Invasion of Waikato - The Paterangi Line

The Paterangi Line

The Māori may have accepted peace at this stage but the Colonial Government was still demanding the surrender of the rebels with their weapons and their acceptance of The Queen as the head of State.

Construction of a new and even more formidable defence line was begun at Paterangi, some thirty kilometers south of Ngaruawahia. By the end of January 1864 it was at least as strong as the Meremere line. However Cameron and his army merely bypassed the fortification and advanced on Rangiawahia, a major Māori population centre but, more importantly, the supply centre for the Paterangi Line. The troops were led by two local Christian Maoriknown to missionary Gorst, who guided them at night through a trail only known to locals. Cameron was probably hoping that the Māori would commit themselves to the defence of Rangiawahia thereby giving him the decisive pitched battle he was looking for, one he knew the British would win decisively. The British troops surprised the defenders, some of whom hid under a whare which is said to have been used as a church. Firing positions had previously been prepared. The defenders opened fire from loopholes in the whare. As women had been seen to enter the building they were called upon to surrender but refused. British troops then opened fire and the raupo building caught fire with most of the defenders dying in the fire.

The occupation of Rangiaowahia put the British in control of the most important kingitanga stronghold and food production territory and rendered the Paterangi Line redundant. The British began advancing on the fortifications and once again the Māori began evacuating. To delay the British advance 600 Māori threw up a defence line, north–south on the Hairini ridge using an old trench – they deepened it and put up a parapet and defended it against a British attack. This attack was carried out mainly by New Zealand rather than British forces and is the first recorded instance of infantry advancing to attack while their own artillery was firing over their heads. The NZ militia and von Tempsky's Forest Rangers led the attack and put to flight some skirmishers about 300m in front of the main trench line. The modern Armstrong guns were very accurate and poured airbursts over the Maori trenches allowing the NZ soldiers, armed with revolvers, to get into the trenches with only two killed. Once the Maori fled and they were chased by the NZ cavalry and fired on from an orchard by the Forest Rangers. Maori losses were 20 killed. The bulk of the Māori forces fled through the swamp where the cavalry could not venture.

But the British and NZ forces were still denied a decisive battle and rebel Kingitanga Maori continued to resist. They were soon to get it at Orakau which was the worst defeat of Kingitanga forces to date.