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Africa Lost

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Also by St. Martin’s Press and SOFREP

Ranger Knowledge

Africa Lost: Rhodesia’s Coin Killing Machine

Dan Tharp and SOFREP

St. Martin’s Press (MAC LOGO) New York

[dedication information if being used on this page] AFRICA LOST. Copyright © 2013 by SOFREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. [Permissions statements]

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data (TK) ISBN 978-1-4668-4118-5 (ebook) First Edition: June 2013 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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The helicopter has become an iconic image of war. It changed the way soldiers were able to

deploy on the battlefield, dramatically reduced the mortality rate of wounded soldiers and delivers hell

fire and brimstone to the enemy. To most Americans, the Bell UH-‐1 Huey in Vietnam was synonymous

with the war itself. To the soldier in the field it was a ride in and a lifeline out.

The American military first saw its utility in the Korean War as an airborne ambulance and cargo

carrier. The technology for an offensive weapon did not yet exist. However, the British were putting the

new aircraft to good use for counter insurgency missions by the SAS and SBS in the Malayan Emergency

that was fought between 1948 and 1960. Special troops were infiltrated and ex-‐filtrated deep into the

jungle, bypassing traditional methods of troop movement with great effectiveness.

The platforms for offensive capabilities began to emerge and platforms such as the Huey and

Cobra gunships came to prominence on the battlefield. They have continued to improve and are integral

to the missions carried out today. It is a tool that our enemies fear.

With the start of the Cold War, the United States trained its military to fight against the Soviet

Union in set piece fashion. The Korean War was fought against a uniformed and recognized foe. Vietnam

threw a wrench into the status quo, yet the veterans and policy makers who had lived through and

fought World War Two tried to apply traditional methods and tactics at a guerilla army.

Late in 1965, when the first air-‐mobile teams fought in the Ia Drang valley against regular NVA

formations, they did well. It was a morale booster for the Pentagon and the public that we could insert

troops via chopper onto the doorstep of the enemy and defeat them. History then tells us about the

failure of the powers that be to further adapt methods to fight against a guerilla army. Colonel David

Hackworth recognized this early in the Vietnam War and wrote the famous ‘Vietnam Primer’. He

believed that with superior tactics and mobility we could learn to fight the VC and win by, in his words-‐,

‘Out G-‐ing the G’.

Perhaps the most innovative use of the helicopter and Special Forces in Vietnam was the

Mobile Strike Force and the lesser known Eagle Flight, a heliborne tactic to find, fix and kill the Viet

Cong.

The Eagle Flight typically consisted of 11 helicopters, six carrying paratroops and the others

acting as gunships. Soldiers were set down in strategic positions to cordon off groups of insurgents,

either closing with them on foot or being blasted from above. Due to the terrain of Vietnam, it was often

difficult to find the ideal kill zone.

While the Hot Spot for the Cold War was winding down in Vietnam, the African Continent was

waging its own war against Communism. The power vacuum left by the decolonization of several

nations allowed Soviet-‐bloc and Chinese backed revolutionaries to set up power and fight their way into

power.

A small, independent country stood alone and against the world and the Communist tide.

Battered by sanctions and abandoned over politics with the U.S. and Great Britain, the nation of

Rhodesia was enduring attacks and infiltrations of its sovereign borders. Communist Terrorists were

harboring in Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana and making incursions into Rhodesia, killing farmers,

destroying livestock, crops and creating a panic amongst the native tribes and the general population.

Backed by the Chinese and Russians, Robert Mugabe’s ZANLA and Joshua Nkomo’s ZIPRA forces,

intended on ‘retaking’ Rhodesia from the Ian Smith government and ‘restoring’ proper ownership to the

envisioned nation of Zimbabwe. Early CIA records show that the Johnson Administration recognized that

this ‘Freedom Movement’ was clearly an attempt to expand Communism. Great Britain resented the

declaration of independence of Rhodesia in 1965 and was not interested in helping the wayward nation

in retaining it freedom. Ronald Reagan addressed Rhodesia in a 1976 radio broadcast, recognizing their

fight against Communism.

The Rhodesians were on their own to preserve the land that they had cultivated into the literal

Breadbasket of Africa. From the early sixties onward, they were faced with a ruthless insurgency.

Though they offered troops in World War Two and the Malayan Emergency to their former patron,

Britain, their own standing Army was very small and their main defense force was the British South

African Police and Reservists.

It has been stated that even at the height of the insurgency, Rhodesia never had more than a

few thousand fighting men on the ground at any given time. With thousands of miles of borders to

protect, the aim of the Army was to meet problems with solutions that worked rather than adhere to

Classical doctrine for the sake of doctrine. Several soldiers that had served with the British SAS during

the Malayan Emergency understood the nature of this type of warfare and were able to help put

together an Army suited to the task. This drive to protect the only place they called home produced

concepts and soldiers that are still studied today to learn lessons that can help our current struggle

against Insurgents world-‐wide.

With the 1964 murder of the farm family of Petrus Oberholtzer by ZANU terrorists, the

Rhodesian Bush War began in earnest. Political dissidents were imprisoned and an attempt to maintain

the safety of the nation went full steam ahead. Along with reactivation of the Special Air Service in the

early 60’s, more and more men were recruited to join the Army. Rhodesia needed fighting men and

solutions to effectively stop a numerically superior force.

Constituted in 1961, the Rhodesian Light Infantry was the backbone of the Rhodesian Security

Forces. Unlike America’s overflowing man power and resources with the ability to specialize, Rhodesian

soldiers had to fill the roles of everything from Leg infantry to Special Operations capable forces. The

SAS and the Selous Scouts were formed to hit the enemy where it hurt and use pre-‐emptive force to

stop insurgents from making their way to the borders. These Special Forces operated mainly on

‘Externals’ into the surrounding countries to kill and destroy the bases from which insurgents were

launched. As the fighting intensified, the RLI would join in those External operations with astounding

success.

With so few men and limited air power, the RLI turned itself into a powerhouse of Light

Infantrymen. 1 RLI Battalion consisted of 3 Commando groups along with a Support Commando group.

The TO&E of each Commando called for 100 men. The average muster at any given time was around 70.

The Commando was divided into 5 Troops consisting of 12 man patrols. These patrols consisted of three,

4 man sticks. The Support Commando was trained in Mortars, Engineering and Anti-‐Tank Warfare. In the

field, they often acted as a regular Commando.

As the tempo of the war increased, so did the need for manpower. A worldwide recruiting

campaign ensued. Sympathetic media such as the new Soldier of Fortune Magazine focused stories on

the nation’s plight and openly wrote about the need for volunteers and how they could join the Army.

The drawdown in Vietnam left a large swathe of experienced combat veterans without a war to fight.

Amongst many Americans, there was a bitter taste in their mouths, having walked away from a 20 year

effort to fight Communism in Vietnam. It is estimated that around 300 Americans volunteered to serve

in Rhodesia.

Unlike a Forsyth mercenary novel, anyone who came to Rhodesia was required to join the

regular ranks of the Army and receive the same pay as a native born citizen. They swore an oath to fight

for the nation. It was hardly profitable. Both seasoned soldiers and civilian alike came from nations

including, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France and several others to fight

Communism. Unfortunately, not everyone who showed up came with a clean slate or the right motives.

As much as possible, impostors and trouble makers were sent packing and their passport stamped PI.

Prohibited Immigrant.

Many of the Americans and Australians that enlisted were Special Forces trained. True Cold

Warriors. Many served with distinction in the RLI, SAS and the Selous Scouts. With them came the

recent experiences of Vietnam. Though the Rhodesians themselves were tremendous innovators in

Counter Insurgency, all experience was welcomed and molded into the Rhodesian way of war.

The tactic of the Communist Terrorists, who became known as ‘Gooks’ by the early 1970’s, was

to infiltrate in packs of various sizes. The RLI set up outposts along the borders, yet it was impossible to

block every entry point. Mobility was key. The Rhodesian Air Force expanded the RLI’s capabilities.

Maintaining an Air Force is extremely expensive. Each aircraft was meticulously maintained and

stretched far beyond its recommended life span. It became obvious that Air Power would have to be

integral to its overall defense plan. In 1962 Rhodesia took into its inventory two jet aircraft types mainly

for the support of its ground forces.

The DH100 Vampire was commissioned late in World War Two and did not see action in that

war. By the end of the 1950’s, it had turned primarily into a trainer for RAF pilots. The Rhodesians had

the distinction of being the nation who would retire it 1979. The British Hawker Hunter was the second

jet aircraft taken on as an air to surface asset. Due to their irreplaceable status, the primary aircraft used

on Fire Force missions was the Cesna push pull engined Lynx. It was outfitted with twin Browning

Machine Guns along with various munitions including napalm.

Much like the A-‐1 Sky Raider in Vietnam, these aircraft were outdated in terms of the

technology available but were still useful in a counter insurgency role to deliver anti-‐personnel

ordnance. The most needed aircraft for the RLI to effectively protect its borders was the helicopter.

For airborne operations as well as transport several Dakota DC-‐3’s were bought to service the

SAS and later the RLI. They would greatly boost the number of boots on the ground during operations.

The MK-‐III Alouette helicopter became synonymous with the RLI’s Fire Force operations over the

course of the Bush War. The Alouette came into the Rhodesians inventory prior to 1965 in a limited

supply. More were covertly purchased and by the 1970’s the South African Air Force bolstered No. 7

Squadron with up to 27 extra helicopters.

Several early Air-‐Ground missions nearly ended up in Blue on Blue accidents. Small patrols

would respond to farm attacks composed of BSAP officers and RLI soldiers available then initiate a

follow up to track the attackers down. Like most nations during wartime, experience and repetition

spawned development and refinement of operations. The Army and Air Force were in a process of

learning the most efficient method of Vertical Envelopment against the ‘Gooks’, given the terrain and

limitations of their tools of war.

The first formal Fire Force duties were carried out in 1974. The war intensified in North Eastern

Rhodesia in 1972 with many attacks on white farms. So often and varied, they needed a quick reaction

force that would allow sufficient amounts of troops to Find, Fix and Finish the Terrorists. Trials were

initiated to test and evaluate Fire Force doctrines.

Parachute training would have to be expanded to the RLI as there were not enough helicopters

to ferry troops into battle. The Alouette carried Four Troopers (the Stick). Unlike the Americans who had

Leg Infantry, Paratroopers and Airborne Rangers, the RLI trooper would undertake all of these roles. By

qualifying in Air Assault and Parachute training, the delivery methods were enhanced dramatically.

The Trooper was designed for speed and mobility. Instead of being weighed down with heavy

body armor and heavy packs, they often wore shorts (up until 1977) and sneakers. The light infantry part

was taken seriously. The idea of standard issue webbing was thrown by the wayside and a dizzying array

of designs were found. Each trooper outfitted himself as he saw fit.

