Battle of Rorke's Drift

Overview

The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was an engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War. The successful British defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenants John Chard of the Royal Engineers and Gonville Bromhead of the 24th Regiment of Foot, began once a large contingent of Zulu warriors broke off from the main force during the final hour of the British defeat at the day-long Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879. They travelled ten kilometres to attack Rorke's Drift later that day and continuing into the following day.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Rorke's Drift followed immediately from the British catastrophe at Isandlwana on 22 January 1879, in which a large British force was defeated by the main Zulu army. A contingent of Zulu warriors numbering between 3,000 and 4,000 broke off from that engagement and advanced ten kilometres to attack the mission station at Rorke's Drift. The successful defence of the post by a garrison under Lieutenants John Chard and Gonville Bromhead provided a rare British success on a day otherwise defined by disaster. Within the Anglo-Zulu War, the defence checked an extension of the Zulu advance and allowed the British to hold a position of operational significance. The engagement was widely publicized in Britain, where it served to offset, at least in public perception, the shock of Isandlwana. Zulu casualties were recorded between 351 and 1,100, a toll that reflected the sustained intensity of the fighting against a position the attackers heavily outnumbered the defenders.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)