To answer a question I posed during this video, I found this link to a list of the men who fought at Rorke's Drift. www.rorkesdriftvc.com/battle/roll.htm
There were two other VCs earned on the 22nd of January. Two men who could of escaped from Isawanda, rode back to save the flag. They were killed, but they tossed it in the river before they were killed so it would not be captured. They were the first posthumous VC recipients.
the men who play the Zulu warriors in this film were actually local African people near around where the battle happened. They were asked to be part of the film
Interesting to note that this battle occurred shortly after the Battle of Isandlwana which was actually a major defeat of the British. Hence the line "news that came that morning told that the main force had been slain." So the Zulu had proven that they could defeat even a major British force, which I think makes the Battle of Rorke's Drift even more impressive.
An interesting note is that the Zulus who attacked were ordered not to do so by Cetwayo before they left. But the knowledge that Islandwanda was won made them bold and they decided to attack. Also, the reason they left the battle is because some in the rear who stayed back to observe and watch for relief forces saw one en route. The fact that the British also put up one hell of a fight may have also played a role, I'm sure, but it was the fact that reinforcements were spotted that played the main role.
I think the battle may have ended up differently if Lord Chelmsford hadn’t split his forces without knowing where the main Zulu force was. I’ve heard it is not a very good tactic to split your forces in unknown enemy territory. The movie Zulu Dawn is a good telling of this battle.
Many modern Zulu love this film, they appreciate it because it respects both sides and gives the fearsome Zulu their due credit. If only all war films could be so fair minded
Another thing that could be mentioned is that the place that was attacked, was originally a home of a Swedish missionary, who gave it up to the British army so that they could use it as a field hospital. Those who weren't wounded enough to hold a rifle had to pitch in and help in the defences as well.
One of the 11 VCs won was by a wounded Swiss. He had been wounded in his foot earlier in the war, and fought with his crutch. At one point during the night, he left the fortifications and fought several Zulus single handedly. One of the problems I have with the Zulu movie is how they depict Private Hook. They portrayed him as a crook, but in reality, he was the cook. He volunteered to be with the wounded in the makeshift hospital.
From what I read the Zulus got into the hospital at Rourke's Drift and killed several of the wounded soldiers that could not flee. In addition, the Zulus had wiped out the Main British force at Islandwana. This was true blood fight to the death for 10 hours. In ended with both sides too exhaust to fight.
After they pushed into the hospital and isolated it, they actually fired the building and killed anyone who ran from it. I don't know how many men burned alive in there, but I know there were some.
It didn't end with them too exhausted. It ended when a British relief column reached the battle and so the zulus fled. The fled because the odds were now more even and also they were not even suppost to attack rorkes drift anyway under the orders of their king. It gave the British the excuse they wanted to reinvade zulu land
The breach loading rifles were the Martini Henry, absolutely amazing rifle even by todays standards and a lot of people collect them. Only found your videos today and they're great!
Prone to fouling because of the black powder and had to be cleaned after a relatively small number of volley fire shots as the action would start to seize. Need lots of hot water on standby.
Not outstanding by today's standards, but definitely top tier for the breachloaders of the blackpowder Era, but a ~480gr ball pushing 1350 fps is way short of full sized rifle cartridges with much higher recoil
The Zulus were a highly organised army. Regiments were had there own shield patterns and once they had washed there spears 9 in the enemies blood) could marry. There equipment so technologically backward to us was superior to the other African nations which they had defeated.
Yea the standard way of fighting was to throw spears and swear at eachother and then go home usually 1 or 2 died or where injured then Shaka Zulu came and made the spears shorter so his men would have to stab the enemy so his men started hunting opponents to their tribe's village's and killed and took war spoils
Those shields were not exactly useless against rifle fire as most assume. They were tough and layered. A bullet at range striking at an angle could easily be turned away from the body and they masked the outline of the warrior holding it. Given that the Zulu would charge from outside range to melee, the time to fire was small. A solder on an open attlefield would be lucky to reload twice before being engaged in melee combat.
God I love this film, I went to Rorke's drift in 2003 whilst on exercise with the SADF. The Martini-Enfield rifle was a great bit of kit. According to our tour guide, the Zulu's really came because the outpost had lots of cattle, which the Zulu's counted as great booty. Plus the Impi involved arrived to late to take part in the battle of Islandlwana. Tks for posting this.
@@Heavy4th your right my bad, just remember shooting a Martini-enfield at Bisley one time, a long time ago. When I could stand up, without my knees cracking.
I've watched all your Sabaton reactions so far and I must say it's nice to watch a history "nerd" (meaning that in a good way) react in place of all the vocal coahes. I get to know more details/facts then I already know about these songs. Keep up the good work. Love from Norway
I think it is also worth mentioning, that Zulu army was probably closest to regular army in "western" understanding from all "local" militaries met and fought by colonial powers, probably since conquest of Southern America. This was true army with proffesional core supplemented by militia draftees with its structure, hierarchy of command, tactics, and in general was well commanded, where long-term plans for war and operation were in use. Rorke`s Drift was in fact fought agains orders, as CnC of Zulu army (not certain if was king Cetshwayo or his deputy), who suspected, that it may be too risky and too costly to storm european troops in possibly fortified position.
There was also a general desire on Cetshwayo's part not to invade the territory held by Europeans, but fight entirely on Zulu Land. They were not to be seen as the aggressors.
The only inaccuracies I'm aware of are: The guy who keeps trying to get out of duty in real life was a diligent soldier. His family sued the production studio over it iirc. The final stand-off where the Zulu chant one last time in recognition of the defenders didn't happen. They couldn't have sung Men of Harlech because it wasn't written yet.
If I recall correctly, the British defenders were so low on ammunition by the end of the battle, they reckoned they could not have repulsed even one more attack wave. Both sides had fought for hours and were thoroughly spent, and even if the Zulu had the numbers for another wave, their resolve and morale had been blunted by the stiff British resistance. The defensive area held by the British was miniscule; the area between a farmhouse, a barn and a shed, with impromptu barricades made of overturned wagons and bags of army rations.
Actually there were two "main forces" one of the big mistakes that led to the defeat at Islandwana was that the main army split into two sections and couldn't reinforce each other in time.
@@ninocuric5290 That is a myth - the Zulu Impi that attacked the Drift were not at Isandlwana. They got their rifles the normal way - they bought them.
The Zulus were a treaty ally so this force 12000 strong commanded by Lord Chelmsford was at war without British Parliaments approval. The 1500 at Isandhlwana were a base camp as Chelmsford went looking for the Zulu at Ulundi with 2500 + of the main column. Rorkes Drift mission station was a field hospital/supply depot and Lt. Chard of 5th Company Royal Engineers was tasked to maintain bridges over the Buffalo river....Wiki him for details of the events. Hook the guy in the hospital who received a VC was in fact teetotal unlike the character in the film. The Martini Henrys were red hot and the troops used rags or hide to hold them. There were an unprecedented number of VC medals given for political reasons to show the public how well the troops had done against such odds which overshadowed the Isandhlwana massacre. You mention the Zulu bravery ,which is without question, but few know they were given herbal concoctions to enhance actions and included pain relief ... they were high on the stuff.
Regarding the bravery of the Zulu warriors in the face of modern weapons, it was enhanced tremendously by the powerful drug cocktail that they were known to have taken before going into battle. Another interesting account that I read once about the fighting described how when the Zulus acquired rifles and fired on the British from a distance (shown briefly in this video) they were so accustomed to the arching trajectory of their bows an arrows that they would often times fire the rifles at such a high angle that the bullets would sail harmlessly over the soldiers' heads.
