the British.
Difference between Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana
Historian and Military Strategist often compare the two siege, the two battle, virtually fought on the same days, with the same participant and more or less the same location (20 Km apart). Why one battle ended in British Military Disaster and the other ended up a magnificent victory? Especially with the British failed at Isandlwana with a bigger force both in number and in ratio (20 Zulu to 1 British) then the successful defense at Rorke’s Drift (With a both numeral inferior and a greater ratio (40 Zulu : 1 British)
Here is my take on these 2 battles.
You can check part one of the article here : Last Stand of the Red Coat – Part 1 (Battle of Isandlwana - 1879 AD)
In term of number, the situation is even worse than the odds British facing in Isandlwana. In Rorke’s Drift, only 150 or so Defender fending off about 4-5000 Zulu warriors, compare to the battle of Isandlwana (1800 British against 20,000 Zulu), the situation in Rorke’s Drift is even more dire.
Background of the battle
Sitting on the other bank of Buffalo River, Rorke’s Drift is sitting in the border between British Natal and Zulu Kingdom.
The drift is a former Irish Trading Post turn Mission station and Hospital before the British Commandeer the place. The hospital set up served as a Forward Field Hospital and in support with 24th Warwickshire Regiment of Food forward deployment.
The post was used as a launching point for the campaign, Lord Chelmsford column were at one point based/camped on Rorke’s Drift, the station is commanded by Major Henry Spalding of Chelmsford staff, and the single company defending the station is from B company 2/24 and commanded by Lt. Gonville Bromhead.
On Jan 20th Colonel Durnsford and his Royal Engineer detachment arrived at Rorke’s Drift. Durnsford column stayed for a night and left for Isandlwana on the 21st, taking all the detachment with him. But send back Lt John Chard and his wagon driver to repair a pontoon bridge bridging the Buffalo River.
While there, Lt John Chard took command of the whole defense of the camp, that is when the news that Zulu have broke thru the British Camp at Isandlwana. That 4 to 5,000 Zulu reserve troop is coming to the camp after having defeated the British at Isandlwana. By 1300, Lt Chard have the camp building up defense and prepare for the Zulu invasion.
Deposition of force
The British force in Rorke’s Drift started out with B Company, 2/24, commanded by Lt Gonville Bromhead. The company comprise of 134 men, with about 100 men is fit for fighting, while the other are bed ridden hospital patient exchanged from other company
Also presented in the camp are a large NNC company, which mainly comprise of local garrison
They were then joined by 2 men with 5th Field Company, Royal Engineer, Lt Chard and his Driver.
And finally just before the battle begins was joined by the retreating NNH Company from Isandlwana, 100 men.
On the Zulu side, the force is of Undi Corp, which was placed in reserve in the battle of Isandlwana, upon realizing they are not needed after the turning point in the battle. At about 1300, they moved south and trying to swarm the British Camp at Rorke’s Drift.
Undi Corp numbered about 4000 men and is commanded by prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande, which both equipped themselves with the traditional assegai but also captured rifle from the British as well as their own old and antiqued rifle,
Tactical Consideration
For the British, this is the last stop, if Rorke’s Drift fallen then there would not have any British Fortification left in support of the Zulu Invasion campaign. Worse, if Zulu took Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift and gone after Lord Chelmsford’s remaining column. That would be the ball game of British Campaign in Kingdom of Zulu. With all 3 defeats, the British would suffer a humiliation that’s beyond any imagination. The British Counselors can take 1 disaster, maybe 2. But with 3, that would mean the end of British invasion, worse, it may mean the end of British Empire.
Even though the British have just over 400 troops in Rorke’s Drift, they most definitely cannot give up the position, even when they know they are facing the reserve troop from Zulu.
On the other hand, even though the King of Zulu ordered their troop not to go in Natal and attack the English, but since the defeat of British in Isandlwana, the opportunities of scoring a total defeat is too tempting to pass over. There, right after the defeat in Isandlwana is sealed, the Zulu impi just jump in and trying to siege Rorke’s Drift.
For the Zulu, it’s important for them to catch up the success where now the Zulu morale is the trongest and where the British morale sinks when they hear the news of Isandlwana. So, their tactical consideration is speed, while at one hand they need to capitalize the advantage they had carry over from winning a decisive battle, and also, any delay would mean Lord Chelmsford column could have turned around.
