British Battles

You are here: Home / Zulu War / Battle of Isandlwana

Battle of Isandlwana

the battle fought on 22nd January 1879, where the Zulus wiped out a substantial British force, including the 1st Battalion, 24th Foot and rocked Victorian society

Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Charles Edwin Fripp

Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Charles Edwin Fripp

52. Podcast on the Battle of Isandlwana fought on 22nd January 1879; where the Zulus wiped out a substantial British force rocking British Victorian society: John Mackenzie’s britishbattles.com podcasts

The previous battle in the British Battles sequence is the Battle of Kandahar

The next battle of the Zulu War is the Battle of Rorke’s Drift

To the Zulu War index




Battle: Isandlwana

War of the Battle of Isandlwana: Zulu War

Chiefs Ntshingwayo kaMahole (seated) Zulu commander at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Chiefs Ntshingwayo kaMahole (seated) Zulu commander at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Date of the Battle of Isandlwana: 22nd January 1879

Place of the Battle of Isandlwana: 10 miles east of the Buffalo River in Zululand, South Africa.

Combatants at the Battle of Isandlwana: Zulu army against a force of British troops, Natal units and African levies.

Commanders at the Battle of Isandlwana: Lieutenant Colonel Pulleine of the 24th Foot and Lieutenant Colonel Durnford commanded the British force at the battle. The Zulu Army was commanded by Chiefs Ntshingwayo kaMahole and Mavumengwana kaMdlela Ntuli.

Size of the armies at the Battle of Isandlwana: The British force comprised some 1,200 men. It is likely that they were attacked by around 12,000 Zulus.

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pulleine, 1st/24th Regiment, British commander killed at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pulleine, 1st/24th Regiment, British commander killed at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Uniforms, arms and equipment at the Battle of Isandlwana: The Zulu warriors were formed in regiments by age, their standard equipment the shield and stabbing spear. The formation for their attack, described as the ‘horns of the beast’, was said to have been devised by Shaka, the Zulu King who established Zulu hegemony in Southern Africa. The main body of the army delivered a frontal assault, called the ‘loins’, while the ‘horns’ spread out behind each of the enemy’s flanks and delivered the secondary and often fatal attack in the enemy’s rear. Cetshwayo, the Zulu King, fearing British aggression, took pains to purchase firearms wherever they could be bought. By the outbreak of war, the Zulus had tens of thousands of muskets and rifles, but of a poor standard and the Zulus were ill-trained in their use.

The regular British infantry were equipped with the breach loading single shot Martini-Henry rifle and bayonet. The British infantry wore red tunics, white solar topee helmets and dark blue trousers, with red piping down the side. The irregular mounted units wore blue tunics and slouch hats.

Winner of the Battle of Isandlwana: The British force was wiped out by the Zulu Army.

Zulu attack at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Richard Caton Woodville

Zulu attack at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Richard Caton Woodville

British Regiments at the Battle of Isandlwana: 
2 guns and 70 men of N Battery, 5th Brigade, Royal Artillery (equipped with 2 seven pounder guns).
5 companies of 1st Battalion, the 24th Foot
1 company of 2nd Battalion, the 24th Foot
Mounted volunteers and Natal Police
2 companies of the Natal Native Infantry

Map of the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: map by John Fawkes

Map of the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: map by John Fawkes

Account of the Battle of Isandlwana:
The battle of Isandlwana stunned the world. It was unthinkable that a ‘native’ army armed substantially with stabbing weapons could defeat troops of a western power armed with modern rifles and artillery, let alone wipe it out.

Until news of the disaster reached Britain, the Zulu War was just another colonial bushfire war of the sort that simmered constantly in many parts of the worldwide British Empire. The loss of a battalion of troops, news of which was sent by telegraph to Britain, transformed the nation’s attitude to the war.

H Company, 1st/24th Regiment, annihilated at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

H Company, 1st/24th Regiment, annihilated at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

The Zulu War began in early January 1879 as a simple campaign of expansion. British colonial officials and the commander-in-chief in South Africa, Lord Chelmsford, considered the independent Zulu Kingdom ruled by Cetshwayo a threat to the British colony of Natal, with which it shared a long border along the Buffalo River.

In December 1878, the British authorities delivered an ultimatum to Cetshwayo, requiring him to give up a group of Zulus accused of murdering a party of British subjects. In the absence of a satisfactory response, Chelmsford attacked Zululand on 11th January 1879.

Chelmsford’s previous wars in South Africa did not prepare him for the highly aggressive form of warfare practised by the Zulus.

Chelmsford divided his force into three columns. Colonel Evelyn Wood VC, of the 90th Light Infantry, commanded the column that crossed the Buffalo River into the North of Zululand. Colonel Pearson, of the 3rd Foot (the Buffs), commanded in the south, by the Indian Ocean coast. Colonel Glynn, of the 24th Foot, commanded the Centre Column, comprising both battalions of the 24th Foot, units of the Natal Native Infantry, Natal irregular horse and Royal Artillery.

