964:
now would only get his men killed. However, just after radioing in about the ZANLA unit, Rich's men were set upon by mortars and small arms fire; the guerrillas had spotted them. The
Rhodesian commander requested reinforcements, but was told that troops were too thinly spread to immediately assist. Laying prone in a 360-degree formation, the 2 Commando men defended their position against ZANLA fighters attacking from all sides. Late on the first day, the Rhodesians killed three of the cadres, then dragged the corpses behind their lines to avoid giving away their exact location. As the nationalist commanders did not know exactly where the RLI men were, the ZANLA mortars were being fired with little concern for accuracy. The barrage continued all night, pinning the Rhodesians down while the nationalists retook Jorge do Limpopo. At dawn on 30 May, Rich decided to stay in their
988:
away. Nationalists began coming into the trees after them, and again and again the
Rhodesians held their fire until the last second before killing them and hiding their bodies. With each guerrilla attack, the 2 Commando men moved, turning the situation into one of cat and mouse. At Mapai, the column defeated a numerically-superior and well-prepared FRELIMO–ZANLA force at the airstrip outside the town before resting for the night. Trooper C. J. Edmunds, who was killed during this action, was one of two Rhodesian fatalities during Operation Aztec. Rich's men were now able to call air support, which arrived minutes later in the form of Hawker Hunters, "our saviours", says Swan; the planes showered the guerrillas with
916:
after the
Canberra air strikes, the paratroopers dropped to engage any ZANLA guerrillas who remained from the 150 based there. Though parachute troops were usually the target of ground fire while in the air, this time there was none; the area was silent as 2 Commando landed. The soldiers formed up into an extended sweep line and advanced towards the camp, which had been almost completely destroyed by the Rhodesian bombing raid. Neither insurgents nor bodies were found, but the 2 Commando men did discover fresh tracks heading east, directly towards Jorge do Limpopo. The Rhodesians judged that the guerrillas must have hastily evacuated the camp, having been forewarned at short notice, and retreated towards the town.
352:
339:
326:
314:
302:
248:
236:
213:
169:
920:
potentially be an ambush as they moved, sending huge plumes of dust into the air at regular intervals. The two
Rhodesian forces rendezvoused, combined and drove on towards Jorge do Limpopo in the disguised vehicles. They met with scattered FRELIMO–ZANLA rocket and mortar fire when they reached the town's outskirts. The Scouts returned heavy fire, all 14 vehicles opening up their guns at the same time, while Murphy called for air support. With this in mind, he told the RLI paratroopers to advance quickly on foot and take out the anti-aircraft guns up ahead.
46:
951:, a village with an airstrip on the Nuanetsi River to the south-west, and diverted his force to attack it. He advised 2 Commando that three of its sticks—the two from Madulo Pan, and another—would remain to defend Jorge do Limpopo against any potential counter-attack, commanded by Lieutenant Mike Rich, while the rest of the Commando would support the Selous Scouts' advance on Mapai. When all was prepared late on the 29 thMay, Murphy enthusiastically broadcast the column's departure, waving his arms and shouting, "Tally ho and away we go!"
997:
attacked the village and took it without significant resistance. Hidden caches of materiel were captured, as well as several Soviet-manufactured ZANLA vehicles, which were repaired and then used to carry recovered weapons and equipment. Murphy's Selous Scouts were now told to turn south and lay waste to as much of the railway as they could within a distance of 20 kilometres (12 mi) before returning. Murphy disregarded this restriction, however, wiping out railway bridges and stations as far south as
972:
289:
224:
424:
366:
262:
182:
1006:
who were returning from Mapai with the Selous Scouts column. The RLI sped along the nearby road in armoured trucks, firing heavily upon any guerrillas they saw, and stopped near where the pocketed men were hiding. When the men in the vehicles gave the all-clear signal Rich's men, by now emaciated due to exhaustion and lack of nourishment, ran to them with the last of their strength and had to be pulled into the trucks by their comrades.