Beginning of Battle
Battle started at 1620 on January 22, when the Zulu met Henderson’s NNC Company behind Oscarberg. After a brief engagement, Henderson’s NNC troop, frest from the battle of Isandlwana, grew tired and ran out of ammunition, retreat to the main camp at Helpmekaar.
Right off the bat, Chard loses 200 men before the Battle at Rorke’s Drift begin.
Things got worse in the next 10 minutes. Just before the Zulu surrounded the camp, the reminder of NNH troop, upon seeing the NNC fled, they abandon their post in the stations. Furious about the fact that the union soldier is bolting, the British firing at the fleeing troop and the first KIA in battle registered to a Corporal William Anderson, shot by the British.
So, before the battle begins, the British Garrison reduced to just 150 men, of those, 30 men were walking wounded.
At 1630, the Zulu start probing the line of defense to the south, as the Zulu move north. Once the move is complete, the Zulu from the south withdraw and the probing of the Northern Line commence. Once the attack on the North wall started, the Zulu from Oscarberg fire their own rifle at the British.
While the whole evening into the dead of night, Zulu repeated the system of Probing the south wall and move on to the North or Northwest wall, and then harassment fire from the south as the troop move. This has keep on, until around 1900, when the Zulu finally broke thru the NW wall and entered the Hospital Structure.
Fighting at the hospital soon resort to close quarter combat, while the Zulu penetrated into the main hallway of the hospital, the British Soldier occupied individual room and denied access to the Zulu.
The hospital is occupied between 15-20 defender and patient. Distributed in 4 different room, where the outside potion of the Hospital facing outside the camp and the inside potion of the hospital connect to the courtyard via a single large window. With individual room fighting their own little battle of their own, soon the Brits realized that they need to get out of there.
So, Zulu engage the British Room by room, while the British dig tunnel to each adjacent room. Which defended by a single soldier and 9 patients/ Then again, the same thing repeated and the British need to dig another hole which connect to yet another room in order to escape, while soldier who are walking wounded or not so seriously wounded would defend the window, doorway and the hole they cam thru.
50 minutes passed, the hole is now big enough for people to pass thru, and by now the roof is on fire, and the hospital is being burn down, the British once again went to work, with the new room only occupied by 1 patient, and the next room would be the big room with the big window that connected to the courtyard outside. The men dig the hole like crazy.
Finally with no quarter given to either side, the battle inside the hospital turns out to be more bloody then the fighting on the outside, mostly because of the close quarter nature. And when finally the British soldier finish digging the hole to the last room, and escape thru the window. There are 4 British dead and about 70 dead Zulu soldiers died in or around the hospital complex.
Even after those men escape the hospital, they are by no mean escape the fighting. Now with the hospital burning, the perimeter have shirked but still defended by nearly all the defender that’s once available. Estimate British dead is now at 9 and estimated Zulu dead in hundreds. Now the British only holding the courtyard, store room and the cattle kraal
While the fighting keep on, at 2200, the cattle kraal had fallen to the Zulu as well, further reduced the perimeter to the store house and the courtyard that overlooking the storehouse. Now with almost everyone standing at the courtyard for the last stand. The next 2 hours we would see the bitter close quarter combat ended and a renew assault of open terrain combat resume.
However, with the basic defense intact and the perimeter is too small for Zulu concentrate on, Zulu at the end call off the assault at around 0000 Jan 23, while the Zulu continue firing their musket from Oscarberg to cover the withdrawal of Zulu by the camp. The camp was clear of Zulu by 0200 and the Station felt silence at 0359, finally ending 12 hours of insane combat.
What Went Wrong??
There are got to be some reason why the Zulu cannot take rorke’s drift. Many aspects were discussed and the most agree on the way the Zulu fight.
Traditionally, Zulu fight with a formation resembles a water buffalo. Their attacking troop would have formed up like a water buffalo, with 2 horns on both side and the main column that come up in the center. What they generally do is. They will use their right horn to cut into the enemy and with the horn locked in place, the Zulu will use the let horn to envelope the enemy and the center (Breast/Body) would then digest the main force when both horns clip the enemy in place.
However, at Rorke’s Drift, the Zulu did not attack using this formation, which proven deadly in Isandlwana. Instead, they have been using a musket formation that the British use themselves.
What the Zulu did was, they took the high ground and position riflemen on the high ground, where the ground infantry assault the station on the other side while the musket men fire at the camp, essentially, they draw out, or dilute the defense of the defending troop and trying to crash them with overwhelming probe.