Their battle rifle was the Belgian made FN FAL. Weighing in at 10-‐13 pounds, it was rugged and

common in Africa at the time. The preferred bullet was NATO 7.62x51 with an effective range out to 800

meters. Twice the range of the 7.62x39 used by the opposition, it gave the well trained Rhodesian

marksmen a distinct advantage. Issued 100 rounds, bullets were used sparingly, like everything else the

sanctioned country needed and running dry without results would end up in disciplinary action.

Conscious of their rate of fire, often the bottom two rounds were tracers to remind the engaged soldier

of the impending reload. For this reason, they usually operated the rifle on Semi-‐Automatic except for

the MAG gunner.

Rhodesian soldiers were constantly exercising their immediate reaction drills while in garrison.

Fire courses were set up in thickly vegetated areas. The ‘Jungle Shoot’ comprised a walk down paths

that were lined with hidden targets concealed by the natural surroundings. This honed their ability to

make instant and accurate shots in a realistic manner.

The Cover shoot was a concept that allowed sticks to avoid the ‘spray and pray’ and conserve

their ammunition with maximal results. It taught them to identify and shoot at likely locations of the

enemy. They would view the area from which the fire came and pick the locations of cover. For instance,

most men shoot right handed. For cover behind a tree, the enemy would be located on the right hand

side. In turn, a RLI soldier would double tap that area which he viewed on the left. Anything that looked

like a concealed position was shot. With the odds and reach of the RLI soldier, he outgunned his

opponent.

The 4 man stick was a self-‐contained fire team. The two men armed with their FN FAL’s were

complemented by the Machine Gunner who carried the FN MAG with 400 rounds of 7.62x51. Fire

discipline for the gunner was strict as well. The fourth man was the Stick Leader. He was an NCO that

carried a VHF radio, 100 rounds for his FN FAL and a variety of grenades. Whether by parachute or

helicopter, they entered the fray in this formation. Needless to say, the RLI troopers often carried any

number of combinations of grenades, handguns and knives. Less attention was paid to ‘standardization’

than to effectiveness.

Reconnaissance was key for successful Fire Force Operations. For this, the Selous Scouts were

the leading source of sightings and initial battle plans. The Scouts operated in a variety of roles from

direct action missions, active recon or sitting on top of a mountain awaiting Insurgents to appear along

known infiltration routes. However the intel was received, swift reaction was the order of the day.

When the ‘Call Out’ came across the loud speaker, the Commando would move into action.

Everything the soldier or pilot needed would be queued up and ready to go. Depending on the rotation,

the soldiers would assemble in tents with their webbing and weapons prepared and ready. After a brief

FRAGO (if they were lucky; often battle plans were made enroute to the location) they would move to

their aircraft.

The initial wave of Fire Force troops would board the Alouette helicopters and lift off. Four

helicopters carried the point of the spear. The formation consisted of one K-‐Car and three G-‐Cars. The K-‐

Car was the Command and ‘Kill’ car. This served as an aerial command post with a crew of three-‐ Pilot,

Gunner/Crew Chief/Tech and the Fire Force Commander. The G-‐Cars carried a crew of Pilot and Gunner

plus the 4 man stick. The troop carriers were customized by turning the front row seats towards the

back. This facilitated a quicker exit of the chopper and allowed a stretcher to be placed on the floor for a

casevac.

The K-‐Car was armed with a 20mm 151/20 auto cannon which was devastating in the hands of

an experienced Gunner. While the G-‐Cars dropped their Troopers, the K-‐Car and Fire Force Commander

would survey the battlefield and communicate with the Stick Leaders on the ground, directing fire and

help the sticks locate and engage the enemy. Orbiting the battle at around 800 feet, the Gunner was

able to use the cannon to kill as well as fix the location of the enemy.

Often, the K-‐Car would circle the battlefield for several minutes while the FF Commander would

assess the terrain, the available troops and the likely movements of the Terrorists. If the Dak’s and their

sticks were available, this gave the Commander more possibilities for sealing up the area.

If the numbers of Terrorists were large and in the open, a call for the Reims-‐Cessna 337G Lynx to

make a bombing run, dropping anti-‐personnel munitions or napalm was made prior to insertion. The

Lynx would stay on station to employ its guns or return to base to re-‐arm.

Once the FF Commander was able to put together all of the variables he could then act. As the

war grew in intensity in the mid to late 1970’s, more men were parachute qualified and this would prove

vital to a successful operation. With the Dakota able to drop up to 20 RLI soldiers out of a single aircraft,

it was the preferred option for a large direct sweep with the G-‐Car sticks acting as stop groups for the

enemy that ran from the K-‐Car and the Sweep.

In the American Military amongst paratroopers, a combat jump is usually once in a lifetime or

generation event. In the Bush War, it was just part of the job. The ideal static line jump occurred

between 400-‐600 feet. Often times, the altitude was 300 feet or below. This could quickly turn into a

totally wrecked sweep line if the pilot made an error such as the slant of the DZ with the end of the lane

rising higher than the beginning. Astoundingly, a RLI soldier holds the official record for Combat Jumps

at 73!

Once the drop had been made, the Troopers immediately discarded their parachutes and left

them for a tail force, or ‘wanker’ group, to police them up. These men would come in via helicopter or

on troop trucks depending on the location. Stick leaders accounted for all of their troops and their

condition and then linked up with each other and the K-‐Car via Radio for instructions.

With the K-‐Car delivering cannon fire, the Terrorists would often ‘Bombshell’ or scatter away

and head for vegetation or any type of cover they could find. A skilled pilot and gunner developed the

ability to push the enemy towards the main Sweep line.

By now, the G-‐Car sticks would be heading to positions awaiting the fleeing men. Zipped up

between the K-‐Car, the oncoming Sweep and stop groups, there were few options left. In spite of all

directions being covered, it was easy to lose sight of men once they entered the bush. In many cases,

the original source of intelligence, the Scouts, were still atop their position and would give the FF

Commander locations and routes of the quarry.

In constant communication with the Commander, the Sweep would move ahead. A skirmish line

was preferred with the ability for each Trooper to have visual contact with the man to his right and left.

It was now up to the boots on the ground to close with the enemy and kill them. Some of the Terrs

would simply run as far and as fast as they could without trying to engage. Many stories have been

written about the dry creek bed that the Trooper had been posted to and the fleeing Terr meeting with

a quick death in a hail of gunfire. Often at point blank range to ensure that there was no wasting of

ammunition.

Three rules the Sweep used to enhance their safety and success were 1) to never sweep up a

hill. They would often flank to the top and sweep downwards. 2) never sweep into the sunlight. This was

the responsibility of the FF Commander when placing initial sticks. 3) Always sweep from cover into

open ground, never from open ground to cover. These were often difficult to adhere to due to the type

of terrain in Rhodesia.

Ideally, the Sweep would make contact in a relatively short time, exploiting the confusion and

speed with which the attack had come. The enemy were reportedly poor marksmen (one technique

taught to the terrorists was to put the AK over the shoulder pointing backwards and run away!). From a

distance, bullets usually cracked over their heads due to the rising propensity of the AK-‐47 on automatic.

Upon contact troopers would either drop to one knee or go prone and begin to employ the

marksmanship skills they had drilled into them. Scanning for possible cover and drilling their positions.

When they were sure of the location of the incoming fire, they would employ Fire and

Movement drills familiar to infantrymen around the world. Depending on the amount of men available

and the terrain, the Skirmish line would end up in a complete overrun of the position. The first F and M

would split the men in half with one firing while the other moved forward, leapfrogging their way

forward. The second method called for every other man to rush forward while the man next to him

covered. The third was called the Pepper Pot. From a prone position, random men would jump up and

move forward under cover of the others. This was the most difficult to counter and was most common

amongst individual sticks.

If they moved into the bush, the pace would slow and the skill set of snap shooting on the Jungle

Walk would be used. Troopers were taught to look through, not at the vegetation. It took a lot of

experience to develop an eye for spotting the enemy. Many Terrs who were ill trained and ill motivated

would simply try to hide, knowing that they were surrounded. Face to Face encounters were not

uncommon for the Rhodesian Soldier.

Once the pressure had been put upon those willing to fight, anyone not hiding, fled. Stop groups

were not always successful at bagging the last left alive, even though the FF Commander was able to

orbit the battlefield and move the stop groups to strategic exit routes. At this point another Elite unit of

the Rhodesian Army was brought in. The Tracking Combat Unit. Once ferried in, they would find the

spoor of those who made it out and track them down until they were either found or the mission called

off. So determined and keen were these men that one story stands out to the tenacity of the unit. After

an escaped Terr fled the scene of a FireForce Mission, for 3 days and 3 nights, the trackers pursued him

until the tracks stopped and he was found hiding behind a tree. He was captured and put into criminal

proceedings. He protested against the brutality of the Trackers, saying he ‘was hunted down like a dog’!

Once the shooting stopped, the work continued. All bodies were recovered and recorded.

Troopers were responsible for dragging the bodies of the men they had just killed into a central area

where members of the Special Branch could investigate and look for intelligence. Depending on the size

and length of the operation, Call Outs and Contacts could occur up to 3 times in a day.

The rotation of a typical RLI soldier would consist of 6-‐10 weeks in the bush with two weeks of

R&R. Unlike America’s wars of the present and past, Rhodesia was fighting for its home, its literal

ground underneath its feet. Should they lose the war, they would no longer exist as a nation. Motivation

was high. Many Rhodesians served in an ongoing shooting war on its doorsteps for close to two decades

and knew nothing except War and Soldiering. After Robert Mugabe took over the nation at the opening

of the 1980’s, these exceptional soldiers from the RLI and the SAS, and other elite units moved on to

provide their experience to South Africa and spend another decade fighting against Communism.

Fire Force is just one example of the Rhodesian’s COIN techniques. Even within Fire Force, there

is much more to be researched. Many fine books have been written by Military Historians and by those

who served. Two fine books written by the soldiers themselves are Chris Cocks, FireForce-‐One Man’s

War in the Rhodesian Light Infantry and Charlie Warren’s RLI-‐Stick Leader.

The Rhodesian SAS Part 1

The U.K.’s Special Air Service needs no introduction to anyone remotely interested in Military

History. However, there is much more to learn about this Elite unit when you trace its existence and

influence across the once worldwide British Empire. Much of the power of the British influence derived

from their colonies and stock of available military recruits. Even today, Australia and New Zealand have

kept the title of the SAS for their Elite units.