Number Three (Centre) Column on the march in Zululand: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Number Three (Centre) Column on the march in Zululand: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Melton Pryor

Chelmsford accompanied the Centre Column into Zululand on 11th January 1879, crossing the Buffalo  River at Rorke’s Drift. The column was to make for Ulundi, Cetshwayo’s principal kraal, joining Pearson’s southern column for the final assault. A Company of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, remained at Rorke’s Drift, the advanced base for the column.

The Centre Column carried all its supplies in ox carts, each pulled by a team of up to twenty oxen, walking at a slow deliberate pace. A considerable part of the day was devoted to feeding and caring for the oxen. The country was hilly scrubland, without roads and progress was painfully slow. Hilltops had to be picketed and the country scouted carefully for Zulus in ambush. Movement was further hampered by heavy rain, causing the rivers and streams to swell and deepen.

Signallers of the 24th Regiment: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Orlando Norie

Signallers of the 24th Regiment: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Orlando Norie

Chelmsford’s original plan had envisaged five columns crossing the Buffalo River. Shortage of troops forced him to reorganise his force into the three columns. Chelmsford required the original Number Two Column under Colonel Durnford, a Royal Engineers officer with considerable experience in commanding irregular South African troops, to act in conjunction with Glynn’s Centre Column.

Chelmsford decided to head for Isandlwana Hill. Isandlwana can be seen from Rorke’s Drift, distinctive shape some 10 miles into Zulu country, that the British troops likened to a Sphinx or a crouching lion. The shape of this strange feature adds substantially to the macabre aura that hangs over the Battle of Isandlwana.

Zulu Warrior: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Zulu Warrior: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

In the face of the invasion, Cetshwayo mobilised the Zulu armies on a scale not seen before, possibly some 24,000 warriors. The Zulu force divided into two, one section heading for the Southern Column and the remainder making for Chelmsford’s Centre Column.

The Centre Column reached Isandlwana on 20th January 1879 and encamped on its lower slopes.

On 21st January 1879, Major Dartnell led a mounted reconnaissance in the direction of the advance. He encountered the Zulus in strength. Dartnell’s command was unable to disengage from the Zulus until the early hours of 22nd January 1879.

Receiving Dartnell’s intelligence, Chelmsford resolved to advance against the Zulus with a sufficient force to bring them to battle and defeat them. 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, the Mounted Infantry and four guns were to march out, as soon as it was light.

Colonel Pulleine was left in camp with the 1st Battalion of the 24th Foot. Orders were sent to Colonel Durnford to bring his column up to reinforce the camp.

Early on the morning of 22nd January 1879, Chelmsford advanced with his force and joined Dartnell. The Zulus however had disappeared. Chelmsford’s troops began a search of the hills.

The Zulus had bypassed Chelmsford and moved on to Isandlwana. The first indication in the British camp that there was likely to be a Zulu threat came when parties of Zulus were seen on the hills to the north-east and then to the east.

Colonel Pulleine, the officer in command in the camp, ordered his troops to form to the east, the direction in which the Zulus had appeared. Pulleine dispatched a message to Chelmsford, warning him that the Zulus were threatening the camp.

Two 7 pounder RML guns captured by the Zulus at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Two 7 pounder RML guns captured by the Zulus at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

At about 10am, Colonel Durnford arrived at Isandlwana with a party of mounted men and a rocket troop.

Durnford promptly left the camp to follow up the reports of the proximity of the Zulus and Pulleine agreed to support him, if he found himself in difficulties. Captain Cavaye’s company of the 1st/24th was placed in piquet on a hill to the north. The remainder of the troops in camp stood down.

On the heights, Durnford’s mounted troops spread out and searched for the Zulus. One troop of volunteers pursued a party of Zulus as they retired, until suddenly out of a fold in the ground the whole Zulu army appeared.

The Zulus were forced to act by the sudden appearance of the mounted volunteers and advanced in some confusion, shaking out as best they could into the traditional form of assault: the left horn, the central chest of the attack and the right horn.



Lord Chelmsford's column fetching away the wagons after the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Lord Chelmsford’s column fetching away the wagons after the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Melton Pryor

One of Durnford’s officers rode back to Isandlwana, to warn the camp that it was about to be attacked.

Pulleine had just received a message from Chelmsford, ordering him to break camp and move up to join the rest of the column. On receipt of Durnford’s message, Pulleine deployed his men to meet the crisis.

It is thought that neither Pulleine, nor any of his officers, appreciated the scope of the threat from the Zulus or the size of the force that was advancing on them. Pulleine acted as if the only need was to support Durnford. He sent a second company under Captain Mostyn to join Captain Cavaye’s company on the hill and two guns were moved to the left of the camp, with companies of foot to support them.

As the Zulus advanced, Durnford’s rocket troop was overwhelmed and the equipment taken, the Royal Artillery crews managing to escape.

