Zulus! Sir...Thousands of them...

The Anglo-Zulu War (1879) A Brief Synopsis

I recently played a few games with the rules for The Men who would be Kings and also had a look at Warlord's Black Powder, and also their Zulu Wars supplement. Having already built some Victorian Brits for the Sudan Campaign (another of Victoria's colonial wars); I was keen to expand my British colonial forces, and, of course they would need some opponents other than just the Mahdist Ansar...
Invested in Warlord, Perry, North Star and Empress figures.
The Anglo Zulu War (AZW) of 1879 is one of the extraordinary "little wars" of Victorian history.

Many people are aware of the battle of Rorke's Drift - made famous by the films "Zulu" (1964, Stanley Baker and Michael Caine)  and " Zulu Dawn " (1979, Peter O'Toole and Burt Lancaster) , but they are not as aware of the Battle of Isandlwana, fought earlier on the same day, 22nd January 1879.
In fact, the defense of Rorke's drift raged through the night and on into the next day, 23 January 1879.

Cetshwayo kaMpande, the Zulu King

Cetshwayo's impi dealt the British empire a bloody nose that constitutes the greatest defeat of the Brits at the hands of a native/ indigenous force ever. Rorke's drift was a bit of a face-save, if you like.

A lot has been written about Cetshwayo and Chelmsford, but in fact, neither was on the battlefield on the day. In the vernacular,  they were the commanders-in-chief, so it was "their" armies that faced off on the day. Chelmsford was the strategist of the broader attack on the Zulu kingdom. The only time they really squared up as commanders was at the Battle of Ulundi.

52 British officers and 806 non-commissioned ranks were killed at Isandlwana. Around 60 Europeans survived the battle. 471 Africans died fighting for the British. Zulu casualties have to be estimated and are set at around 2,000 dead either on the field or later from wounds. The Zulus captured 1,000 rifles with the whole of the column’s reserve ammunition supply.

The AZW war also brought an end to the Napoleonic dynasty with the death of the Louis Napoleon, the French Prince Imperial at the hands of the Zulu, and brought down the incumbent British Government. I've written a separate post on the Prince Imperial's demise.

Being of both British and Boer descent,  the history is close to my heart. In some ways it was a a pre-able to the Anglo-Boer wars, which are also of great interest to me. My ancestors also faced the might of the Zulu impi, but also that of the British empire.

My paternal grandmother was from the Eastern Cape, where many of the colonial volunteers came from. My wife's great-grandfather on her father's side, Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg, was the 2nd President of the ZAR (One of the Boer republics, after the Voortrekker leader Andries Hendrik Pretorius; but before the more famous Paul Kruger) Her maternal grandmother was actually disowned for marrying an Englishman, as some of her siblings died in British concentration camps in South Africa. 

My father and grandfather could speak both Xhosa and isiZulu fluently. I am only able to converse in basic Zulu, but  was once able to conduct a medical examination in isiZulu. My vocabulary, however, is fading fast after 20 years of living in New Zealand.

However, the words of Johnny Clegg's " Impi" ring in my ears as I research and write. 

Couldn't help but stream it in the background:

Impi! wo 'nans' impi iyeza

Obani bengathinta amabhubesi? (Warriors! The battle is coming! Who dares to fight the lions?) 

All along the river

Chelmsford's army lay asleep

Come to crush the children of Mageba

Come to exact the realm's price for peace

And in the morning as they saddled up to ride

Their eyes shone with the fire and the steel

The general told them of the task that lay ahead

To bring the people of the sky to heel

Mud and sweat on polished leather

Warm rain seeping to the bone

They rode through the season's wet weather

Straining for a glimpse of the foe

Hopeless battalion destined to die

Broken by the benders of kings

Vain-glorious general and Victorian pride

Would cost him and eight hundred men their lives

They came to the side of the mountain

Scouts rode out to spy the land

Even as the realm's soldiers lay resting

Mageba's forces were at hand

And by the evening the vultures were wheeling

Above the ruins where the fallen lay

An ancient song as old as the ashes

Echoed as Mageba's warriors marched away...

