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sambowogambo -> The best light Infantry in Africa (1/19/2016 8:25:53 AM)
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Ndwandwe–Zulu War
The Zulu Civil War or Ndwandwe–Zulu War of 1817–1819 was a war fought between the expanding Zulu Kingdom and the Ndwandwe tribe in South Africa.
The Zulus were originally a close-knit ethnic group community that had migrated to the eastern plateau of present-day South Africa; they became a strong tribal nation largely due to the efforts of an ambitious chieftain named Shaka (reigned c. 1787–1828). A rebellious young man, Shaka was estranged from his father, who was a Zulu chief named Senzangakhona, and became a warrior with the Mthethwa people. The Mthethwa paramount chieftain Dingiswayo helped Shaka become recognized as head of the Zulus after Senzangakhona died in 1816. The two chieftains were close friends, and their warriors fought together against common enemies, such as the Ndwandwe headed by King Zwide. After Dingiswayo was captured and executed by Zwide, the Mthethwa people placed themselves under Shaka and took the Zulu name. Shaka revolutionized traditional ways of fighting by introducing the assegai, a short stabbing spear, as a weapon and by organizing warriors into disciplined units that fought in close formation behind large cowhide shields. In the Battle of Gqokli Hill in 1817, his troops and tactics prevailed over the superior numbers of the Ndwandwe people, who failed to destroy the Zulus in their first encounter.
The Ndwandwe and the Zulus met again in combat at the Battle of Mhlatuze River in 1819. By this time the Ndwandwe had adopted Zulu battle tactics and weapons so Shaka wore the invaders down with guerrilla tactics before launching his major attack when the Ndwandwe army was divided during the crossing of the Mhlatuze River.[1] Zulu warriors arrived at Zwide's headquarters near present-day Nongoma before news of the defeat, and approached the camp singing Ndwandwe victory songs to gain entry. Zwide was killed, and most of the Ndwandwe abandoned their lands and migrated north establishing Zulu-like (named Ngoni after the ethno-linguistic name "Nguni") kingdoms in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. This was the final phase of the Mfecane, a catastrophic, bloody civil war and eventual migration of many different tribes in the area, initially (ca. 1802) caused by famine but ultimately as a result of escaping from the Zulus.[2] The Ngoni groups caused their own havoc by using Zulu tactics in war. They established stronger political units in other countries and thus posed a threat to European colonisation, for example during the Maji-Maji Rebellion in German East Africa (1905-7).[3] Shaka was the ultimate victor, and his people still live today throughout Zululand, with customs and a way of life that can be easily traced to Shaka's day.
RORKE’S DRIFT 22-23 JANUARY 1879
The camp at Rorke’s Drift (sometimes spelt Rourk’s Drift or Rorks Drift) was a re-supply depot and included a hospital and store. Prior to the Zulu battle both hospital and store had been fortified as well as the rectangular area adjoining the two buildings. At about 4.30pm on 22 January 1879 this camp garrisoned by 139 British soldiers, of whom 36 were sick or wounded, was attacked by 4 500 Zulu warriors. The battle that took place was to last for eleven and a half hours before the Zulus were repulsed.
Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for valour and four Distinguished Conduct Medals were awarded for leadership.
ISANDLWANA BATTLE 22 JANUARY 1879
On the 22nd January 1879, Lt. Colonel Pulleine was in command of 1774 British troops encamped on the eastern slope of Isandlwana. By 10am Pulleine had received a dispatch from Lt. Gen. Lord Chelmsford to break camp and move the entire contingent to Chelmsford’s location 13 miles southeast of Isandlwana mountain. Tents were being struck, oxen hitched to wagons.
At 12 o’clock the camp was attacked by 24-25 000 Zulu warriors, using the tactics of the horns of the buffalo. The Zulus totally surrounded the camp annihilating 1 329 British soldiers.
Lt. Melvill gallantly attempted to save the Queen’s colour and was helped by Lt. Coghill whilst trying to cross the Buffalo river. Lt's. Melvill and Coghill died in their attempt to save the colour and the honour of the regiment.
Thou great and mighty chief!
Thou who has an army
The red soldiers came:
We destroyed them.
The mounted soldiers came:
We destroyed them.
The mounted police came:
We destroyed them
When will they dare
To repeat their attack?