Not to mention what few rifles the zulu forces had before the battle of isandlwana were brown bess muskets which the British army had discontinued use of back in 1838 and this 1879, shows you the huge difference in technology available to both sides, one side is still using muskets while the other had modern rifles
The rifle was "the short block .454 Martini-Henry rifle miracle, and a Bayonet with some guts behind it" Quote from the movie Zulu. The 24th Regiment of foot is from Warwickshire, but in the Movie they had the accents of Wales and the song they sing "Men of Harlech" puts them in North Wales. That is also pointed up by the Names called in the Roll in that the last name Williams was predominant.
One of the interesting discrepancies of Zulu was Color Sargeant Frank Bourne. In the movie, he is a 40 something grizzled vet. In reality at 24 when he takes part he is the youngest Color Sargeant in the British Army at the time. For his heroic actions, he was awarded both a Distinguished Conduct Medal, (The then equal to today's DSC/NC/AFC/CGC in our services)and a commission but he would have needed to buy it, so he stayed a Color Sargeant for a while until someone gave him the money to accept it. He ended is military career as an LTC, training recruits for WWI.
I want to go ahead and recommend this 1964 film of Rorkes Drift. This film has aged very well despite the lack of filming technology back then. This film does not make up any facts, it mostly stays true to what happened and what I like most is that it respects both sides. In this film you don't have the Zulus portraied as the bad guys. And the whole film lets history speak instead of trying to drown it in a sea of action. This is really how modern films should be where action should be used to support the narrative and not to overshaddow it. I highly recommend watching it!
I recommend watching the "History Buffs" channel's video on the movie Zulu and its historical accuracy - it goes into a lot of interesting detail (as well as pointing out some of the - relatively few! - inaccuracies).
There's a documentary on youtube called BBC Timewatch - Zulu: The True Story, that does an excellent job of explaining not only what happened in the battles but also what was going on politically in the background.
It was a day that humbled both sides in the Anglo-Zulu War. At Isandlwana the British learned to not underestimate the bravery and strength of the Zulu Warriors, at Rorke’s Drift, the Zulus learned not to underestimate the discipline of the British.
Thank you for another great reaction! It is amazing to see,how many people get sucked to the Sabaton universe..it is always the same-if you are at least somewhat interested in history,you can't escape their epic storytelling. I am eager to see your reaction to "Winged Hussars",one of my favourite songs. If I may suggest some more, I'll give my voice to some of the older or less popular ones, like "Hearts of Iron", "The Final Battle", or "Wolfpack" . Greetings from Germany,and keep rocking!
Sadly you'll never see this film on TV again. It was the anniversary a few days ago . No mention of the battle or bravery on both sides in any of the usual media. It's sad this type of history is being surpressed. 11VCs in one go! Staggering.
The Martini henry is the breach loading rifle in question here. Fun fact the game battle field has 2 skins for that gun relating to this exact conflict one I believe is literally called Zulu
Another UA-camr said this about the battle of Rourke's Drift, and it's apt: this battle reads like bad 40k fanfiction. It's insane, and I'm kind of amazed they survived
Lyrics News that came that morning told that the main force had been slain Chance for peace and justice gone and all talks had been in vain A prince had been offended and he has gone the path of war Now that 1500 men are dead and the Zulu's at the door Zulus attack Fight back to back Show them no mercy and 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, Rorke's drift controlled Later on that fateful day as they head towards the drift Stacking boxes, fortify, 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 Zulus attack Fight back to back Show them no mercy and 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, Rorke's drift controlled 1879, when a few held the line Back to back, attack, the dead are stacked Where a last stand was made, and the empire saved Back to back, attack, the dead are stacked Zulus attack Fight back to back Show them no mercy and 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, Rorke's drift controlled A hostile spear, a new frontier, the end is near There's no surrender The lines must hold, their story told, Rorke's drift controlled
Just a note the 24th had there depot in Warwickshire but moved to Brecon in 1873 they recruited through Herefordshire and Monmouthshire in 1881 the 24th was renamed the South Wales Borderers until they were amalgamated in 1969 with the Welch Regiment to form the Royal Regiment of Wales
Technically it was half of the British forces since lord chelmsford took the other half to link up with his scouts who believed they had found the main zulu force not realizing that it was just a distraction while the zulu army attacked their rear guards, honestly british might've won at islandlwana if it wasn't for the fact the man left to command them was just an administrator who had zero front line experience
Like so many battles/wars - and I assume we'll watch the Sabaton History video on this one as with the others, they make this point - the winners write the history books. From the Zulu point of view they were bravely fighting to save their homeland against invaders. Looking forward to Winged Hussars, it's a good one.
One exception (that I know of) to the rule of "the winners write the history books" was the Mongols in the time of Genghis Khan, they had no written language so were documented by those they conquered and others. It is after the assimilation of artisans and scholars, etc they start to document their own history in a written form because of these acquired skills (and the need to administer to an empire).
i love the movie. people often struggle to understand why volley-fire was such a big thing, but they usually do once i show them the battle in the film.
One thing the Zulu’s, if Great Britain had continued as it had been, was going to raise mercenary regiments similar to the Gurkha’s. May have been a different type of South Africa we would have seen if it had happened.
I know a South African historian that told me that the Zulus killed the flag holder then he told me if the Zulus picked up the flag then the Zulus would of won
Idk if they would’ve won but they would’ve used that as a massive morale shock however it might also do the opposite and cause the troops to break out and try take it back
The colours were at Isandlwana, not Rorkes Drift, and three (of the four - Queens and Regimental colours of the 1st Battalion, and Queens and Regimental of the 2nd Battalion) were captured - Lt Coghill and Melville saving one but dying in the process.
@@gonvillebromhead2865 I feel stupid for not knowing my own history about SA because it was nlt interesting for me bit atleast I know alot of ww1 and ww2 and a couple of other stuff
The best book on this subject is "The Washing Of The Spears - A History Of The Rise And Fall Of The Zulu Nation Under Shaka And Its Fall In The Zulu War Of 1879" by Donald R. Morris. Unfortunately, it is out of print. I first read a copy I picked up in Durban, SA shortly after some shipmates and I hired a taxi to take us out to Rourke's Drift in Sept 1970.
B company of the 24th foot's 2nd battalion supplied many of the troops. The remainder of the 1st & 2nd battalion were dying or dead at Isandlwana totally wiped out. As an aside the Zulu war chant prior to the final Zulu attack was heard in the movie Gladiator. The Germanic tribes were chanting this prior to the first fight scene vs the Roman legions. I remember watching this in the movie theater at the time thinking I have heard this before, then it dawned on me. I was a big fan of the Zulu movie with Michael Caine and purchased it when it became available on VHS for my kids to watch and learn.
The Zulu's were not armed with just shields and spears - they had the Martini- Henry rifles they had taken from Isandlwana - They were used from sniping positions in the hills surrounding Rorke's Drift .The Zulus were excellent warriors and knew about battle strategies - they were directed where the weakest positions were by battle chiefs up on vantage points on the hillsides .
lyrics: News that came that morning told that the main force had been slain Chance for peace and justice gone and all talks had been in vain A prince had been offended and he has gone the path of war Now that 1500 men are dead and the zulu’s at the door Zulus attack, Fight back to back Show them no mercy and 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, Rorke’s Drift controlled Later on that fateful day as they head towards the drift Stacking boxes, fortify, 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 Zulus attack, Fight back to back Show them no mercy and 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, Rorke’s Drift controlled 1879, when a few held the line Back to back, attack, the dead are stacked Where a last stand was made, and the empire saved Back to back, attack, the dead are stacked. Zulus attack, Fight back to back Show them no mercy and 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, Rorke’s Drift controlled A hostile spear, a new frontier, the end is near There´s no surrender The lines must hold, their story told, Rorke’s Drift controlled
As I understand it, the actual battle involved long-range sniper action by both sides - no frontal assaults with spears by the Zulus since most of the Zulus had guns.