After the end of WW 2, the British government saw no further use for the Unit and disbanded it

in October of 1945. Within a year of that decision, a reversal was made and they resurrected the SAS

from their Territorial soldiers and continued training for future conflicts on the horizon. In 1950, Britain

committed to help the U.N. stop the aggression of Communism on the Korean Peninsula. After 3 months

of preparation, 21 SAS was given orders to Korea. During this same time period, another problem arose

in a British administered country, Mayala, that suited the Units capabilities.

In 1948, Communist Guerillas began attacking British infrastructure and challenging their rule.

These insurgents were a reconstituted arm of the British trained units to fight Japanese occupiers in WW

2. The terrain and tactics of the opposition were difficult to counter with the conventional forces in

country. Sabotage and hit and run operations began against the transportation system as well as the

lucrative rubber plantations vital to Britain. They came from the impenetrable jungle and disappeared

back into it.

The British had learned many valuable lessons in jungle warfare fighting the Japanese in South

East Asia. This training and experience still lived on in the commanders of the Malayan detachment.

With forces being committed to the Korean conflict and the need of manpower worldwide, it was

decided to make a recruiting drive for men across the Colonial Empire to try out for the SAS. Troops

were raised to fill ‘A’ squadron and ‘B’ squadron, mainly from British Territorials who were experienced

and geared up for war time deployment to Korea.

The men immediately set up headquarters for the ‘Malayan Scouts’ whose primary mission

would be reconnaissance and interdiction of the Communist Terrorists ( called CT’s ) along their known

supply routes. It was a steep learning curve for the two squadrons with jungle illnesses taking a brutal

toll.

In 1951, Major ‘Mad Mike’ Calvert who was the commanding officer of the expedition decided

to take a trip to the far away African colony of Rhodesia. Rhodesia had contributed greatly in proportion

to their population in WW 2 and a few had served in the SAS. Those lads who had felt that they had

missed their chance to fight for the Crown due to their youth during the war applied in droves. It caused

quite a stir and they cut the applications off at 1000. From those 1000 applicants, they were carefully

screened and 100 men were chosen to be a part of the Malayan Scouts and the rebirthed SAS.

Once they were chosen they were trained by two Rhodesian veterans of WW 2, Lt. Peter Walls

and Lt. Ron Campbell-‐Morrison. Both were combat experienced and were expected to be replaced by a

British commander once in country. With great fanfare and a crowd of 3000 people in Salisbury, the 100

were sent off to war. Upon arrival in the harsh jungle environment, they were faced with the reality of a

hard bitten counter insurgency campaign. Their reception was none too friendly and the men of A

Squadron made an impression on the young men. Being highly motivated and unspoiled they remained

hearty and willing to get on with the mission at hand.

As a small, self-‐contained and isolated unit is sometimes prone to, there were disciplinary

problems amongst the A squadron. While the Rhodesians did a six week work up, discipline was

restored amongst the others and several men were sent packing. The Rhodesians would be C squadron,

the unit designation that would stick with them far into the future. Also, a change of events would gear

a certain individual for a larger epoch in history. After the training course in country, it was decided that

the Rhodesians would not be split up nor have a British commander. Peter Walls would command C

Squadron for the duration. Lt. Walls would later become the Combined Operations Commander for the

Rhodesian Army during the Bush War.

The young lads had been chosen from the others for their background and attributes to work

with a team in a harsh environment. Rhodesia was a perfect place for soldiers to be born and bred.

Many of the men had grown up hunting and tracking. Tracking in Africa was an essential skill that could

not be learned overnight. But they found themselves having to learn to operate in the Jungle instead of

an open, sunlit battle space. In the Rhodesian bush, the sun would light the tracks and give them

information by the shadows created and made it easier to spot spoor, making for a quick assessment

and pursuit. Amongst the men was a youngster by the name of Ron Reid-‐Daly. His upcoming learning

experience would eventually help revolutionize counter insurgency warfare with the formation of the

Selous Scouts in the Bush War.

The canopy of the jungle blocked the sunlight causing the men to look for different spoor than

they were accustomed to. The floor of the jungle was full of rotting vegetation and oftentimes the bush

was so thick that machetes had to be used to move forward. The vegetation was as much their

adversary as the CT’s.

It was here that the lessons of Guerilla Warfare were born for the Rhodesians. This war would

not allow for the entire squadron to hack through the jungle in open pursuit of the enemy. To do so

would invite ambush and death. Small unit tactics were refined to a razors edge. Operating in small

groups from a 4 to 14 man patrol was the norm. Conventional doctrine taught that soldiers could

operate for a maximum of 7 days in the jungle. The SAS had other plans.

The enemies were not large in number but their control of the jungle allowed them to overcome

a pursuing army. C squadron’s job was to find the CT’s and take their safe havens away and then drive

them out of the bush into more conventional army units. This took patience and resolve. They would

often spend weeks at a time tracking and piecing together the intelligence that they developed. The use

of the helicopter was new and allowed men to be inserted deep into enemy held territory and hunt their

prey.

Typically, a team would insert into an area believed to be home to a band of CT’s and plot out

the areas to recon, methodically searching behind every bush for information that would lead them to

their objective. A base camp would be set up and from there, men would be sent in four distinct

directions to create a 360 degree search area. This might go on for days or weeks until they would find a

trail or a camp. Once the enemy was located, they would devise a plan for ambush. It was a rare

occasion to make an outright assault due to the small numbers of operators. Their training in

Navigation, Patrolling, Snap Shooting and Ambush were being implemented with an ever growing

proficiency.

The fresh faced lads that arrived in 1951 turned into Men of War, Jungle Fighters, Soldiers of the

Elite C Squadron of the SAS. Their reputation as solid SAS men grew amongst the British. For nearly two

years the valiant ‘100’ navigated, patrolled and battled the Communist aggression in Malaya.

Due to their skill, patience and fortitude they returned home in 1953 after nearly two years with

only three KIA. For his leadership in a merciless environment, Lt. Walls received the MBE, Member of

the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. More important than any medals of achievement or

accolades that the British gave them was the fact that a foundation was built upon which Rhodesia

could build an Elite unit on par with the rest of the world to do battle with the storm that was on the

horizon in an increasingly Post-‐Colonial Africa.


The men of the Malayan Scouts returned as Heroes to their Native Rhodesia. Filled with

experience and the haggard look of men hardened by battle, they were promptly deactivated. Rhodesia

relied mainly on the Rhodesian African Rifles, the Native Regiment led by white officers and Territorials

or Reservists for their standing Army. Like many Armies around the world, Special Operations was still

not considered useful to maintain during peacetime due to costs and time restraints.

The De-‐Colonization of Africa was still blazing across the Continent. Portugal was losing control

in Angola and Mozambique. The nature of that guerilla war gave birth to the Flecha, a COIN unit trying

to put down rebellion in Portugal’s cash cows. The winds of change cycloned around Rhodesia and the

debris began to fall into its borders.

Counter-‐Terrorist enforcement fell largely to the British South African Police who operated

inside Rhodesia’s borders. Their fundamental training was that of Policing work, not of the Infantry or a

Special Forces Soldier. Military Planners began to look ahead and revived the idea of raising a full time

SAS unit that would be able to battle Terrorist actions and fight fire with fire.

Before 1964 there was a Northern Rhodesia and a Southern Rhodesia which formed the

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In 1959, the African National Congress began to coalesce and

engaged in a campaign of physical intimidation and protests. Still under British supervision, a

commission was sent to Rhodesia to give advice. ANC leaders were jailed, cells broken up and Britain

recommended that the Federation be dismantled to appease and quell the violence. Hard line

Rhodesian Nationalists were not willing to do so and decided in favor of building a better and more

ready Army.

The raising of the First Battalion of the Rhodesian Light Infantry came to pass in 1961 along with

an Armored car squadron named the Selous Scouts (the name would later be passed onto another

legendary group) and a Parachute Detachment to become the Rhodesian SAS.

The training of the SAS Regiment began with the Parachute Evaluation Detachment. An officer

from the RAF arrived and began forming a cadre. Initial training was focused on physical fitness. After

the volunteers were brought up to standard, Parachute training commenced. Several of the volunteers

went to Britain to qualify as Parachute Instructors and six outstanding and Malayan experienced

Rhodesian officers and NCO’s were to undergo SAS training in Hereford, England.

They had little idea what to expect out of the exchange course and decided to commence

training on their own to prepare them for the rigors ahead. Daily PT and ruck marches over the most

inhospitable terrain were the prescription. They arrived in Britain more than prepared physically but

were greeted with some disdain by 22 SAS. Even though a formal training exchange had taken place, the

22 were interested in their own business. Nevertheless, the Rhodesians made themselves available and

persistent, taking every opportunity they could find to get the knowledge they had come for. They were

able to take part in another exchange the British had with the Danish. War Games were played in

quarantined areas where the population was involved much to the enjoyment of the Rhodesians.

Their three months came to an end with some time at the Rhodesia House in London, trying to

recruit men to join the Army in Rhodesia. Upon their return, they began developing firm plans on the

TO/E of the organization. It was to be six Sabre Squadrons of 17 men each with a total of 182 men to fill

the ranks. It was a tall order and much of it would be morphed to fit the African continent.

The location would prove to be a troublesome issue in the future but for now, Ndola in Northern

Rhodesia was to be the home of the SAS. In some ways, the remote location allowed the men to train

without distraction but the morale plummeted as there was nowhere for the men to enjoy their off

hours. High strung men training to a razor’s edge for combat combined with boredom caused trouble in

the ranks.

In spite of the political decision to station the SAS in the North, the OIC’s began recruiting and

formulating a selection plan. Based off the principles learned in Hereford, they decided that their SAS

selection course would consist of man vs. the toughest terrain that they could find. Selection was mainly

held in the Matopos mountain range, a geographical oddity consisting of rocky hills and outcrops and

wooded valleys.

Every recruit would be pressed to his limits. They were constantly encouraged to quit, forced

into situations that quitting would easily solve their problems of the moment. Outrageous endurance

marches were routine. As a consequence, the failure rate was extremely high. So much, that they re-‐

evaluated what they were doing. The British would only consider men 23 years of age or older and 3

years’ service with a regular Army unit. The Rhodesians had such a small army that they were forced to

allow 17-‐18 year olds to try out in hopes of upping the numbers. Not much changed after evaluation and

they continued the torturous training.

Much like the Navy SEAL’s BUD/S course, the Selection determined the physical and mental

suitability before any combat training was given. Once off of Selection they were then sent on for basic

military skills of the SAS trooper. Navigation, First Aid, Weapons, Demolition, Unarmed Combat, etc. The

next part of their training was the Parachute course. After earning their jump wings, the final test was

the ‘All in’ Exercise where troopers were put through a mission that required them to successfully

employ all the skills that they had learned. Once passed, they were able to don the sand colored beret,

SAS jump wings and the blue Stable belt.