The main Zulu frontal assault now appeared over the ridge and Mostyn’s and Cavaye’s companies hastily withdrew to the camp, pausing to fire as they went.

Pulleine’s battalion, drawn up in front of the camp at the base of the ridge, opened fire on the advancing Zulus of the ‘chest’, who found themselves impeded by the many dongas, or gullies, in their path and eventually went to ground.

British troops escaping across the Buffalo River after the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

British troops escaping across the Buffalo River after the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

The danger to the British line was presented by the Zulu ‘horns’, which raced to find the end of the British flank and envelope it.

On the British right, the companies of the 24th and the Natal Native Infantry were unable to prevent this envelopment. In addition, the Zulus were able to infiltrate between the companies of British foot and the irregulars commanded by Durnford.

It is said that a major problem for the British was lack of ammunition and failings in the system of re-supply. It seems that this was not so for the 24th. However, Durnford’s men on the extreme right flank did run out of ammunition and were forced to mount up and ride back to the camp, thereby leaving the British flank open.

Attempted escape of Lieutenants Melville and Coghill with the Queen's Colour of the 24th Regiment at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Attempted escape of Lieutenants Melville and Coghill with the Queen’s Colour of the 24th Regiment at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

The Zulu chiefs took this opportunity to encourage the warriors of the ‘chest’, until now pinned down by the 24th’s fire, to renew their attack. This they did, causing the British troops to fall back on the encampment.

A Zulu regiment rushed between the withdrawing British centre and the camp and the ‘horns’ broke in on each flank. The British line quickly collapsed.

Lieutenants Melville and Coghill rescue the colour of the 24th Regiment at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Alphonse de Neuville

Lieutenants Melville and Coghill rescue the colour of the 24th Regiment at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Alphonse de Neuville

As the line broke up, groups formed and fought the Zulus, until their ammunition gave out and they were overwhelmed. A section of Natal Carbineers, commanded by Durnford, is identified as giving a heavy fire, until their ammunition was spent. They fought on with pistols and knives, until they were all struck down.

The ‘horns’ of the Zulu attack did not quite close around the British camp, some soldiers managing to make their way towards Rorke’s Drift. But the Zulus cut the road and the escaping soldiers from the 24th were forced into the hills, where they were hunted down and killed. Only mounted men managed to make it to the river by the more direct route to the south-west.

A group of some sixty soldiers of the 24th Foot under Lieutenant Anstey were cornered on the banks of a tributary of the Buffalo and wiped out.

'The Last of the 24th' at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Richard Thomas Moynan

‘The Last of the 24th’ at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Richard Thomas Moynan

The last survivor of the main battle, a soldier of the 24th, escaped to a cave on the hillside where he continued fighting until his ammunition gave out and he was shot down.

The final act of the drama was played out along the banks of the Buffalo River. Numbers of men were caught there by the Zulus. It is thought that natives living in Natal came down to the river and, on the urgings of the Zulus, killed British soldiers attempting to escape.

Deaths of Lieutenants Melville and Coghill at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Deaths of Lieutenants Melville and Coghill at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

The most memorable episode of this stage of the battle concerns Lieutenants Melville and Coghill. Melville was the adjutant of the 1st Battalion, the 24th Foot. He is thought to have collected the Queen’s Colour from the guard tent towards the end of the battle and ridden out of camp, heading for the Buffalo River. Melville arrived at the river, in flood from the rains and plunged in. Half-way across, Melville came off his horse, still clutching the cased colour. Coghill, also of the 24th Foot, crossed the river soon after and went to Melville’s assistance. The Zulus were, by this time, lining the bank and opened a heavy fire on the two officers. Coghill’s horse was killed and the colour swept away. Both officers struggled to the Natal bank, where it seems likely that they were killed by Natal natives.

Melville and Coghill probably died at around 3.30pm. At 2.29pm there was a total eclipse of the sun, briefly plunging the terrible battle into an eerie darkness.

Colours of 1st/24th Regiment presented to Queen Victoria on 28th July 1880: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: the Queen's Colour on the left was recovered from the scene of the battle

Colours of 1st/24th Regiment presented to Queen Victoria on 28th July 1880: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: the Queen’s Colour on the left was recovered from the scene of the battle

Zuu War Medal: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Zuu War Medal: Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Casualties at the Battle of Isandlwana: 
52 British officers and 806 non-commissioned ranks were killed. Around 60 Europeans survived the battle. 471 Africans died fighting for the British. Zulu casualties have to be estimated and are set at around 2,000 dead, either on the field or from wounds. The Zulus captured 1,000 rifles with the whole of the column’s reserve ammunition supply.

Follow-up to the Battle of Isandlwana:
Chelmsford’s force was unaware of the disaster that had overwhelmed Pulleine’s troops, until the news filtered through that the camp had been taken. Chelmsford was staggered. He said, ‘But I left 1,000 men to guard the camp.’

