Battle Stack: The Battle of Rorke's Drift tactics
Вставка
- Опубліковано 16 гру 2016
- / battlestack
The battle of Rorke's Drift was fought in 1879. A force of 4,000 Zulus attacked a camp defended by 140 British soldiers. Find out who won in this animated battle tactics video!
Please donate to help fund future videos!: / battlestack
Thanks!
Battle of Isandlwana - • Battle Stack: The Batt...
Battle of The Alamo - • Battle of The Alamo 18...
Battle of the Little Bighorn (Custer's Last Stand) - • Battle Stack: Battle o...
Battle of Plains of Abraham (Battle for Canada 1759 ) - • Battle of Plains of Ab...
Battle of Bladensburg & Burning of Washington (War of 1812) - • Burning of Washington ...
Battle of Bunker Hill - • Battle Stack: The Batt...
Battle of Crecy - • Battle Stack: The Batt...
Battle of Lexington & Concord - • The Battles of Lexingt...
The Spanish Armada - • Battle Stack: The Span...
Battle of Marathon - • Battle Stack: The Batt...
Please LIKE & SUBSCRIBE! Thanks for watching!
The tiny force at Rorke's Drift only highlighted the value of good defensive disposition of troops; something that was neglected at Isandlwana.
There is a Documentary on here off the great great grandson of the Zulu leader king..He said the Zulu Prince Talked about the british at Rorke's drift having such a ferocious GUN Volley firing line it pretty much wiped out the harder Zulu soldiers and then leaving the older Zulu warriors to fight ,but where to shaken "Hence why they retreated". There were No british reinforcements for a least 2 days after that battle..Great respect for the Zulus and the British men on that day..Both hard as nails!
This really puts the whole battle into perspective and makes it easier to see what occurred.
Thanks, pleased to help!
@Justin Williams - Watch the movie Zulu. It gives a relatively accurate portrayal of the battle. You can find it here on UA-cam ua-cam.com/video/zI3H1lw96Ck/v-deo.html
@@rufusbarnabus4490 you will find out if you bothered to feed a book about the battle ,that the film Zulu though great has a ton of errors in it about the battle
@@daniellastuart3145 And you will find out, if you bothered to actually think about the film industry, that they have budgets and have to actually entertain people. They can't spend the entire film's budget on a movie that is 100% accurate but is not very entertaining. So they do their research, then take liberties to save money and make it a good movie to watch, rather than use for your history exam tomorrow. What you want is a reenactment.
@@firstconsul7286 I do know that having worked on a number of films myself and having worked in the UK entrapment industry for nearly 30 years, And if you read my post I did say Zulu was a great film I was committing on another post that said it gave an relatively accurate portrayal of the battle. which even taking creative licence in to account it dose not, compere Zulu with a lot of other historic portrays it get a hell of a lot wrong,
For one Zulu Dawn is way more accurate than Zulu is but even gets some major things wrong the has nothing to with it budget .
as for Zulu. some of the major things it got wrong also hand nothing to with budget but more down to lazy writing, bad research and a Welshman ego (though he was fantastic actor)
The statistic of the British losing 17 men in over 12 hours of sustained fighting is one of that are so mind-boggling; I think most people who first read about the battle, assume that it has to be a typo.
Ironically, in the 1963 film "Zulu;" which is a dramatization of the battle, 31 British soldiers are shown getting killed.
Jeff VanMeter mind boggling? Are you thick? They had guns and opponents had sticks. You must be impressed when you tie your shoelaces
@@CrunchyBall5 Being heavily outnumbered is more impactful than being outgunned, and the battle of Isandlwana is the proof of that. Don't forget that we're talking about one-shot guns that are slow to reload, and not heavy machine guns that can mow down anything that moves. Not just that, but limited ammunition is also a big factor when you fight an opponent in larger numbers.
@@CrunchyBall5 The zulus had guns, didnt you watch the video? They had snipers on a hill, probably more guns in their arsenal than the meager 140 the British had. Professional soldiers win out.
