HomeOld_PostsMavonde/Monte Cassino Battle (1) ...(Mozambique) September 1979

Mavonde/Monte Cassino Battle (1) …(Mozambique) September 1979

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By Booker
Tichazvipedza

THE Mavonde/Monte Cassino battle pitting a supposedly superior white Rhodesian Airforce against a crack ZANLA artillery unit was a duel fought during the Lancaster House talks in London in September, 1979 where the Rhodesians intended to weaken the Patriotic Front’s ZANU and ZAPU bargaining power at the talks.
The Rhodesians suffered a heavy defeat at Mavonde/Monte Cassino and the British government summoned the Rhodesian Army General, Peter Walls, to London where he was reminded that he was not going to win the war (Pan-African News Wire, 2012).

Location and set-up of Mavonde/Monte Cassino Camp
The Mavonde/Monte Cassino Camp was located in a mountainous and densely treed area on the Mozambican side about 15 to 20 kilometres from the mountain range bordering Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
It was situated diagonally opposite the mining town of Penhalonga along the Eastern Highlands belt.
The camp was a strategic military position designed for the FRELIMO freedom fighters by the Soviets during their war against the Portuguese settlers.
It was dominated by a large flat topped mountain nicknamed ‘Monte Cassino’, a similar place in Italy which was an impregnable natural defence position and monastery held by Germany during the Second World War, where 20 Allied Forces almost failed to capture the position in a hard fought battle.
On the western side of the camp which was the general direction of Zimbabwe, was the huge flat topped Monte Cassino Mountain which had a single barrel anti-aircraft gun, a Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) and a mortar 82 mounted on it. Directly to the east and below Monte Cassino Mountain was the administration block, built from wooden poles and thatch.
On the northern side of the administration block was a hillock which had a single barrel anti-aircraft gun mounted on the top.
Below the hillock on its northern side, was a base hidden underground and comprising of trenches and tunnels, with dense foliage and trees on top of it.
On the southern side of the administration block was Chimbuyamwana Hill which was armed with a double barrel anti-aircraft gun on the top and below the hill on the eastern side was another base designed in similar fashion with the other one on the northern side. On the southern side of Monte Cassino mountain, was another hillock armed with a single barrel anti-aircraft gun on its summit.
All the artillery equipment was concealed from enemy reconnaissance planes by protective trenches built from rocks around them. The administration block was the central feature of the camp positioned between Monte Cassino mountain to the west, Chimbuyamwana Hill to the south and two hillocks, one to the north and the other to the south west beyond Chimbuyamwana Hill.
The camp could only be accessed by a dust road from Chimoio which approached the camp from the south-west before snaking round Monte Cassino Mountain and ending in front of the administration block. Comrade Twarai Tipone, a High Command member, was the Camp Commander of the about 800 strong ZANLA force unit resident at Mavonde/Monte Cassino Camp.

Settling at the new camp
A crack artillery unit of 30 ZANLA cadres left Vanduzi Camp after its attack by the Rhodesian Airforce planes in February/March 1979.
The unit was joined by a group of 770 ZANLA cadres returning from training in Romania and Yugoslavia.
Some members of the Romania/Yugoslavia group had trained in artillery and had brought with it a single and double-barrel anti-aircraft guns which were mounted on one of the hillocks and Chimbuyamwana Hill, respectively.
The Romania/Yugoslavia artillery cadres were fused with the more experienced Vanduzi unit, whose other members had gone for re-training.
The fused unit was to become the nemesis for the Rhodesian Airforce and infantry in the historic battle.
The new denizens of Mavonde/Monte Cassino camp spruced up the trenches and underground tunnels of the two bases leaving the accumulated heavy foliage intact in order to effectively conceal these features.
They went on to mount their artillery on Monte Cassino Mountain, Chimbuyamwana Hill and the other two hillocks, ensuring that the guns are hidden from enemy reconnaissance planes. All the artillery was aimed westward, the Zimbabwe direction where the enemy was expected to fly in from.
On the second day at the new camp, the new inhabitants nearly fired at a low flying reconnaissance helicopter which passed by.
The Rhodesians were searching for the new ZANLA Camp after destroying Vanduzi Camp.
(To be continued)

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