Tauranga campaign

Tauranga campaign
Part of the New Zealand Wars

Monument to Rāwiri Puhirake
Date21 January 1864 - 21 June 1864
Location
Result British victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom: Colony of New Zealand Tauranga Māori
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Duncan Cameron
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Henry Harpur Greer
Rāwiri Puhirake 
Hoera te Mataatai
Units involved

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Royal Navy

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland British Army

  Militia

  • 1st Waikato Militia

Tauranga

Strength
1700 500
Casualties and losses
44 killed and 119 wounded 98 to 123 killed and 12 to 17 wounded

The Tauranga campaign was a six-month-long armed conflict in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty in early 1864, and part of the New Zealand Wars that were fought over issues of land ownership and sovereignty. The campaign was a sequel to the invasion of Waikato, which aimed to crush the Māori King (Kingitanga) Movement that was viewed by the colonial government as a challenge to the supremacy of the British monarchy.

British forces suffered a humiliating defeat in the Battle of Gate Pā on 29 April 1864, with 31 killed and 80 wounded despite outnumbering their Māori foe, but saved face seven weeks later by routing their enemy at the Battle of Te Ranga, in which more than 100 Māori were killed or fatally wounded, including their commander, Rawiri Puhirake.

  1. ^ "March on the Enemy's Pa". The Colonist. Vol. 7, no. 683. 13 May 1864. p. 5.