Gate Pa April 29, 1864 Strategic Context The British land at Tauranga to establish a defensive base. In response, the Ngatirangi also move into the area to confront them. Leading the Ngatirangi, Rawiri Puhirake sends threats and challenges to provoke the British into a premature attack but they ignore them. Puhirake responds to the silence by building a pa even closer to the British, known as Gate Pa. Leading the British, Duncan Cameron first scatters the Whakatohea and Ngatiporou attacking Fort Coville and advances on Gate Pa, surrounding it soon after. Stakes + A British victory would pacify the Tauranga region. + A Ngatirangi victory would shake the confidence of the British force and delay British conquest of New Zealand. By Jonathan Webb, 2009 © No Image Available

Gate Pa, 1864 Strength  British Army  Well  Nagitirangi  Well  Duncan Cameron  235 infantry  1,700 infantry  Rawiri Puhirake By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©  17 artillery pieces

Cameron deploys his army in a ring around the pa, which Puhirake and his force are hiding within. The pa is essentially a fortified village which uses natural hill slopes as earth ramparts and timber palisades to cover a double line of trenches with individual firing pits to reduce artillery casualties. A pa also effectively uses maze-like tunnels for communications and deception. Cameron launches a lengthy artillery bombardment of Ngatirangi positions at an intensity not practiced again until the First World War. Puhirake orders his troops to restrain from firing and hunkers down with them in unseen passages. Duncan cannot understand how any force could survive such a bombardment but he is mistaken; in fact many of the British shells land wide of the pa because Puhirake has placed his flag well behind his force’s actual positions. Nonetheless, Cameron selects his best troops for an assault through a wall breached by the heavy bombardment. Cameron sends 300 infantry into the supposedly empty pa, with another 200 behind them to provide firepower and another 300 behind them to act as support. At first the pa does seem empty; the British infantry enter quickly only to find no one, so they mingle around for a few moments. Suddenly, on Puhirake’s command, the entire Ngatirangi force springs from nowhere to transform the pa’s inside into a killing zone. The Ngatirangi fire from behind corners, ceiling slits and floorboards until the British panic hopelessly and flee the pa. Cameron sends the second line to correct the situation but they too are caught up in the flight. Cameron is shocked at the dismal result of his decision but prepares for another assault. However, he is not given the chance to redeem himself as the Ngatirangi slip through the British cordon during the night. They take many of their dead and wounded and for that reason, an accurate casualty figure is impossible. Ngatirangi (Puhirake) British Army (Cameron) Ngatirangi (Rawiri Puhirake) 235 infantry British Army (Duncan Cameron) 1,700 infantry 17 artillery pieces Pa image

Gate Pa, 1864 Casualties & Aftermath British Army:Ngatirangi: 120 or 7% >26 or 11% By Jonathan Webb, 2009 © The embarrassing Ngatirangi victory devastated the minds of British officers and soldiers. In fact, the reasons for the British defeat have yet to be fully explained. The Ngatirangi moral victory was short-lived however; the Battle of Te Ranga resulted in their defeat and the death of their courageous leader, Puhirake.

The Art of Battle: Animated Battle Maps By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©