Chelmsford’s column returned to the scene of horror at Isandlwana and camped near the battlefield.

Chelmsford’s nightmare was that the Zulus would invade Natal. In the distance, the British could see Rorke’s Drift mission station burning. From that, Chelmsford knew that the Zulus had crossed the Buffalo River.

Arrival of Lord Chelmsford after the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Arrival of Lord Chelmsford after the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War: picture by Melton Pryor

In the longer term, the British Government determined to avenge the defeat and overwhelming reinforcements were dispatched to Natal. General Sir Garnet Wolseley was sent to replace Lord Chelmsford, arriving after the final battle of the war. Cetshwayo’s overwhelming success at Isandlwana secured his ultimate downfall.

Private Samuel Wassall of the 80th Regiment awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Private Samuel Wassall of the 80th Regiment awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 in the Zulu War

Anecdotes and traditions from the Battle of Isandlwana:

  • Private Samuel Wassall was awarded the Victoria Cross for his conduct at the battle. Attached to the Mounted Infantry, Wassall escaped on his horse from the battle and crossed the Buffalo River. He then saw a comrade from the Mounted Infantry struggling in the water. Wassall recrossed the river, tethered his horse, swam over to the soldier and dragged him ashore on the Zulu side. The two men plunged back into the Buffalo River and swam to safety on Wassall’s horse, as the Zulus came up.
  • The Queen’s colour of the 1st Battalion, 24th Foot, was recovered from the Buffalo River. The colour was presented to Queen Victoria, who placed a wreath of silver immortelles on the tip of the staff. Lieutenants Melville and Coghill were awarded posthumous Victoria Crosses.

References for the Battle of Isandlwana: 

Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana by Ian F.W. Beckett: Oxford University Press (a particularly interesting history of the two battles with a consideration of their place in British and Zulu culture)

Washing of the Spears by D. Morris

Zulu War by Ian Knight

Recent British Battles by Grant

52. Podcast on the Battle of Isandlwana fought on 22nd January 1879; where the Zulus wiped out a substantial British force rocking British Victorian society: John Mackenzie’s britishbattles.com podcasts

The previous battle in the British Battles sequence is the Battle of Kandahar

The next battle of the Zulu War is the Battle of Rorke’s Drift

To the Zulu War index


Search BritishBattles.com

Follow / Like Us

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Pinterest  Follow us on RSS Follow us on Twitter

Other Pages

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy
  • News Blog
  • Museums

The BritishBattles Podcast

If you are too busy to read the site, why not download a podcast of an individual battle and listen on the move! Visit our dedicated Podcast page or visit Podbean below.

Britishbattles on Podbean

Follow @Britishbattles













Wars Prior to 1700

  • Wars of Roman Britain
  • Battle of Medway
  • Danish Wars
  • Battle of Ashdown
  • Norman Conquest
  • Battle of Stamford Bridge
  • Battle of Hastings
  • Barons’ War
  • Battle of the Standard
  • Battle of Lewes
  • Battle of Evesham
  • Scottish Wars of Independence
  • Battle of Stirling Bridge
  • Battle of Falkirk
  • Battle of Bannockburn
  • Battle of Dupplin Moor
  • Battle of Halidon Hill
  • 100 Years War
  • Battle of Sluys
  • Battle of Morlaix
  • Battle of Auberoche
  • Battle of Caen
  • Battle of Creçy
  • Siege of Calais
  • Battle of Neville’s Cross
  • Battle of La Roche-Derrien
  • Battle of Winchelsea
  • Battle of Mauron
  • Battle of Poitiers
  • Battle of Cocherel
  • Battle of Auray
  • Battle of Najera
  • Battle of La Rochelle
  • Battle of Otterburn
  • Battle of Homildon Hill
  • Battle of Shrewsbury
  • Siege of Harfleur
  • Battle of Agincourt
  • Battle of Baugé
  • Battle of Cravant
  • Battle of Verneuil
  • Siege of Orléans
  • Battle of the Herrings
  • Battle of Patay
  • Battle of Formigny
  • Battle of Castillon
  • Wars of the Roses
  • First Battle of St Albans
  • Battle of Blore Heath
  • Battle of Northampton
  • Battle of Wakefield 1460
  • Battle of Mortimer’s Cross
  • Second Battle of St Albans
  • Battle of Towton
  • Battle of Barnet
  • Battle of Tewkesbury
  • Battle of Bosworth Field
  • Anglo Scottish War
  • Battle of Flodden
  • Battle of Pinkie
  • The Spanish War
  • The Spanish Armada
  • English Civil War
  • Battle of Edgehill
  • Battle of Seacroft Moor
  • Battle of Stratton
  • Battle of Wakefield 1643
  • Battle of Chalgrove
  • Battle of Adwalton Moor
  • Battle of Lansdown Hill
  • Battle of Roundway Down
  • Storming of Bristol
  • First Battle of Newbury
  • Battle of Cheriton
  • Battle of Cropredy Bridge
  • Battle of Marston Moor
  • Battle of Lostwithiel
  • Second Battle of Newbury
  • Battle of Naseby
  • Siege of Basing House
  • Battle of Dunbar
  • Battle of Worcester