The Zulu war was precipitated by Sir Henry Bartle Frere in 1879 who was spoiling for a fight against the Zulu Kingdom; an independent sovereign state in Southern Africa, until then actually recognised by the British Crown.

The British army was led across the Tugela river by Lord Chelmsford and the Anglo-Zulu war resulted in one of the most bloody wars ever to take place on South African soil.

Lord Chelmsford

Chelmsford split his force into three columns. He planned to surround the Zulus and force them into battle before capturing the royal capital at Ulundi.

The right column crossed into KwaZulu near the mouth of the Tugela River to secure an abandoned missionary station at Eshowe as a base. The left column entered Zululand from the Transvaal and made for the town of Utrecht.

Finally, the centre column, led by Chelmsford himself, crossed the Buffalo River at Rorke's Drift mission station to find the Zulu army.

The Zulu King and military leader was Cetshwayo kaMpande, (son of Mpande) who ruled the Zulu Kingdom from 1872 to 1879.  He fielded an army of forty thousand to sixty thousand men. His brother, Dabulamanzi was the supreme commander of the Zulu army.

Dabulamanzi kaMpande

Frere issued an ultimatum to Cetshwayo, without the permission from the British Government, and then ordered the invasion of Zululand when Cetswayo ignored it. This invasion was led by Lieutenant General Frederick Augustus Thesiger, Baron of Chelmsford.

The British invaded Zululand in 3-pronged attack, with Rorke’s Drift being the staging point.

At least 6 battles of significance occurred: Isandlwana, Rorke’s Drift, Hlobane, Khambula, Gindlovu and Ulundi.

The Zulu warriors comparatively weakly armed, using thrusting spears (iklwa), throwing spears (umkontho); also known as assegai, warclubs and shields. Some were armed with obsolete muskets. The British soldiers were armed with Martini-Henry rifles. Colonial troops bore an assortment of weapons.

The battle for Rorke’s Drift started on the very same day as the famous Battle of Isandlwana. 

At Isandlwana the Zulu army was led by Ntshingwayo kaMahole 

(Incorrectly identified here as Cetshwayo) and Mavumengwana Kamdlela Ntuli.

The British commanders were Lieutenant colonel Anthony William Durnford and Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pulleine. The invasion column was all but completely wiped out at Isandlwana .

The Battle of Rorke’s Drift took place at the Tugela River in Natal, South Africa. The British commanders were  Lieutenant Gonvile Bromhead and Lieutenant John Chard.
Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande, commanded the Zulu army. The Brits were victorious despite overwhelming odds. The battle is immortalised in literature, legend and on celluloid.

 

Khambula,  29th March 1879: Northern Zululand. Ntshingwayo kaMahole commanded the Zulu warriors faced by Colonel Evelyn Wood's column of the army. Despite the British forces being demoralized by their defeat at Isandlwana battle, they prevailed at Khambula. The British thought this particular battle to be their turning point in the Zulu war.

Gingindlovu:  2nd of April 1879 Eastern Zululand. (Also known as uMgungundlovu and uNgungundlovu, Place of the Elephant - uDingane, Mpande's father and Cetshwayos' grandfather's capital ) Lieutenant general Lord Chelmsford himself commanded the British and Natal colonial forces while Somopho kaZikhala was the Zulu general. Chelmsford was victorious.

Ulundi: The final major battle, 4th July 1879, the capital of Zululand. King Cetshwayo himself headed the Zulu warriors doing battle with Lord Chelmsford's British soldiers. The British fielded seventeen thousand men and the Zulu twenty-four thousand men.