438:
271:
193:
67:
53:
834:
955:
abandoned, in the open and somewhat nervous. While the soldiers quietly moved around the trees, about 50 metres (160 ft) from a road, they heard shouting ahead, and dropped to the ground to avoid being seen, facing the road in an extended line. Between 50 and 60 heavily armed ZANLA guerrillas, armed with
1005:
in
Mozambique. Meanwhile, the RLI men in the pocket near Jorge do Limpopo, though dangerously low on food, equipment and weapons, held out for two more days without loss, killing several more cadres who attempted to overrun their position. On 2 June 1977, they were relieved by the rest of 2 Commando,
996:
The next morning, on 31 May, the
Rhodesians at Mapai blew up the damaged Dakota to avoid its discovery by the United Nations, which had warned Rhodesia to keep its troops out of Mozambique. The RhAF bombed FRELIMO and ZANLA positions around Mapai at the same time just before the Scouts' flying column
987:
The
Rhodesians retreated further into the dark trees late on 30 May in a successful attempt to further confuse the guerrillas as to their precise position. Growing impatient, the cadres now began firing "anywhere and everywhere," in Swan's words. The RLI men kept silent to avoid giving their location
1029:
did not measure the operation's success in these terms. Instead what
Lieutenant-Colonel Ronald Reid-Daly found to be the most important was the severe damage that had been inflicted upon ZANLA's morale and to FRELIMO's infrastructure in the region, which had been mostly destroyed. The destruction of
963:
rocket launchers and similar weapons, marched past. They were on their way to attack the flying column, and did not notice the RLI men hiding near the road. Rich decided to proceed with the plan to set up the ambush in the trees and call for assistance regarding the cadres, reasoning that attacking
954:
The men who remained at Jorge do
Limpopo resolved to set up an ambush position in a patch of tall trees to the north of the town, as nowhere else nearby provided any cover. As most of the air force had now returned to Rhodesia, with the remaining helicopters supporting the column, the RLI men felt
919:
The RLI men were then instructed to fall in near the road and await Murphy's flying column, which had nearly reached Jorge do
Limpopo. The flying column was easily spotted by 2 Commando because of the manner of their advance; the extremely aggressive Scouts were firing into any position that could
915:
bombers flying over on their way to drop air strikes on Madulo Pan soon after 06:00. Two twelve-man sticks from 2 Commando, RLI sat aboard a Dakota, ready to parachute into Madulo Pan from 500 feet (150 m), led by the two stick leaders, Lance-Corporals Jimmy Swan and "Budgie" Nicholson. Just
946:
as the Rhodesians moved forward. The RLI men were now joined by most of the Selous Scouts, who left their vehicles outside the town. Nearby buildings were swept for hidden guerrillas while 2 Commando bombed three bunkers, killing nine or ten FRELIMO fighters. With resistance at the town's border
947:
destroyed, the Scouts now advanced through it street by street, clearing it quickly, efficiently and ruthlessly. The Rhodesians rendezvoused at Jorge do Limpopo railway station, where the flying column's vehicles assembled. Murphy discovered that the main ZANLA base had been moved to
870:, a small village near the corner of Mozambique, Rhodesia and South Africa, and attack a ZANLA staging camp to create a diversion. At the same time, a group of heliborne men from the Rhodesian Light Infantry would attack ZANLA's Rio base close to the
898:
The operation began on 28 May 1977, at dusk, when 72 Selous Scouts crossed the border near Vila Salazar on a bush track, dressed in FRELIMO uniforms, driving 14 FRELIMO-pattern vehicles and commanded by Major John Murphy, an American
992:
rockets and 40 mm cannon fire, causing them to retreat back to Jorge do Limpopo. At Mapai, an RhAF Dakota was hit by an RPG-7 rocket while taking off at 20:00 on 30 May, killing its co-pilot, Flight Lieutenant Bruce Collocott.
925:
It was mayhem ... We ran straight at these guys who were taking cover from the Hunters that were strafing the streets with their 40 mm cannons. Jesus, what sheer power! ... It was a noise you could never forget.
861:
was planned to restrict the guerrillas' infiltration into the south-east of Rhodesia, in order to deliver a decisive blow to the enemy's ability to launch incursions into Rhodesia. The 2nd Battalion, of the
1176:
469:
968:
in the trees and await reinforcements rather than attempt a rash break-out into open enemy territory, which would surely result in their own massacre.
358:
1030:
Mozambique's railway in Gaza Province, limited the transfer of ZANLA fighters, and equipment from the Mozambican ports to the Rhodesian border.
789:
462:
1186:
428:
370:
186:
1055:
455:
117:
874:
while two sticks of RLI paratroopers would be dropped into Madulo Pan, a major ZANLA position near the fork of the Nuanetsi and
45:
1157:
942:
flew in overhead at 100 feet (30 m), strafing the FRELIMO–ZANLA lines. The guerrillas retreated into well-camouflaged
111:
965:
605:
825:
in Gaza Province, limiting the movement of enemy soldiers, and equipment from Mozambique to the Rhodesian border.