@@CrunchyBall5 You seem the thick one here and incapable of logical thought processes.
Ah, in the film you see them shot and stabbed but not fatally in all cases. Great movie .
Thanks for the history lesson. I saw this movie at the theater when I was about 10 or 11 back in the mid-sixties. I thought the scene with the rotating rifle volleys was so cool. I never knew the result of the battle until now. Those British soldiers were tough, disciplined and brave warriors. I loved the uniforms especially the pith helmets.
Yes, those helmets are pretty cool!
@captain caveman Isandlwana was fought in the open so the Zulus could get around the flanks (horns of the buffalo) and envelope the British line.
Rorkes Drift was a prepared position with no flanks to get around - and also the Zulus attacking were "old" regiments (amabutho) in their 30s and 40s
@captain caveman 20,000 zulus attacked at Isandwana.
It says alot of the quality of english biscuits, being tough enough to be used as defensive positions
HMS Hood was destroyed because it wasnt armored by biscuits.
Despite all the criticisms that can be made about Britain, the quality of the food is beyond reproach.
But beyond reproach in which direction?
Just look at it this way. When a group of people try to decide where they want to eat out, you hear phrases like 'how about Italian', 'German bratwurst maybe', 'French cuisine sounds like a good idea'. You never hear anybody say "You know, I feel like English".
Good old Biscuits AB, nails as ten.
The Zulu didn't just have old muskets. They had hundreads of Martini-Henry rifles captured at Islanwana with plenty of ammo. The problem was that the Zulus weren't trained to use the rifles properly and their aiming was very poor.
they did with that tool what they do with any tool, misuse it or use it with little skill, dont maintain it and eventually throw it away.
Funny, their bros in present day Chicago can't aim either.
Too stupid to understand their workings.
@morton christie you were pulling brown bess's and such out of huts in africa? pull the other one that cant be true
The force at Rorke's drift wasn't the same Zulu force at Isandlwana.
William Jones who fought at this battle is buried in Phillip's park cemetery, Clayton, Manchester. England. He was buried in a paupers grave. I have visited his grave numerous times. There are other people who fought in the battle - buried in the same cemetery.
Another veteran of Roarke's Drift became a taxi driver in London. When he died around 1906 his funeral was one of the biggest London has ever seen. Sorry, I forgot his name.
@@roberthiggins9115 Fred Hitch?
Corporal Scheiss VC also died in penury.
@@roberthiggins9115 Hitch.
@@timmo491 thx for that
Fine depiction/clarification of battle.
Thank you!
Thank you very much for this short presentation. I fave watched the film “ZULU” several times, but this puts it all in perspective.
Cheers dude! Thanks for your support!
Bravo! A nice, short depiction of the actual events. Well done!
Even with cartoonish graphics like this and toy soldiers figurines moving across the screen, this makes my skin crawl. These insanely brave men witnessed, and survived, the deepest heart of darkness imaginable. Fantastic video.
This invading/occupying army more of like. A disgusting shameful history, and a stain on British reputation. No amount of gushing over individual acts of bravery will make the slightest difference to those facts. It's all pretty revolting to be honest.
@@jpc443 You unfortunate individual. You think the Zulus were native? It was a clash of empires, stop with the moralising.
@@gammonsandwich1756 Aside from occasionally having a few rifles, they were armed with f*cking sticks!!!!
"Clash of empires" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@jpc443 and a metric crap ton of them to throw at the British force. You act as if they were fighting a native tribe that had no battle strategy or focus when the zulu's were known for there strategies such as the bull horn formation, sure they were behind but in terms of sheer numbers they completely overwhelmed their opponents. No amount of terrible things are going to make the zulus any less badass and the men at rorke's drift any less badass. The zulus were an empire and it was not some ruthless slaughter of a weak tribe, it was better technology fighting a horde of well trained soldiers that fought in formation and with skill, if the zulus wore armour they would have been like fighting the Roman legion with muskets and i meen an entire legion as 4,000 men should have won this abttle dispite the technology by any ones logic. They had tactics and logistics that made them terrifying and undermining them because of only having spears and ignoring what they did just undermines their accomplishments or the fact they very well could have won.