The battle as described in The Washing of the Spears is much different than the version that was turned into the movie Zulu. There were no pauses, no breathers. The battle just continued until the Zulu gave up or were called off. They were under orders not to act Rorke's Drift.
1871 Martini-Henry rifles... A beautiful weapon. Sadly, the video does not use any footage from the late part of the movie, from their last stand in the inner fortified part, with the 3 firing lines.
The shield the zulu used was made from leather, and their leader at somepoint found out that if he dipped his shield in water the bullet wouldnt go through because the leather became softer but it was absorbing the bullet impact, so yeah the british had guns but the zulu at somepoint have bullet prrof shields
Actually when i comes to the shields they werent actually worthless. They drenched the leather coverings in water which made them soft and sponge like which slowed down or even stopped the bullet at a distance this allowed them to get close enough to charge. Also thier spears you see how short they are they used to be far longer but it was shaka would had them shorten because he knew his warriors would have to use them in close quarters. And thier long nature would make that difficult
A similar Battle to this is The Battle of Loos where 21 Victoria Crosses were given. Total loss for the British as this was the first time that the British used gas. Also the casualties for the British were horrendous with most regiments taking over 90 percent casualties. I think this battle would make a great song especially for the Scottish who paid a tremendous cost in this battle.
They were in fact B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. This was a regiment formed in 1689 by Sir Edward Dering and were known as Sir Edward Dering’s Regiment of Foot. It was not until 1782 that it became the 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment was based at Brecon, Wales and recruited from the border counties of Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and Brecknockshire, but was not called the South Wales Borderers until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The bulk of the regiment dies at Isandlwana. In 2016 the king of the Zulu's visited Wales in order to forge cultural links.... i dont think he visited Birmingham.
Yes, the British Rifles were Breech-Loaders. Martini-Henry Single Shot Breech-load Rifles, which were introduced to the British Army in 1871 and removed from service in 1918. That said, the gun has had a longer history than this service life would suggest, with some having known to be used against the Red Army in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the US Marines having confiscated at least 3 in 2010-2011. On a different note, the movie Zulu is just amazing and definitely worth a look for anyone interested. The movie is very accurate to history (maybe not quite as, say, Tora! Tora! Tora! is to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but still leagues better than the dumpster fire of Braveheart), with the few changes largely tending to add rather than detract. It is very respectful to both sides of the conflict, despite the fact it didn't have to be (it was filmed before the Civil Rights Acts), with any character who starts talking about 'Savages' almost always having sense smacked into them within the same scene. If you're still not convinced of how above board the film is on that regard, "Oh, Hollywood making a bunch of african people wear loincloths and chuck spears...", The people playing the Zulu ARE Zulu: The Movie was filmed in South Africa, where the Crew approached the Zulu people and asked if they wanted to help, and the Zulu were exceptionally happy to play the part of their ancestors. So that IS the Zulu Language, those ARE Zulu Tactics, and that IS traditional Zulu dress...The biggest thing they got wrong was Cetshwayo kaMpande (Played by his Grandson if I recall) ordering the attack on Rorke's Drift; Historically, Cetshwayo was opposed to any such attack into Colonial territory. It was his hope that, with the Battle of Isandlwana and other such battles in Zululand, that he could claim to the foreign powers of Europe that he was fighting defensively against an invading Britain and perhaps get them to put some pressure on the British to abandon the war. Rorke's Drift was actually a rogue element who ignored Cetshwayo's orders not to attack Mission Station.
Rorkes drift was originally set up by an Irish settler on the South African frontier who was a hunter and trader sadly he killed himself there. Many of the men who fought in the battle were Irish aswell
The men that have reciveved the Victoria Cross in the battle of Rorke's Drift: Lieutenant John Rouse Merriott Chard, 5th Field Coy, Royal Engineers Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead; B Coy, 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot (2nd/24th Foot) Corporal William Wilson Allen; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot Private Frederick Hitch; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot Private Alfred Henry Hook; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot Private Robert Jones; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot Private William Jones; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot Private John Williams; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot Surgeon-Major James Henry Reynolds; Army Medical Department Acting Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton; Commissariat and Transport Department Corporal Christian Ferdinand Schiess; 2nd/3rd Natal Native Contingent
Yes good choice on the music video. Knight sc archive has really good Sabado music videos. If you react to more of their music watch these music videos, it really brings it to life.
The Zulus were an incredibly well trained and disciplined army. Their knowledge of tactics was far ahead of their tech and probably easily as good as their Anglo counterparts. The only reason they lost is you don’t take a knife to a gun fight.
Something they showed in this movie which if you didn’t know is called ‘Zulu’, really good movie I recommend watching it, anyway as I was saying, something I’m glad they showed in the movie was not only were the British using the Martini Henry rifle which as you said was a breach loading rifle, the British also had bolt action rifles, I’m not sure what model but they had bold action rifles that were not used as much as the MartiniHenry during the Zulu War. But if you watch Zulu or just look up the Rorkes Drift clip when they retreat to the sandbag pit you see some of the soldiers lined up having bolt action rifles
My favorite part of the movie is when they start singing the rendition of Men of Harlech that was written for the movie even though it was not made the song of the regiment until long after.
It never was. The Warwickshires were English, Men Of Harlech is a Welsh song and is the official fast march of the Welch Guards. I know this for an absolute fact because I've performed with their regimental band in a joint concert (in aid of their benevolent fund) between them and the male voice choir I sang bass in, and it was announced by their bandmaster as such. Every serving or former member of the regiment in the audience stood for it, at parade attention, or as near as their age or infirmity allowed (which was about 200 of the 800 or so present).
The battle of Isandwlana the battle before Rorkes drift was a humiliating defeat for the British, the British had set up a camp at Isandlwana without making any defenses in case of a attack so they were very vulnerable to attack which later ended up being their doom. Since the battle of Isandlwana was so embarrassing the British tried to cover it up by awarding many Victorian crosses to the brave British soldiers stationed at the supply depot of Rorkes drift that won against incredible odds.
Point to note.. the only reason there were that many VC's won was because of the previous defeat/humiliation at islandwana by the main British collum. The officers actually were not the main reasons the position held but actually the senior and junior non commissioned ranks.
rifle 577/450 Martini-Henry -> Calibre 14,7 mm VS leather shield and spear.... "Anglo-Zulu War, 1879" tip. British anti-tank rifle used during the "Second World War" -> calibre 14 mm
3:53 Color Sgt. Bourne: Mr. Chard, sir, patrol's come back. The Zulus have gone. All of them. It's a miracle. Lt. John Chard: If it's a miracle, Colour Sergeant, it's a short-chambered, Boxer-Henry . 45 calibre miracle. Color Sgt. Bourne: And a bayonet, sir. With some guts behind it.
They had 3-4 hours of warning about the attack. Enough time to see to some basic defenses, but not nearly enough time to bugger out. The Zulu warriors could run for long distances and still be in fighting shape. So there was no chance of the British garrison getting out by outmaneuvering the Zulus. Rorke's Drift was also a logistical and hospital post. So many of the wounded would've needed wagons in order to get out or be left behind. There's a reason why there are many variations of the parable about a trapped/cornered animal that will fight to the death. Hats off to the Zulu who charged multiple times into massed gunfire and the British soldiers who held the line against multiple charges by superior numbers. Also, the movie is amazing and now I need to track down my copy to watch it for the 50th time.
Right before the battle of Rorkes Drift the British main army had been absolutely annihilated at Isandlwana. About 1500 brits got overrun by about 20.000 Zulus.
