Flying Column Checks Wazulu Advance

The Flying column under the command of
Colonel Sir Martian Ashworth encountered
a single Wazulu Impi to the west of the main
Army. Sir Martian's command consists of
the Guards Camel Corps, 2nd Battalion 64th
King's Royal Rifle Corps,3rd Battalion 91st
Highlanders, 3rd Gurkhas, 13th Light Infantry,
23rd Punjab, 17th Lancers, 3rd Dragoons,
4th Bengal Lancers, one battery of Punjab
mountain artillery,one battery of 9lb RHA, and
six Gatling guns attached to various infantry
units.


The Wazulu Impi of 4000 warriors with a battery
of French smooth bore Napoleons as well as a
fairly large amount of French supplied rifles
struck at Inundi pass.









The use of artillery and rifles was a surprise to
British forces and caused considerable causalities
to leading light units in the battle. The 9lb-er
British guns won the range duel and soon destroyed
the Wazulu guns.

The massed fire power of the Highlanders and 64th
King's Royal Rifle Corps with Gatling gun support
stopped the Impi's attack cold.









The Wazulu right flank was struck by the combined
British cavalry, while the left was hit by 23rd Punjab
and 3rd Gurkhas. At one point in the battle the 3rd
Gurkhas distinguished themselves by charging down
a small hillock into Wazulu ranks, and with their Kukris
alone cut a swath through the Impi as the 23rd Punjab
fired from above.



The Wazulu having suffered 30 percent causalities at
that point disengaged and in remarkably good order
retreated back up the pass.

Scouts from the 17th Lancers later reported that the
Wazulu were moving at great speed toward the noth
east where a vast dust cloud could be seen in the
distance closing with the Impi.

Sir Martian prudently decided to pick out a strong position
at the northern end of the pass and send word to Sir Arthur
of these developments.