Wars of 1700

  • War of the Spanish Succession
  • Battle of Blenheim
  • Battle of Ramillies
  • Battle of Oudenarde
  • Battle of Malplaquet
  • King George’s War (Austrian Succession)
  • Battle of Dettingen
  • Battle of Fontenoy
  • Battle of Rocoux
  • Battle of Lauffeldt
  • Jacobite Rebellion
  • Battle of Prestonpans
  • Battle of Falkirk
  • Battle of Culloden
  • Frederick the Great Wars
  • First Silesian War
  • Battle of Mollwitz
  • Battle of Chotusitz
  • Second Silesian War
  • Battle of Hohenfriedberg
  • Battle of Soor
  • Battle of Kesselsdorf
  • Seven Years War
  • Battle of Lobositz
  • Battle of Prague
  • Battle of Kolin
  • Battle of Rossbach
  • Battle of Leuthen
  • Battle of Zorndorf
  • Battle of Hochkirch
  • Battle of Kunersdorf
  • Battle of Liegnitz
  • Battle of Torgau
  • Battle of Burkersdorf
  • Battle of Minden
  • Battle of Emsdorf
  • Battle of Warburg
  • Battle of Kloster Kamp
  • Battle of Vellinghausen
  • Battle of Wilhelmstahl
  • Capture of Manila
  • Capture of Havana
  • Anglo-French Wars in India
  • Siege of Arcot
  • Battle of Arni
  • Battle of Kaveripauk
  • Battle of Plassey
  • French and Indian War
  • Battle of Monongahela 1755 – Braddock’s Defeat
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 1
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 2
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 3
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 4
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 5
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 6
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 7
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 8
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 9
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 10
  • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 11
  • Battle of Ticonderoga 1758
  • Capture of Louisburg 1758
  • Battle of Quebec 1759
  • American Revolutionary War
  • Battle of Lexington and Concord
  • Battle of Bunker Hill
  • Battle of Quebec 1775
  • Battle of Sullivan’s Island
  • Battle of Long Island
  • Battle of Harlem Heights
  • Battle of White Plains
  • Battle of Fort Washington
  • Battle of Trenton
  • Battle of Princeton
  • Battle of Ticonderoga 1777
  • Battle of Hubbardton
  • Battle of Bennington
  • Battle of Brandywine Creek
  • Battle of Freeman’s Farm
  • Battle of Paoli
  • Battle of Germantown
  • Battle of Saratoga
  • Battle of Monmouth
  • Siege of Savannah
  • Siege of Charleston
  • Battle of Camden
  • Battle of King’s Mountain
  • Battle of Cowpens
  • Battle of Guilford Courthouse
  • Battle of Yorktown
  • Siege of Gibraltar
  • Battle of Cape St Vincent 1780
  • Anglo-Mysore Wars
  • Storming of Seringapatam

