History of the Rhodesian Light Infantry (1972–1977)
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The 1st Battalion, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, commonly the Rhodesian Light Infantry (1RLI or RLI), was a regiment formed in 1961 at Brady Barracks, Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia as a light infantry unit within the army of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. It served in the Rhodesian Bush War as part of the Rhodesian Security Forces between 1964 and 1979 under the unrecognised governments of Rhodesia[note 1] and latterly, during the second half of 1979, Zimbabwe Rhodesia. After an interim period under British control the RLI briefly remained active after the internationally-recognised independence on 18 April 1980 of Zimbabwe, disbanding on 31 October 1980.
Fireforce, a vertical envelopment tactic based around the use of helicopter-borne paratroopers, was first executed in early 1974 and soon became the main action of the regiment. As such it was re-designated an airborne parachute battalion in 1977. The Bush War intensified strongly during the late 1970s, leading to more regular operations and heavier casualties. The RLI remained active under the short-lived government of Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979, during the interim period of British rule that followed and finally briefly within Zimbabwe after its creation on 18 April 1980. It disbanded on 31 October 1980.
The war "proper" begins
ZANLA reorganised itself thoroughly during 1971 and 1972 with the help of FRELIMO, which had won numerous victories against Portuguese security forces south of the Zambezi and was now in a more viable position to assist. FRELIMO provided logistical support to ZANLA, and offered the same to ZIPRA but Nkomo refused. "ZANLA made careful preparation for their coming campaign," writes Wood: "politicising the rural people in their Maoist fashion, establishing local committees, contact men, feeders, security procedures, and infiltration and exit routes." The ZANLA commanders split Rhodesia into "provinces", which were referred to by the names of the adjacent Mozambican provinces, and marked out tactical sectors which they named after famous tribal leaders. "Their basic unit was a section of 10 to 12 men," Wood goes on, "including a political commissar who would establish a dozen or more base camps in an area in order to keep on the move. The units, assembling in nearby Mozambique in groups of 20 to 30, would only infiltrate when the subverted area had been prepared and contact men were in place. ... In order not to frighten recruits, Rhodesian firepower was not mentioned. Thus a first contact could be traumatic to the new cadres and contributed to their poor performance in fire fights."[2]
Notes and references
- Notes
- ^ When it became clear that Northern Rhodesia was to become independent as Zambia, the government of the self-governing British Colony of Southern Rhodesia announced on 7 October 1964 that it would drop the designation "Southern" when this occurred, and become simply "Rhodesia". The Minister of Internal Affairs confirmed on 23 October that the constitution would be altered appropriately and to this end the "Interpretation Bill" was introduced to the Legislative Assembly. Assuming that it was a matter of course, the Rhodesian government started using the shortened name immediately without waiting for British approval. The bill received its third reading on 9 December 1964 and was passed to the colonial Governor, Sir Humphrey Gibbs, for assent. However, as the measures naming the colony were not Southern Rhodesian, but British, Whitehall ruled that it was beyond the powers of the colonial government to amend its name. The Rhodesian government did not press the issue and continued to use the shortened name without consequence.[1]
- References
- ^ Palley 1966, pp. 742–743
- ^ Wood 1995, Phase 2. 1972–1974
- Bibliography
- Abbott, Peter; Botham, Philip (1986). Modern African Wars: Rhodesia, 1965–80. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0850457285.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Binda, Alexandre (2008). Cocks, Chris (ed.). The Saints: The Rhodesian Light Infantry. Johannesburg: 30° South Publishers. ISBN 978-1920143077.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Bond, Geoffrey (1977). The Incredibles: The Story of the 1st Battalion, The Rhodesian Light Infantry. Salisbury: Sarum Imprint. ISBN 0-7974-0233-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Cilliers, Jackie (1984). Counter-Insurgency in Rhodesia. London, Sydney & Dover, New Hampshire: Croom Helm. ISBN 978-0709934127.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Cocks, Chris (2006) [1988]. Fireforce: One Man's War in the Rhodesian Light Infantry (Fourth ed.). Johannesburg: 30° South Publishers. ISBN 978-0958489096.