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Battle of Rangiriri
The Battle of Rangiriri was a major engagement in the invasion of Waikato, which took place on 20–21 November 1863 during the New Zealand Wars. More than 1400 British troops defeated about 500 warriors of the Kingitanga (Māori King Movement), which was resisting the expansion of British settlement and colonial rule in the North Island. The battle cost both sides more than any other engagement of the land wars and also resulted in the capture of 180 Māori prisoners, further reducing the Kingitanga ability to oppose the far larger British force.
The British success at Rangiriri and several subsequent battles opened the Waikato basin to the British forces and the government subsequently confiscated 1.3 million hectares of land for use by settlers. In 1995 the Crown apologised for its actions.
Since early August 1863 Kingitanga forces had been fighting the British advance into Waikato territory from the so-called Meremere line, a 22 km-long line of fortifications that spread from Pukekawa to Meremere and Paparata. The defensive line commanded about 2000 square kilometres of bush and was manned by a force of up to 1500. On October 31 the British commander, Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron, landed troops on the banks of the Waikato River 15 km south of Meremere, ready to make an assault on the main fortification from the rear with a total force of 1200 men. The following day the Māori forces evacuated Meremere and retreated south to Rangiriri, their next defensive line.
Work on the Rangiriri line had begun before the fall of Meremere with a 500 m long double ditch dug between the Waikato River and Lake Kopuera. Strengthening work had continued during the earlier campaign based at Meremere, and concentrated work began in early November 1863 under the direction of Te Wharepu, a leading Waikato chief. The front line ran east–west, comprising a long trench, behind which was a parapet of banked-up earth and another trench. The trenches were between 2.7m and 4.2m deep, with the parapet between 4.2m and 6.3m from the base of the trench. Another line of defences ran south from the main line at right angles to it, facing the river to protect the line from any river-borne force. In the centre of the main line lay a small but well-protected north-facing redoubt with several lines of concealed rifle pits at its southern side. A second series of outlying works were located on a spur to the south and east of the main defence line. The defences consisted solely of earthworks, with no palisading, while the redoubt, whose low profile meant it escaped detection by Cameron on river-borne reconnaissance missions on 30 October and 18 November, was deceptively strong. (The eastern part of the double ditch and some of the outlying works were destroyed with the making of State Highway 1. From the central redoubt earthworks, Lake Kopuera is about 105 m to the east.)
Cameron commanded a battle force totaling more than 1400 men. On the morning of 20 November, he left Meremere to march up the bank of the Waikato River with about 850 men to make the frontal assault. His division comprised members of the 65th Regiment (386), 14th Regiment (186), 12th Regiment (112), Royal Artillery, Royal Navy (100) and Royal Engineers (15). A second division, consisting of 320 men of the 40th Regiment under Lieut-Colonel Arthur Leslie with another 200 seamen and marines as a backup, were transported by barge further south with the aim of gaining possession of a ridge 500 metres behind the main entrenchment and cutting off any escape. The British assault force assembled about 700 metres north of Rangiriri, with three Armstrong guns, including one six-pounder and a 12-pounder. The storming party was equipped with revolvers, Enfield rifles with fixed bayonets and hand grenades. Two gunboats, the Pioneer and the HMS Curacoa were positioned on the Waikato River.
The defending Māori force comprised about 500 men, mostly armed with double-barreled shotguns and muskets. They were from Ngati Mahuta and other Waikato sub-tribes including Ngatiteata, Ngatihine and Patupou, with outside support from Kawhia Ngati Mahuta, Ngati Paoa and Ngati Haua under Wiremu Tamihana and Tiriori. It appears Wiremu Tamihana was in the pā at the start of the battle but left after the major attacks. He was seen approaching Rangiriri after the surrender, with 400 Māori warriors which were en route to Rangiriri, but turned back after the Māori surrender the next day.
About 3pm on 20 November Cameron ordered the start of a two-hour artillery bombardment, with additional fire coming from gunboats Curacoa and Pioneer. At 4.45pm, Leslie's division had still not landed because of strong flood currents and adverse winds but Cameron—concerned about the onset of darkness and the risk that his enemy would again escape—decided to launch his southward frontal attack. It began with two separate groups: 320 members of the 65th under Colonel Wyatt, with Royal Engineers on Cameron's right (the river side) and 290 men of the 12th and 14th under Colonel Austen extending the line to the British left.
British casualties began to mount as they stormed the Māori positions across the 600 m gap under heavy fire. Two colonels, Austen and Phelps, were both killed as the 12th and 14th headed for the centre of the 500m-long line; they were unaware it was the location of the redoubt, its strongest section. Two officers of the 12th made a desperate attempt to climb the earthworks, but almost every man who reached the top with the aid of ladders was immediately shot down. The repulse of the assault left about 40 British dead or wounded. Members of the 65th Regiment, meanwhile, were faltering under the withering fire, taking cover before being stirred to resume their advance. They reached the trenches at the river side of the fortification, bridged them with planks and managed to penetrate the Māori line, possibly because much of the garrison had moved to the central redoubt to fend off the attack. About 30 Māori were killed and the surviving defenders abandoned the river-facing trenches and began fleeing south. Cameron ordered the remaining company of reserves to join the 65th in attacking the central redoubt from the west and south, but the 500-strong force began to come under the same heavy fire from the redoubt and adjacent works that had stopped the 12th and 14th. One group of British found themselves cut off at the rear entrance to the redoubt. "At one time," wrote historian James Belich, "four British corpses, seven wounded men and seven unhurt men were crammed into this corner. More men were killed while trying to go to their aid."