The officers for the most part didn't deserve the cross it was the senior and junior ncos who won it... the reason there was so many Victoria crosses was because of the pervious defeat at islandwana.
Unfortunate choice of this particular video, the movie soundtrack is infinitely superior. I read, a few years ago, about a South African who conducted tours of Rorke's drift in which he provided Zulu accounts of the slaughter at Isandlwana, the battle a few miles away just hours earlier, in which 20,000 warriors overwhelmed 1300 Red Coats. They included lines like "how they fought like lions, those red soldiers, how they fell like stones, each man falling in his place", describing the men in the British squares dying one by one until none were left....
I believe the production at first went like: Producers: Hey listen, we’re gonna film this movie about a badass last stand battle. It’s gonna kick ass, we’re gonna get rifles and spears and shields and shit and we’re gonna fight it out like it was eighteen eighty fucking NINE! Zululand King: *SIR!* What the actual fuck did you just say to me right now? What just came out of your mouth? *POUNDS THRONE* Zululand King: *GENIUS!* That’s the coolest shit I ever heard! Let’s shoot this shit!
Rorkes drift is memorable to me primarily because the Zulu's had over four thousand warriors. versus just 140-150 British, and they weren't even infantry, it was mostly Royal engineers. Not to mention most of the British were wounded or severely ill. Its just like My other favorite battle in history, The battle of Hill 3234, 39 Soviet VDV versus 250ish Mujahedeen, the technology was roughly on par this time. 28 of the 39 survived, and they took almost all of the Mujahedeen with them. *that* is amazing. You should totally do a reaction to Sabatons song about 3234 paired with clips taken from the Russian movie 9th company
No, the majority were infantry from B company 2nd battalion of the Warwickshire regiment. The commanding officer of the garrison was a Royal engineer though.
My family is Birmingham England, mainly the black country (smethwich/ oldbury) near the museum where Sabaton filmed 1916. We may be related....who knows?
While it is a agreed the technology difference helped a great deal that was not enough for the main for at Isandlwana. The fact that these few were able to hold out against such odds and survive is a great testament to them. I have always been fascinated in battles were a brave small force fights against such long odds like Thermopylae and the Alamo, but this stands as one of the few times they actually won! Well, at least survived until the relief force arrived, Makes me wonder what might have happened had Fannin actually moved quickly to march to the Alamo.
While the british did inflict heavy causlities on the zulus its not what won them the war. For several days after the inital attack the british waited in fear for another wave. When that wave never game the sent out a scouting party which located the zulu camp where almost all the zulu were suffering from severe smallpox including shaka himself who was on the verge of death
Some interesting facts before and after the Anglo-Zulu War. First. Rorke's Drift was not the first time the Zulus were defeated by a small body of men. On December 18, 1838, 500 Afrikaners, (also known as Boers), faced off against thousands of Zulu warriors at the battle of Blood River and soundly defeated the Zulus. After the British disaster at Isanwanda, the Afrikaners of the former Dutch Republic called the Transvaal, demanded to have their Independence back from the British. They figured that if 1,500 British troops could be defeated by the same foe that their ancestors defeated with muzzle loading muskets, they should be able to take back their independence. The first battle occurred when a British column was marching to reinforce the Transvaal. The Boers sent their ultimatum to the commanding officer, who of course refused to even consider it. The British were then ambushed by the Boers who were deadly shots. (Think Sergeant York). The first Anglo-Boer War was on. The main battle that decided the War was the Battle of Majuba Hill. The British stole a march on the Boers and occupied the hill. Instead of attacking in lines like the rest of the world, the Boers attacked the hill by using modern tactics of using whatever cover there was, making short rushes, and were dressed in brown cloths, which happened to be the color of the terrain. The British were UTERLY defeated. This wasn't the first time the Boers were ahead of their time in military tactics. During the 2nd Boer War, they discovered that barbed wire was great at slowing down troops. So they readily embraced it and placed barbed wire fences in front of all their trenches.
@@VloggingThroughHistory Thanks! Also a little tip. Eventually you will get to the Sabaton album Carolus Rex. This album is not like the others. The songs are in chronological order. The album is about the History of the Swedish empire. So it will be very useful to review them in order. If you want a little background history of the period, I would recommend "A Warrior Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of Sweden as a Military Superpower, 1611-1721" by Henrik O. Lunde.
Although predominately spears, the Zulu’s had gained rifles from slaughtered British soldiers in a previous battle. Colour Sergeant Bourne: It's a miracle. Lieutenant John Chard: If it's a miracle, Colour Sergeant, it's a short chamber Boxer Henry point 45 caliber miracle. Colour Sergeant Bourne: And a bayonet, sir, with some guts behind.
To answer a question I posed during this video, I found this link to a list of the men who fought at Rorke's Drift. www.rorkesdriftvc.com/battle/roll.htm
There were two other VCs earned on the 22nd of January. Two men who could of escaped from Isawanda, rode back to save the flag. They were killed, but they tossed it in the river before they were killed so it would not be captured. They were the first posthumous VC recipients.
Yeah u had Welsh English and Scottish
Team Fortress 2 : When Ours Friends And Community , Valve Workers Last Fortress Defends US To Fight Againts Bots ! +1
the men who play the Zulu warriors in this film were actually local African people near around where the battle happened. They were asked to be part of the film
Thing about this battle is that not long after a full relief force arrived with cannons and they chased after the Zulus and wiped them out.
Interesting to note that this battle occurred shortly after the Battle of Isandlwana which was actually a major defeat of the British. Hence the line "news that came that morning told that the main force had been slain." So the Zulu had proven that they could defeat even a major British force, which I think makes the Battle of Rorke's Drift even more impressive.
Excellent point.
The Britons learned from the best at the battle of Watling Street. Superior technology, training and iron nerve can turn back overwhelming numbers.
An interesting note is that the Zulus who attacked were ordered not to do so by Cetwayo before they left. But the knowledge that Islandwanda was won made them bold and they decided to attack. Also, the reason they left the battle is because some in the rear who stayed back to observe and watch for relief forces saw one en route. The fact that the British also put up one hell of a fight may have also played a role, I'm sure, but it was the fact that reinforcements were spotted that played the main role.
to be fair the British were horribly outnumbered at isandlwana
I think the battle may have ended up differently if Lord Chelmsford hadn’t split his forces without knowing where the main Zulu force was. I’ve heard it is not a very good tactic to split your forces in unknown enemy territory. The movie Zulu Dawn is a good telling of this battle.
Many modern Zulu love this film, they appreciate it because it respects both sides and gives the fearsome Zulu their due credit. If only all war films could be so fair minded
Also fun fact. In this movie Zulus are played by real Zulu warriors
Yeah, I can imagine the Japanese reaction to a WW2 movie that shows them in their true light.
@@dougearnest7590 war crimes
You mean like dropping two atomic bombs on civilians? Or how about fire bombing civilians?
@@Enterprise6126 Glass houses, my friend. We're not innocent either.
Another thing that could be mentioned is that the place that was attacked, was originally a home of a Swedish missionary, who gave it up to the British army so that they could use it as a field hospital.
Those who weren't wounded enough to hold a rifle had to pitch in and help in the defences as well.
Why was the swede there?
It was a mission station. They were there to do religious work.
Missionary work, such as conversions, in particular.
Nattfare hmm ok...
@@tvaettis0653 early IKEA
Oskar Tuvesson yeah haha, small meatball factory 😂
I believe the Zulu warriors in the Zulu movie are descendants of the Zulu warriors
They are.
The guy who plays the Zulu king cetwayo was the real life grandson of him, hence the similarities.
Other way around but yea
you mean descendants?
Descendants? That's very cool.
One of the 11 VCs won was by a wounded Swiss. He had been wounded in his foot earlier in the war, and fought with his crutch. At one point during the night, he left the fortifications and fought several Zulus single handedly.