Training never ended, like all other Special Forces Units. Every Squadron sent men all over the

country for training in various skills to complete the Unit’s in-‐house capability. In 1962, the UK and

Rhodesia entered into an agreement for a Sabre to attach themselves to the British for exercises in the

Arabian Peninsula. This was a risky endeavor with some of the men having won their beret weeks

before. It proved to be a positive experience and a huge confidence builder as they operated alongside

the seasoned Brits. Their navigation skills were honed even beyond what the African continent could

throw at them.

The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Britain were at loggerheads and knee deep in

politics. Literally surrounded by violent African Nationalism that was inspired and supported by China,

the Soviet Union and Cuba, Britain wanted to keep the peace in Rhodesia. It was decided that the

Federation would split apart. The British gave independence to Northern Rhodesia which became

Zambia and Nyasaland became Mali. However, Southern Rhodesia was still under British Rule.

This presented a severe problem to the SAS, headquartered in Northern Rhodesia. As with the

land, the Federal Army was carved up too. Southern Rhodesia inherited the Air Force and the RLI. It was

clear that Northern Rhodesia had no need of a highly selective, all White unit. The soldiers themselves

were allowed to decide what they wanted to do. They could stay with the men of the Northern Rhodesia

Regiment who were making attractive offers to these specially trained soldiers, take a Golden

handshake, or head south to the Army there. The problem for the SAS soldier who went South was that

there was little to no bonus offered, nor a guarantee that there would even be an SAS for them. This

was difficult due to the fact that most of the SAS had come directly into an elite unit and few had the

mind to make the military a career. It was SAS or nothing.

Many of the young men, not seeing the future wildfire on the horizon, chose to make some

money by staying on in the north. In the end only 31 SAS troops moved to Southern Rhodesia. In spite of

this sudden land mine set off in the midst of building an elite unit, the groundwork had been laid once

again for Southern Rhodesia to ‘Turn to’ the world and begin a battle for its literal life.


Note to Readers-‐

With the root background of the Rhodesian SAS C Squadron having been explored, it is time to

focus on a few of the missions that they undertook against the backdrop of a War on Terror. A war thats

aim was to destroy the Government of Rhodesia, take the land and evict those of European descent.

There are resources available (though hard to find) that follow the actions of the SAS over the course of

a decade of constant contact with the enemy. With that amount of time elapsed, it would be impossible

in this format to do justice to All of the men who served and their combat records. Not to mention the

hundreds of actions taken by the SAS.

Rhodesia Against the World

Just as Britain had carved up the Federation, they also made demands on the people of

Rhodesia. They wanted to govern a people from London that had carved out their living from the

wilderness of Africa. Although no formal form of Apartheid existed in Rhodesia, the British declared that

Rhodesia must immediately give up white Majority rule. Unlike South Africa at the time, Native Africans

were part of the Ian Smith government. The Rhodesians themselves were working towards integration

of Blacks into a larger segment of politics and the economy. The Tribal Trust Lands were administered

and provided for by the government. Ironically, the war would take a higher toll on the Black Rhodesians

than the Whites as the Communist Terrorists slaughtered thousands of Shona and Matebele men,

women and children. Smith believed it would be disastrous to turn over the government to a people not

yet integrated into the work or education necessary to govern a nation.

The demands from Britain led to the Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Great Britain.

Rhodesia declared itself free from being ruled as a Colony and would go it alone. The British immediately

retaliated with sanctions on oil and other commodities in an attempt to strangle them into submission.

Fortunately, there were a few allies that defied the United Nations to help Rhodesia in its struggle.

South Africa was a stalwart ally, along with Israel and a few other Middle Eastern countries.

Much of the desire for Independence revolved around the Communist influences making

headway into Africa. A western worldview was incompatible with allowing their enemies to gain

strength by altogether allowing Communist African Nationalists to run the government.

They would have to go to war alone. On a personal note, as I have discussed the war with

several veterans of Rhodesia and South Africa, I have marveled at the amount of time being deployed. In

many ways it is different than the current War on Terror, in that, they had no place to rotate home to.

Many veterans spent over 15 or more years on active duty, enduring hundreds and hundreds of

firefights. The answer is always the same, ‘We had no choice, it was our home and we had nowhere to

go.’

With the UDI and the service that these soldiers from the RLI, SAS to the Selous Scouts, I am

reminded of another country in its first hundred or so years declaring independence from Britain and

ending up in a war because of it……

Directly after the break from Britain, Rhodesia took matters into their own hands at stopping

the Communist Insurgency on its borders. They were no longer worried about their Overlords looking at

their military actions and condemning them to suffer outright murders of their citizens. It was decided

that rather than catch a crook in their home, they would hunt them down on their own territory and

prevent them from ever getting into Rhodesia.

ZANU, supported and trained by the Communist Chinese had begun infiltrating from Zambia.

Crossing the mighty Zambezi River and Valley, they were getting deeper and deeper into Rhodesia. A

horrifying event finally tipped the anger of the country and caused them to use their finest tool of war.

In May of 1966, Johannes and Barbara Viljoen, farmers with children, answered a knock at the door.

They were shot dead and mutilated. The anger of the nation turned on these Terrorists.

Six years of preparation by the SAS was put into action. Prior to this, they were involved in

Border Interdiction and tracking down small bands of Terrorists causing mayhem. Working with Police to

round up and jail people was underutilizing the capabilities of the SAS. A plan was formed to travel to

Lusaka in Zambia and blow up the ZANU headquarters. Up until this mission, only Senior NCO’s were

involved in any type of cross border reconnaissance activity. Such a small group provided experience

behind enemy lines but also limited the experience of others.

The plan proceeded in October and ended in disaster. The explosives they took with them

malfunctioned before they were able to infiltrate Zambia and killed several of the NCO’s. The Alouette

sent to recover the bodies also suffered malfunction and crash landed.

After review, a better plan was instituted and became the first of many External Operations.

Called Operation Sculpture, the mission was the same. Infiltrate ZANU’s headquarters and destroy

documents and anything else vital to their organization. They would infiltrate by light aircraft, meet an

agent who would take them into Lusaka, drop them off and pick them up afterwards.

After weeks of rehearsing, it was a go. The men gathered their explosives and small arms,

dressed in civilian clothing and flew into Lusaka’s airport. The pilot taxied down the runway and when it

turned to take off again, the Operators jumped out and fled into the bushes. The agent showed up and

drove them into town and into an unforeseen problem. Outside of the headquarters, several factions of

ZANU were fighting in the streets. This was an intelligence failure, not having eyes on target. The men

decided to give it a go and exited the vehicle.

They hoped that the chaos outside the HQ would allow them to secretly enter the building while

guards were watching the fighting in the streets. The leader of the team made every effort possible to

find a way into the building but it was airtight. With this failure, it was decided that they would abort

and fly home. The agent picked them up on time and drove them to the fence of the airport. Nerves set

in badly as the pilot was late. When he finally showed up, they frantically flashed pen lights at him. Once

aboard and returned to Rhodesia, a series of changes were made to external operations.

As most fledgling and isolated organizations do, they had to learn from experience. The first

thing that needed to be enhanced was intelligence. Had a man been in Lusaka, they would never have

risked going in knowing that fighting was taking place outside their target. Second, they were without

high frequency communications. They were blind and deaf, relying on trust for each person to be where

they were supposed to be, on time. Thirdly, they had no SHTF plan. If they had to go into escape and

evasion mode, what would they have done to safely reach Rhodesia? The SAS were bold men but they

needed to be operationally sound to attempt cross border operations in the future.

The SAS continued to focus attention on the Zambian border area. ZANU and later ZIPRA would

use the country as a platform to stage their incursions into Rhodesia. Being remote and sparsely

populated, it was an ideal place in theory to cross over. The problem with this action was the terrain

itself. The Zambezi Valley is hot, dusty, sparse in water and vegetation. Often times, the Valley did the

work the soldiers were for. Nature simply killed Terrorists off before they could inflict harm.

The SAS with the help of the RLI and the Air Force’s Alouette Helicopters began to own the

battle space. On constant rotations in and out of the area, Operators became adept at using the Valley

to their advantage. The art of tracking again became a foundation skill of the SAS trooper. Those that

excelled at it formed Tracking Teams that would continue to be useful throughout the war.

On patrol or following a call out, the Troopers could continue on with resupply of water and

food, whereas, the Terrorist could not. The valley was mapped in detail, accounting for every water hole

and known footpath that could be used by Terrs. Many ZANU men were laid to rest by an ambush that

lay waiting for them as they kneeled to fill their canteen with water. In essence, the SAS neutralized the

Terrorists by harnessing the Zambezi valley’s harshness and leading their quarry to slaughter.


With the 1960’s closing and the success rate of incursions into Rhodesia from Zambia dropping

to practically zero, both African Nationalist groups ZANU and ZAPU looked for alternatives. To the East

of Rhodesia lay the nation of Mozambique. Both countries had established a good relationship and

many Rhodies went to the beaches along the African coast on Holiday. Yet, Mozambique became

gripped by Russian inspired anti-‐colonialism and FRELIMO sprouted to fight its Portuguese masters. The

SAS was instrumental in helping their government learn to fight against the insurgency.

With its recent experience in the Zambezi Valley, it dispatched troops to help hunt down

FRELIMO and to keep the war inside Mozambique’s borders. The SAS men were paired with mainly

conscript troops whose only desire in life was to get out of the Army and not get killed. Though the SAS

men were there as Advisors, it usually ended up in the Operators chasing down the Communist

Terrorists themselves.

This was good experience for the men as the terrain was vastly different and required enhancing

their skills in rainy, mountainous and jungle environments. ZANU and ZAPU were looking to operate in

the North of Mozambique and flow down into Rhodesia. Initially FRELIMO wanted to work with the

Soviet aligned ZAPU but the offer was not acted upon. As the action intensified, FRELIMO wanted

someone to work with them and in turn, they would allow access to Rhodesia. ZANU acted upon the

offer and the war began to take on a higher and more violent tempo.

As ZANU gained more recruits and an easier infiltration route, the SAS spent the majority of its

time in Mozambique, hitting the Terr’s bases, supply, and infrastructure hard. ZANU began to gain

steam in Mozambique mainly due to their Maoist ideology. Rather than the ironfisted ZAPU way, they

mixed with the locals, gained their trust and turned them into guerilla fighters. ZAPU was still persistent

to the North and the vigilance and daring of the SAS was necessary.

Time and experience was mounting for the senior men of C Squadron. Rather than shock troops,

the officers instilled into the men that they were the eyes and ears of the Army. Missions involved Deep

Range Recce’s, infiltrating through HALO or chopper, building a picture of what they were dealing with.