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Battle of Rangiriri
The Battle of Rangiriri was a major engagement in the invasion of Waikato, which took place on 20–21 November 1863 during the New Zealand Wars. More than 1400 British troops defeated about 500 warriors of the Kingitanga (Māori King Movement), which was resisting the expansion of British settlement and colonial rule in the North Island. The battle cost both sides more than any other engagement of the land wars and also resulted in the capture of 180 Māori prisoners, further reducing the Kingitanga ability to oppose the far larger British force.
The British success at Rangiriri and several subsequent battles opened the Waikato basin to the British forces and the government subsequently confiscated 1.3 million hectares of land for use by settlers. In 1995 the Crown apologised for its actions.
Since early August 1863 Kingitanga forces had been fighting the British advance into Waikato territory from the so-called Meremere line, a 22 km-long line of fortifications that spread from Pukekawa to Meremere and Paparata. The defensive line commanded about 2000 square kilometres of bush and was manned by a force of up to 1500. On October 31 the British commander, Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron, landed troops on the banks of the Waikato River 15 km south of Meremere, ready to make an assault on the main fortification from the rear with a total force of 1200 men. The following day the Māori forces evacuated Meremere and retreated south to Rangiriri, their next defensive line.
Work on the Rangiriri line had begun before the fall of Meremere with a 500 m long double ditch dug between the Waikato River and Lake Kopuera. Strengthening work had continued during the earlier campaign based at Meremere, and concentrated work began in early November 1863 under the direction of Te Wharepu, a leading Waikato chief. The front line ran east–west, comprising a long trench, behind which was a parapet of banked-up earth and another trench. The trenches were between 2.7m and 4.2m deep, with the parapet between 4.2m and 6.3m from the base of the trench. Another line of defences ran south from the main line at right angles to it, facing the river to protect the line from any river-borne force. In the centre of the main line lay a small but well-protected north-facing redoubt with several lines of concealed rifle pits at its southern side. A second series of outlying works were located on a spur to the south and east of the main defence line. The defences consisted solely of earthworks, with no palisading, while the redoubt, whose low profile meant it escaped detection by Cameron on river-borne reconnaissance missions on 30 October and 18 November, was deceptively strong. (The eastern part of the double ditch and some of the outlying works were destroyed with the making of State Highway 1. From the central redoubt earthworks, Lake Kopuera is about 105 m to the east.)
Cameron commanded a battle force totaling more than 1400 men. On the morning of 20 November, he left Meremere to march up the bank of the Waikato River with about 850 men to make the frontal assault. His division comprised members of the 65th Regiment (386), 14th Regiment (186), 12th Regiment (112), Royal Artillery, Royal Navy (100) and Royal Engineers (15). A second division, consisting of 320 men of the 40th Regiment under Lieut-Colonel Arthur Leslie with another 200 seamen and marines as a backup, were transported by barge further south with the aim of gaining possession of a ridge 500 metres behind the main entrenchment and cutting off any escape. The British assault force assembled about 700 metres north of Rangiriri, with three Armstrong guns, including one six-pounder and a 12-pounder. The storming party was equipped with revolvers, Enfield rifles with fixed bayonets and hand grenades. Two gunboats, the Pioneer and the HMS Curacoa were positioned on the Waikato River.
The defending Māori force comprised about 500 men, mostly armed with double-barreled shotguns and muskets. They were from Ngati Mahuta and other Waikato sub-tribes including Ngatiteata, Ngatihine and Patupou, with outside support from Kawhia Ngati Mahuta, Ngati Paoa and Ngati Haua under Wiremu Tamihana and Tiriori. It appears Wiremu Tamihana was in the pā at the start of the battle but left after the major attacks. He was seen approaching Rangiriri after the surrender, with 400 Māori warriors which were en route to Rangiriri, but turned back after the Māori surrender the next day.
About 3pm on 20 November Cameron ordered the start of a two-hour artillery bombardment, with additional fire coming from gunboats Curacoa and Pioneer. At 4.45pm, Leslie's division had still not landed because of strong flood currents and adverse winds but Cameron—concerned about the onset of darkness and the risk that his enemy would again escape—decided to launch his southward frontal attack. It began with two separate groups: 320 members of the 65th under Colonel Wyatt, with Royal Engineers on Cameron's right (the river side) and 290 men of the 12th and 14th under Colonel Austen extending the line to the British left.
British casualties began to mount as they stormed the Māori positions across the 600 m gap under heavy fire. Two colonels, Austen and Phelps, were both killed as the 12th and 14th headed for the centre of the 500m-long line; they were unaware it was the location of the redoubt, its strongest section. Two officers of the 12th made a desperate attempt to climb the earthworks, but almost every man who reached the top with the aid of ladders was immediately shot down. The repulse of the assault left about 40 British dead or wounded. Members of the 65th Regiment, meanwhile, were faltering under the withering fire, taking cover before being stirred to resume their advance. They reached the trenches at the river side of the fortification, bridged them with planks and managed to penetrate the Māori line, possibly because much of the garrison had moved to the central redoubt to fend off the attack. About 30 Māori were killed and the surviving defenders abandoned the river-facing trenches and began fleeing south. Cameron ordered the remaining company of reserves to join the 65th in attacking the central redoubt from the west and south, but the 500-strong force began to come under the same heavy fire from the redoubt and adjacent works that had stopped the 12th and 14th. One group of British found themselves cut off at the rear entrance to the redoubt. "At one time," wrote historian James Belich, "four British corpses, seven wounded men and seven unhurt men were crammed into this corner. More men were killed while trying to go to their aid."