The site of the battle of Kambula is about 10 km north of the present day town of Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal and took place on 29 March 1879 ( the day after the battle of Hlobane).
Colonel Wood had about 2 000 men under his command, manning a laager, kraal and redoubt, together with six guns covering a northern and north eastern approach by the enemy. Scouts reported that the Zulus were approaching and would attack around mid-day with the size of the Zulu force being estimated at about 21 000. Although the Zulus had been instructed not to attack the British, but to try and lure them into the open to avoid another Rorke’s Drift, the Zulu warriors ignored this instruction and advanced on the fortified position of Kambula. As was their strategy, the flanks moved to the left and right, with the ‘chest’ heading straight for the camp.
The battle commenced at about 1.30pm with the British opening fire on the warriors on both flanks. The Zulus were armed with rifles taken from the victory at Isandlwana. Over the next few hours, fighting was fierce. The Zulus managed to capture the kraal, with the British troops present there, retreating to the redoubt. The guns were very effective in their firing and created considerable havoc amongst the advancing Zulu warriors.
At 5.30pm the Zulus began to fall back and Wood ordered companies of infantry forward to fire into the retreating Zulus. Wood then ordered Buller’s mounted infantry to pursue the Zulus who were now in full flight.
This was indeed sweet revenge for Buller’s men who the previous day had been forced to flee at Hlobane. The British casualties were 83 with the estimate of the Zulus killed being over 3 000.