One of the problems I have with the Zulu movie is how they depict Private Hook. They portrayed him as a crook, but in reality, he was the cook. He volunteered to be with the wounded in the makeshift hospital.
He also briefly served as a pastor and the one really send to the army because he was a criminal was Hitch
@CheekyMonkey Enterprises Christian Ferdinand Schiess was part of the 3rd Natal native contingent.
They must've misread cook.
From what I read the Zulus got into the hospital at Rourke's Drift and killed several of the wounded soldiers that could not flee. In addition, the Zulus had wiped out the Main British force at Islandwana. This was true blood fight to the death for 10 hours. In ended with both sides too exhaust to fight.
After they pushed into the hospital and isolated it, they actually fired the building and killed anyone who ran from it. I don't know how many men burned alive in there, but I know there were some.
I read that for that reason, the British executed many of the wounded Zulu warriors that couldn't escape. For payback, essentially.
It didn't end with them too exhausted. It ended when a British relief column reached the battle and so the zulus fled. The fled because the odds were now more even and also they were not even suppost to attack rorkes drift anyway under the orders of their king. It gave the British the excuse they wanted to reinvade zulu land
The breach loading rifles were the Martini Henry, absolutely amazing rifle even by todays standards and a lot of people collect them.
Only found your videos today and they're great!
“A short-chamber Henry-Boxer point four-five calibre miracle.”
“And a bayonet sir - with some guts behind it”
Prone to fouling because of the black powder and had to be cleaned after a relatively small number of volley fire shots as the action would start to seize.
Need lots of hot water on standby.
Not outstanding by today's standards, but definitely top tier for the breachloaders of the blackpowder Era, but a ~480gr ball pushing 1350 fps is way short of full sized rifle cartridges with much higher recoil
especially in Battlefield 1 where it can one shot anyone
The Martini-Henry lasted long enough to be upgraded to fire .303 British, actually.
The Zulus were a highly organised army. Regiments were had there own shield patterns and once they had washed there spears 9 in the enemies blood) could marry. There equipment so technologically backward to us was superior to the other African nations which they had defeated.
Excellent point.
Yea the standard way of fighting was to throw spears and swear at eachother and then go home usually 1 or 2 died or where injured then Shaka Zulu came and made the spears shorter so his men would have to stab the enemy so his men started hunting opponents to their tribe's village's and killed and took war spoils
I shouldn't generalised all Africa as same as some African powers such as the Ashanti empire had guns.
Those shields were not exactly useless against rifle fire as most assume. They were tough and layered. A bullet at range striking at an angle could easily be turned away from the body and they masked the outline of the warrior holding it. Given that the Zulu would charge from outside range to melee, the time to fire was small. A solder on an open attlefield would be lucky to reload twice before being engaged in melee combat.
definitely gives off some spartan vibes
God I love this film, I went to Rorke's drift in 2003 whilst on exercise with the SADF. The Martini-Enfield rifle was a great bit of kit. According to our tour guide, the Zulu's really came because the outpost had lots of cattle, which the Zulu's counted as great booty. Plus the Impi involved arrived to late to take part in the battle of Islandlwana. Tks for posting this.
Ewen 6177 Those are Martini-Henry rifles. Don't know if you got autocorrected or mixed up the name with the later standard issue Enfield :)
@@Heavy4th your right my bad, just remember shooting a Martini-enfield at Bisley one time, a long time ago. When I could stand up, without my knees cracking.
@@Ewen6177 yea even today they still see cattle like cows a useful currency and is needed when you try to marry into their culture
I've watched all your Sabaton reactions so far and I must say it's nice to watch a history "nerd" (meaning that in a good way) react in place of all the vocal coahes. I get to know more details/facts then I already know about these songs. Keep up the good work. Love from Norway
I'm absolutely a history need, I welcome being called that.
@@VloggingThroughHistory nerd*
I think it is also worth mentioning, that Zulu army was probably closest to regular army in "western" understanding from all "local" militaries met and fought by colonial powers, probably since conquest of Southern America. This was true army with proffesional core supplemented by militia draftees with its structure, hierarchy of command, tactics, and in general was well commanded, where long-term plans for war and operation were in use.
Rorke`s Drift was in fact fought agains orders, as CnC of Zulu army (not certain if was king Cetshwayo or his deputy), who suspected, that it may be too risky and too costly to storm european troops in possibly fortified position.
There was also a general desire on Cetshwayo's part not to invade the territory held by Europeans, but fight entirely on Zulu Land. They were not to be seen as the aggressors.
Oh hello there
How does it feel to be one-upped by a Royal Engineer?😂
The only inaccuracies I'm aware of are:
The guy who keeps trying to get out of duty in real life was a diligent soldier. His family sued the production studio over it iirc.
The final stand-off where the Zulu chant one last time in recognition of the defenders didn't happen.
They couldn't have sung Men of Harlech because it wasn't written yet.
Roakes Drift...THEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVE!!
If that had happened then the Zulus would have been crushed. Cavalry was one of the few things in existence that the Zulu warriors feared.
@@robertmiller2831 its not the point...
If I recall correctly, the British defenders were so low on ammunition by the end of the battle, they reckoned they could not have repulsed even one more attack wave. Both sides had fought for hours and were thoroughly spent, and even if the Zulu had the numbers for another wave, their resolve and morale had been blunted by the stiff British resistance. The defensive area held by the British was miniscule; the area between a farmhouse, a barn and a shed, with impromptu barricades made of overturned wagons and bags of army rations.
Interesting...I appreciate your insight into the battle!
You bringing up the Alamo made me remember "Ballad of the Alamo" by Marty Robbins. It's like a western Sabaton song and I cannot recommend it enough
3:08 wasn't the main british force dead at Islandwana?
yes.
They said it in the song too near the beginning I believe
Yup that's why Zulus had guns in this battle
Actually there were two "main forces" one of the big mistakes that led to the defeat at Islandwana was that the main army split into two sections and couldn't reinforce each other in time.
@@ninocuric5290 That is a myth - the Zulu Impi that attacked the Drift were not at Isandlwana. They got their rifles the normal way - they bought them.
The Zulus were a treaty ally so this force 12000 strong commanded by Lord Chelmsford was at war without British Parliaments approval.
The 1500 at Isandhlwana were a base camp as Chelmsford went looking for the Zulu at Ulundi with 2500 + of the main column.
Rorkes Drift mission station was a field hospital/supply depot and Lt. Chard of 5th Company Royal Engineers was tasked to maintain bridges over the Buffalo river....Wiki him for details of the events.
Hook the guy in the hospital who received a VC was in fact teetotal unlike the character in the film.
The Martini Henrys were red hot and the troops used rags or hide to hold them.
There were an unprecedented number of VC medals given for political reasons to show the public how well the troops had done against such odds which overshadowed the Isandhlwana massacre.
You mention the Zulu bravery ,which is without question, but few know they were given herbal concoctions to enhance actions and included pain relief ... they were high on the stuff.
Regarding the bravery of the Zulu warriors in the face of modern weapons, it was enhanced tremendously by the powerful drug cocktail that they were known to have taken before going into battle. Another interesting account that I read once about the fighting described how when the Zulus acquired rifles and fired on the British from a distance (shown briefly in this video) they were so accustomed to the arching trajectory of their bows an arrows that they would often times fire the rifles at such a high angle that the bullets would sail harmlessly over the soldiers' heads.
Not to mention what few rifles the zulu forces had before the battle of isandlwana were brown bess muskets which the British army had discontinued use of back in 1838 and this 1879, shows you the huge difference in technology available to both sides, one side is still using muskets while the other had modern rifles
The rifle was "the short block .454 Martini-Henry rifle miracle, and a Bayonet with some guts behind it" Quote from the movie Zulu.