A game of cat and mouse began to emerge with recce missions that helped build a support plan for

larger groups to assault Terrorist camps, supply lines and other patrols. They developed the skill of the

Ambush very well. With a tradition of tracking in the heart of the Army, they used their knowledge to

run the enemy in circles until they made a mistake. Harassment of the enemy heightened as intelligence

grew. Rarely did they go External without leaving presents for pursuers or the random patrol to step on

and blow their limbs apart.

External missions followed a proven pattern. An area was decided on and pathfinder units

would locate an acceptable Drop Zone. The numbers of men dropped varied dependent on the area

covered. At night, the Operators would HALO into the DZ and then store their parachutes in plastic bags

to be picked up on extraction. The Sabre would split up into small patrols, usually 4 to 6 men and fan out

to their assigned areas. The teams would not see each other again for up to 6 weeks. If all went well,

they would be resupplied every 14 days by helicopter with food, water and ammunition. This was the

rotation that lasted throughout the war. Six weeks in the bush with 10 days back in Salisbury.

This took a heavy toll on the men. Often times a fit soldier might lose up to 20 pounds over the

course of a trip. Working in the northern bush of Mozambique was slow and rough. From malaria to

scrapes turning septic, great care was taken with their personal health. Few married men sustained the

tempo as it was brutal on relationships.

Once in the bush, the patrol would cover their AO with precision and patience. They were

constantly discovering new camps, supply lines and civilians who were unable to be trusted. Along with

wearing the kit of the enemy, it was mandatory that they wore a black colored cream called ‘Black is

Beautiful’ on all of their exposed skin. From a distance, they could be passed off for ZANU or FRELIMO

patrols but would never hold up to close interaction.

Anti-‐Personnel mines were a double edged sword. The area was littered with them. Detailed

logs were kept but planting at night or in an area hard to map, each step was taken deliberately. When it

came to the men planting them, they would usually only do so when being pursued or were sure that it

would discharge very soon after.

The enemy greatly outnumbered the small call-‐signs. Once the enemy was sure that the SAS had

penetrated the area, at minimum, 30 men were sent out to pursue them. Knowing their area and

evasion and ambush tactics was an all important skill. Several Americans had come from their recent

service in Vietnam. Even Elite members of American Special Forces were forced to think and operate

without the option of Air Cover. In Vietnam, a pinned down team could call fast movers on station for a

quick napalm strike to cut down pursuers or a hot extract. Only in dire emergencies would a helicopter

or strike aircraft be launched.

While Mozambique increased the intensity and magnitude of the war in the East, ZAPU was still

actively trying to breach the northern border. The early days of infiltrating entire companies of men

across the Zambezi all but halted so they turned to their Russian advisors for help. ZAPU began to build

an infrastructure inside Rhodesia with arms caches and networks across the Matabele Tribal Trust

Lands. It was easier to slip in in small numbers and regroup for Terroristic activities.

In 1974, the Special Branch of the Rhodesian Army noticed oddities that were further

investigated. With a tremendously lucky break in intelligence, they were able to capture the ring leader

and all of his henchmen. Caches were tracked down and the infrastructure was crushed. Being in the

Northern part of the country, the SAS was called into recce out the bases from which these supply lines

originated. That meant more External Ops. Seasoned Lt. ‘Shulie’ was tasked with this mission. He and

three other men crossed over into Zambia near Victoria Falls. Blackened up and dressed out in full Terr

uniforms and arms, they began to move into the bush prepared for a six week trip. They moved, lay up

and listened. After two nights they heard the sounds of gunshots. At first, they did not know if they had

been compromised and went to ground. Noting the sound of the rifles being high powered, they knew

that the shots were not civilian. It was likely a hunting party trying to bag something to eat.

Not long after, their suspicion was confirmed as they heard a heavy truck motor away. ZAPU

was supplied with Military Hardware by the Russians and operated in a more conventional manner than

ZANU and more readily identified. The men set off to track its destination. The men were spread out in

the bush and had malfunctioning radios, when another shot went off. The two men in the rear thought

for sure someone had been shot and followed protocol to avoid capture and headed back to their RV

point. Shulie had no way to communicate that he was fine and he and another were left to follow up.

The spoor that they picked up kept leading them east. They edged into a site where the men

who fired the shots had been. It was abandoned. This was not the camp, probably just a resting site.

After a couple of more indications of Terr activity, they set up an OP on a hill in the area. For two days

they observed the area. With great disappointment, their next radio communication ordered them back

into Rhodesia. They grudgingly complied.

The intrepid LT was back in the area 3 weeks later determined to find the camp. More traffic

could be seen moving east. After a couple of days and nights they found a group of men in civilian

clothing working diligently with picks and shovels. Being about a kilometer away and short on rations,

Shulie decided to get up close by himself. He left his two team members in a well hidden ravine and

crawled to within 150 meters of the men working. His initial instinct was that they were civilians doing

road work along the track but when a 4 ton military truck came for the group, he realized they were

ZAPU. It was out of the normal for one of their men to be out of uniform.

He reckoned that this was an underground cache, much harder to find from aerial

reconnaissance and difficult to destroy. Shulie made it back to his men and they crossed back over to

Rhodesia. Initially the Higher Ups were upset that an attack had not been made on the site, especially by

SAS troopers. Shulie’s superior backed him up saying that they would have a more fruitful mission if they

allowed ZAPU to build more infrastructure and fill the cache with weapons. A plan was made. Aerial

reconnaissance followed the buildup of the camp over several weeks’ time. When it was felt that the

new camp was ripe for slaughter the SAS went to work. They had employed their skills in infiltration,

patient and relentless reconnaissance and now were going to use their Direct Action ability.

43 men were chosen for the assault. This was the largest External into Zambia since the war

started. The LT had just spent time in the hospital due to jaundice. But he was back onto the mission as

he was needed to pinpoint the location. The SAS had a Command Post in the area that had been used

several times prior. It was here that the mission would be overseen.

Shulie and the three Stop Group commanders went in. He showed them where they should

place their troops and did another day of surveillance. The next night the remaining 39 Assaulters used

Zodiac boats to cross the river and make their way to the target. All seemed well.

Back at the CP, the OIC and his HQ group lay down for the night. Around 0200 hours, a new

guard shift took place. From the stillness of the night AK-‐47 rounds ripped through the CP tents injuring

several men. As swiftly as the men had attacked, they disappeared. The SAS men did not give chase and

decided not to tell the Assault team fearing they would abort and come back to help with the wounded.

It was surmised that ZAPU men had seen them from across the river or that livestock herding boys had

reported it to Terrs who took advantage of the mistake of basing up in one spot one too many times.

All Assaulters RV’d on a rise overlooking the camp. The Mopani trees had lost all their leaves and

there was no shade. They would have to sweat that day out in the heat. As night came again, they set up

for the assault. Two elements would come from the north and sweep the escapees right into a well

emplaced stop group. Hammer and Anvil.

The dawn began to break and the gray sky provided just enough vision to see ( Night Vision

Goggles were a thing of the future. They only had Spotting Scopes similar to what the US had in Vietnam

). All groups in place, Shulie was to give the opening shot. A guard started walking towards them for an

unknown reason and the LT put him down, then all hell broke loose. Working in pairs, the Assaulters

went from hut to hut clearing ZAPU scum from the earth. As one soldier saw the last two tracers of his

mag, he yelled, ‘Reload!’, while the other kept firing. Methodically clearing the camp, the majority began

to flee south directly into the stop groups. One man was shot in the chest as he charged at the SAS

trooper with fixed bayonet. The man tumbled to within a step of the soldier. One man who was

wounded cried out, I’m dead, I’m dead. Needless to say someone hastened this realization.

Minutes and 2500 rounds later, All Clear was prounounced. Now, for the cache, after some

searching, they found the trap door under three feet of soil and opened up the largest jackpot of the

war. Millions or rounds, mines, rifles, expolsives, everything to outfit hundreds of soldiers was in a

cement reinforced fortress that was large enough to turn a military truck around in. After everyone got a

look and took back rifles and mines that they could find useful, inventory began. The task was so large

that it was disbanded and the demolitions men began stringing together charges that would destroy all

of it.

Every dead body was searched and recorded. Amongst the intelligence found was a detailed

plan of attack on the Infantry School in Gwelo, near Salisbury. Men began to lay landmines and some

booby traps for the inevitable investigation of the incident by ZAPU. Time was ticking and the groups

moved out and back towards Rhodesia. The head Engineer finally declared it ready to blow and after

they were beyond the prescribed 500 meters, they blew it. It was the largest explosion the men would

hear or see through the entire course of the war. The mushroom cloud was seen 56 miles into Rhodesia.

At the CP, the ground rumbled and the river rippled. Closer to the explosion, men were literally thrown

off their feet headfirst. The secondary explosions and exploding rounds continued for hours. Operation

Big Bang had thwarted the supply for hundreds of soldiers to slip into Rhodesia and easily be resupplied.


The Cockleshell Heroes

In the mid 1970’s, much effort was being put into strangling northern Mozambique. More and

more ZANU Terrs were based there in the Tete Province. The relationship that ZANU had with FRELIMO

made Mozambique a very difficult area to operate in, especially over a prolonged period. Captain

Robert Mackenzie, an American who had served with the Rhodesian SAS after the Vietnam War was

tasked to find new ways to harass and interdict the enemy and remain undetected. He focused on Lake

Cabora Bassas, a man made lake along the Zambezi river in the Cabora Bassas Gorge. It was in the

northwestern part of Tete Province and was within a day or two’s march to several infiltration routes

into Rhodesia.

Canoeing was part of the SAS history and specialization in the area led to the formation of the

British Special Boat Service. Cockle was slang for canoes. In 1942 the British Commandos pulled off a

raid in German occupied France using canoes, hence Cockleshell Heroes. But Rhodesia was a landlocked

nation and they had not done much in the way of waterborne training. Mackenzie believed that they

could use the remote coasts of the Lake to provide hide sites and the Canoes would allow them to travel

quickly and silently to land sites near their targets. After their work was done, they could silently slip

away and leave no tracks back to their hide.

A 12 man team went to work practicing with the canoes, deciding on how to best load them,

recovery drills, navigation, etc. The men set out with a long drive to remote north eastern Rhodesia

along mine littered dirt roads rather than by helicopters that might be seen or heard from a greater

distance. On that January sunset of 1977, they put their canoes into a tributary river that led to the Lake.

After navigating the crocodiles and hippos and spending a day laying up due to a capsize and puncture

of the canoes, they reached the Lake and paddled along to their proposed base of operations.

The small island was extremely muddy with little shade but isolated far from any villages or

trails, inaccessible except by a water craft. With a planned six weeks, they set up the first camp with care

and concealment, trying to make arrangements for the following resupply of more ammunition and food

that was impossible to bring on the canoes. The resupply came with good food but nothing in the way of

ammunition. Mackenzie, adaptable, set up another parachute drop soon and the men got to the

business of fighting the enemy.