Wars of 1800

  • Second Mahratta War
  • Battle of Assaye
  • Battle of Laswaree
  • Peninsular War
  • Battle of Roliça
  • Battle of Vimeiro
  • Battle of Sahagun
  • Battle of Benavente
  • Battle of Cacabelos
  • Battle of Corunna
  • Battle of the Douro
  • Battle of Talavera
  • Battle of the River Coa
  • Battle of Busaco
  • Battle of Barrosa
  • Battle of Campo Maior
  • Battle of Redinha or Pombal
  • Battle of Sabugal
  • Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro
  • Battle of Albuera
  • Battle of Usagre
  • Battle of El Bodon
  • Battle of Arroyo Molinos
  • Storming of Ciudad Rodrigo
  • Storming of Badajoz
  • Battle of Villagarcia
  • Battle of Almaraz
  • Battle of Salamanca
  • Battle of Garcia Hernandez
  • Battle of Majadahonda
  • Attack on Burgos
  • Retreat from Burgos
  • Battle of Morales de Toro
  • Battle of San Millan and Osma
  • Battle of Vitoria
  • Storming of San Sebastian
  • Battle of the Pyrenees
  • Battle of San Marcial
  • Battle of the Bidassoa
  • Battle of the Nivelle
  • Battle of the Nive
  • Battle of St Pierre
  • Battle of Orthez
  • Battle of Tarbes
  • Battle of Toulouse
  • Sortie from Bayonne
  • Napoleonic Wars
  • Battle of Cape St Vincent 1797
  • Battle of the Nile
  • Battle of Alexandria
  • Battle of Copenhagen
  • Battle of Trafalgar
  • Battle of Maida
  • Battle of Quatre Bras
  • Battle of Waterloo
  • First Afghan War
  • Battle of Ghuznee
  • Battle of Kabul and the retreat to Gandamak
  • Siege of Jellalabad
  • Battle of Kabul 1842
  • First Sikh War
  • Battle of Moodkee
  • Battle of Ferozeshah
  • Battle of Aliwal
  • Battle of Sobraon
  • Second Sikh War
  • Battle of Ramnagar
  • Battle of Chillianwallah
  • Battle of Goojerat
  • Crimean War
  • Battle of The Alma
  • Battle of Balaclava
  • Battle of Inkerman
  • Siege of Sevastopol
  • Indian Mutiny
  • Siege of Delhi
  • American Civil War
  • First Battle of Bull Run
  • Battle of Shiloh
  • Battle of Antietam
  • Battle of Fredericksburg
  • Battle of Chancellorsville
  • Abyssinian War
  • Battle of Magdala
  • Second Afghan War
  • Battle of Ali Masjid
  • Battle of Peiwar Kotal
  • Battle of Futtehabad
  • Battle of Charasiab
  • Battle of Kabul 1879
  • Battle of Ahmed Khel
  • Battle of Maiwand
  • Battle of Kandahar
  • Zulu War
  • Battle of Isandlwana
  • Battle of Rorke’s Drift
  • Battle of Khambula
  • Battle of Gingindlovu
  • Battle of Ulundi
  • War in Egypt and Sudan
  • Battle of Tel-el-Kebir
  • Battle of El Teb
  • Battle of Tamai
  • Battle of Abu Klea
  • Battle of Atbara
  • Battle of Omdurman
  • First Boer War
  • Battle of Laing’s Nek
  • Battle of Majuba Hill
  • Great Boer War
  • Battle of Talana Hill
  • Battle of Elandslaagte
  • Battle of Ladysmith
  • Battle of Belmont
  • Battle of Graspan
  • Battle of Modder River
  • Battle of Stormberg
  • Battle of Magersfontein
  • Battle of Colenso
  • Battle of Spion Kop
  • Battle of Val Krantz
  • Battle of Pieters
  • Battle of Paardeberg
  • Siege of Mafeking
  • Siege of Kimberley
  • Siege of Ladysmith
  • North-West Frontier of India
  • Black Mountain Expedition 1888
  • Black Mountain Expedition 1891
  • Waziristan 1894
  • Siege and Relief of Chitral
  • Malakand Rising 1897
  • Malakand Field Force 1897
  • Mohmand Field Force 1897
  • Tirah 1897

Wars of 1900

  • First World War
  • British Expeditionary Force (BEF)
  • Battle of Mons
  • Battle of Mons (2nd Day): Elouges
  • Battle of Landrecies
  • Battle of Le Cateau
  • Battle of Le Grand Fayt
  • Battle of Étreux
  • Battle of Heligoland Bight
  • Battle of Néry
  • Battle of Villers Cottérêts
  • Battle of the Marne
  • Battle of the Aisne
  • Texel Action
  • Battle of Coronel
  • Battle of the Falkland Islands
  • Battle of the Dogger Bank
  • Gallipoli Part I : Naval Attack on the Dardanelles
  • Gallipoli Part II: Land attack on Gallipoli Peninsular
  • Gallipoli Part III: ANZAC landing on 25th April 1915
  • Gallipoli Part IV: First landings at Cape Helles and Y Beach on 25th April 1915
  • Battle of Jutland Part I: Opposing fleets
  • Battle of Jutland Part II: Opening Battle Cruiser action on 31st May 1916
  • Battle of Jutland Part III: Clash between British and German Battle Fleets during the evening 31st May 1916
  • Battle of Jutland Part IV: Night Action 31st May to 1st June 1916
  • Battle of Jutland Part V: Casualties and Aftermath
  • Home