@@jpc443 not exactly like Brittan has an illustrious history of not ruthlessly destroying things, South Africa is the African nation where white people are seen more.
In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power.
- Sun Tzu
"that'll hold him alright
Hehehehehe"
-Elmer Fudd
Sun Tzu: *turns around and sees future Chinese army with 2.5 million soldiers*
However advanced technology does.
Of course numbers confer an advantage! What a dumb thing to say.
@@MrPear40 that is the best comment!
This battle has always fascinated me. Thank you, well done.
Cheers pal!
First rank..fire, second rank..fire, third rank..fire..Redcoats, they are a wonder of warfare..
@Chad McGee The British infantry defeated the biggest and most successful French Army the world had ever seen between 1809 and 1815! In the war of 1812 British Generals under estimated the accuracy of the American long rifled musket, especially where one marksman is firing multiple weapons loaded by others. [While occupying a defensive position]
The British had discarded longer rifled muskets during trials in favour of the shorter barrelled Baker Rifle because of the length of time it took to load etc.The Baker Rifle and the green jacketed men who carried it played a significant role in the Peninsular War and subsequent Battle for France, resulting in Napoelons abdication.
Another excellent video. Thank you for posting.
Valour can only be measured against that of the enemy. If you praise the British soldiers you must also praise the Zulu warriors. Those soldiers EARNED their fame.
A grandson of one of the Zulu warriors actually spoke up about this issue, after the battle there was mutual respect on both sides and they went their separate ways. Any one who thinks they were stupid savages is idiotic, let's see them go out and kill a lion with an assegai at 14 years old to become a man.
You honestly can’t help but cheer on both sides when you watch the movie or watch a video on the battle. It’s nail biting
Nicely done, and not too long. Never knew all the details
Still don't.
Thank you Battlestack, nicely done 🇬🇧
Thanks for your support!
Excellent. Brief. to the point. Great illustrations. Thanks so much. I have seen the movie so many times but this was so enlightening.
Thanks a lot! Glad it was helpful! :)
Zulus attack,
Fight back to back,
Show them no mercy,
Fire at will,
Kill or be killed,
Facing, awaiting,
A hostile spear
A new frontier
The end is near
There's no surrender
The lines must hold
Their story told
Roker's Drift controlled
Later on that fateful day as they head towards the drift,
Stacking boxes, fortifying, preparations must be swift
Spears and shields of oxen hide facing uniforms and guns,
As the rifles fire echoes higher, beating like the sound of drums
Reminds me of Sabaton
1879 when the few held the line
Their last stand was made, in the Empire's name
Thank you very much for a concise yet informative explanation!
Good work. Cleared up a misconception I had .
Nice animations and descriptions, great video!
Training for soldiers and discipline, was why the British empire was so big,, still one of the most experienced armies in the world,,, liked the video,, easy to understand the tactics,, and defence, strategy,, from Northern Ireland greatly appreciated ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️to sustain the defence in respect of the superior number of zulu,, brave men,, fight or die,,
Job well done chap. Thoroughly enjoyed that.
Cool, thanks mate
Nice! I liked the visuals, well done. :)
Thanks!
Superb video. Thank you for the info.
Thanks!
Excellent, short description of the battle.
It's called don't bring a knife to a gun fight, which is exactly what happened. There was also a cool head under intense attacks without losing it from the Defense British force. I think he made all the right decisions on the field that day in order to permit his troops and himself to survive the attack. The British commanders at that time may not be all very capable of good attack strategy( hence the battle of previous day) but when they get into the Defense mode, that is a force to be reckon with and to be respected, ask Napoleon and Ney at Waterloo.
Yes but the history seems to show that it was Dalton (3rd in command) that persuaded them to make a fortified defence as fleeing with wounded and sick people (it was a makeshift hospital) would have been suicidal.
The previous day wasnt an attack by the British
Great coverage on Both sides
the graphics and sound made me feel as if i were actually there at rorkes drift
Right. The acid had nothing to do with it.