A four man stick was dropped off on the mainland to lay some land mines along targeted tracks.

They moved cautiously and slowly to their drop off point. After laying the mines, they took off their

boots to leave little in the way of spoor and counter tracked back to the pickup point. They shot off a

flare and fellow troopers retrieved them from the banks. The next morning a large explosion echoed

across the hills. There was definitely activity in the area. Radio intercepts from Intelligence in Salisbury

caught transmissions on the explosions. They had killed the 2 OIC of a nearby FRELIMO garrison.

The men decided to change their campsite frequently to throw off any pursuers who might gain

an idea that the men were on the lake. Each night, recces were done and targets analyzed. A series of

successful raids and ambushes followed, including destroying 21 enemy boats in a harbor. Both

FRELIMO and ZANU suffered at their hands. They appeared at random places then displaced like

phantoms. The body count rose as their mining and ambushes went off successfully in an area that was

considered safe by the enemy. With the Daring and Initiative of the SAS, a new set of tactics were put in

motion.

The Rhodesians helped set up a counter revolutionary group inside Mozambique to help take

pressure off their borders, named RENAMO. To this day, the who, what, when, where, and why’s are

shrouded in either secrets or stories stored away in Operators memories. When they joined together,

they were able to penetrate all the way to the Indian Ocean and raid oil refineries on the coast.

These are but two of the missions of an organization that fought for over 15 years against

enemies of Rhodesia. It is impossible to chronicle the entire operational history of the SAS in article

form. Up until the end, the men lived up to the motto ‘Who Dares Wins’.

South Africa was a staunch ally, though in Top Secret mode, providing fuel, helicopters and

pilots. They sent a group of their own Special Forces, the Recces, in the form of a highly classified unit

known as the Rhodesian SAS D squadron to gain experience and put more pressure on the Terrs inside

Mozambique. This unit’s story will be left for another time.

After the close of the Bush War in Rhodesia in late 1980, the SAS was promptly disbanded.

However, many of the operators already had planned for that eventuality and went to work for their

allies in South Africa. This transition and the strategic planning of South Africa is an incredible story and

will hopefully be told in the future.

In researching the Rhodesian SAS, it has turned out to be a difficult undertaking. There are so

many men who did so much that is unknown and remains with the men themselves that full justice has

not been done to record their history. One of the Primary resources used for this article was ‘The Elite’

by Barbara Cole. It is long out of print and sells for hundreds of dollars. It shares over 400 pages of

information on the Unit and Missions of the SAS. Some controversy surrounds this book, however. It

was written by the wife of an officer in the SAS and the stories include a lot of that officers exploits and

those close to him. Many, many people’s names are not mentioned nor their missions detailed.

Whatever the case, we as military history enthusiasts can only hope the veterans share their stories and

put them to print like Keith Nell, author of Viscount Down.

The story of the Rhodesian SAS is a case study of special operations and the ingenuity, fortitude

and pure guts of men who fight for love of country and their fellow soldier.

The Selous Scouts

Amongst the Special Operations Forces of the Rhodesian Army, by far the Selous Scouts

have garnered the most interest and discussion. The Unit has recently received much more

attention by general military buffs, all the way up to active duty professors at West Point,

Annapolis and even Ft. Leavenworth’s War College. This attention is a result of the current

GWOT and the military’s need to find ways to enhance their COIN capabilities. From the

Banana Wars of the early 20th Century to the Mau Mau uprisings in the 1950’s Kenya to

Rhodesia’s and South Africa’s wars of the 1970’s and 80’s against Communist Insurgents, the

Selous Scouts stand out as perhaps the most successful of all modern forces in effectively

penetrating and killing Terrorists.

Even to this day, many of the Selous Scout’s operational details are kept secret both by

choice as well as the passing away of members of the Unit. To say that they generated

controversy in Rhodesia and worldwide is an understatement. Robert Mugabe’s Marxist

paradise, Zimbabwe attempts to block access to any information on the Scouts both online and in

print. Upon Mugabe’s ascension to power in the former Rhodesia, the Unit was promptly

disbanded and their Operators targeted for deportation or killing.

This relatively small unit accounted for 68 percent of all kills of ZANLA and ZIPRA

terrorists during the Bush War, either directly or by Reconnaissance missions that pinpointed the

location of groups of enemy and calling in the RLI and RAR for Fire Force missions. All things

considered and the small size of the unit, this is a phenomenal number. Combining the above

information, it is easy to see why lessons from their history and TTP’s are being studied in

earnest. Fortunately, a few members of the Selous Scouts, including an American, have written

about their experiences and helped sift through ‘legend’ and fact. Although the enemy and

terrain are different, their strategic concepts are still vibrant for any military fighting a COIN

campaign.

The Beginning

The hallmark of the Selous Scouts was Psuedo-Terrorist Operations. The intent was to

infiltrate the enemy without them knowing it. That sounds very simplistic but it was a vital

strategic prong in Rhodesia’s War on Terror. The RLI, Rhodesian African Rifles and

Independent companies of the Rhodesian Regiment were available to meet the enemy on open

fields of battle. The SAS took the fight out of Rhodesia and into surrounding countries on

External Operations that hit the Terrs where they based up and launched their forces into

Rhodesia, shutting them down before they could cross the border.

The Selous Scouts essentially fought the war in a manner that engaged the enemy either

from the rear or spontaneously erupted in the midst of the rank and file on both sides of the

border. The enemy termed them ‘Skuz’apo’. This roughly translated means ‘Excuse me while I

put the knife in your back’. These are the words you would hear from a criminal holding your

wallet after he had robbed or harmed you. Such was the psychological impact that the Scouts had

on the Terrorists mindset. They were never sure if the group who wandered into a kraal were

comrades or a Selous Scout who intended to take their life. It was a new level of Psychological

Warfare.

The beginnings of the Scouts did not come from Army Staff Officers. The British South

African Police (BSAP) and the Special Branch (SB), which was the intelligence element of

BSAP envisioned an operation that would have black soldiers or constables roam freely with the

enemy and gain intelligence for combat operations. In time, SB would come under the control of

the Central Intelligence Office ( CIO ) and the Intelligence arm of the Rhodesian Army. Many

Constables of BSAP had experience in Kenya and other Southern African countries that dealt

with insurgencies as the Colonial Rule of the British Empire began to wane. Pseudo gangs

operated in the Mau Mau insurgency in Kenya during the 1950’s uprisings. Black constables

were able to penetrate the gangs and help the British fight the insurgents.

Early on in the Bush War, the main focus was on the northern avenues of approach and

infiltration by Terrorists from Zambia and Botswana. The RLI and the SAS were able to gain

control of this area due to their skill as well as the harsh environment of the Zambezi Valley. To

the East lay Mozambique, a colony of the Portuguese. They were dealing with their own

Colonial breakdown there and in Angola. Rhodesia had maintained a good structured and

strategic relationship with the colonial power. However, in the early 1970’s FRELIMO began a

communist backed civil war and Portugal cut its losses and ran for cover. Up until that time, the

Rhodesian SAS had run external operations independently and as advisors to Portuguese

soldiers. Reports from those missions were not favorable and it was obvious that the country was

soon to fall. When it did, that opened up a whole new front of 600 plus miles of borderland to

patrol and protect. ZANLA seized the opportunity and moved into the northern section of

Mozambique, broadening their AO.

As time wore on, ZIPRA too, moved south all the way to the South African Border

through Mozambique. Rhodesian manpower was stretched to its absolute limits. Every mission

every man, every bullet, needed to have a maximum impact and intelligence needed to be raised

to a new standard in order to support the effort. With a small Air Force, Rhodesia could not

depend on strategic bombing of terrorist bases and groups. In Vietnam, Americans had the

advantage in the sky and an endless supply of bombs and planes. Pinpoint strikes could hold off

an advancing force on the smallest of Recon units and lift their men out of harm’s way. The men

on far reaching External Operations fought the war on foot, soldier to soldier. This is perhaps the

reason that the Special Forces of Rhodesia have become legendary. Operating in groups down to

a single man, it was the cunning and skill of the Selous Scouts and others that won them the day

on the battlefield, only to succumb to Politics at the sundown of Rhodesia.

Early experiments

With new tasks at hand, new tactics needed to be implemented. The Eastern border area

was named Operation Hurricane. Eventually, the whole country would be divided into their own

Operational Commands. As the Terrs moved into Northern Mozambique, intelligence was vital

to stopping them cold. A difficult prospect, as the Tete province in the northwest part of

Mozambique offered several natural routes of infiltration. SB in the area around Mt. Darwin and

Centennary region in the northeast of Rhodesia started to brainstorm and offer up solutions to the

intelligence problem.

Infiltrating an all-black area with white soldiers posed an obvious problem of appearance.

Fortunately, the SB collected captured Terrs and several of them went to work for the

Rhodesians. Loyalty was the initial worry for SB and the Army. Over the years, more often than

not, the captured men proved to be very reliable in working against their former comrades.

This is a subject that is often perplexing to the modern mind in our GWOT. To find a

Jihadist that is willing to turn to the infidel’s side and go into a war zone is a gem. Some believe

that it is the religious nature of the Jihadist’s cause that prevents more of them from turning. In

the Bush War, it was political ideology and capturing wealth that was the basis for war. The

Selous Scouts and the SB were ever increasingly adept at plying the Psychological Warfare trade

as well.

The SB developed a tried and true method of vetting a possible candidate for Pseudo

Operations. Insurgents captured on the field of battle were immediately turned over to SB and

Military Intelligence. They were whisked away from the battlefield and the harsh living

conditions of the bush, which would be a shock to the system. Any type of wound was cared for

just as well as any member of the Rhodesian Forces. Contrary to what they had been taught, they

were surprised and relieved that they were not summarily shot. Going from the poverty of the

Bush Camps to a first world environment caused the captured Terr to reassess his situation. The

first person to visit them would be a proven Turned/Tamed Terrorist or TT. This man would lay

out the situation to the prisoner. He could remain loyal to his Communist cause and be tried by a

court of law and hung from the gallows or he could join the Rhodesian cause. Along with a much

higher rate of pay, their family could be taken care of and they would also be working with some

of their former Comrades. To motivate the men to work diligently and hard, a bounty was

offered for each Terr that was killed or captured. Money is a universal language spoken across

cultures.

Though a few went to the gallows, more often than not, they weighed their options and

agreed to turn. They were quickly deployed back to the field to drum up intelligence. This test

was the most important of all. When a TT helped to locate and kill his former Comrades the deal

was sealed. If they were willing to help extinguish the lives of the men that he had recently

fought side by side with, it was unlikely he would ever return to the Insurgency.