890:
and destroy all ZANLA camps between Vila Salazar and Jorge do Limpopo, a key strategic position on the railway.
648:
660:
528:
750:
643:
1191:
943:
689:
593:
588:
549:
1181:
912:
757:
983:. The intervention of RhAF Hunters twice proved decisive at Jorge do Limpopo during Operation Aztec.
306:
821:
from 28 May to 2 June 1977. The successful operation resulted in the destruction of Mozambique's
708:
696:
670:
1056:
https://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/sub-saharan-africa-region/mozambique-1975-present/
583:
1126:
810:
8:
908:
610:
343:
1023:
624:
598:
535:
479:
27:
1153:
948:
863:
722:
715:
682:
631:
542:
497:
318:
932:
RLI Lance-Corporal Jimmy Swan recalls the assault on Jorge do Limpopo on 29 May 1977
1026:
1002:
769:
762:
729:
701:
675:
521:
507:
502:
241:
1001:, about 75 kilometres (47 mi) away; at Mabalane, his unit destroyed the only
1018:
closed on 2 June 1977, at least 60 FRELIMO and ZANLA men had been killed, though
980:
956:
900:
887:
867:
866:
would penetrate the border of Mozambique 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south from
838:
822:
784:
736:
653:
617:
568:
563:
556:
514:
971:
743:
665:
293:
1170:
1019:
976:
939:
904:
883:
879:
875:
871:
858:
330:
132:
119:
854:
794:
229:
837:
Operation Aztec, lasting from 28 May to 2 June 1977, centred around the
938:
The 24 men from 2 Commando charged the anti-aircraft positions as RhAF
818:
32:
903:. Moving slowly because of the darkness, they reached the south-bound
447:
217:
998:
325:
313:
301:
247:
235:
212:
174:
107:
850:
253:
1046:
Cuba's policy in Africa, 1959-1980 By William M LeoGrande · 1980
842:
960:
814:
103:
989:
437:
270:
198:
1125:
Lohman, Charles M.; MacPherson, Robert I. (7 June 1983).
833:
907:
road soon after first light, just in time to see the
1177:Battles and operations of the Rhodesian Bush War
1168:
1124:
1108:
1127:"Rhodesia: Tactical Victory, Strategic Defeat"
813:against the communist backed insurgent group
463:
1085:
1083:
1081:
1079:
1077:
1075:
1073:
1071:
1069:
1067:
1065:
1063:
470:
456:
1104:
1102:
1100:
1098:
809:was a military operation launched by the
1150:The Saints: The Rhodesian Light Infantry
970:
832:
1060:
1169:
1152:. Johannesburg: 30° South Publishers.
1095:
477:
1147:
1089:
451:
1134:War Since 1945 Seminar and Symposium
849:A three-pronged Rhodesian attack on
13:
14:
1203:
893:
888:Vila Salazar–Maputo railway line
436:
422:
364:
350:
337:
324:
312:
300:
287:
269:
260:
246:
234:
222:
211:
191:
180:
167:
66:
65:
51:
44:
1118:
112:People's Republic of Mozambique
1049:
1040:
1:
1187:Mozambique–Rhodesia relations
1148:Binda, Alexandre (May 2008).