@@josephtriola9053 not just the acid but also the 2 pints of mushroom juice, and a rather large packet of maltesers
@@enrobhcit LMAO Great sense of humor.
Good work lads.
The skill of using a bayonet and rifle butt in close combat must have been Exceptional, like to see the training manual for that.
The British had used the bayonet for over 130 years by then
@@tallthinkev Yes yet the trauma of the battle got to most of them , in those days they where not gym training over strength men. I saw the uniforms of the men in those days they where not as large as today . Like you said 130years of perfection with the bayonet for men smaller than today is amazing.
“Musket” & “Sniper” are two words I never thought I’d hear in the same sentence.
My great granddad was there, well, just around the corner from there. He was doing alright until he complained about the noise
@charles cap come onto FB and PM me if you want. My dad was from the Ukraine my mum English
The old ones are the best
A sterling example of discipline and concentrated firepower carrying the day. A study was done years later on a large number of the British soldiers who fought in the battle. Many had never recovered from the experience psychologically. It was referred to as battle shock. We now call it PTSD.
This is terrific & wonderfully clear. Goes for all your vids. My young fella loves the movies but didn't quite get it until now. Well done.
PS. Most helpful with school projects too.
Thanks! So cool, good luck with the school work!
Very nice description. Thanks.
Cheers mate!
I'll be re-re-re watching the movie this weekend with a greater understanding. Cheers to you.
Nice video, When you present it like that, it does seem hard to comprehend how the British survived. Just one faltering on one part of the defence and they would have been overrun. I think the fortifications were crucial - the Boers also had success with lagers - with the rapid firing rifles (and plentiful ammo) helping explain how in this case the British overcame the extreme odds. The proficiency of the redcoats and the bravery of the Zulus are still striking, though.
Thank you I found this video interesting
Enjoyed Thanks
Something to consider about this battle is the number of Zulu bodies that littered the field. The Zulu's were bare-foot and bare-chested and so a big pile of bleeding bodies would make it very hard to maintain a charge once you had to step on someone covered in slippery blood.
In hindsight, I have long thought that if the British had beheaded the first Zulu casualties and danced around the compound with them stuck on bayonets the Zulu's would have called it a day.
What is a British? My uncle says it's a nasty person who doesn't speak good english
One of my favorite battles to research.
Alfred Hook ! "Brandy is for heroes mr Hook!"
Good one. Thanks.
excellent animation that clearly shows the battle.
Thanks, glad you liked it.
Awesome battle . Both sides brave as ......................................................................................
Because we're here lad, and nobody else. Just us
Is this the one a film was made about? Remember watching it as a kid. Think my dad put it on the telly for us. Cracking film.
And excellent video. Wish there was more going around about this war. A huge amount of us Brits know fuck all about this war.
great video i especially like that you used rise of nations units, such underrated game. cheers!
Thanks! Pleased you enjoyed it. It is a great game!
TypeZero
Magnificent video
Cheers!
Great stuff!
Thanks!
I visited England a few years ago and stayed at a B+B run by descendants of the Chard family. They took me to an Airfield where American forces mustered for D-Day, and a Bar where Churchill used to "Hold Court"!
Cool story, thanks!
'They've got a good section but they've certainly don't have any top tenors. Sing!'
bass section.
I say , I say , I say
I have just been playing cards with the natives ..
Zulu`s ?
No ... I won every hand !
Almost as bad as Peccavi (I have Sindh, Napier, 1845)
ugh. you wn this round.
Why is it .... whenever I say it ..... no-one gets it ?
Very nice!
I love how you sound like the “I custom my rifle like it’s 1862” guy
best depiction I have seen
Jolly good carry on old chap👍
Well done sir.
Cool! thank you.
Custer is watching learning how to do this after his colossal fail
Jolly good show old chap , dam savages.
Creative use of Rise Of Nations. Well played .