Cetshwayo had greater numbers of rifles and out-dated muskets at Ulundi, and hoped this would bolster his army. These weapons were often of poor quality, ammunition in short supply, and when used by with Zulu warriors not trained to use these guns, quite ineffective. Compare that to the British forces who were professional and trained soldiers, well supplied, and supported by artillery.

On  28th August 1879, the Zulu king, Cetshwayo was captured and exiled to the Cape colony. 

Disclaimer: This article is simply a distillation and interpretation of information and images freely available on the internet, for the purposes of education and entertainment; primarily for a wargaming audience. 

I do not own any of the content other than my own interpretations. 

This post may contain opinions and distortion of historical facts, and may differ from actual historical fact. Within this context I am happy to correct, acknowledge ownership or even remove content. 

KWC Open Day: Batrep of the Defense of Niedlingen

Open Day FoW in 20mm Game: Defense of Niedlingen, East Prussia (Winter 1944-45)

The  (fictitious) East Prussian Town of Niedlingen is situated a about 600 hundred kilometers east of Berlin, near Arnswalde.

Historical context:

In early February 1945, the 11th SS Panzer Battalion Nordland was ordered onto the offensive as a part of Operation Sonnenwende, the plan to destroy a Soviet salient and to relieve the troops besieged in the town of Arnswalde.

The offensive had been conceived by Generaloberst Heinz Guderian as a massed assault all along the front but had then been reduced by Hitler to the level of a local counter-attack. Initially, Nordland's attack achieved a total tactical surprise and the division soon advanced to the banks of Lake Ihna in all sectors. However, as the Soviet forces realized what was happening, resistance grew stiffer and the advance began to slow. On 17 February, the division reached Arnswalde and relieved the exhausted garrison. Over the next few days the town was secured and the surviving civilians were evacuated.

Soon however, strong Soviet counter-attacks halted the division's advance, and Steiner called off the attack, pulling the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps back to Stargard and Stettin on the northern Oder River. The 10. SS-Panzer-Division "Frundsberg", led by Brigadeführer Heinz Harmel, also took part in the operation after being detached from the II SS Panzerkorps in December 1944 (at the time engaged on the Western Front).

Flames of War in 20mm

By 21 February the conclusion was arrived-at that no more useful gains could be made against an increasingly powerful enemy without incurring undue casualties, so Steiner ordered a general withdrawal back to the north bank of the river Ihna.

This is where our battle is set.

Elements of the 11th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg occupy the Town of Niedlingen, East Prussia

General Jaydovich advising Colonel Bruce-chev on the best use of the Soviet Guards Army Tankovy

Russian armour arrive on the banks of the frozen  Ihna River

German pioneers have laid a mine-field on the north bank. A pedestrian bridge (left) and a

single lane metal bridge span the river. The Germans have not had time to dig in, so swift has the Soviet retaliation and pursuit been.

The fuel dump (Soviet Objective 1) is defended by a Pak 40 and MG 42 along with infantry

Turn one:  Colonel Bruce-chev approaches the two bridges, and orders a unit of Cossacks and a unit of Partisans to clear the minefield. As the Don Cossacks had fought on both sides of the war, they are considered expendable, as are the partisans. 

Among their number is a group of nuns, possibly secreting hand-weapons under their habits.

Several groups of partisans succumb to the mine-field. Somehow the nuns survive, and keep moving forward. The Cossacks follow eagerly behind them on horseback.

The second Soviet objective is the town centre of Niedlingen. The only road approach is protected by two stugs and several Pak 40s. The town centre is held by a number of Panther tanks. In the fields beyond  the town is a unit of Nebelwerfers and an artillery battery of 7 LeFH 18 howitzers.

Her Oberst is ably assisted by Herr Leutnant Romlet in his first battle. Fresh out of Panzer schule he is very knowledgable on armour and eager for battle. 