1033:
828:
52:
1109:Lohman & MacPherson 1983
1009:
79:Operation Aztec (Mozambique)
7:
10:
1208:
489:
410:
379:
279:
204:
160:
86:
40:
25:
20:
442:12 to 15 advisors killed
307:Rhodesian Light Infantry
790:Cashel Helicopter Crash
984:
928:
846:
205:Commanders and leaders
974:
923:
836:
411:Casualties and losses
133:22.73056°S 32.05833°E
959:light machine-guns,
811:Republic of Rhodesia
649:Odzanu Junction Farm
433:6 vehicles destroyed
275:15 military advisors
1022:commanding officer
1003:railway steam crane
909:Rhodesian Air Force
138:-22.73056; 32.05833
129: /
1192:1977 in Mozambique
1092:, pp. 221–225
1024:Lieutenant-Colonel
985:
847:
644:Woolworths bombing
481:Rhodesian Bush War
94:28 May-2 June 1977
28:Rhodesian Bush War
1182:Conflicts in 1977
1159:978-1-920143-07-7
933:
864:Rhodesia Regiment
803:
802:
779:Related incidents
594:St Alberts School
589:Whistlefield Farm
498:Oberholzer murder
446:
445:
418:1 DC-3C destroyed
387:110 Selous Scouts
319:Rhodesia Regiment
156:
155:
152:Rhodesian victory
1199:
1163:
1144:
1142:
1140:
1131:
1112:
1106:
1093:
1087:
1058:
1053:
1047:
1044:
934:
931:
882:would move as a
857:in Mozambique's
484:
482:
472:
465:
458:
449:
448:
441:
440:
427:
426:
425:
399:1 Reims Cessna (
389:4 Hawker Hunters
369:
368:
367:
355:
354:
353:
342:
341:
340:
329:
328:
317:
316:
305:
304:
292:
291:
290:
274:
273:
265:
264:
263:
251:
250:
239:
238:
227:
226:
225:
216:
215:
197:
195:
194:
185:
184:
183:
173:
171:
170:
144:
143:
141:
140:
139:
134:
130:
127:
126:
125:
122:
88:
87:
69:
68:
55:
54:
48:
18:
17:
1207:
1206:
1202:
1201:
1200:
1198:
1197:
1196:
1167:
1166:
1160:
1138:
1136:
1129:
1121:
1116:
1115:
1107:
1096:
1088:
1061:
1054:
1050:
1045:
1041:
1036:
1012:
981:Swiss Air Force
936:
930:
901:Vietnam veteran
896:
831:
807:Operation Aztec
804:
799:
785:Nhari Rebellion
776:
758:Lancaster House
661:Montclair Hotel
564:Alcora Exercise
485:
480:
478:
476:
435:
434:
432:
423:
421:
417:
398:
392:
390:
388:
386:
385:24 Paratroopers
374:
365:
363:
351:
349:
338:
336:
323:
311:
299:
288:
286:
268:
261:
259:
245:
244:
233:
232:
223:
221:
220:
210:
192:
190:
189:
181:
179:
168:
166:
137:
135:
131:
128:
123:
120:
118:
116:
115:
114:
82:
81:
80:
77:
76:
75:
74:
70:
62:
61:
60:
56:
21:Operation Aztec
12:
11:
5:
1205:
1195:
1194:
1189:
1184:
1179:
1165:
1164:
1158:
1145:
1120:
1117:
1114:
1113:
1094:
1059:
1048:
1038:
1037:
1035:
1032:
1011:
1008:
940:Hawker Hunters
922:
895:
892:
872:Nuanetsi River
830:
827:
801:
800:
798:
797:
792:
787:
775:
774:
767:
760:
755:
748:
741:
734:
727:
720:
713:
706:
699:
694:
687:
680:
673:
668:
666:Vumba massacre
663:
658:
651:
646:
641:
634:
629:
622:
615:
608:
606:Victoria Falls
603:
596:
591:
586:
574:
573:
566:
561:
554:
547:
540:
533:
526:
519:
512:
505:
500:
490:
487:
486:
475:
474:
467:
460:
452:
444:
443:
419:
413:
412:
408:
407:
404:
382:
381:
377:
376:
361:
357:
356:
334:
333:
321:
309:
294:Rhodesian Army
282:
281:
280:Units involved
277:
276:
256:
207:
206:
202:
201:
177:
163:
162:
158:
157:
154:
153:
150:
146:
145:
102:
100:
96:
95:
92:
84:
83:
78:
72:
71:
64:
63:
58:
57:
50:
49:
43:
42:
41:
38:
37:
23:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1204:
1193:
1190:
1188:
1185:
1183:
1180:
1178:
1175:
1174:
1172:
1161:
1155:
1151:
1146:
1135:
1128:
1123:
1122:
1110:
1105:
1103:
1101:
1099:
1091:
1086:
1084:
1082:
1080:
1078:
1076:
1074:
1072:
1070:
1068:
1066:
1064:
1057:
1052:
1043:
1039:
1031:
1028:
