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Guerillas fight helicopters

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IN a desperate effort to frighten and at the same time completely annihilate the freedom fighters, Rhodesians decided to use the airforce – helicopters, bombers, as well as the infantry on the battlefield inside the country.
A number of fire force bases were established around the country at what were called Forward airfields or joint Operational Command Centres (JOCs).
The main fire force bases were at Grand Reef Aerodrome near Umtali (Mutare), Mt Darwin, Mutoko and Buffalo Range (Chiredzi).
A host of other bases were established later at Ruda, Shabani (Zvishavane), Fort Victoria (Masvingo) and Salisbury (Harare).
The fire forces had helicopters with devastating 20mm cannons. These were supported by helicopters whose duty was to ferry troops to the scene of battle.
On top of this, there were bombers, often used to ‘soften’ freedom fighters before the real fire-fight began.
Furthermore, Dakota transport planes also joined in the fray to bring troops to the battle scene.
The Rhodies had decided to become ‘supermen’.
Yes, with the above developments Rhodies thought they had created a real masterstroke.
No wonder Rhodesian propaganda very often gave the false impression that once the freedom fighters heard their fire forces – helicopters, bombers and men coming, they either vanished into thin air, fearing to engage the ‘mighty Rhodesian fire forces’ or simply got paralysed by fear such that all the Rhodesian soldiers did was to pick the poor revolutionary fighters as if they were collecting some frozen chickens from a refrigerator!
All these were lies of course.
On the contrary, the freedom fighters, despite being at a disadvantage, always stood their ground and fought back the Rhodesian fire forces, winning a lot of battles against them.
This week we are looking at the courageous fights put up by freedom fighters against fire force bases at Grand Reef and Mutoko.
One Chris Cocks, a Rhodesian soldier who took part in some of these fights gives us his nasty experiences fighting ZANLA freedom fighters.
“There was a callout when I was at Grand Reef Fire Force Base in September 1977.
I was in Lt Thomton’s stick and we were operating in a para role, working in conjunction with Rhodesian African Rifles (mapuruvheya) sticks.
I was carrying the MAG.”
The above racist troops were ferried by helicopters and Dakota planes from Grand Reef Air Force Base to the battle site to engage a ZANLA contingent out in the field.
They were supported by Canberra bombers.
Once they got to the location where the freedom fighters had been sighted, they decided to advance and attack them.
“We assembled quickly and using silent signals, Lt Thomton ordered one of us, Trevor Schoultz, to lead the way single file into the bush.
I was behind Schoultz and the Lt was behind me.
We had only progressed about 100 metres when it happened.
Trevor Schoultz had started to cross a small clearing that I hadn’t reached when the stillness of the bush around us exploded with gunfire.
For a moment I was bemused by the suddenness of the action.
And I then realised I was being shot at.
I turned and crouched into a firing position and then returned fire.
I emptied the whole belt in one long burst.
Suddenly I realised I was the only one shooting and I glanced to my left towards Trevor.
Oh Jesus.
He was slumped over his rifle, his camouflage hat with the brim turned up, lying in the dirt.
There was a trickle of blood running down his scalp and onto his cheek bone.
His brains were starting to seep out and I couldn’t stop the flow.
The rest of that day passed like a dream for me.”
The Rhodies who had started the day looking invincible with their helicopters and bombers discovered that the reality was something else.
Freedom fighters were ready to give them a good run for their money.
We highlight again the fight between fire forces and freedom fighters. This time the fire forces involved came out from the base at Mutoko.
“There was a callout and much general excitement.
A Selous Scout observation post had sighted a column of over 200 ZANLA guerillas (freedom fighters) infiltrating the country just the north of the Nyamapanda border post.
I was in Corporal Bob Smith’s stick.
One Furstenburg was the MAG gunner.
One Lt Smith briefed us that the airforce was sending in Canberra bombers first.”
The infantry was carried, as usual to the battle scene, by helicopters and Dakotas.
Once they arrived at the battle scene, they fanned out as they made their way to the location where the freedom fighters were based.
“We fanned out, about 10 paces apart, and when we were in position Bob nodded and the line began to move cautiously forward.
We came to a large vlei and stopped, scanning the ground ahead.
I expected every second would be my last as I tried to anticipate the enemy bullets.
I reached the tree line on the far side of the vlei and took cover behind an anthill.
When I was satisfied, I signalled that all was clear and the rest ran to join me.
Two hundred metres further on, Furstenburg was shot.
It was a frightening volley of AK and SKS rifles.”
A big battle ensued with the freedom fighters stoutly fighting the Rhodies.
The racists used their Canberra bombers in between and killed some freedom fighters.
However, with 200 ZANLA men firing at them, the Rhodies could not stop the big ZANLA contingent from entering the country.
In the end, the Rhodesian enemy were not successful in preventing ZANLA from liberating many chunks of land in the Mutoko area from the racists.
The sad thing was, when freedom fighters had defeated the Rhodesians in the field despite the Rhodies having their airforce, those evil racists left the battlefield and went to neighbouring villages to vent their frustrations thereby killing ordinary villagers in cold blood.
Here Cocks tells us about the atrocities they committed.
“We killed many civilians.
I remember an episode that occurred in Operation Repulse area when we were engaged in a contact at the edge of a village.
An air strike had been called in and the bombs had reaped a terrible harvest.
When the planes left, the village was littered with dismembered and maimed civilians, mostly women and children, some dead and (others) still in their final agony.
I saw the pathos of a naked black baby tugging desperately at its dead mothers nipple trying in vain to suckle.
On another occasion, I remember hearing of a machine gunner in Support Commando.
He came across a group of children playing by a stream.
He enticed them to come to him, which they did.
For no apparent reason the machine gunner raised his weapon and shot the child dead.
He thought it was funny.”
Devilish Rhodies!
As we prepare for our independence, we should always remember that the freedom fighters stood their ground against Rhodies and always put up a good fight.
We must also not forget that civilians were always massacred in cold blood by the racists to prevent them from supporting the freedom fighters.

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