The Soviets attack first, and drive for the bridges

IS-2s clearing a bank on their race for the bridge

Columns of Soviet Armour pouring towards Niedlingen

The German 1st turn sees the lead T34-85 and T34 Obr 1943 destroyed on the bridge. The Soviets are caught in a bottle-neck. They try to cross the frozen river on foot, but the infantry commander falls through the ice on a roll of a 1. (Roll anything but a one, Bruce!)

PTRDs move up to give defensive fire while the heavy IS-2s advance

The Nebelwerfers and LeFH18s take a heavy toll on infantry, mortar units  and 122mm Howitzers, almost all falling prey to the template of mass destruction

Turn 2 degenerates on both sides into an artillery slugfest, with almost all infantry in range being destroyed by artillery fire. Su76s, 85s and IS-2s all unleash a torrent of lead on the German defenders. Pak 40s, mortar units, MG crews, all fall to the murderous fire. 

The  Germans return the favour with all their artillery capable of firing HE and rockets.

The Soviets used foresight, and brought a recovery vehicle with them. The burning T34s are swiftly moved out of the way, and IS2s and ISU 122s start crossing the bridge

Turn Three: CCCP: The Cossacks and Partisans advance through and clear the mine-fields. 

Seems some of the German soldiers are good catholic boys, 

and cannot get themselves to shoot at the nuns. 

They make it to the fuel storage tanks, habits flowing in the mid-winter wind.

The Cossacks cavalry charge the defenders, mowing them down with SMG fire. The last men standing are two artillery observers. They fall to merciless flashing sabres and flailing hooves in the assault phase. The nuns and the cossacks take the objective

Their Turn 3 sees the Germans leave the town centre, in an attempt to outflank the Cossacks attacking the fuel dump.

StugGs, Panthers and Jagdpanthers advance past the church. Reinforcements arrive, but fail to make any impact on the rest of the battle.

German armour rushing towards the Russian advance

Turn 4: The Soviets counter with armour to back up the Cossacks holding the fuel dump.

The T34s make it across the frozen river, but for some reason the assault gun commanders seem to think that their vehicles weigh the same as the medium tanks.

The lead SU 85 plunges to the bottom of the frozen river, with only a small splash and trail of bubbles to mark his passing. The rest stall on the bank.

Desperate to remove the nuns and cossacks from the fuel dump the SS bring up their heavy hitters. 

A King Tiger and Jagd Tiger with an Begleit Panther clank through the narrow streets. The bulk of the factory and station prevent them from drawing a bead on the cavalry troops. They are unable to shoot.

Unfortunately for them, they are now within the range of the tankbusters. 

The Panther is the first to brew up in Turn 5

During their turn 4 the Germans also bring up the balance of their Panthers 

and two tank destroyers of their own

Turn 5: The sole surviving PTRD fires from the farmyard

Hits the flank of the lead StuG who had not thought to wear schurtzen that day. 

This oversight creates a fatal bottle-neck for the German tanks

The assault guns continue to rain destruction, and this time it is the King Tiger that cops it. 

It is hard to stop a barrage of 122 mm shells dropping on your thin top armour

Source of the destruction: ISU 122s and IS-2s en masse, protected by SU 76s and T34-85s

Final moments of the 10. SS Tank Battalion at Niedlingen. 

The tightly packed German armour succumb to a whirlwind of Russian shells. The nuns and Cossacks hold an objective  by the end of the game, and the Germans fail in their attempt to deny the Russians and push them back across the river. 

A resounding victory to Colonel Bruce-chev and his Red Guard Tankovy

Chunuk Bair ANZAC Diorama finally opens. A first look at the NZ Room

ANZAC Diorama and New Zealand Room finally opened

After many delays and much anticipation the New Zealand Room and the Chunuk Bair Diorama at the Dominion Museum (National War Memorial in Wellington) finally opened its door to the public today.