The 24th Regiment of foot is from Warwickshire, but in the Movie they had the accents of Wales and the song they sing "Men of Harlech" puts them in North Wales. That is also pointed up by the Names called in the Roll in that the last name Williams was predominant.
One of the interesting discrepancies of Zulu was Color Sargeant Frank Bourne. In the movie, he is a 40 something grizzled vet. In reality at 24 when he takes part he is the youngest Color Sargeant in the British Army at the time. For his heroic actions, he was awarded both a Distinguished Conduct Medal, (The then equal to today's DSC/NC/AFC/CGC in our services)and a commission but he would have needed to buy it, so he stayed a Color Sargeant for a while until someone gave him the money to accept it. He ended is military career as an LTC, training recruits for WWI.
Hello from Sweden! :) Im glad you have discovered the awesomeness that is Sabaton.
Looking forward to more reactions from you.
I want to go ahead and recommend this 1964 film of Rorkes Drift. This film has aged very well despite the lack of filming technology back then. This film does not make up any facts, it mostly stays true to what happened and what I like most is that it respects both sides. In this film you don't have the Zulus portraied as the bad guys.
And the whole film lets history speak instead of trying to drown it in a sea of action. This is really how modern films should be where action should be used to support the narrative and not to overshaddow it. I highly recommend watching it!
I love how accurate this film is, and showing that the Zulu warriors had guns as well.
I recommend watching the "History Buffs" channel's video on the movie Zulu and its historical accuracy - it goes into a lot of interesting detail (as well as pointing out some of the - relatively few! - inaccuracies).
One of my favourite Sabaton songs ever, over a great movie, covered by one of my favourite channels!
There's a documentary on youtube called BBC Timewatch - Zulu: The True Story, that does an excellent job of explaining not only what happened in the battles but also what was going on politically in the background.
It was a day that humbled both sides in the Anglo-Zulu War. At Isandlwana the British learned to not underestimate the bravery and strength of the Zulu Warriors, at Rorke’s Drift, the Zulus learned not to underestimate the discipline of the British.
The Birtish put up a better fight then the Italians in Ethiopia.
A bit like the story of the movie ”The siege of Jadottville”
Thank you for another great reaction! It is amazing to see,how many people get sucked to the Sabaton universe..it is always the same-if you are at least somewhat interested in history,you can't escape their epic storytelling. I am eager to see your reaction to "Winged Hussars",one of my favourite songs. If I may suggest some more, I'll give my voice to some of the older or less popular ones, like "Hearts of Iron", "The Final Battle", or "Wolfpack" . Greetings from Germany,and keep rocking!
Zulu is one of the best films of its type ever made. If you haven't seen it you really should. If you have seen it go watch it again.
Sadly you'll never see this film on TV again. It was the anniversary a few days ago . No mention of the battle or bravery on both sides in any of the usual media. It's sad this type of history is being surpressed. 11VCs in one go! Staggering.
The Martini henry is the breach loading rifle in question here. Fun fact the game battle field has 2 skins for that gun relating to this exact conflict one I believe is literally called Zulu
Another UA-camr said this about the battle of Rourke's Drift, and it's apt: this battle reads like bad 40k fanfiction. It's insane, and I'm kind of amazed they survived
Un saludo de Argentina amigo! Me encantan tus videos, a seguir adelante!
Lyrics
News that came that morning told that the main force had been slain
Chance for peace and justice gone and all talks had been in vain
A prince had been offended and he has gone the path of war
Now that 1500 men are dead and the Zulu's at the door
Zulus attack
Fight back to back
Show them no mercy and
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, Rorke's drift controlled
Later on that fateful day as they head towards the drift
Stacking boxes, fortify, 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
Zulus attack
Fight back to back
Show them no mercy and
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, Rorke's drift controlled
1879, when a few held the line
Back to back, attack, the dead are stacked
Where a last stand was made, and the empire saved
Back to back, attack, the dead are stacked
Zulus attack
Fight back to back
Show them no mercy and
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, Rorke's drift controlled
A hostile spear, a new frontier, the end is near
There's no surrender
The lines must hold, their story told, Rorke's drift controlled
Just a note the 24th had there depot in Warwickshire but moved to Brecon in 1873 they recruited through Herefordshire and Monmouthshire in 1881 the 24th was renamed the South Wales Borderers until they were amalgamated in 1969 with the Welch Regiment to form the Royal Regiment of Wales
They weren’t cut off from the main British force; the main British force was destroyed completely. It was detailed in the first part of the song
Technically it was half of the British forces since lord chelmsford took the other half to link up with his scouts who believed they had found the main zulu force not realizing that it was just a distraction while the zulu army attacked their rear guards, honestly british might've won at islandlwana if it wasn't for the fact the man left to command them was just an administrator who had zero front line experience
Zulu is one of the best war films ever made
it was a warwickshire regiment but was moved to Brecon in Wales.cheers i'm an old Brummie......
Like so many battles/wars - and I assume we'll watch the Sabaton History video on this one as with the others, they make this point - the winners write the history books. From the Zulu point of view they were bravely fighting to save their homeland against invaders. Looking forward to Winged Hussars, it's a good one.
One exception (that I know of) to the rule of "the winners write the history books" was the Mongols in the time of Genghis Khan, they had no written language so were documented by those they conquered and others. It is after the assimilation of artisans and scholars, etc they start to document their own history in a written form because of these acquired skills (and the need to administer to an empire).
Soldier of 3 armies next :D
I second that! One of my (many) favourites.
YES
Another yes!
Love that one
i love the movie.
people often struggle to understand why volley-fire was such a big thing, but they usually do once i show them the battle in the film.
One thing the Zulu’s, if Great Britain had continued as it had been, was going to raise mercenary regiments similar to the Gurkha’s. May have been a different type of South Africa we would have seen if it had happened.
I know a South African historian that told me that the Zulus killed the flag holder then he told me if the Zulus picked up the flag then the Zulus would of won
Yep, it's a huge morale shock to see the Colors in enemy hands.
Idk if they would’ve won but they would’ve used that as a massive morale shock however it might also do the opposite and cause the troops to break out and try take it back
The colours were at Isandlwana, not Rorkes Drift, and three (of the four - Queens and Regimental colours of the 1st Battalion, and Queens and Regimental of the 2nd Battalion) were captured - Lt Coghill and Melville saving one but dying in the process.
@@gonvillebromhead2865 I feel stupid for not knowing my own history about SA because it was nlt interesting for me bit atleast I know alot of ww1 and ww2 and a couple of other stuff
The best book on this subject is "The Washing Of The Spears - A History Of The Rise And Fall Of The Zulu Nation Under Shaka And Its Fall In The Zulu War Of 1879" by Donald R. Morris. Unfortunately, it is out of print. I first read a copy I picked up in Durban, SA shortly after some shipmates and I hired a taxi to take us out to Rourke's Drift in Sept 1970.
B company of the 24th foot's 2nd battalion supplied many of the troops. The remainder of the 1st & 2nd battalion were dying or dead at Isandlwana totally wiped out. As an aside the Zulu war chant prior to the final Zulu attack was heard in the movie Gladiator. The Germanic tribes were chanting this prior to the first fight scene vs the Roman legions. I remember watching this in the movie theater at the time thinking I have heard this before, then it dawned on me. I was a big fan of the Zulu movie with Michael Caine and purchased it when it became available on VHS for my kids to watch and learn.
The Zulu's were not armed with just shields and spears - they had the Martini- Henry rifles they had taken from Isandlwana - They were used from sniping positions in the hills surrounding Rorke's Drift .The Zulus were excellent warriors and knew about battle strategies - they were directed where the weakest positions were by battle chiefs up on vantage points on the hillsides .