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Croukamp, Dennis E. W. (2005). Only My Friends Call Me "Crouks": Rhodesian reconnaissance specialist. Cape Town: Pseudo Publishing. ISBN 978-0620293921.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - de Meneses, Filipe (2010). Salazar: A Political Biography (First ed.). New York: Enigma Books. ISBN 978-1929631902.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Gledhill, Dick (2001). One Commando: Rhodesian Light Infantry (Second ed.). Roodepoort: Covos Books. ISBN 978-1-919874-35-7.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Grossman, Lt-Col Dave (1996). On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. New York: Back Bay Books. ISBN 0-316-33000-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Martin, David; Johnson, Phyllis (1981). The Struggle for Zimbabwe (First ed.). London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0571110667.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Moorcraft, Paul L.; McLaughlin, Peter (2008). The Rhodesian War: A Military History. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1844156948.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Palley, Claire (1966). The constitutional history and law of Southern Rhodesia 1888–1965, with special reference to Imperial control (First ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. ASIN B0000CMYXJ.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Petter-Bowyer, P. J. H. (2005) [2003]. Winds of Destruction: the Autobiography of a Rhodesian Combat Pilot. Johannesburg: 30° South Publishers. ISBN 978-0958489034.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Preston, Matthew (2004). Ending civil war: Rhodesia and Lebanon in perspective. London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-85043-579-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Sellström, Tor (1999). Sweden and National Liberation in Southern Africa. Volume I: Formation of a Popular Opinion 1950–1970. Uppsala: Nordic Africa Institute. ISBN 978-9171064301.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Sibanda, Eliakim M. (2005). The Zimbabwe African People's Union 1961–87: A Political History of Insurgency in Southern Rhodesia. Trenton, New Jersey: Africa Research & Publications. ISBN 978-1592212767.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Smith, Ian (1997). The Great Betrayal. London: John Blake Publishing. ISBN 1-85782-176-9.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - SADET, The South African Democracy Education Trust (2005). The Road to Democracy in South Africa, Volume 1, 1960–1970. Cape Town: Struik Publishers. ISBN 978-1868729067.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Streak, Brian, ed. (31 October 1980). The Cheetah. Salisbury: The Rhodesian Light Infantry Regimental Association.
{{cite journal}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - Taylor, Stu (2007). Lost in Africa (First ed.). Johannesburg: 30° South Publishers. ISBN 978-1920143169.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Thomas, Scott (1995). The Diplomacy of Liberation: the Foreign Relations of the ANC Since 1960 (First ed.). London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-85043-993-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - van Rensburg, A. P. J. (1975). Contemporary Leaders of Africa. Cape Town: HAUM. ISBN 0-7986-0156-6. OCLC 1676807.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Wessels, Hannes (2010). P. K. van der Byl: African Statesman. Johannesburg: 30° South Publishers. ISBN 978-1-920143-39-7.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Williams, Gwyneth; Hackland, Brian (1988). The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Southern Africa (First ed.). London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415002455.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Wood, J. R. T. (24 May 1995). "Rhodesian Insurgency". Oudeschip: Allport Books. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
{{cite news}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Wood, J. R. T. (2005). So far and no further! Rhodesia's bid for independence during the retreat from empire 1959–1965. Victoria: Trafford Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4120-4952-8.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Wood, J. R. T. (2008). A matter of weeks rather than months: The Impasse between Harold Wilson and Ian Smith: Sanctions, Aborted Settlements and War 1965–1969. Victoria: Trafford Publishing. ISBN 978-1-42514-807-2.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Wood, J. R. T. (2009). Cocks, Chris (ed.). Counter-strike From the Sky: The Rhodesian All-arms Fireforce in the War in the Bush 1974–1980. Johannesburg: 30° South Publishers. ISBN 1920143335.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)