When going into operational areas, the TT’s would need to be led by senior ranking white

members of the Army. The earliest men up to the job were two SAS men, Andre Rabie and

Stretch Franklin. Both were fit operators who had the near native linguistic skills to operate with

the locals. After agonizing and painstaking planning the men began operating with their Pseudo

group. They gained successes that proved the idea could work in this war. Tragedy struck early

on however. On a mission into Mozambique dubbed the Long Walk, Rabie was operating and

called in a RLI Hunter/Killer group. Relaying map coordinates for the Terr group they had

pinpointed, he called the coordinates incorrectly. The Alouette Helicopter spotted Rabie in the

area the Terrs were supposed to be. Rabie, dressed as ZANLA and painted black, tried to wave

off the chopper but without radio contact, the 20mm cannons set on him and killed him. It was a

great loss and a blunt start to this innovation for Rhodesian Forces but the SB and Military

Intelligence moved forward.

The first thing needed was a Commanding Officer of the Unit. Several men were looked

at but one stood out as the type of personality that could lead a maverick unit and had combat

experience behind him. This person also needed to really take the reins and make decisions. The

Selous Scouts would not fall under the traditional chain of command of the Army like the RLI

and SAS. They would be working more closely with the CIO and SB. Retired Major Rod Reid-

Daly was tapped to lead the Unit. He had been an original member of the Rhodesian SAS and

had the experience of COIN warfare from the days of Malaya under his belt. He came back into

the war with terms to his liking, as he seemed to be the best fit for the unconventional nature that

the whole organization would take.

Along with the TT’s, white controllers were mandatory under the circumstances. It was

clear that this type of work required competent and experienced leadership in the field. From the

rigors of canvassing the bush for weeks on end, to the ability to assess information gained by TT

Pseudo soldiers and making decisions on what to do with that information, a Selection Course

was implemented for both black and white Operators to undergo before deployment.

The men that were drawn to the Scouts came from various walks of life. Mainly from the

SAS and the RAR, it also needed specialists in other areas. Hunters and Park Rangers were part

of the initial selection. A special ability in tracking and sustainable living in the Bush was vital.

Reid-Daily had learned from his military career that excellent bushcraft could mean the

difference of life and death within a 24 hour period in the harsh African terrain. Any superb, well

trained soldier could become combat ineffective or worse from dehydration in one day. Learning

how to get water from the Impala or an Elephants stomach could mean the difference between

life and death.

One group that drew many selectees was the Tracker Combat Unit (TCU). These were

specialists in tracking down Terrs who escaped the clutches of the RLI’s Fire Force and

following up on attacks against Farms and after ambushes. They had a near native ability to read

the ground and find their quarry. The unit would be absorbed into the Selous Scouts as trainers

and also for missions requiring their services. Those of the TCU that became Scouts were

invaluable to the mission.

After receiving approval of their parent unit, men would undergo a 3 week selection

course that by today’s standards would be deemed dangerous and inhumane. All exercises

involved life ammunition. So intense was the Selection course, that anything beyond 3 weeks

would do more damage than it would good in sorting the wheat from the chaff. Endurance hikes,

pole carrying, obstacle courses and little to no food. After being starved for several days, they

were treated to a ripe, rotten, maggot filled baboon. It showed the men that any meat could be

boiled correctly once and still eaten. Done wrong, a person could end up with botulism. Like

most of the other elite units of the world, pass rates were 10-20 percent.

The first three weeks were just basic training and weeding out those unsuited for the

Scouts. The second and third phase was filled with classroom and bush exercises in survival and

tactics. The in-house Tracking and Bush Warfare tactics were drilled to a level of excellence.

Calling in Fire Force, Map reading and all the things that a Selous Scout would need were

taught.

The fourth phase was where the Unit separated itself from others. It was called the Dark

Phase and highly classified. This time was spent on learning the trade of the Terrs. They learned

the culture, language, ideology and tactics of the enemy. It was designed to transform the way

Scouts carried themselves in the field. Disguise of blackened faces and enemy uniforms could

only go so far. They needed to learn to walk, talk and act like Terrs.

The following phases would include Static Line and HALO parachuting techniques if

they had not come from the SAS. A few of the Scouts received other infiltration techniques such

as Kayaking and Scuba Diving.

As the Scouts began to take form and come up to strength, they attracted a lot more

attention than a covert unit should much like our modern DEVGRU. Men took the liberty of

growing beards which became a dead giveaway amongst other soldiers and eventually the

civilian population. The official line was given that it allowed Caucasian men to break up the

outline of their face but this was scoffed at, as few Terrs wore beards. It is hotly debated whether

their unique mission and success or their own bragging elevated them to ‘Legendary’ so quickly

among the populace.

Jealously and animosity quickly arose with other units, especially as the OC of the SAS

felt that his best men were being poached. The best men, the best equipment and logistical

support went to the Scouts straightway. The heated rivalry got to the point that Major Reid-Daly

agreed not to recruit amongst the SAS.

Regardless of the inter-rivalry and animosity, the Selous Scouts would go on to prove

their worth time and again.

Into the Fray

The biggest weapon that an outnumbered force needs is intelligence. In a day and age that

was devoid of UAV drones, sophisticated SIGINT and sizeable Recce capabilities, the

Rhodesians were essentially playing a game of ‘Whack the Mole’. They needed an equalizer. A

human bugging device. The Scouts began providing that in spades.

Small secure forts were set up in operational areas that were off limits to anyone without

the proper clearance. If the Scout had a family, they would provide them with food and housing.

Not only did this enhance the community Esprit De Corps but it kept a stranglehold on any

operational leaks. In spite of all the procedures taken to seal things up, several Scouts were sent

packing for loose lips and bravado in a pub. Reid-Daly tried to be familiar with all the men in his

unit and their families.

For the first two years of their operational existence, they focused on Intel gathering. One

or two white Scouts would take out their small teams and drum up business. There was plenty of

work to be done inside the borders of Rhodesia. An area was mapped out and missions planned

to go into areas that SB believed harbored Terrorist activity.

The white Scouts experimented with various methods to blacken their exposed skin on

the face and hands. From Charcoal to Shoe polish, nothing worked quite as well as a South

African product the Rhodesians dubbed ‘Black is Beautiful’. The cream worked well enough for

whites to appear black at a distance but up close, it was next to impossible to pass as a black man

except at night.

Once the teams had been inserted, reconnaissance would begin. Working from hilltop

hide sights, they would watch villages and likely trails used by the enemy. The black Scouts

would separate from the Controllers and make their way to villages and pose as transient

fighters, looking for groups to hook up with or try to find out who was the man in charge of

Terrs in the area. This was a common occurrence for fighters who would launch from their bases

in Mozambique or Zambia, make their way into Rhodesia and find allies to fight with.

The Terr networks rarely used radios, so elaborate passwords, signals and other

verification techniques were used to communicate who they were and what they wanted. Hence,

the extreme value of a recently captured guerilla fighter. They would have all of the latest

information that would be of use to the Scouts. If the village was sympathetic to the cause, they

would feed the undercover Scouts and give them directions or send one of their own to inform

the local leader that new arrivals had made their way into Rhodesia.

All the while, the Controllers would be at a safe distance, either watching from an OP or

waiting for their Scouts to return for a debrief on what they had learned. If the local leader was to

come and meet them, a Fire Force would be put on call to strike once the Terrs gathered together.

If the Pseudo-Operators were told where to go, the mission would go on with the Controllers

trailing behind so as not to be seen with their men.

Once again, when a location of a Terrorist gang was found, a strike would be put on the

camp of village that housed the enemy. Due to the Scouts small numbers in the field, they were

mainly collectors of intelligence. Heavy engagement with the enemy was left to the RLI.

In order to avoid friendly fire incidents, great care had to be taken. When a Scout team

went into a clearly defined area, it became frozen. This caused some frustration with other units

operating nearby but they could seldom afford to lose a TT after the great effort spent on putting

him back into the field under Rhodesia’s flag.

Most Fire Force strikes in these situations would be scheduled for first light. After

spending the night carousing with their new found Comrades, the Scouts would slip away near

first light and out of harm’s way. From their concealed vantage point, the Controllers would

guide in the Alouette helicopters for a strike to contain the now awaking dead men. No doubt

many men awoke to the sounds of helicopter blades and noticed their new friends had gone and

they had been had.

This was the primary work of the Pseudo-Terrorist Selous Scout. Both white and black

soldiers perfected their skills over the course of time. Walking into the Lion’s Den repeatedly,

mission after mission was enough to secure their right as Legends and more importantly to instill

fear into the heart of the enemy pouring across the border into Rhodesia.

They continued throughout their history to operate internally. These operations were

mainly information gathering. Many of the men who signed up grew tired of simply doing

internal Recce’s and not taking action but it was paramount to not blowing their cover. A large

share of recruits had come from the SAS and were used to going external and engaging in

combat, the reconnaissance only being a precursor.

However, the work of the Selous Scout was only beginning. Major Ron Reid-Daly

foresaw a great versatility to the type of man he was commanding. The day was coming when

they would not only be gatherers of intelligence but a lethal strike force deep into the enemy’s

territory.

As the Portuguese left Mozambique, a civil war erupted in the power vacuum. The

Liberation Front of Mozambique- FRELIMO took up arms to maintain power over the country.

The once friendly nation now became an added enemy to deal with as they were partners with

ZANLA and ZIPRA.

There is still a lot of secrecy surrounding the origins of resistance groups in Mozambique.

After the exit of Portugal and the rise of FRELIMO, a rival group, the Mozambican National

Resistance- RENAMO or MNR started to battle for power as well. It is unknown how heavily

the Rhodesians supported the cause. Some believe it was an invention of the CIO and the SAS.

Others believe that South Africa and the CIA were a part of it as well. It is known that American

turned Rhodesian SAS Officer Robert Mackenzie was married to Sybil Cline, whose father was

Ray Cline, former Deputy Director of Operations for the CIA. Both men lobbied in Congress for

support of RENAMO. The results are unknown. However, Rhodesia certainly had an issue on its

hands.

The outbreak of the civil war netted negatives and positives for Rhodesia. The three

insurgent groups, ZANLA, ZIPRA and FRELIMO worked in concert and their attention was

divided between trying to rule Mozambique and continue to attack Rhodesia. Never was there a

more pressing time for external operations than now.

Going External

The SAS, being undermanned for the amount of activity required to keep the enemy on

their heels, approached Major Reid-Daly to borrow some men to use on external missions. Their

skill at penetrating terrorist organizations and having black soldiers would be a tremendous asset

to Externals. The Major saw this as his opportunity to advance the Scouts into a more useful

position.

In characteristic fashion, Reid-Daly flatly turned the OC of the SAS down unless he

could move his unit into the mission cycle and go beyond the borders of Rhodesia and do more

than collect intelligence. Begrudgingly, the higher command decided it was time to use ALL of

its resources to stop the enemy cold.

