How useful was artillery (including rockets and gatlings) in the Zulu War?

Posts : 10 Join date : 2012-08-07 Location : Sweden

How effective was the use of artillery and gatling guns in the AZW? I'm under the impression that the British did fine with their Martini Henrys (in conjunction with proper tactics...) and that the artillery played a minor or even insignificant role. Shells, shrapnel and gatling burst might have had a devastating effect against soldiers employing western tactics with solid, comparatively slow-moving lines, but seem to have been of limited use against fast-moving Zulu warriors advancing in loose order. Would the British at, say, Kambula or Ulundi have done just as well without dragging along cumbersome pieces of artillery?

Hi Mikran
From memory the Gatling gun was used at Inyezane on the 22 Jan , it did good service when it was operational , it did jam several times , not to sure about the Artillery , although the Artillery did set fire to a kraal where some zulu's had gathered . The effect of the Artillery at Isandlwana was negligible at best , the Rocket battery was of no use , it was destroyed before it served any purpose , the rockets were useless in any way shape or form they weren't of any use throughout the war . No Gatlings at Isandlwana , Rorke's Drift , Intombe , Hlobane , dont think they were at Kambula , they did prove useful to a larger degree at Ulundi . Also from memory the Artillery did good service at Kambula by all reports , Wood praised Lt Nicholson who was in charge of two guns at Kambula , Nicholson was killed when directing and commanding
the firing of those guns , I seem to remember the Artillery also performed a decent enough job at Ulundi . No Artillery was present at R.D .
Intombe or Hlobane . Hope this is of some help .
90th. agree

PS. Forgot to mention that Rockets ( described as Harmless ) Gatlings & Artillery were involved at Gingindlovu , no description of their performance , will look through some other books during the next week or so . Salute

Guest

Hi Mikran and Marsupial

Only the two 6 pdrs of the 80 th foot at Kambula and the 9pdrs of the RA at Gingindlovu and Ulundi were Useful in this war.

Cheers

Pascal the Rascal

Posts : 10 Join date : 2012-08-07 Location : Sweden

Would you like to elaborate on that Pascal?

thanks

Guest

Hi Mikran

The two 6 pdrs guns used with case shots to the defense of the redoubt of Kambula were efficasses at short range...

The 7 pdrs have a firepower too weak and their shrappel can not beings used beyond 800 yards and for Isandhlwana, LC ordered at Pulleine that the fire begin only at 600 yards, including the fire of the artillery !

The firing rate of 7 pdrs at Isandhlwana is very slow and the rocket launcher, key targets by a miracle ...

For Gatling guns, they are not automatic weapons and there are never more than two at a time in battle, so their efficassité is negligible ...

In result the RA send 9pdrs batteries in reinforcements to fight at Gingindlovu and after ...

In addition, the RA will never use explosive shells in this war, because the tactical settlement of the RA stated, that there were beings used only on agglomerations.

Only the shrappnel and case shot are used...

Cheers

Pascal the Rascal

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

Pascal MAHE wrote:: Hi Mikran

The two 6 pdrs guns used with case shots to the defense of the redoubt of Kambula were efficasses at short range...

The 7 pdrs have a firepower too weak and their shrappel can not beings used beyond 800 yards and for Isandhlwana, LC ordered at Pulleine that the fire begin only at 600 yards, including the fire of the artillery !

The firing rate of 7 pdrs at Isandhlwana is very slow and the rocket launcher, key targets by a miracle ...

For Gatling guns, they are not automatic weapons and there are never more than two at a time in battle, so their efficassité is negligible ...

In result the RA send 9pdrs batteries in reinforcements to fight at Gingindlovu and after ...

In addition, the RA will never use explosive shells in this war, because the tactical settlement of the RA stated, that there were beings used only on agglomerations.

Only the shrappnel and case shot are used...

Cheers

Pascal the Rascal

We will make an Englishmen of you yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guest

Why ? Why ? Not forgetting that the Bretons come from your beloved country !

We may may adopt you. On a part time bases. Salute

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

littlehand wrote:: We may may adopt you. On a part time bases.

Would rather see him on the guillotine :p;:

Guest

OK for me for the guillotine, but as executioner... :p;:

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

Pascal MAHE wrote:: OK for me for the guillotine, but as executioner... :p;:

Your ok, I will do that job, you can just lay back and look up.

Guest

You are for the death penalty :p;: ! It is not pretty, pretty :p;: !

» Official ammunition handbook 1877, including smooth bore and rifled gun projectiles, small arms ammunition and rockets. Details of all artillery ammunition of the period.
» N/5 Artillery
» Artillery at Isandlwana