Battle of Gingindlovu

Battle of Gingindlovu (uMgungundlovu)
Part of the Anglo-Zulu War
The British laager under attack.
Date 2 April 1879 Location South bank of the Inyezane River 29°1′29″S 31°35′8″E / 29.02472°S 31.58556°E / -29.02472; 31.58556Coordinates: 29°1′29″S 31°35′8″E / 29.02472°S 31.58556°E / -29.02472; 31.58556 Result British victory
Belligerents
British Empire	Zulu Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Lord Chelmsford	Somopho kaZikhala
Strength
5,670 2 9-pound Cannons 4 24-pound Rocket battery 2 Gatling guns	11,000
Casualties and losses
11 killed 62 wounded	1,000+ killed

5,670

2 9-pound Cannons 4 24-pound Rocket battery

The Battle of Gingindlovu (uMgungundlovu) was fought on 2 April 1879 between a British relief column sent to break the Siege of Eshowe and a Zulu impi of King Cetshwayo.

Charles Pearson had led the No. 1 Column of the British invasion force across the Tugela River with the intention of creating an advanced base at Eshowe. This they did, but found themselves besieged in the hastily constructed base, at a deserted Norwegian mission station. A relief column was organised, and under the leadership of Lord Chelmsford it departed Fort Tenedos on 29 March to march to Pearson's relief. The column composed 3,390 Europeans and 2,280 Africans, and a range of artillery, including two 9-pounders (4 kg), four 24-pounder (11 kg) rocket tubes and two Gatling guns. The progress was slow, as Chelmsford took a roundabout route to avoid ambush in the close country Pearson had previously passed through. In addition, the rivers they had to traverse were swollen by heavy rains and fearing a repeat of Isandlwana, Chelmsford ensured his men spent much time laagering and entrenching their camp at the end of each day.

Despite this slow progress, Pearson's observers at Eshowe could see the relief column laagering on the south bank of the Inyezane on the evening of 1 April. The laager was sited on a 300-foot (100 m) ridge running roughly west-east. West of the ridge, the ground dipped, only to rise again to the 470-foot (140 m) Umisi Hill. The ground sloped away in all directions, allowing a good field of fire. A trench surrounded a waist high wall of earth, which itself encompassed 120 wagons formed a square with sides of 130 yards (120 m) in length. While these defences were being constructed, a scout returned in the evening bearing news of Zulus massing on the far side of Umisi Hill. A second scouting party reported no forces there, but that an impi was camped to the north west of the laager. While the scouts could not assess the Zulu strength because of the darkness, this impi was in fact composed of 12,000 warriors, all of whom had been at Isandlwana. The impi had been ordered to ambush the relief column, and thwarted by Chelmsford already; this was their final chance to stop the column before it reached Eshowe. The night passed with no attack.

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