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... s attacked in this formation with the left horn almost cutting off some other cavalry units and the right horn going behind the mountain of Isandlwhana to get into the rear of the British camp. The center came straight on towards the British battle lines who were armed with single shot Martini-Henry rifles which fired a big bullet (. 45 caliber) but kicked like Hell! The disciplined British volleys actually started to break the attack of the Zulu center, forcing them to halt for some time and lie down to escape the volleys. But nothing stopped the two horns and they swept forward aggressively. What actually doomed the British, maybe even more than being heavily outnumbered, was the fact the ammo box tops in the supply wagons area were bolted down and not ready for combat.
Once the soldier fired the 40 or so rounds in his pouch he was out of firepower and had to face the Zulu spears and clubs with only his bayonet. The Zulus began advancing again as the fire slacked off closing and going hand to hand with the British lines. They overran them and pushed into the camp slaughtering everything in their way. The right horn had gotten between the camp and the British line of supply back to the Buffalo River and Rorke's Drift cutting off the fleeing soldiers who had to run the Zulu gauntlet to escape.
Very few did. The rest of the 24 th died where they stood basically. Pulleine gave the colors to Lt. Melville who rode towards Rorke's Drift. Lt. Coghill soon joined him and the Zulus overran both as they tried to cross the river to safety.
The colors were swept away - and I have heard they were recovered some time later. While the battle started a rider reached Chelmsford some miles away and told him about the battle. He had his doubts but marched back towards Isandlwhana. Reaching the place at night, so his men would not see the ghastly scene around them, Chelmsford was forced to abandon his campaign and fall back into the British territory.
In the distance, however, he could see the fires of the night action from the Zulu attack on the British garrison at Rorke's Drift where 4000 Zulus took on less than 200 British troops (against orders of their king BTW) and were defeated the next day. Rorke's Drift was supposedly the largest single action for the awarding of Victoria Crosses in British military history. Splitting his command into 5 columns allowing the Zulus to fall on one and annihilate it defeated Chelmsford. It still ranks as the largest defeat of regular troops by indigenous forces in military history. The troops at the battle were defeated by a lack of ammunition getting to the firing lines - although the left horn of the Zulu attack would have probably overran them anyway. I hope this helps you out.
There are several good books on the Zulu Wars in print as well as two excellent and very accurate movies - "Zulu" which is about Rorke's Drift, and "Zulu Dawn" about Isandlwhana. Though the second film came after the first one listed you will need to watch them in reverse to preserve the timeline. Michael Caine (in his first movie role) and Stanley Baker star in "Zulu" and Peter O' Toole and Burt Lancaster star in "Zulu Dawn." They are two of my favorite war movies of all time! "It was the Zulu War of 1879 which forced the British Army to reconsider carrying Colors in battle. When the Zululand invasion force was annihilated at Isandhlwana on 22 Jan. 1879, two officers of the 24 th Foot fled the battlefield with the Queen's Color. Zulus pursued them and killed them in the Buffalo River where they lost the Color in the river current. A search party later found their bodies and the Queen's Color further downstream.
When the regiment returned home in 1880 Q. Victoria asked to see the recovered Color and placed a wreath of immortals on the pike. The wreath is carried to this day, and that particular Color, presented in 1866, was carried until 1934. In August 1880 an MP questioned the propriety of carrying Colors on the battlefield and recommended discontinuing "such impedimenta." The Secretary of War polled generals and colonels on the matter in July 1881. Finally in January 1882 the Army issued an order that "in consequence of the altered formation of attack and the extended range of fire, Regimental Colors shall not in future be taken with the battalions on active service. " But at the same time they decided to retain Colors for ceremonial purposes, "affording a record of the services of the regiment and furnishing to the young soldier a history of its gallant deeds. " This order extended to the Dominions and Colonies. "While the debate was in progress, the 58 th Northamptonshire Regiment carried their Colors into action at the battle of Laings Neck during the 1 st Anglo-Boer War (28 Jan. 1881). The Colors provided a conspicuous target for the Boer snipers, and Lt.
Baillie carrying the Regimental Color was repeatedly wounded before being killed. This was the last time British Colors were carried in battle. " T. F. Mills - quoting himself from 1997 - 03 - 20 As the British Army invaded Zululand, they left one company at the border with all the sick and malingerers. This was at a Swedish mission station and river crossing called Rorke's Drift. After the annihilation of one column of the army at Isandhlwana, 4000 Zulus converged on Rorke's Drift.
Two lieutenants with no combat experience commanded the 100 men there. They held off the Zulus for about 12 hours, most the battle raging through the night. 17 British died and about 1000 Zulus. By sunrise both sides were exhausted and couldn't go on. For their heroics, the British were awarded more VC's than for any other single action (11 actually, not 8) -- for a totally unnecessary battle.
There were no Colors at Rorke's Drift. Despite several dramatic and whimsical paintings to the contrary, the Queen's Color that was carried off the field at Isandhlwana was cased. So complete had been the surprise of the Zulu attack on the British camp, that nobody had an opportunity to uncle the Colors during the battle. All the British (600) and over 2000 Zulus were killed at Isandhlwana. The Colors played no role at the battle.
Melville and Coghill who attempted to save the Queen's Color, and the Queen's desire to see it afterwards are what raised the debate about the propriety of carrying Colors in modern warfare. According to the Hutchinson Dictionary of Battles, by Ian V. Hogg, Rorke's's Drift occurred after the British disaster at Isandhlwana during the Zulu War (Jan 1879). 4000 Zulus attacked the farm where a hospital was established. 66 troops of the hospital and 84 troops of the 24 th Regiment with a company of native infantry, a chaplain, a surgeon, and Lt. John Chard of the Royal Engineers were stationed. Some survivors from Isandhlwana arrived shortly before the battle, adding to the defenders's trent. After the native troops fled, Lt.
Chard and 140 troops were left to defend the premises. The ensuing attack by the Zulus killed 17 and wounded 10; the attackers suffered 400 dead on the field. After retreating, the Zulus sat and watched awhile before leaving for good. No mention is made of the colors playing a substantial part in the battle.
Bibliography: Bibliography Web Sites Knight, Ian. (2000, March). Electronic sources: MLA style of Citation (online). Available: web of the zulu army. htm Cope, Nicholas. (2000, March). Electronic sources: MLA style of Citation (online). Available: web Book Morris, Donald R.
The Washing of the Spears. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1965. Bibliography Web Sites Knight, Ian. (2000, March). Electronic sources: MLA style of Citation (online). Available: web of the zulu army. htm Cope, Nicholas. (2000, March).
Electronic sources: MLA style of Citation (online). Available: web Book Morris, Donald R. The Washing of the Spears. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1965.
Bibliography Web Sites Knight, Ian. (2000, March). Electronic sources: MLA style of Citation (online). Available: web of the zulu army. htm Cope, Nicholas. (2000, March). Electronic sources: MLA style of Citation (online). Available: web Book Morris, Donald R.
The Washing of the Spears. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1965. Bibliography Web Sites Knight, Ian. (2000, March). Electronic sources: MLA style of Citation (online).
Available: web of the zulu army. htm Cope, Nicholas. (2000, March). Electronic sources: MLA style of Citation (online). Available: web Book Morris, Donald R. The Washing of the Spears. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1965.
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