The author S. M. Stirling just be a fan of this event. In his Nantucket trilogy, in which said island is cast back in time to 1240BC, a force of islanders,(under a Capt. Rorke), fight off a superior force of downtimers in what we now call the Middle East. It goes exactly as depicted in this video.
Very informative
Thanks!
I read somewhere that the Brit garrison only had 400 rounds of ammo left when daybreak arrived.
great video 👏👏
Thank you 👍
Actually, three were born overseas, 1 was scottish, 16 were Irish, 49 english and around 32 welshmen. Let me know if you already knew.
Funny - Colour sergeant Bourne, stated that most of the British deaths were inflicted by zulus up on the hill using rifles captured in the previous battle
Hook was a model soldier , VC winner and was badly portrayed in the movie "Zulu".
I was invited in to the officers' mess in Brecon in the 80s. The walls were covered with shields, assegais and other memorabilia. I think 10 of the VCs were on display in a glass case. I believe the missing one has subsequently been supplied on permanent loan from the family. I was then and still am well aware of the rare privilege. The sight of 10 VCs in a row was indescribable. I saw the movie 5 times as a kid (admittedly as much for the titty show as anything else!).
Wow, thats really cool.
Have to admit, that Zulu mating dance was a nice highlight, and that rhythmic stomp dance was a treat too!
Great post! I remember seeing Zulu decades ago …. would love to have seen the VC's in Brecon. The longest lived survivor of the batter Colour Sergeant Bourne is buried in my local cemetery in Becenham, Kent.I remember those brown titties too!
Nice video. I was 14 years old when the movie ZULU was released in 1964 (with Stanley Baker and "introducing" Michael Caine) and narrated by Richard Burton. It was showing at the RKO Prospect movie theater on 9th street in Brooklyn, NY.. Too bad you didn't mention the Martini/Henry (Peabody action) rifles the British soldiers were using. Still though, damn good stuff.
Thanks, I wish I had mentioned about the Martini/Henry, if I was to re-do this video I would. I always wondered how this film played out to American audiences, it always seemed like a very British movie.
Nice words kind sir. For the local Brooklyn teenagers of 1964 this movie "played out" very well. It was all the rage among my friends. To this day I would rate it as one of my top ten favorite "war" movies. Maybe not perfectly accurate in story line but in period weaponry it scores big. And the action?? Fuhgeddaboudit!! Simply awesome. I do so despise movies that can't get the weapons "technically" correct for the time frame. Sorta puts me off my marmalade, if you know what I mean. Kudos to other cast members; Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson and James Booth.
Wow, fascinating. Yes I must agree on the action scenes, its amazing that the film is quite old but has stood the test of time. And of course that music! Cheers pal.
My friend, a classic is a classic is a classic. This version of ZULU truly is a classic movie. Nuf said.
Same here, I was 14 at the time, this movie blew me away, warch it every Christmas holiday now, have done for years
Awesome
If memory serves me, the sergeant major already had been awarded the Victoria cross, in a prior engagement, or he would have been awarded the medal for his actions in this battle too.
worth watching and good history for youth.
Thanks!
Really interesting
Cheers dude! :)
Imagine seeing footage of this, if it existed. What an absolutely relentless bloodbath. A more recent Agincourt.
not sure why this captures your imagination more than any major WW1battlefield in terms of a relentless bloddbath
What makes you jump to that conclusion?
How does being interested in one thing equal no interest in a completely separate, unmentioned other thing?
Will you do other battles of the anglo zulu war?
I love your videos, really well done. Only thing that needs changing is turning off the comments. Far too many opinions by people who shouldn't voice one.
800 kills 17 deaths is a good score for that map. What difficulty were the critters on for that run?
I liked and subscribed!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Seen some of those medals victoria crosses in brecon museum where the south wales borderers were stationed at their camp there .
The 24th Foot had their regimental depot at Brecon from 1873 but didn't become the South Wales Borderers until 1881. At the time of the Zulu War they were the 2nd Warwickshire Regiment
I thought the Zulu's got guns from the previous massacre of the British
The wing of the Zulu army that advanced on rorkes drift had barely been engaged at Isandhlwana, they may not have had many Martinis
The reserves attacked Rorke’s drift the ones that never got into the action at Isandlawana that followed the British soldiers who retreated
Good god another sabaton fan
Great historic video for children and those who don't know
Thanks!