Opening of "Gallipoli: the New Zealand Story in Colour" (Photo  Mark Tantrum - mark tantrum.com)

I was again fortunate enough to share in a behind the scenes look at the New Zealand Room. On Friday night I joined the Campbell clan on a Night at the Museum tour with Rhys Jones. Thank you again Rhys for the wonderful opportunity to see the diorama and the personalised tour you gave us.

Like the rest of the experience, it was just priceless.

The Museum at Night

I will post photos and my impressions on the rest of the exhibition separately, but now the embargo has been lifted; the first look at the NZ Room:

The purpose of this room is to commemorate the New Zealanders' first taste of war, the disastrous WW1 Dardanelles campaign, and specifically the Gallipoli landings, and the attack on Chunuk Bair.

The topography of the terrain was lasercut from actual measurements by Weta Workshop and the terrain and emplacements based on air recce photographs taken in 1915.

Colourised prints of actual WW1 photographs make the distant memories spring to startling life.

The lighting was not yet set up properly when we had our tour. WETA Workshop workers were still installing displays; and my photographs are so-so, anyway, here they are:

Peter Jackson snuck a little cameo of himself into the diorama; Brownie box camera in hand

I have tried to use the historical time-line to explain the battle as seen in the diorama:

The defense of the trenches at Chunuk Bair was the high water mark of the attack, and the diorama depicts the defense of Chunuk Bair on 8-9 August 2015:

The attack, which began on 6 August, was carried out by two columns of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade. They were to meet at Rhododendron Spur and then move up to the summit of Chunuk Bair. It was an ambitious plan that depended on speedy execution.

1. The operation started well – men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Maori Contingent successfully cleared the way for the assault columns. But delays meant that the attack on the summit was ordered before all the infantrymen had reached the Spur.

View North towards the Summit  and Apex from the South (Seaward side on the Map): Rhododendron Ridge and NZ  Mounted Rifles and Maori Contingent

2. The Auckland Battalion assaulted first and failed. The commander of the Wellington Battalion, Malone, refused to sacrifice his men in a daylight attack and insisted on waiting until night. Malone was a tough but respected commander from Taranaki who regularly put himself on the line for the welfare of his men. He allegedly told his superior, Brigadier-General Johnston: ‘We are not taking orders from you people… My men are not going to commit suicide.’

NZ Mounted Rifles holding Rhododendron Ridge

Looking South

Malone's command dugout

Colourised photographs bring the events to life

Auckland Rifles digging in after suffering horrendous casualties

The Assault on the summit meets with stiff opposition. 

 Corporal Cyril Bassett hauling telegraph line up the hill.  Under continuous fire Bassett succeeded in laying a telephone line from the old position to the new one on Chunuk Bair. He received the only Victoria Cross awarded to a New Zealander in the Gallipoli campaign. 

Another Cameo - Auckland Rifles: Rhys Jones pressing home the attack 

Malone closer to the summit. He was killed by Allied shells later in the day

The Wellington Battalion took and occupied the summit before dawn on 8 August. With sunrise came a barrage of fire from Turks holding higher ground to the north. 

3. A desperate struggle to hold Chunuk Bair ensued. It was not until after dark that the Otago Battalion and the Wellington Mounted Rifles arrived to reinforce the 70 Wellington Battalion men (out of 760) who were still holding the line. Malone had been killed by an Allied shell at about 5 p.m.

Thousands of Turks attack the summit next morning

The Wellington Rifles repel wave after wave of Ottoman attackers

 4. The New Zealanders were relieved on the night of 9/10 August by 2 British battalions, but these quickly succumbed to a counter-attack led by Mustafa Kemal, who was to become the founding President of Turkey. (http://www.nzhistory.net.nz)

I am proud to have played a small part in producing this awesome diorama. It is dedicated to the memory of the men who paid the highest price in Gallipoli. Lest we forget.

Rhododendron Ridge today, looking towards the summit

 For more (and better quality pictures) see the Roly Hermans' official blog page: ANZAC DIORAMA

and Fern and Sam's Napalm Elf and Rebel Scum