Following the disaster at the Battle of Hlobane on 28 March 1879, the forces of Colonel Evelyn Wood prepared to receive an attack by the entire Zulu impi, of which they had encountered only the leading sections.

Soon after dawn of 29 March, Transvaal Rangers rode out to locate the impi, the cattle were put out to graze and after some deliberation, two companies were despatched to collect firewood.

[6] Cetshwayo responded to pleas from the abaQulusi for aid against the raids of Wood's troops by ordering the main Zulu army to help them.

[2] The impi moved and Wood initially thought it was advancing on the Transvaal but it halted a few miles south of Kambula and formed up for an attack.

[7] The defences on Kambula consisted of a hexagonal laager formed with wagons that were tightly locked together, and a separate kraal for the cattle, constructed on the edge of the southern face of the ridge.

[7] As the troops moved to their posts they could see the Zulu right horn, circling north out of British artillery range before halting north-west of the camp.

The men rode out to within range of the massed Zulus, fired a volley and raced back, closely followed by a great wave of 11,000 Zulu warriors shouting "Don't run away Johnnie!

A small number of Zulus managed to burst into the laager and were repelled with bayonets, while the bulk of the advance was held at bay by the steady British volley fire and artillery.

Some of the Zulu force swung right to come in against the western side of the laager but were met with equally effective volley-fire.

About forty Zulu riflemen climbed to the lip of the ravine and two parties took over some huts to the east and the rubbish dump to the west, about 400 yd (370 m) either side of the camp.

The fire of the Zulu riflemen from the three positions forced most of the infantry in the cattle kraal to retreat into the redoubt and the rest to shelter at the wagons to the rear.

The cattle in the kraal hampered both sides but with Zulu pressure mounting, most of the British troops managed to extricate themselves and pull back to the redoubt, with four killed and seven wounded.

Although attacked on both sides, Wood appreciated that to the south, 5,000 Zulu could shelter in the cattle kraal, only 50 yd (46 m) away, well within charging distance.

Led by Major Hackett the men shifted a wagon from the north-east corner of the laager and formed line with bayonets fixed.

At close range the gunners bombarded the Zulu infantry with case shot, creating a killing zone in front of the laager.

[17] In 1995, Ron Lock wrote that Commandant Schermbrucker had written that, They succumbed to superior weapons and the murderous fire of big guns, but they died like brave men and good soldiers in defence of their chief country; we buried the Zulu dead with full military honours.

At Ulundi the Zulu fought another battle but without a belief in victory and the price for the British was the defeat at Hlobane the day before Kambula.

The official British estimation in the War Office narrative put the total Zulu losses of dead and wounded at "nearly 2,000".