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Defenders in a fortified emplacement with breech loading weapons against mostly spear toting natives. Although outnumbered 4500 to 139 they were able to withstand the human wave head on assault mainly because of the fortifications and tight interior lines. Unlike Isandlwana where the British had to fight in the open against the hordes and the interior lines were too far extended to allow resupply of ammunition.
A good site for British battles are located here:
The Battle of Rorke's Drift - The Zulu War
Defenders in a fortified emplacement with breech loading weapons against mostly spear toting natives. Although outnumbered 4500 to 139 they were able to withstand the human wave head on assault mainly because of the fortifications and tight interior lines. Unlike Isandlwana where the British had to fight in the open against the hordes and the interior lines were too far extended to allow resupply of ammunition.
A good site for British battles are located here:
The Battle of Rorke's Drift - The Zulu War
Rifles or no, having 4500 zulus bearing down on you is an awesome thing. Further, note what stalin said when in the beginning of their war with germany, someone pointed out the inferiority of almost all soviet weapons (at the beginning of the war) to german weapons, and that the SU only had a much larger quantity of manpower: "quantity has a quality of its own". The Martini-Henry rifle used tended to foul and jam when used intensively, and the zulus had captured 1000 of them and lots of ammo at Isandlwana. In fact, ALL of the british casualties at Rorke's Drift were gunshot wounds. The zulu leadership can be faulted for not recognizing the significance of the rifles, and quickly training more to use them.
The Australian Army used to show this to recruits the day before their final battle efficiency test to show the value of discipline ,and a sense of duty not to mention training.