Copyright © 2025 · Chalfont Web Design

MENU
  • Wars Prior to 1700
    • Wars of Roman Britain
      • Battle of Medway
    • Danish Wars
      • Battle of Ashdown
    • Norman Conquest
      • Battle of Stamford Bridge
      • Battle of Hastings
    • Barons’ War
      • Battle of the Standard
      • Battle of Lewes
      • Battle of Evesham
    • Scottish Wars of Independence
      • Battle of Stirling Bridge
      • Battle of Falkirk
      • Battle of Bannockburn
      • Battle of Dupplin Moor
      • Battle of Halidon Hill
    • 100 Years War
      • Battle of Sluys
      • Battle of Morlaix
      • Battle of Auberoche
      • Battle of Caen
      • Battle of Creçy
      • Siege of Calais
      • Battle of Neville’s Cross
      • Battle of La Roche-Derrien
      • Battle of Winchelsea
      • Battle of Mauron
      • Battle of Poitiers
      • Battle of Cocherel
      • Battle of Auray
      • Battle of Najera
      • Battle of La Rochelle
      • Battle of Otterburn
      • Battle of Homildon Hill
      • Battle of Shrewsbury
      • Siege of Harfleur
      • Battle of Agincourt
      • Battle of Baugé
      • Battle of Cravant
      • Battle of Verneuil
      • Siege of Orléans
      • Battle of the Herrings
      • Battle of Patay
      • Battle of Formigny
      • Battle of Castillon
    • Wars of the Roses
      • First Battle of St Albans
      • Battle of Blore Heath
      • Battle of Northampton
      • Battle of Wakefield 1460
      • Battle of Mortimer’s Cross
      • Second Battle of St Albans
      • Battle of Towton
      • Battle of Barnet
      • Battle of Tewkesbury
      • Battle of Bosworth Field
    • Anglo Scottish War
      • Battle of Flodden
      • Battle of Pinkie
    • The Spanish War
      • The Spanish Armada
    • English Civil War
      • Battle of Edgehill
      • Battle of Seacroft Moor
      • Battle of Stratton
      • Battle of Wakefield 1643
      • Battle of Chalgrove
      • Battle of Adwalton Moor
      • Battle of Lansdown Hill
      • Battle of Roundway Down
      • Storming of Bristol
      • First Battle of Newbury
      • Battle of Cheriton
      • Battle of Cropredy Bridge
      • Battle of Marston Moor
      • Battle of Lostwithiel
      • Second Battle of Newbury
      • Battle of Naseby
      • Siege of Basing House
      • Battle of Dunbar
      • Battle of Worcester
  • Wars of 1700
    • War of the Spanish Succession
      • Battle of Blenheim
      • Battle of Ramillies
      • Battle of Oudenarde
      • Battle of Malplaquet
    • King George’s War (Austrian Succession)
      • Battle of Dettingen
      • Battle of Fontenoy
      • Battle of Rocoux
      • Battle of Lauffeldt
    • Jacobite Rebellion
      • Battle of Prestonpans
      • Battle of Falkirk
      • Battle of Culloden
    • Frederick the Great Wars
    • First Silesian War
      • Battle of Mollwitz
      • Battle of Chotusitz
    • Second Silesian War
      • Battle of Hohenfriedberg
      • Battle of Soor
      • Battle of Kesselsdorf
    • Seven Years War
      • Battle of Lobositz
      • Battle of Prague
      • Battle of Kolin
      • Battle of Rossbach
      • Battle of Leuthen
      • Battle of Zorndorf
      • Battle of Hochkirch
      • Battle of Kunersdorf
      • Battle of Liegnitz
      • Battle of Torgau
      • Battle of Burkersdorf
      • Battle of Minden
      • Battle of Emsdorf
      • Battle of Warburg
      • Battle of Kloster Kamp
      • Battle of Vellinghausen
      • Battle of Wilhelmstahl
      • Capture of Manila
      • Capture of Havana
    • Anglo-French Wars in India
      • Siege of Arcot
      • Battle of Arni
      • Battle of Kaveripauk
      • Battle of Plassey
    • French and Indian War
      • Battle of Monongahela 1755 – Braddock’s Defeat
      • General Braddock’s Defeat on the Monongahela in 1755 I
      • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 2
      • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 3
      • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 4
      • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 5
      • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 6
      • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 7
      • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 8
      • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 9
      • Braddock’s Defeat: Part 10
      • Battle of Ticonderoga 1758
      • Capture of Louisburg 1758
      • Battle of Quebec 1759
    • American Revolutionary War
      • Battle of Lexington and Concord
      • Battle of Bunker Hill
      • Battle of Quebec 1775
      • Battle of Sullivan’s Island
      • Battle of Long Island
      • Battle of Harlem Heights
      • Battle of White Plains
      • Battle of Fort Washington
      • Battle of Trenton
      • Battle of Princeton
      • Battle of Ticonderoga 1777
      • Battle of Hubbardton
      • Battle of Bennington
      • Battle of Brandywine Creek
      • Battle of Freeman’s Farm
      • Battle of Paoli
      • Battle of Germantown
      • Battle of Saratoga
      • Battle of Monmouth
      • Siege of Savannah
      • Siege of Charleston
      • Battle of Camden
      • Battle of King’s Mountain
      • Battle of Cowpens