Zulu Victory Song, sung after the Battle of Isandlwana
THE BATTLE OF HLOBANE, 28TH MARCH, 1879
Hlobane is a flat-topped mountain 80 kms North of Isandlwana. Here on the 28th March, 600 mounted men attempted to dislodge upwards of 6,000 ABA Qulusi warriors and capture their cattle. This was to prove the 2nd worst disaster of The Anglo Zulu War. It is a full day tour and requires a minimum of 6 people.
Other Zulu War battlefield sites near Isandlwana Lodge are:
THE BATTLE OF KAMBULA, 29TH MARCH, 1879
Just after one o’clock on the 29th March, the victorious Zulu Army that had defeated the British Force at Isandlwana, mounted an all out assault on Colonel Evelyn Woods fortified camp at Kambula. This was to be the turning point in the war. Although on three occasions the 20,000 Zulu Force were to get close to breaking the British defensive position they were finally driven off and suffered enormous casualties.
PRINCE IMPERIAL MONUMENT
Visit the place were Prince Louis Napoleon, only son of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie and an aide de camp on Lord Chelmsord’s staff, were killed in an ambush on 1 June, 1879, while on a reconnaissance mission.
THE BATTLE OF ULUNDI, 4TH JULY, 1879
This was the final battle, bringing about the capture and imprisonment of King Cetshwayo, the resignation of Lord Chelmsford and destruction of the Zulu Empire by Sir Garnett Wolsley and the beginning of the Civil War that ended in 1906.
The museum at Ulundi houses many Zulu artifacts, exquisite beadwork and the Bible Queen Victoria gave to King Cetshwayo.
Popular Myths
As with any historical subject as emotive as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, it is inevitable that myths will spring up, either as the result of a desire to hide the truth, or simply as a mis-representation of what actually happened. Rorke's Drift has suffered from this over the past, in both favourable and unfavourable ways. 'Zulu', the 1964 film starring Sir Stanley Baker as Chard and Sir Michael Caine as Bromhead, propagated and in some cases orignated many of these myths - although it goes without saying that the film does not suffer as a result!
In a time where films such as U-571 rewrite history (it was, in fact, the British who captured the Enigma), it is important to remember that in many cases, scripts are re-written and created from scratch to suit the audience of the day. The real history comes from source material that can be verified, and it is only such material that can be used to form opinions and generate references.
Below you will see a number of popular myths, with various people's comments.
The Defence of Rorke's Drift
Image supplied by John Young
Men of Harlech
Did the men at Rorke's Drift break into a stirring rendition of 'Men of Harlech' to counter the Zulu chants? Well, not quite. Ian Knight, renowned historian of the period has this to say:
"We've all seen the marvellous movie, where the heroic Welsh garrison at Rorke's Drift match the awesome Zulu war-chants with a stirring rendition of Men of Harlech. Come on Ivor, sing something they know …
Well, it wasn't quite like that. In fact, the county designation of the 24th Regiment in 1879 was the 2nd Warwickshires; they didn't change their title to the South Wales Borderers until 1st July 1881 - almost exactly two years after the war had ended. True, the Regimental Depot had been established at Brecon, in South Wales, in 1873, and from that point there was a small but significant increase in Welsh recruits in the ranks. In fact, however, recruits for the regiment - like every other battalion in the British army - were signed on at recruiting depots across the country, and the 24th consisted of men from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The most that can be said is that the Welsh connection had, by 1879, led to a rather higher proportion of Welshman in the ranks than was common elsewhere. Nevertheless, even the most optimistic search of the regimental roll can find only 19 men of B Company, 2/24th, with any sort of Welsh connection - out of a total strength of more than 80. Of course, there were detachments of numerous other units - including Colonial Volunteers - present at the battle, making a total garrison of about 145. So the Welsh contingent comprised no more than 15% of the total.
And no-one, I'm sorry to say, sang Men of Harlech; the regimental march in 1879 was The Warwickshire Lads."
There have been some accounts (primarily David Charles of Fugitive's Drift) where it was said that 'Men of Harlech' was sung as the men of the 3rd column crossed the river at Rorke's Drift on the their way into Zululand, however this has not been verified, and as Ian quite rightly points out, as far as history is concerned, the artistic license used in the film Zulu is purely speculation.
