photo #6576246

THE FIRST BOER REPUBLIC - THE REPUBLIC OF NATALIA THE BATTLE OF BLOOD RIVER Before daybreak on the morning of 16 December 1838, the Boers heard the Zulu army advancing to attack them. The Zulus, led by Dingane's chief commander, Umdunankulu Ndlela Ntuli, assisted by Nzobo kaSobadli (Dambuza) and Nzobo kaSobadli Ntombela, arrived from the east, crossing the plain beyond the Ncome River. The White Shield regiments, led by Nzobo kaSobadli Ntombela, took positions on the other side of the river, while the Black and Red Shields crossed the Ncome at the drifts and encircled the laager. With daylight, the Boers could see their laager surrounded by thousands of Zulu warriors, a sight described by some Boers as intimidating, awe-inspiring and even beautiful. At daybreak, the Red and Black Shields, under Nzobo kaSobadli (Dambuza), launched their initial mass assaults on the laager from the northwest and the north. The Boers withheld their fire until the Zulus approached the wagon wall, then opened fire, causing havoc among the Zulu attackers. Some Zulu assailants managed to advance as close as ten meters from the laager but could not break through the Boer defences despite their fearless assaults. The Zulu strategy was to exhaust the defenders through continuous assaults until the White Shield regiments under Ndhlela would come into action to finally break the laager's resistance. It appeared that this strategy was beginning to succeed, but it was a tactical error to attack the laager in regiments rather than launching an overwhelming assault in unison. The Boer cannon fire effectively neutralised the advantage of the Zulus' overwhelming numbers. The Zulus persisted with their tactics and launched three major assaults on the laagers. When the Boers managed to repel the third attack after about two hours, Pretorius realised that he needed to change the course of the battle. If it continued in this manner, the Boers could run out of ammunition. He then ordered the main gate of the camp to be opened and personally led a mounted commando from the camp to attack the Zulus directly. This move succeeded in engaging the White Shields, who had crossed the river at the northern drift to attack the laager. When the veteran regiments of the White Shields entered the battle prematurely, the Zulu generals' battle plan fell apart. A Boer commando from the western riverbank under Bart Pretorius halted the White Shields's advance. The deadly fire from the Boers created confusion among the dense masses of Zulu soldiers, causing them to flee. Some of those attempting to escape across the river were cut down by the dozens. Many Zulus who sought refuge in a donga became trapped, unable to move or climb out, and there, the short-range rifle fire of the Boers inflicted heavy casualties. The Boers then pursued the fleeing Zulus in mounted groups, which sealed the victory for the Boers. Around 3,000 Zulus lay dead around the camp, in the donga, and along the riverbanks. Three Boers were wounded in the battle, including Pretorius himself, who suffered a wound in his left hand. Gerrit Raath sustained a more serious side wound but recovered, and Philip Fourie was wounded in the leg. #Boer #Boers #BoerIdentity #Boeridentiteit #BoerRepublic #BoerRepubliek #Natalia #UnitedBoerRepublic #VerenigdeBoerrepubliek #BloodRiver #Bloedrivier