Battle of Ruapekapeka

Battle of Ruapekapeka
Part of Flagstaff War

The bombardment of Ruapekapeka, January 1846. Artist: Cyprian Bridge, Major, 58th Regiment
Location
20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Kawakawa
35°27′23″S 174°08′37″E / 35.4563°S 174.1436°E / -35.4563; 174.1436
Belligerents
 United Kingdom: Colony of New Zealand Māori
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Henry Despard
Tāmati Wāka Nene
Te Ruki Kawiti
Hōne Heke
Units involved

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Royal Navy

East India Company East India Co.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland British Army

Ordnance

HM Treasury

Auckland Militia

  • Volunteer Pioneers

Maori Allies

Te Ruki Kawiti
Hōne Heke
Strength
Military
68 officers + 1110 men
Maori Allies
450 warriors[1]: 67 [2]
Ruapekapeka
~ 500 warriors[1]: 67 
Casualties and losses
Military
13 killed
30 wounded[1]: 69 [2]
Maori Allies
8–10 killed
15–20 wounded[2]
Unknown

The Battle of Ruapekapeka was an engagement that took place from late December 1845 to mid-January 1846 between British forces, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Despard, and Māori warriors of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe), led by Hōne Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti, during the Flagstaff War in the Bay of Islands region of New Zealand.

The battle site was a located 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Kawakawa, which was one of the largest and most complex fortifications of its kind in New Zealand; the Ngāpuhi designed it specifically to counter the cannon of British forces.[3][4][5] The earthworks of the pā can still be seen.

A shattered Māori deck-cannon in the central pā points towards the British advanced position, (the grassed area in mid distance)
  1. ^ a b c d Collinson, Thomas Bernard (1853). "2. Remarks on the Military Operations in New Zealand" (PDF). Papers on Subjects Connected with the Duties of the Corp of Royal Engineers. New Series 3. London: John Weale: 5–69.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference NZ18460124.2.12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Best, Elsdon (1975). "The Modern Gun-fighter's Pa (from Notes Supplied by the Late Tuta Nihoniho)". The Pa Maori. Wellington: A. Shearer, Government Printer. pp. 367–376. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015 – via New Zealand Electronic Text Collection (NZETC).
  4. ^ "Gunfighter pā, c1845". New Zealand History. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Manatū Taonga. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  5. ^ "Gunfighter Pā: Mangaheia Station, Tauwhareparae Road, Tolaga Bay". Heritage New Zealand. 2022. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015.