An initial trial was offered to the SAS. Two Selous Scouts would do a Recce for a SAS

operation. Neither of the Scouts were heard from again. Reid-Daly was disgusted and decided

that the only way that this would work is if the Selous Scouts planned and ran their own

missions.

With the ZIPRA and FRELIMO forces moving south and operating with more impunity,

the Scouts moved personnel further south. The terrain was inhospitable with few natural

landmarks available for navigation. The plan to injure and disable FRELIMO involved

destroying infrastructure. A major railway ran to the south and was used to transport troops and

material into southern Mozambique. The Scouts set their eyes on infiltrating and owning that

area.

The unit remained active throughout the whole country but a large part of the missions

that the Scouts performed were in the southern most Provinces of Mozambique. It became

known as Operatioal Area Repulse. A fort was created in Chiredzi for the men and their families.

Again, the railway that ran through Rhodesia into Mozambique went through a border town

named Malvernia, often called Fuck City by the soldiers became a focal point of battle.

Malvernia and the surrounding AO became known as the Russian Front. There were two

reasons that it gained this moniker. The area was fortified by Russian Artillery and other

weaponry as well as Russian and East German advisors. The other reason, a bit of comedy in the

midst of war was that it was the least desirable area to operate in just as the Eastern Front in

World War Two was tantamount to a death sentence. It was flat, dry and devoid of navigational

aids. The railway was the most prominent reference point.

The buildup of the once friendly gateway to Mozambique and its vacation coastline had

to be kept in check so that a full-fledged ground invasion of Rhodesia was less likely. The area

also provided an opportunity for the highly skilled men to move into an offensive role of

sabotage and direct action missions while the SAS was tied up elsewhere.

With the composition of the unit being a black majority, Reid-Daly and his staff began

developing ideas of covertly entering the area disguised as FRELIMO troops and taking out High

Value Targets. A twist of fate made this even more possible. The Unimog trucks that were

provided to the enemy were almost identical to the ones the Rhodesians used. With a little paint

job and stolen plates, truckloads of strike force personnel could be driven down main roads with

little to no curiosity on the enemies part. The Flying Colums or Death Trains would become a

hallmark of the unit’s history.

After the fall of Portuguese rule in 1975, the tempo of the war increased. More arms,

ammunition and recruits were staging inside Mozambique. As with most insurgencies, the

loosely formed rebels eventually try to form up into solid military ranks to battle and defeat their

enemy. Many believed that Rhodesia needed to into the Lion’s Den and kill the Lion.

To forward thinking men like the Selous Scouts, why couldn’t they simply drive heavily

armed vehicles across the border and gun down as many Terrs as possible and generally destroy

the infrastructure and ability to make war?

Reid-Daly approved the planning of such a mission but the caveat was that there would

be a moratorium on air support. They would have to infil and exfil on their own. The Scouts

went to work arming vehicles with everything from .50 Caliber guns to Rocket Launchers and

Mortars. In 1976, Operation Long John was given the go ahead. They would enter Mozambique

and head some 50-60 miles into the country to the town of Mapai where it was found to be a

transit point for Terr recruits. 60 total Scouts were on this mission in five vehicles.

The Flying Column inflicted immense material damage in towns and checkpoints along

the way and once they reached the garrison at Mapai, they destroyed the buses that were used to

transport recruits around the country. They did take one back with them in order to carry back

captured armaments and anything else useful. They simply drove back to Rhodesia. They

inflicted 27 casualties on the enemy but sadly lost a Warrant Officer and Lieutenant Dale Collett

was paralyzed after receiving a bullet that lodged in his spine.

This was the beginning of many cross border raids that would boost the national morale

as truly inflict damage on the Terrs. One raid in particular was so one sided that it drew the ire of

the international communities due to claims that the Rhodesians had hit a refugee camp. It was

no refugee camp and was the biggest single dent in the manpower of the enemy during the whole

war.

The target would by Nyadzonya.

The camp in this location was reported to have approximately 5000 ZANLA recruits in

training. There was scarcely a place where there was such a conglomeration of the enemy in one

place. This intelligence was brought to Reid-Daly and a mission proposed. Weeks of

reconnaissance and interrogation of men who had been there took place. In order to execute this

raid and escape would require immense planning and a lot of luck.

So great was the value of the target that Reid-Daly went to General Peter Walls and

requested the use of Hunter Jets should their back be against a wall. The General gave

permission to help the Scouts only under the most dire of conditions.

The plan would lead 80 Selous Scouts into Mozambique undetected along a rarely used

path to avoid FRELIMO checkpoints. The vehicles were armed again with every type of gun in

the Rhodesian’s arsenal that could be mounted onto a truck. Entering after midnight in August,

1976, the Flying Column made it to the camp in time for morning muster. All of the inhabitants

would be on the parade ground.

Black Selous Scouts led the convoy inside the camp dressed in Terrorist uniforms and

shouting Marxist slogans. The young exuberant men rushed the trucks thinking that comrades

had arrived. One of the Scouts used a megaphone to back the people away from the vehicles.

Someone in the crowd spotted a white Scout manning a machine gun and once that was passed

around, the earth began to rumble. Every gun, every rifle began to tear through these men who

were bent on the death and destruction of Rhodesia. At the end of the one sided firefight, over

1000 would-be terrorists were dead. A massive blow had been struck.

The convoy made its way back the way it had come. After news of success had come,

Walls released the jets to cover their escape. With a final exclamation point, the Scouts blew the

Pungwe River Bridge to stop any pursuit by FRELIMO or ZANLA. The group also made several

captures that proved useful. Only four Scouts were slightly wounded.

There was immediate political fallout from the World Council of Churches and other

leftist organizations that bought into ZANU’s story that it was a refugee camp. Other documents

prove that it was a first stop, a boot camp for political indoctrination before sending men on their

way to the front. War is a nasty business and the Terrs showed no mercy on white or black

opposition throughout and after the war. Even up until 1982, Mugabe slaughtered over 20,000

Matabele indigenous Rhodesians due to their opposition to his rule.

This raid proved in a giant way that the Flying Columns were useful, expedient and

above all, effective. They would continue throughout the war, attacking weapons caches, buildup

of troops in one area and to stop forward movement into Rhodesia.

The pseudo operations continued inside Rhodesia’s borders as External missions were

being planned and carried out. In order for successful raids, reconnaissance was paramount. A

new specialized wing of the Selous Scouts came into being, The Recce branch. Many of the most

harrowing stories of bravery and skill came out of this group of men. Names such as Chris

Schulenburg, Dennis Croukamp, Bert Sasche and others joined the ranks and gave the relatively

new unit needed experience.

The Recce wing of the unit were master parachutists. HALO insertions were vital to

maintain a low profile. Jumps were performed at night at an altitude that required oxygen. Before

the age of GPS, pilot error or unseen jet streams could put the jumpers off course. Ground

navigational skills were pushed to their limits.

As the Unit grew in experience and knowledge of the area, seldom was a Recce group

sent out without a sabotage mission. The size of a Recce element rarely exceeded three men.

There are instances of solo Recce operations as well. Once over the border, they were behind

enemy lines. They could not reach out to any civilians if they were in dire straits. If the local

soldiers were alerted to the presence of Selous Scouts, a Platoon to Company sized unit was

immediately on the discovered tracks and hunted with a vengeance. Dennis Croukamp in his

book ‘The Bushwar in Rhodesia’ gives us several hundred pages of memoir about his experience

in the Recce unit. Two particular stories give us an idea of the type of activity the Selous Scouts

became famous for.

Croukamp was with the very first selection for the Scouts and stayed with them until the

end of the war. Before that, he served for years in the RLI. One mission is a case study of how

deep and far from friendly forces these men operated. Assigned to a mission that coordinated

with a Flying Colum, he inserted via HALO deep inside Mozambique with two other team

mates. The Flying Column would drive directly into Mozambique and engage any and all hostile

pockets on a road that paralleled the railway. Croukamp’s three man group would make their

way 15 kilometers from the drop zone and demolish a section of rail that would prevent

FRELIMO from bringing up reinforcements to counter the Flying Column. They spent three

weeks rehearsing the mission. What follows is a testament to their training and spirit of what to

do when things didn’t go their way.

Landing fifty kilometers off of their target due to the jet stream, they had to hurry to

make their ambush site. An extra 40 kilometers is a long distance as they were carrying close to

100 pounds of gear. They had planned their water rations for the duration of the proposed

mission but quickly tore through it in the Southern Hemisphere’s October heat. They reached

their destination a day and a half late fortunately but the Flying Column had been delayed as

well. By that time, they were bone dry and one of the members was suffering dehydration.

Scouting nearby for water turned up nothing. Croukamp made the decision to depart his

team and go 15 kilometers south to the Limpopo River to fill their water bottles. Though this was

a tactical mistake, he felt he had no other options as they were 200 kilometers behind enemy

lines! Upon his return to the railway and the base camp area, something was wrong. A train full

of soldiers had stopped further up the tracks and poured into the bush. Their spoor had been

spotted from their Drop Zone and followed to the general area they were now in. The whole

mission was compromised and Croukamp was separated and without comms.

The next week would prove to be an epic story of escape and evasion that spanned well

over 200 kilometers. Only the experience, tenacity and toughness bred into the Rhodesian soldier

saved his life. Facing the African bush, bullets and large groups of trackers, he relied upon his

training and long experience as a Rhodesian soldier. Upon crossing the border and being found,

he collapsed and nearly died due to collapsed veins from dehydration. He recovered and was

soon operational again.

Another mission involved once again blowing a section of railway. Croukamp and one

other Scout planted two sets of explosives, one never blew and the mission was deemed a failure

by Reid-Daly. A short couple of weeks passed and the secondary explosives did their job and

killed 300 enemy soldiers in a massive railway pile up. The unfortunate part of that mission was

that FRELIMO rounded up many locals and killed them believing that only locals could have

done it without notice. Croukamp made note that the Scouts had truly become proficient at

employing the art of terror against their enemy. They themselves had become Terrorists.

Many, many missions were undertaken from 1972 up till the end of the war in 1980. The

versatility of the integrated unit proved to be the stuff of Legends. More important than their

status of ‘Legendary’ was their effectiveness. Whereas the Rhodesian Light Infantry and Special

Air Service operated in a conventional Special Forces role, the Selous Scouts took things to a

different level. They mingled with the enemy and exterminated them from within in their Pseudo

Operations. The Direct Action missions were still based on deception through the racially mixed

makeup and using the vehicles and arms of the Terrs.

Their history and TTP’s may be closing in on four decades old but for modern Armies of

today, the history available can be new, bold and fresh in creating strategies and tactics to battle

Counter Insurgency warfare anywhere on the planet.

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