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View Full Version : British Defeat at Isandlwana, January 22nd 1879



Mister D
01-22-2013, 08:06 PM
A British force of over 1700 was nearly destroyed by the Zulus of South Africa. This was one of Britain's greatest defeats in their many colonial wars. The British had a habit of romanticizing major defeats similar to the way Americans immortalized "Custer's Last Stand" which had happened only three years before in 1876. The battle was the subject of an epic film entitled Zulu Dawn. I saw it many times as a child. I always preferred it to the more famous "Zulu" which depicts the battle for Rorke's Drift. This battle and the desperate last stands of British redcoats suddenly (and inexplicably from their perspective) caught up in a black tidal wave always inspired my imagination. ---


As the line broke up, groups formed and fought the Zulus until their ammunition gave out and they were overwhelmed. A section of Natal Carbineers commanded by Durnford is identified as giving a heavy fire until their ammunition was spent. They fought on with pistols and knives until they were all struck down.


A group of some 60 soldiers of the 24th Foot under Lieutenant Anstey, were cornered on the banks of a tributary of the Tugela and wiped out. The last survivor in the main battle, a soldier of the 24th, escaped to a cave on the hillside where he continued fighting until his ammunition gave out and he was shot down. The final act of the drama was played out along the banks of the Tugela River. Numbers of men were caught there by the Zulus. It is thought that natives living in Natal came down to the river and on the urgings of the Zulus killed British soldiers attempting to escape.



http://www.britishbattles.com/zulu-war/isandlwana.htm


A scene from Zulu Dawn


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zm0H9L1BJE

Peter1469
01-22-2013, 09:31 PM
Pretty cool. It has been a long time since I saw that.