Zulu War: Rorke's Drift 22- 23 January 1879, Turn 19 - 22

 Turn 19

The fire continues to take hold on the hospital roof but as yet has not spread or become more severe. Combats continue with the 2 men of the 2/24th on the right doing a good job holding the external door.

More dramatically on the left, Zulus have broken through the internal wall and Sgt Wilson with the Private from the 2/24th find themselves having to defend themselves against 2 attacks. The Private fights off the attack on the door but Sgt Wilson is killed fighting the second attack. 

Lt Addendorf with his 4 NNC corporals charge into the warband that had breached the wall. The fresh attack on the shaken and disordered Zulus proved too much for them and they were ejected from the defences.

Continued -

The scene at the end of the British turn. The defenders at the kraal successfully repelled their attack leaving the perimeter once again secure.

During the Zulu turn their warrior burst into the room defending by the single soldier of the 2/24th (bottom left). More Zulus crash in through the door. He receives another wound but survives. He has not given up yet!

In an adjacent room another roof fire is started. The melee continues inconclusive on the right.

Zulus continue to mass around the hospital but elsewhere it has gone eerily quiet.

Zulus have faded away giving the defenders the first opportunity of taking a breather. Surgeon Reynolds has emerged with his hospital orderlies to ascertain what his happening.

The rest of the garrison addresses its ranks, tends to wounds and prepare for what comes next. Two sections take potshots at the retiring warbands which have no effect and the order to ceasefire is made.

What they observe offers little encouragement. A horde of fresh Zulu warriors have been brought forward replacing the battered and exhausted warbands. The British can only look on and prepare for the fate that awaits them.

Losses this turn: Zulus 40, British 0.5. Running total: Zulus 1,380, British 57.5

Turn 20

As one, a huge wave of fresh Zulu warriors descend on what is left of the garrison. The defenders pour fire into the great mass as they approach and although many casualties were inflicted it had no impact on the huge numbers.

More smoke appears above the hospital and Zulus are seen moving out of the building.

The thinning red line frantically fights to hold their perimeter as the great tide strikes.

Meanwhile in the hospital, the single soldier defending the room in the bottom left corner is killed. The last 2 men of the 2/24th find themselves being assailed from 3 directions. Despite losing the combat they remain in the fight but it is now looking decidedly bleak for them.

Another fire is started and faced with a building that is at risk of imminent conflagration, many Zulus decide now is the time to leave.

For the most part the defenders are successful repelling attacks mostly down to good luck (some appalling dice rolls by the Zulus!). 

The scene at the end of the turn. Although successful, the British are faced with fresh waves of Zulus about to fill those gaps.

Losses this turn: Zulus 60, British 1. Running total: Zulus 1,440, British 58.5

Turn 21

Danger for the garrison again as the 1/2 section manning the short barricade between the stores and the kraal were overrun. The victorious warband leaps over the barricade and piles into Sgt Mabin's section defending the kraal. The British section is defeated and is pushed back shaken and disordered.

During the British turn the remainder of the defenders hold firm destroying 2 more warbands.

Zulus break into the room defended by the last of the 2/24th (to the right of the building) and quickly finish them off leaving the hospital now empty of British troops. Fires start to spread and 2 roof sections collapse in flames.

During the Zulu turn more warbands join the fray. Mabin and his section desperately hold on preventing the Zulus from advancing further inside the defences despite losing the combat.

The front wall and biscuit box barricade hold firm in the face of renewed attacks.

It is now clear to the defenders that the hospital is lost as more smoke rises intermingled with flames.

Losses this turn: Zulus 40, British 5. Running total: Zulus 1,480, British 63.5

A reminder that if the British have over half strength and the Zulus lose 1,500 then the British will be the victors. The British cannot afford to lose 4 or more casualties! 

Turn 22

Mabin's section are thrown back in disorder. The victorious warband makes a sweeping charge into a section brought up to support Mabin. In the meantime Lt Chard is with the NNC and Addendorf fighting a desperate action at the front wall (middle left).

Disaster strikes when the NNC Corporals ware wiped out. Addendorf manages to extricate himself but not such luck for Chard who is killed in the action. The rear rank of the section embroiled with a warband to their front turns to meet the Zulus charging over the barricade.

An exceptional heroic performance by the outnumbered section results in one warband destroyed and another ejected from the compound. Realising they no longer have sufficient numbers to man the perimeter, the section falls back to from a line between the redoubt and the front wall. 

Surgeon Reynolds and his hospital orderlies block the gap between the redoubt and the stores building.

Elsewhere, the front wall holds but another breach occurs at the biscuit boxes. The sheer pressure of Zulus forces the section holding the front end of the barricade to fall back with the warband remaining in contact. Lt Bromhead reinforces the section joining them in what he hopes will be enough to recover the perimeter.

During the Zulu turn fresh warbands hit the shrinking perimeter. For the first time the hospital orderlies find themselves embroiled in hand to hand fight as an entire warband strikes them.

Also for the first time, Zulus are scrambling up the redoubt with the defenders pouring fire into the mass. Combats break out across almost the entire perimeter.

A successful phase by the British sees 2 more warbands destroyed and even the hospital orderlies succeed in ejecting their attacking warband. Bromhead's section successfully holds and buys time by throwing back the warband threatening the centre of compound.

Dalton's section have given way from the front barricade but successfully avoids anything worse and has now anchored his left flank on Bromhead's section.

Zulus have scaled the redoubt and fighting breaks out with its defenders. The combat results in a draw and will continue the next turn. 

An overview of the garrison at the end of the turn. Many sections are shaken and disordered which is not a good place to be in given the fact that they are no longer in control of the barricades.

Losses this turn: Zulus 80, British 5. Running total: Zulus 1,560, British 68.5

The target for both sides has been breached (Zulus 1,500,  British 67). The battle will continue with new targets. Zulus 2,000, British 111 (75% of the garrison). Even if the British manage to regain the perimeter they no longer have sufficient to man it all. Zulus scent victory!