Having said all that of course, it still makes excellent viewing in the context of the film Zulu, and in recognition of this fact, we have put a version of the song on this site:
View the song lyrics...
Listen to the Royal Regiment of Wales' Band singing "Men of Harlech" on the 120th anniversary of the battle of Rorke's Drift (2.68MB) This was recorded in the church at Rorke's Drift and if you listen carefully, you can hear the emotion that this rendition evoked.
Note: You will need an MP3 player to hear this file.
Welshmen at Rorke's Drift
Once again, the film 'Zulu' makes a point of suggesting that the 24th Regiment, and in particular 'B' Company, was mainly Welsh. In fact, the Welsh constituted only 11% of the 24th. Regt. at Rorke's Drift. Although the regiment was then based in Brecon in South Wales and called the 24th. Regiment of Foot (later to be the South Wales Borderers), it was formerly the Warwickshire Regiment. Many of the defenders had never been to Brecon.
Of the 24th Regt. at the defence, the numbers (Source: 'The Noble 24th. by Norman Holme), 49 were English, 18 Monmouthshire,16 Irish, 1 Scottish, 14 Welsh and 21 of unknown nationality. 'This is a Welsh regiment, although there are some foreigners in it mind'.
Martini-Henry's in use by the Zulus at Rorke's Drift
It is a commonly held belief that after the Battle of Isandhlwana, the Zulu's removed the Martini-Henry rifles from the bodies of the dead British soldiers and took them to Rorke's Drift. It was here, they say, that the Zulus used the British Army's own rifle against it's own men. Again, the primary source for this myth is the film 'Zulu'.
This, put simply, could not have happened as it was impossible for the Zulu regiments attacking Rorke's Drift to have used Martini-Henrys for the simple reason that they had formed the reserve at Isandlwana; they did not take part in the attack, and certainly did not have time to loot any rifles there before advancing on Rorke's Drift.
Of this, Ian Knight suggests:
"In fact, powerful though the image of a 'warrior nation' armed only with spears is, the truth - as usual - was far more complex. The Zulu army was already in possession of many thousands of firearms before the Anglo-Zulu War began. These had been obtained from white traders. Most were weapons which were 20 or 30 years old - long since obsolete in European armies - and they were often in poor repair.
If, indeed, the Zulus at Rorke's Drift had possessed Martini-Henrys, they would have caused far more damage to the British garrison, as these weapons were much more powerful and accurate than the weapons they actually had."
The sheer chronology and geography would have made it impossible for the weapons from Isandhlwana to be used at Rorke's Drift, however there is evidence supporting the fact that these weapons were used at Khambula (29th March 1879) against the British by the Zulus.
The Zulu salute the brave men of Rorke's Drift
What a fantastic end to the film 'Zulu' this is, and it seems to seal the movie into that hallowed vault of 'Movie Classics'. But did it happen? No, it didn't. The truth about this noble gesture was that both side, both the Zulus and the British were so battle-weary after a long night of bloody, hand to hand combat, that when the Zulus saw Lord Chelmsford's column coming along the route from Isandhlwana the next day, they retreated from the post.
It is also true to say that the post could not have held out much longer, as ammunition was running dangerously low and the strength of the men had been severely sapped. Had relief not arrived that morning of the 23rd, it is arguable whether the story would have ended as it did.
"It is true that the opening battles of the war - Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift and Nyezane - did give both the British and Zulu a new-found respect for each other's fighting capabilities. But the aftermath of Rorke's Drift was a good deal less romantic. When the battle was over, the garrison and relief column went over the field, and shot or bayoneted all the wounded Zulu they found there."
Ian Knight
http://lyricstranslate.com/en/impi-war.html#ixzz3xhz0kqmo
Impi
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
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
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi
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
Vainglorious General And Victorian Pride
Would Cost Him And 800 Men Their Lives
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
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
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
Impi! Wo 'Nans' Impi Iyeza
Obani Bengathinta Amabhubesi?
http://lyricstranslate.com/en/impi-war.html#ixzz3xhzBoh9Y
War
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch 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
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
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
Vainglorious General And Victorian Pride
Would Cost Him And 800 Men Their Lives
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
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
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
War! O Here Comes War
Who Here Can Touch The Lions?
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