Zulu battle tactics?

[robh]

No, not the Bulls Horn thing again.......Specifically regarding "going to ground".

Was advance by rush then go to ground a standard Zulu formation tactic? Or did any slowing of a charge contradict the tactics Shaka developed for the Impis?

Anyone have any detail or research on this?  I can easily accept small groups of warriors using any available cover to get close to enemy positions (their battle tactics being based on hunting practices), but was it a trained and practised/instructed tactic for larger units also?

I am always dubious of "Hollywood History" but Both "Zulu" and "Zulu Dawn" movies feature this tactic so where does this idea come from?
Many accounts of Zulu  skirmishes/battles (both against British and Boers) feature previously unseen bodies of Zulus charging against defence lines but I cannot find if this is Impi wide or just at a small unit level.

[Lowtardog]

Many years since I gamed the zulu wars, from what I remember their tactics had changed a little from the days of shaka.

Fire arms though pretty limited had featured since the civil wars in the 1850s and 1860s use of throwing spears also featured in the weapon arsenal again.

I think a lot of the tactics were heavily based on using the terrain to hide troop movements I would think latterly to limit fire power before the rush to contact. Sadly I flogged all my reference books long time ago but Ian knight would be the go to author

If you can find it the ian knight documentary on isandhlwana and rourkes drift sheds interesting theories into tactics

[Cherno]

The wikipedia articles on the Battle of Isandlwana and Battle of Rourke's Drift provide some insight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Isandlwana
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rorke%27s_Drift

[robh]

Thanks for the pointers.

I have decided to make it a viable tactic against rifle armed troops and created an optional "Fast move & go to Ground" order action for Zulus armies in T&T.

In effect it gives Zulus in the open the benefit of an "in cover" modifier.

[sjwalker51]

I've done a similar thing in my home-brew rules for the period.

Haven't got the references to hand but I'm sure I've read contemporary accounts by British officers praising the skill of the Zulus to skirmish, make use of cover during their advance and even the accuracy of their musketry.

There's also accounts of them anticipating British volley and artillery fire, dropping down as soon as they saw the infantry go to the 'present' (IIRC, the drill book of the period had dispensed with the supplementary order to 'fire'; the men were trained to fire automatically almost immediately thereafter) or when the artillerymen stepped back from the piece once loaded.

At Isandlwana the British seriously under-estimated the effect of their fire (severe though it was) as a result of this tactic.

The Victorian Wars forum is a great place to ask questions like this - some very well-informed gemtlemen there!