Atlas of Battles

battle, major, nineteenth century

Battle of Rorke's Drift

Battle of Rorke's Drift was a battle fought on 22 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, in what is now South Africa; it lasted 1 day. It was part of the Anglo-Zulu War. The recorded result: British victory.

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Painting of the Battle of Rorke's Drift which took place in Natal during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. De Neuville based the painting on eye witness accounts and it depicts several events of the battle
Painting of the Battle of Rorke's Drift which took place in Natal during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. De Neuville based the painting on eye witness accounts and it depicts several events of the battle . Alphonse de Neuville, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought22 January 1879lasted 1 day
WhereRorke's Drift, South Africa28.358S, 30.537E
OutcomeBritish victory
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandagainstZulu Kingdom
Casualties and losses17 killed; 15 woundedand351 confirmed killed; About 500 wounded
Part ofAnglo-Zulu War1879

Where it sits in the Anglo-Zulu War

Battle of Rorke's Drift, 1879Battle of Isandlwana, 1879Battle of Inyezane, 1879Siege of Eshowe, 1879Battle of Intombe, 1879Battle of Hlobane, 1879Battle of Kambula, 1879Battle of Gingindlovu, 1879Battle of Ulundi, 187918791879Battle of Rorke's Drift, 1879
10 placed engagements of the Anglo-Zulu War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date22 January 1879
to 23 January 1879
PlaceRorke's Drift, South Africa
28.358S, 30.537E
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength139–141 British Army regulars; 11 colonial troops; 4 civilians; 100 NNH cavalry; (briefly engaged, then fled)3,000–4,000 Zulus: iNdluyengwe ibutho: 500 to 700 men; uThulwana, iNdlondo, uDluko amabutho: c. 3,000 men
Casualties and losses17 killed; 15 wounded351 confirmed killed; About 500 wounded
Commanders
  • Prince
  • Dabulamanzi kaMpande
Battle of Rorke's DriftBattle of Rorke's DriftBattle of IsandlwanaBattle of Blood RiverBattle of Talana HillZungeni Mountain skirmishBattle of ElandslaagteBattle of Blood RiverBattle of Talana HillBattle of ElandslaagteVryheidVolksrustGolelaUbombaMokhotlong100 km28.358S, 30.537E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Rorke's Drift
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 25 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Rorke's Drift today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-10-09. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 1,132 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 921 to 1,454 m, 533 m of relief, steep country and today it is 75% grassland, 12% shrubland, 8% tree cover.

grassland: 75%shrubland: 12%tree cover: 8%cropland: 2%grassland 75%shrubland 12%tree cover 8%cropland 2%
west to east, 10.0 km1,007 to 1,287 mnorth to south, 10.0 km991 to 1,166 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1879

Battle of Rorke's Drift is one of 3,507 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 92 in present-day South Africa.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1123353, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Rorke's Drift, revision 1384498602, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.