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Date	Original Topic
8th November 2002	The Natal Native Horse, the Oskarberg and the Zulu approach By Miguel I have a doubt with the geographical positions of the post, the Oskarberg and the front of advance of the Zulu regiment. Perhaps one of you would be so kind to enlighten me here: The company of Natal Native Horse was ordered by Chard to form a screen against the advancing Zulu, hold the ground as long as possible and then fall back to the post. If I am not much mistaken, according to the accounts, a heavy gunfire was heard 'from the other side of the Oskarberg' (where the NNH engaged the advancing zulus). I am confused. For what I thought, from left (west) to right (east) we find in a rough straight line: 1) the Oskarberg, 2) the post, and 3) Isandlwana way to the east. If it is so, the zulu regiment should have come in a east to west direction (from the direction of Isandlwana -yes, they were forming the reserve but they had to be coming from the east anyway -), this is, facing Rorke's Drift and the 2/24th first, not the NNH and the Oskarberg. So where am I wrong? I am getting the physical positions upside down? Did the regiment make a turn somewhere? Did it came in a east to west direction or a north-east to south-west direction? I know it must be a stupid question. Bear with me, all I had to form an idea was written text and no maps. BTW: wonderful page, I have found myself trapped in this story I was unaware of before getting here by chance. Gracias Miguel Canary Islands Spain
Date	Replies
8th November 2002	robert if you click on the "the Battle" link to the left, and scrol to the bottom, you will see a diagram made by chard showing the lay out of the defense, plus indicating where the advance came from. Robert / Tampa FL USA
8th November 2002	robert if you click on the "the Battle" link to the left, and scrol to the bottom, you will see a diagram made by chard showing the lay out of the defense, plus indicating where the advance came from. Robert / Tampa FL USA
8th November 2002	Miguel Hi Robert, I had seen the Chard map ilustrating the attack, the one he draw for the Queen, but it doesn't throw any light to the path followed by the zulus from Isandlwana, it only shows the attack coming from behind the Oskarberg.
11th November 2002	Mike McCabe The alignment of the main group of buildings at RD is approximately NNE to SSW, with the 'hospital'/Witt house being the southernmost main building. The main published forms of the various Chard drawings can easily create the impression that they are laid out on an East-West line, although he always includes the 'North' axis to correct this impression. Unfortunately, the reproduction of the close-in Chard map for RD on this website has been erroneously annotated in red to show an advance almost from due East. A single general arrangement drawing, plus the narrative, in the February 1880 report confirms the direction of approach of the initial Zulu attack. At RD there is a wide saddle towards the south of the Oskarberg feature, which opens out onto a gently downard sloping ridge to the east, which includes part of the southeast slope of the main feature - almost like a ramp. It would have been possible to lay out a troop of NNH along this rising ground, in such a way that they culd observe most approaches from the Buffalo river over an arc of Northeast through to Southwest, with full observation out to about 1-1500 metres over much of the arc. The riverline itself can only be glimpsed in a few places, and the accessible crossing points are all in 'dead' ground. If the NNH were deployed after the Zulus had crossed the river,and we resting as some sources indicate, then they would have appeared out of this dead ground, perhaps over a fairly wide frontage. The opening engagement in which the NNH first fired at the approaching Zulus would not have been visible to defenders behind the defensive walls - being screened from view by the southern slopes of the Oskarberg.