      • Battle of Guilford Courthouse
      • Battle of Yorktown
      • Siege of Gibraltar
      • Battle of Cape St Vincent 1780
    • Anglo-Mysore Wars
      • Storming of Seringapatam
  • Wars of 1800
    • Second Mahratta War
      • Battle of Assaye
      • Battle of Laswaree
    • Peninsular War
      • Battle of Roliça
      • Battle of Vimeiro
      • Battle of Sahagun
      • Battle of Benavente
      • Battle of Cacabelos
      • Battle of Corunna
      • Battle of the Douro
      • Battle of Talavera
      • Battle of the River Coa
      • Battle of Busaco
      • Battle of Barrosa
      • Battle of Campo Maior
      • Battle of Redinha or Pombal
      • Battle of Sabugal
      • Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro
      • Battle of Albuera
      • Battle of Usagre
      • Battle of El Bodon
      • Battle of Arroyo Molinos
      • Storming of Ciudad Rodrigo
      • Storming of Badajoz
      • Battle of Villagarcia
      • Battle of Almaraz
      • Battle of Salamanca
      • Battle of Garcia Hernandez
      • Battle of Majadahonda
      • Attack on Burgos
      • Retreat from Burgos
      • Battle of Morales de Toro
      • Battle of San Millan and Osma
      • Battle of Vitoria
      • Storming of San Sebastian
      • Battle of the Pyrenees
      • Battle of San Marcial
      • Battle of the Bidassoa
      • Battle of the Nivelle
      • Battle of the Nive
      • Battle of St Pierre
      • Battle of Orthez
      • Battle of Tarbes
      • Battle of Toulouse
      • Sortie from Bayonne
    • Napoleonic Wars
      • Battle of Cape St Vincent 1797
      • Battle of the Nile
      • Battle of Alexandria
      • Battle of Copenhagen
      • Battle of Trafalgar
      • Battle of Maida
      • Battle of Quatre Bras
      • Battle of Waterloo
    • First Afghan War
      • Battle of Ghuznee
      • Battle of Kabul and the retreat to Gandamak
      • Siege of Jellalabad
      • Battle of Kabul 1842
    • First Sikh War
      • Battle of Moodkee
      • Battle of Ferozeshah
      • Battle of Aliwal
      • Battle of Sobraon
    • Second Sikh War
      • Battle of Ramnagar
      • Battle of Chillianwallah
      • Battle of Goojerat
    • Crimean War
      • Battle of The Alma
      • Battle of Balaclava
      • Battle of Inkerman
      • Siege of Sevastopol
      • Indian Mutiny
      • Siege of Delhi
    • American Civil War
      • First Battle of Bull Run
      • Battle of Shiloh
      • Battle of Antietam
      • Battle of Fredericksburg
      • Battle of Chancellorsville
    • Abyssinian War
      • Battle of Magdala
    • Second Afghan War
      • Battle of Ali Masjid
      • Battle of Peiwar Kotal
      • Battle of Futtehabad
      • Battle of Charasiab
      • Battle of Kabul 1879
      • Battle of Ahmed Khel
      • Battle of Maiwand
      • Battle of Kandahar
    • Zulu War
      • Battle of Isandlwana
      • Battle of Rorke’s Drift
      • Battle of Khambula
      • Battle of Gingindlovu
      • Battle of Ulundi
    • War in Egypt and Sudan
      • Battle of Tel-el-Kebir
      • Battle of El Teb
      • Battle of Tamai
      • Battle of Abu Klea
      • Battle of Atbara
      • Battle of Omdurman
    • First Boer War
      • Battle of Laing’s Nek
      • Battle of Majuba Hill
    • Great Boer War
      • Battle of Talana Hill
      • Battle of Elandslaagte
      • Battle of Ladysmith
      • Battle of Belmont
      • Battle of Graspan
      • Battle of Modder River
      • Battle of Stormberg
      • Battle of Magersfontein
      • Battle of Colenso
      • Battle of Spion Kop
      • Battle of Val Krantz
      • Battle of Pieters
      • Battle of Paardeberg
      • Siege of Mafeking
      • Siege of Kimberley
      • Siege of Ladysmith
    • North-West Frontier of India
      • Black Mountain Expedition 1888
      • Black Mountain Expedition 1891
      • Waziristan 1894
      • Siege and Relief of Chitral
      • Malakand Rising 1897
      • Malakand Field Force 1897
      • Mohmand Field Force 1897
      • Tirah 1897
  • Wars of 1900
    • First World War
      • British Expeditionary Force (BEF)
      • Battle of Mons
      • Battle of Mons (2nd Day): Elouges
      • Battle of Landrecies
      • Battle of Le Cateau
      • Battle of Le Grand Fayt
      • Battle of Étreux
      • Battle of Heligoland Bight
      • Battle of Néry
      • Battle of Villers Cottérêts
      • Battle of the Marne
      • Battle of the Aisne
      • Texel Action
      • Battle of Coronel
      • Battle of the Falkland Islands
      • Battle of the Dogger Bank
      • Gallipoli Part I: Naval Attack on the Dardanelles
      • Gallipoli Part II: Genesis of the land attack on the Gallipoli Peninsula
      • Gallipoli Part III: ANZAC landing on 25th April 1915
      • Gallipoli Part IV: First landings at Cape Helles and Y Beach on 25th April 1915
      • Battle of Jutland Part I: Opposing fleets
      • Battle of Jutland Part II: Opening Battle Cruiser action on 31st May 1916
      • Battle of Jutland Part III: Clash between British and German Battle Fleets during the evening 31st May 1916
      • Battle of Jutland Part IV: Night Action 31st May to 1st June 1916
      • Battle of Jutland Part V: Casualties and Aftermath
  • British Battles