Thant looks like the Martini Henry Rifle. That thing was a beast as far as fire power too!
lyrics: News that came that morning told that the main force had been slain
Chance for peace and justice gone and all talks had been in vain
A prince had been offended and he has gone the path of war
Now that 1500 men are dead and the zulu’s at the door
Zulus attack,
Fight back to back
Show them no mercy and
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, Rorke’s Drift controlled
Later on that fateful day as they head towards the drift
Stacking boxes, fortify, 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
Zulus attack,
Fight back to back
Show them no mercy and
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, Rorke’s Drift controlled
1879, when a few held the line
Back to back, attack, the dead are stacked
Where a last stand was made, and the empire saved
Back to back, attack, the dead are stacked.
Zulus attack,
Fight back to back
Show them no mercy and
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, Rorke’s Drift controlled
A hostile spear, a new frontier, the end is near
There´s no surrender
The lines must hold, their story told, Rorke’s Drift controlled
Its cool to see the Zulus using firearms, since some did have rifles.
A not enough talked about war imo, and can never have enough Sabaton
As I understand it, the actual battle involved long-range sniper action by both sides - no frontal assaults with spears by the Zulus since most of the Zulus had guns.
The battle as described in The Washing of the Spears is much different than the version that was turned into the movie Zulu. There were no pauses, no breathers. The battle just continued until the Zulu gave up or were called off. They were under orders not to act Rorke's Drift.
1871 Martini-Henry rifles... A beautiful weapon.
Sadly, the video does not use any footage from the late part of the movie, from their last stand in the inner fortified part, with the 3 firing lines.
The shield the zulu used was made from leather, and their leader at somepoint found out that if he dipped his shield in water the bullet wouldnt go through because the leather became softer but it was absorbing the bullet impact, so yeah the british had guns but the zulu at somepoint have bullet prrof shields
Far From the Fame is a nice one you should check out next, either that or Inmate 4859
Actually when i comes to the shields they werent actually worthless.
They drenched the leather coverings in water which made them soft and sponge like which slowed down or even stopped the bullet at a distance this allowed them to get close enough to charge.
Also thier spears you see how short they are they used to be far longer but it was shaka would had them shorten because he knew his warriors would have to use them in close quarters. And thier long nature would make that difficult
I remember watching the movie Shaka Zulu and the thing with the shortened spears being a part of it.
In the movie the regiment is mainly made up of Welshmen. Probably because actor and producer Stanley Baker was Welsh.
"Winged Hussahs"
A similar Battle to this is The Battle of Loos where 21 Victoria Crosses were given. Total loss for the British as this was the first time
that the British used gas. Also the casualties for the British were horrendous with most regiments taking over 90 percent casualties.
I think this battle would make a great song especially for the Scottish who paid a tremendous cost in this battle.
They were in fact B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. This was a regiment formed in 1689 by Sir Edward Dering and were known as Sir Edward Dering’s Regiment of Foot. It was not until 1782 that it became the 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment was based at Brecon, Wales and recruited from the border counties of Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and Brecknockshire, but was not called the South Wales Borderers until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The bulk of the regiment dies at Isandlwana. In 2016 the king of the Zulu's visited Wales in order to forge cultural links.... i dont think he visited Birmingham.
Yes, the British Rifles were Breech-Loaders. Martini-Henry Single Shot Breech-load Rifles, which were introduced to the British Army in 1871 and removed from service in 1918. That said, the gun has had a longer history than this service life would suggest, with some having known to be used against the Red Army in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the US Marines having confiscated at least 3 in 2010-2011.
On a different note, the movie Zulu is just amazing and definitely worth a look for anyone interested. The movie is very accurate to history (maybe not quite as, say, Tora! Tora! Tora! is to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but still leagues better than the dumpster fire of Braveheart), with the few changes largely tending to add rather than detract. It is very respectful to both sides of the conflict, despite the fact it didn't have to be (it was filmed before the Civil Rights Acts), with any character who starts talking about 'Savages' almost always having sense smacked into them within the same scene. If you're still not convinced of how above board the film is on that regard, "Oh, Hollywood making a bunch of african people wear loincloths and chuck spears...", The people playing the Zulu ARE Zulu: The Movie was filmed in South Africa, where the Crew approached the Zulu people and asked if they wanted to help, and the Zulu were exceptionally happy to play the part of their ancestors. So that IS the Zulu Language, those ARE Zulu Tactics, and that IS traditional Zulu dress...The biggest thing they got wrong was Cetshwayo kaMpande (Played by his Grandson if I recall) ordering the attack on Rorke's Drift; Historically, Cetshwayo was opposed to any such attack into Colonial territory. It was his hope that, with the Battle of Isandlwana and other such battles in Zululand, that he could claim to the foreign powers of Europe that he was fighting defensively against an invading Britain and perhaps get them to put some pressure on the British to abandon the war. Rorke's Drift was actually a rogue element who ignored Cetshwayo's orders not to attack Mission Station.
Rorkes drift was originally set up by an Irish settler on the South African frontier who was a hunter and trader sadly he killed himself there. Many of the men who fought in the battle were Irish aswell
The men that have reciveved the Victoria Cross in the battle of Rorke's Drift:
Lieutenant John Rouse Merriott Chard, 5th Field Coy, Royal Engineers
Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead; B Coy, 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot (2nd/24th Foot)
Corporal William Wilson Allen; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
Private Frederick Hitch; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
Private Alfred Henry Hook; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
Private Robert Jones; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
Private William Jones; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
Private John Williams; B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot
Surgeon-Major James Henry Reynolds; Army Medical Department
Acting Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton; Commissariat and Transport Department
Corporal Christian Ferdinand Schiess; 2nd/3rd Natal Native Contingent
Yes good choice on the music video. Knight sc archive has really good Sabado music videos. If you react to more of their music watch these music videos, it really brings it to life.
The Zulus were an incredibly well trained and disciplined army. Their knowledge of tactics was far ahead of their tech and probably easily as good as their Anglo counterparts. The only reason they lost is you don’t take a knife to a gun fight.
Something they showed in this movie which if you didn’t know is called ‘Zulu’, really good movie I recommend watching it, anyway as I was saying, something I’m glad they showed in the movie was not only were the British using the Martini Henry rifle which as you said was a breach loading rifle, the British also had bolt action rifles, I’m not sure what model but they had bold action rifles that were not used as much as the MartiniHenry during the Zulu War. But if you watch Zulu or just look up the Rorkes Drift clip when they retreat to the sandbag pit you see some of the soldiers lined up having bolt action rifles
Fun fact about the movie: The zulus in it are played by actual zulus
My favorite part of the movie is when they start singing the rendition of Men of Harlech that was written for the movie even though it was not made the song of the regiment until long after.
It never was.
The Warwickshires were English, Men Of Harlech is a Welsh song and is the official fast march of the Welch Guards.
I know this for an absolute fact because I've performed with their regimental band in a joint concert (in aid of their benevolent fund) between them and the male voice choir I sang bass in, and it was announced by their bandmaster as such.
Every serving or former member of the regiment in the audience stood for it, at parade attention, or as near as their age or infirmity allowed (which was about 200 of the 800 or so present).
The battle of Isandwlana the battle before Rorkes drift was a humiliating defeat for the British, the British had set up a camp at Isandlwana without making any defenses in case of a attack so they were very vulnerable to attack which later ended up being their doom. Since the battle of Isandlwana was so embarrassing the British tried to cover it up by awarding many Victorian crosses to the brave British soldiers stationed at the supply depot of Rorkes drift that won against incredible odds.