Where'd they get 10 000 rounds of ammo from?
its the industial revolution, not exactly hard to mass product ammo when the uk was loaded with factories. also some of the ammo would be more than usual amounts due to the zulu war bringing in thousands more troops that need lots of ammo
That BISCUIT BOX fall-back is what saved them. It is reminiscent of a SQUARE DEFENSE FORMATION. What did they do with the 800-plus dead bodies? Dead bodies would have been very unsanitary and disease friendly. Boggles the mind.
As l have read & understood it the Zulu's at Rorke' s Drift didn't have any rifles taken at Isandlwhana after the attack because they veered around the attack and headed straight for Rorke s Drift w/muzzle loader rifles & the like
Dont make biscuits like that anymore. Those were real biscuits for dunking in a cuppa tea; and no mistake. Now a biscuit collapses before it makes it to the tea.
So the Zulu's never retreated because they heard them singing, admired their courage, and left (like in the film Zulu?) it was because they saw reinforcements? The biscuits must have been those old scottish shortbreads, you can break your teeth on those things.
SCOTLAND
While the VCs were undoubtably deserved, the reason so many were awarded was as an attempted distraction from the horrific defeat at Isandlwana the day before. That was the largest defeat of the British Army by an indigenous force ever recorded and was a huge embarrassment, so pressure was on to divert attention.
Wow the British commander is so good at his job
How did they learn to use muskets?
The zulus didn’t. They used British martini Henry’s, which have a 2 step loading process in comparison to the god knows how many step process of a musket. Hell I could give you a breach loader and you could probably figure out how it works
There are a couple of psychological points that should be mentioned. walls and bayonets. Both made a big impact.
The zulu knew how guns worked but they weren't as scary to them as they would be to us. They heard the shooting and saw their mates fall but didn't really fear them. They were not in their culture.
Bayonets however they understood. They knew a good well made pointy bit of metal when they saw it. It's what they used... They respected the steel and knew the damage it could inflict.
So a wave would bravely charge across heavy fire with no fear... but then slowed as they reached the wall (they were fixated on the bayonets). Only to be shot.
Love it. You should get a better microphone though.
Good suggestion! I will look into it. Thanks!
"Oh yesh, the bloody biscuits..."
This is not an analysis of tactics or indeed anything else, just a telling of what happened.
Although this is a very well explained depiction, it should have been noted that Rorkes drift was on top of hill with rocky slopes making it very difficult for the zulus to run up and over whelm them.
are you sure about that?
11 VC's were awarded, brave men fighting for their very lives. The VC at the time was the ONLY military award available to the British Soldier at that time, no other bravery awards, not even recognition in "Mention In Dispatches" and that is the reason why that many were awarded. It will NEVER EVER happen again!
Johnno not true. Four of the soldiers were also awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, including 24 year old Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne. Bourne was the last surviving member of the British garrison and also reached the highest rank of all participants. Colonel Frank Bourne OBE DCM died aged 91 on 8th May 1945.
freebeerfordworkers I've heard it and read the transcript. Thank you for reminding me - it deserves another listening to. For anyone who has seen the film Zulu, Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne was physically pretty much the exact opposite of his on screen portrayal. Nigel Greene, who was 38 at the time and was about 6'2", played him as a gruff mid 50s veteran soldier (and also wore a WWI medal on his uniform- oops!) In reality Bourne was (from memory as I haven't Googled this) 24 years old and about 5'4" tall. He was known as "The Kid" and was the youngest Colour Sergeant in the British Army.
Dean Stuart
Fascinating stuff I didn't know about. I'm off to find the interview!
Cheers.
The reports of the disaster at Isandlwana would have been on the same ship reporting this battle. As Caine's character remarks in the film, bad new doesn't go down well. Whilst the VC's may be deserved, it was the Isandlwana battle that got them awarded.