In theory, that would work, if your musket man is any good. But in fact the accuracy and the rate of fire for Zulu musket man is so bad that there are some investigation even suggest that some of them were killed by their own musket…Either failure to load them resulting the round explode in front of their face or that they overload the gunpowder and the rifle simply exploded…
Still, with a 40:1 ratio, the situation should not be that bad even with crappy musketman, but one also need to know when the musket fire from the south, the southern probe could not be engaging the British or they will caught in the cross fire between Zulu and British Gunnery duel. Hence, by diluting the force between North, South Assault Force and a Musket force. The Zulu inadvertedly feed their troop into British line in piecemeal. Instead of 1200-2000 men strike the whole line at once. The Zulu fed 500-600 troop supported by 1000 musketman (Estimated) to the British line, where the latter have minimal or neglectable impact to the British Defense. 5-600 strong assault force is more than defendable to the 150 strong British defense forces
Aftermath
While the battle of Rorke's Drift won against even more military odds, the winning did not do any good to Lord Chelmsford and his reputation of a field commander. Right after the Battle of Rorke's Drift concluded, his command was relieved and was replaced by Lord Garnet Wolseley. Although Chelsmford did not give up his command immediately and go on to win 2 more battle for British before he did so. He never command any field unit ever again.
The news of a Larger Scale defeat at Isandlwana have in most part overshadowed the success in Rorke Drift's which is more of a Military Miracle. The success only did come as some solace of comfort to that bigger scale of defeat.
However, it does creat military history with the success of defending the Rorke's Drift. 11 VC were awarded in one day and 7 to the same company of man, which is the most for VC awarded to a single unit with a single engagement. The man that awarded VC are:
- Lieutenant John Rouse Merriott Chard, 5th Field Coy, Royal Engineers
- Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
- Corporal William Wilson Allen; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
- Private Frederick Hitch; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
- Private Alfred Henry Hook; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
- Private Robert Jones; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
- Private William Jones; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
- Private John Williams; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
- Acting Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton; Commissariat and Transport Department
- Corporal Christian Ferdinand Schiess; 2nd/3rd Natal Native Contingent
More improtantly, this serve as how static defense can act as Force Multiplier to a much greater and stronger force. And the Compartmental Defense was adopted in many Military Unit in the world, which provided both outer defense and inner defence so you can dynamically defend a static structure.
Perhaps this give many information for Military Historian to learn about the tactics and stragety in use by the British.
Difference between Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana
Historian and Military Strategist often compare the two siege, the two battle, virtually fought on the same days, with the same participant and more or less the same location (20 Km apart). Why one battle ended in British Military Disaster and the other ended up a magnificent victory? Especially with the British failed at Isandlwana with a bigger force both in number and in ratio (20 Zulu to 1 British) then the successful defense at Rorke’s Drift (With a both numeral inferior and a greater ratio (40 Zulu : 1 British)
Here is my take on these 2 battles.
- Laagered Defense. While traditionally, camp would have been fortified with wagon following the unit to form a circle to encircle/fortified the campsite. While the Isandlwana camp was not laagered, which make the defense an “Open Defense”, where the camp in Rorke’s Drift did Laagered, albeit in the last minutes and did not done properly. Still provided a somewhat defendable position to the British at the Camp.
- Terrain acts as a Force Multiplier in Rorke’s Drift. With 3 main building standing in the Rorke’s Drift Camp site. Those building would also served as defense position to the Zulu, while fighting inside a concealed space would favor the British, it act as a Force multiplier for the British, as British soldier can kill the Zulu clearly while the Zulu need to work their way inside the building before effectively killing off British Soldier.
- Ammunition distribution, Ammo were stored in an Steel box with screwed seal, inside was a aluminum foil sealed to keep the moisture out. In Isandlwana. Ammunition was passed to soldier inside the sealed box. While the soldier need to break open the box and the foil seal to get to the ammo. It would take away 2-3 minutes of time. Where for a competent British soldier can fire around 36 rounds in 3 minutes. It would be 36,000 round fired for 1000 Soldiers, which is a lot. On the other hand, the box is already broken in Rorke’s Drift and ammo was passed on by single cartilage. What the soldier needs to do is to put the round in chamber, hence saving precious minutes.
- Supply line was further stretched away from the troop further away then the defender in Rorke’s Drift. The longer the supply line, the harder to resupply. Put together with the open defense in Isandlwana, which mean the Zulu can just easily round off the British Troop and separate the British with their supply line.
You can check part one of the article here : Last Stand of the Red Coat – Part 1 (Battle of Isandlwana - 1879 AD)
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