“Changing into gunfire with a shield and a spear”
Russians 1940 charging machine gun fire with nothing.
I actually laughed and idk why :)
Great flick, one of my all time favorites.
Point to note.. the only reason there were that many VC's won was because of the previous defeat/humiliation at islandwana by the main British collum. The officers actually were not the main reasons the position held but actually the senior and junior non commissioned ranks.
The battle was fought at the Swedish Mission station!
rifle 577/450 Martini-Henry -> Calibre 14,7 mm VS leather shield and spear.... "Anglo-Zulu War, 1879"
tip. British anti-tank rifle used during the "Second World War" -> calibre 14 mm
Hey! Most of you might remember me. It's me who's recommending Cliff of Galipoli in almost all reaction videos!. I'm here again.
You were right they only had 5 minutes from them being told the zulus were coming and them actually coming, also the Zulus had some firearms as well.
3:53
Color Sgt. Bourne: Mr. Chard, sir, patrol's come back. The Zulus have gone. All of them. It's a miracle.
Lt. John Chard: If it's a miracle, Colour Sergeant, it's a short-chambered, Boxer-Henry . 45 calibre miracle.
Color Sgt. Bourne: And a bayonet, sir. With some guts behind it.
They had 3-4 hours of warning about the attack. Enough time to see to some basic defenses, but not nearly enough time to bugger out. The Zulu warriors could run for long distances and still be in fighting shape. So there was no chance of the British garrison getting out by outmaneuvering the Zulus. Rorke's Drift was also a logistical and hospital post. So many of the wounded would've needed wagons in order to get out or be left behind. There's a reason why there are many variations of the parable about a trapped/cornered animal that will fight to the death. Hats off to the Zulu who charged multiple times into massed gunfire and the British soldiers who held the line against multiple charges by superior numbers. Also, the movie is amazing and now I need to track down my copy to watch it for the 50th time.
Right before the battle of Rorkes Drift the British main army had been absolutely annihilated at Isandlwana. About 1500 brits got overrun by about 20.000 Zulus.
The officers for the most part didn't deserve the cross it was the senior and junior ncos who won it... the reason there was so many Victoria crosses was because of the pervious defeat at islandwana.
the zulu leader in that movie he was great great grandson of the one zulu leader, who fought the british in that small war .
Great band, great song, great movie, great music video, great reaction!
Unfortunate choice of this particular video, the movie soundtrack is infinitely superior. I read, a few years ago, about a South African who conducted tours of Rorke's drift in which he provided Zulu accounts of the slaughter at Isandlwana, the battle a few miles away just hours earlier, in which 20,000 warriors overwhelmed 1300 Red Coats. They included lines like "how they fought like lions, those red soldiers, how they fell like stones, each man falling in his place", describing the men in the British squares dying one by one until none were left....
Let's also remember a good number of the soldiers were injured or sick.
do keep in mind the day before the main british force was wiped out overnight and the zulus were now armed with guns too
The music added over the original soundtrack is bloody sacrilidge!
I believe the production at first went like:
Producers: Hey listen, we’re gonna film this movie about a badass last stand battle. It’s gonna kick ass, we’re gonna get rifles and spears and shields and shit and we’re gonna fight it out like it was eighteen eighty fucking NINE!
Zululand King: *SIR!* What the actual fuck did you just say to me right now? What just came out of your mouth?
*POUNDS THRONE*
Zululand King: *GENIUS!* That’s the coolest shit I ever heard! Let’s shoot this shit!
Rorkes drift is memorable to me primarily because the Zulu's had over four thousand warriors. versus just 140-150 British, and they weren't even infantry, it was mostly Royal engineers. Not to mention most of the British were wounded or severely ill.
Its just like My other favorite battle in history, The battle of Hill 3234, 39 Soviet VDV versus 250ish Mujahedeen, the technology was roughly on par this time. 28 of the 39 survived, and they took almost all of the Mujahedeen with them. *that* is amazing.
You should totally do a reaction to Sabatons song about 3234 paired with clips taken from the Russian movie 9th company
No, the majority were infantry from B company 2nd battalion of the Warwickshire regiment. The commanding officer of the garrison was a Royal engineer though.
Since you've now started reacting to Extra History, I think their Zulu Empire series should be on the list 😁👍
My family is Birmingham England, mainly the black country (smethwich/ oldbury) near the museum where Sabaton filmed 1916. We may be related....who knows?
I recorded a video at the Black Country living museum a few weeks ago. Should have it up sometime this spring.
not even 15 years earlier. This battle took place days after another where the British were wiped out
The rifles the British have are Martini-Henry.
While it is a agreed the technology difference helped a great deal that was not enough for the main for at Isandlwana. The fact that these few were able to hold out against such odds and survive is a great testament to them. I have always been fascinated in battles were a brave small force fights against such long odds like Thermopylae and the Alamo, but this stands as one of the few times they actually won! Well, at least survived until the relief force arrived, Makes me wonder what might have happened had Fannin actually moved quickly to march to the Alamo.
Considering how well the 200 or so Alamo defenders did, I think Fannin's force may have been enough to win.
While the british did inflict heavy causlities on the zulus its not what won them the war. For several days after the inital attack the british waited in fear for another wave. When that wave never game the sent out a scouting party which located the zulu camp where almost all the zulu were suffering from severe smallpox including shaka himself who was on the verge of death
Wrong war..Shaka was ruler up to 1828. This was the zulu war of 1879.
@@ggarlick46 my mistake
Actually 12 Victoria Crosses were Issued but one person ...Colour Sargeant Bourne turned it down.
Some interesting facts before and after the Anglo-Zulu War. First. Rorke's Drift was not the first time the Zulus were defeated by a small body of men. On December 18, 1838, 500 Afrikaners, (also known as Boers), faced off against thousands of Zulu warriors at the battle of Blood River and soundly defeated the Zulus. After the British disaster at Isanwanda, the Afrikaners of the former Dutch Republic called the Transvaal, demanded to have their Independence back from the British. They figured that if 1,500 British troops could be defeated by the same foe that their ancestors defeated with muzzle loading muskets, they should be able to take back their independence. The first battle occurred when a British column was marching to reinforce the Transvaal. The Boers sent their ultimatum to the commanding officer, who of course refused to even consider it. The British were then ambushed by the Boers who were deadly shots. (Think Sergeant York). The first Anglo-Boer War was on. The main battle that decided the War was the Battle of Majuba Hill. The British stole a march on the Boers and occupied the hill. Instead of attacking in lines like the rest of the world, the Boers attacked the hill by using modern tactics of using whatever cover there was, making short rushes, and were dressed in brown cloths, which happened to be the color of the terrain. The British were UTERLY defeated. This wasn't the first time the Boers were ahead of their time in military tactics. During the 2nd Boer War, they discovered that barbed wire was great at slowing down troops. So they readily embraced it and placed barbed wire fences in front of all their trenches.
Appreciate you adding to the conversation. Great stuff!
@@VloggingThroughHistory Thanks! Also a little tip. Eventually you will get to the Sabaton album Carolus Rex. This album is not like the others. The songs are in chronological order. The album is about the History of the Swedish empire. So it will be very useful to review them in order. If you want a little background history of the period, I would recommend "A Warrior Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of Sweden as a Military Superpower, 1611-1721" by Henrik O. Lunde.
@@charlessapp1835 awesome...thank you!
There are redcoats and the zulus
Although predominately spears, the Zulu’s had gained rifles from slaughtered British soldiers in a previous battle.
Colour Sergeant Bourne: It's a miracle.
Lieutenant John Chard: If it's a miracle, Colour Sergeant, it's a short chamber Boxer Henry point 45 caliber miracle.
Colour Sergeant Bourne: And a bayonet, sir, with some guts behind.
Great video as always!!