1027:Ron Reid-Daly
1025:
1021:
1020:Selous Scouts
1017:
1007:
1004:
1000:
994:
991:
982:
978:
977:Hawker Hunter
973:
969:
967:
962:
958:
952:
950:
945:
941:
935:
927:
921:
917:
914:
910:
906:
905:Chicualacuala
902:
894:The Operation
891:
889:
885:
884:flying column
881:
880:Selous Scouts
877:
873:
869:
865:
860:
859:Gaza Province
856:
855:staging posts
852:
844:
840:
835:
826:
824:
820:
816:
812:
808:
796:
793:
791:
788:
786:
783:
782:
781:
780:
773:
772:
768:
766:
765:
761:
759:
756:
754:
753:
749:
747:
746:
742:
740:
739:
735:
733:
732:
728:
726:
725:
721:
719:
718:
714:
712:
711:
707:
705:
704:
700:
698:
695:
693:
692:
688:
686:
685:
681:
679:
678:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
657:
656:
652:
650:
647:
645:
642:
640:
639:
635:
633:
630:
628:
627:
623:
621:
620:
616:
614:
613:
609:
607:
604:
602:
601:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
581:
580:
578:
572:
571:
567:
565:
562:
560:
559:
555:
553:
552:
548:
546:
545:
541:
539:
538:
534:
532:
531:
527:
525:
524:
520:
518:
517:
513:
511:
510:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
495:
493:
488:
483:
473:
468:
466:
461:
459:
454:
453:
450:
439:
430:
420:
415:
414:
409:
405:
402:
396:
384:
383:
378:
372:
362:
360:
359:No.5 Squadron
348:
347:
346:
345:
332:
331:Selous Scouts
327:
322:
320:
315:
310:
308:
303:
298:
297:
296:
295:
284:
283:
278:
272:
267:
257:
255:
249:
243:
242:Ron Reid-Daly
237:
231:
219:
214:
209:
208:
203:
200:
188:
178:
176:
165:
164:
159:
151:
148:
147:
142:
113:
109:
105:
101:
98:
97:
93:
90:
89:
85:
47:
39:
35:
34:
29:
24:
19:
16:
1149:
1137:. Retrieved
1133:
1119:Bibliography
1051:
1042:
1015:
1014:By the time
1013:
995:
986:
953:
937:
929:
924:
918:
897:
868:Vila Salazar
848:
839:Vila Salazar
806:
805:
795:Beira Patrol
778:
777:
770:
763:
751:
744:
737:
730:
723:
716:
709:
702:
690:
683:
676:
654:
637:
636:
625:
618:
611:
599:
579:(1972–1979)
577:Second Phase
576:
575:
569:
557:
550:
543:
536:
529:
522:
515:
508:
494:(1964–1972)
491:
400:
394:
335:
285:
258:
161:Belligerents
31:
26:Part of the
15:
584:Altena Farm
492:First Phase
391:4 Canberras
254:John Murphy
230:Peter Walls
136: /
30:(or Second
1171:Categories
1139:19 October
1090:Binda 2008
1034:References
886:along the
853:and ZANLA
829:Background
819:Mozambique
697:Flight 827
671:Flight 825
431:60+ killed
124:32°03′30″E
121:22°43′50″S
33:Chimurenga
1111:, chpt. 4
1010:Aftermath
691:Salisbury
612:Long John
393:3 DC-3C (
266:Unknown
218:Ian Smith
999:Mabalane
944:foxholes
913:Canberra
845:railway.
626:Ignition
600:Overload
537:Flotilla
530:Cauldron
416:2 killed
380:Strength
240:Lt. Col
228:Lt. Gen
175:Rhodesia
108:Mabalane
99:Location
73:Mabalane
979:of the
911:(RhAF)
876:Limpopo
851:FRELIMO
823:railway
752:Miracle
724:Mineral
717:Chamber
684:Gatling
632:Hill 31
544:Griffin
406:unknown
395:Paradak
375:Unknown
1156:
966:pocket
878:. The
843:Maputo
771:Hectic
764:Quartz
731:Placid
703:Vanity
677:Snoopy
551:Excess
523:Nickel
509:Pagoda
503:Sinoia
196:
172:
149:Result
1130:(PDF)
1016:Aztec
961:RPG-7
949:Mapai
817:, in
815:ZANLA
738:Motel
710:Beira
655:Dingo
638:Aztec
619:Eland
570:Panga
558:Birch
516:Yodel
429:ZANLA
371:ZANLA
252:Cap.
187:ZANLA
104:Mapai
59:Mapai
1154:ISBN
1141:2011
990:SNEB
745:Uric
401:Lynx
344:RhAF
199:Cuba
91:Date
957:RPD
1173::
1132:.
1097:^
1062:^
975:A
110:,
106:,
1162:.
1143:.
841:–
471:e
464:t
457:v
403:)
397:)
373::
36:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
