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Subject: Rhodesian Light infantry
BRH    1/27/2006 2:23:16 AM
In the mid 1970's when I was conscripted 1st Battalion Rhodesian Light Infantry, it consisted of four commando groups of around 100 men plus Base group. The fighting units were named 1 through 3 commando and Support commano. Support commando provied motar support, plus perfromed the same duties of the other 3 commando's. From it's inception in the early 1960's to time of Zimbabwe independence, it distinguished itself in contact after contact with the enemy. Initial training for this unit came from British military units such as the Royal Highland Fusiliers and the Coldstream guards. At first it performed infantry duties, but as the civil war in Rhodesia heated up, the term Fireforce was coined. The unit became a rapid helicopter deploying shock force consisting 4 men per heilcopter. This four man group was called a Stick. Each Stick consisted a stick leader (NCO) plus a machine gunner, a rifle carrying trooper, and a rifle carrying semi-medic. The NCO carried the radio. The basic weapons were the 7.62 FN rifle, and the MAG belt fed machine gun. The preferred clothing was cammo shirt and green shorts with un-treaded black canavas shoes to help conceal tracks. Later in the war when units were deployed into battle by parachute some troopers jumped in the clothing described, while others wore cammo fatigues. Other points to note about the unit. Roughly one third was made up from other countries such as the US, GB and AUS. The typical US soldier was a veteran from Vietnam war and a very capable and liked soldier. American Officers were appreciated too due to there liberal use of ammunition. Battalion mascot was a Cheetah. Dress headgear was the a green beret. The green and white stripped staple belt worn only with cammo shirt and fatigues. The unit had exceptional marching skills and discipline was high, and this unit was a band of brothers. Hope this answers a few questions about this largely unknown group of fighters. One point to note, none of the fighters from other countries could be labled mercenaries. These exceptional soldiers went through the same basic training as the rest of us, recieved the same pay as us as far as I know. They were disciplined, tough, and part of our war.
 
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Sentinel    Hey BRH maybe you can answer this?   2/6/2006 12:42:57 PM
Did the RLI develop the "drake shoot" or "cover shoot" as it's sometimes called?
 
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BRH    RE:Hey BRH maybe you can answer this?   2/10/2006 12:02:26 AM
The Drake shoot was developed by the Selous Scouts who also operated in small units. It has also been said that the Scouts mostly did intelligence gathering, through Pseudo operations and observation, but if you ever happen upon the account of the Nyadzonya/Pungwe camp attack staged by the Scouts, it will give you a little taste of what this unit was about. This was a classical Trojan horse operation. Great account to read.
 
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BRH    RE:Hey BRH maybe you can answer this?   2/10/2006 12:02:39 AM
The Drake shoot was developed by the Selous Scouts who also operated in small units. It has also been said that the Scouts mostly did intelligence gathering, through Pseudo operations and observation, but if you ever happen upon the account of the Nyadzonya/Pungwe camp attack staged by the Scouts, it will give you a little taste of what this unit was about. This was a classical Trojan horse operation. Great account to read.
 
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Sentinel    RE:Hey BRH maybe you can answer this?   2/10/2006 9:08:29 AM
Was the Nyadzonya/Pungwe camp attack in Ron Reid Daly's book? I read the book, and he did detail several incidents of direct action. The majority of them though, in the book, were as part of flying column raids in Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia. There were a few in Rhodesia, but Daly was pretty clear in his book that the main priority was preserving their cover and providing intelligence to the fireforces. Then they would call in the RLI to clean their clock. I'm just going by what the book says. That's why I though Drake shooting would be a skill more useful to the RLI.
 
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BRH    RE:Hey BRH maybe you can answer this?   2/14/2006 12:48:45 AM
You can find reference to this raid in Peter Stiffs 'Top Secret War'. David Scott-Donelan an officer in the Rhodesian forces and one time 2nd in charge and then CO of 1CDO RLI teaches a class on this I believe, in Nevada. I expect he has an in-depth history on this method. To be honest I don't re-call this term being thrown around or recieved any training on this, during my time. You are correct about your understanding of the day to day work of the the Scouts. It was mostly cat & mouse, tracking, shadowing, infiltration, and Terr taming. No question the work of the Scouts contributed to RLI's kill ratio but they could mix it up too. I recal more than one time when they got into a scrape.
 
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BRH    RE:BRH   2/16/2006 11:26:03 PM
In some respects I want to say yes. After all, these people know nothing other than Africa and their own ways. Like many people they don't want to lose their identity. It was hard to walk away from what I had and for the Rhodesian it has become extinction, Three or four generations from now who will know about this little country. Good point.
 
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drunckenmcclain       11/10/2007 8:56:15 PM
Well to be honest even in the US we only jump 500ft when it combat. The use of reserves at 500ft is up to the CO they are useless but are a good for moral support if this is the first combat jump for most of your unit. The down side to this is its more stuff to take off anf you lose double the shutes. Training we jump now at between 1000 and 1200 feet.
 
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theBird       11/15/2007 11:42:31 PM
Not a Scout tactic but one they would probably employ I read about the other day.   Apparently in Vietnam, when some Americans came by a Viet Cong weapons cache rather than destroying the thing, they would replace some of the ammo with overcharged rounds designed to destroy the rifle that fired them, and replaced the grenades with ones with instant fuses and the motor rounds with ones which would detonate when fired.  Not only did it kill some badguys outright, it made them much less trusting of thier equipment.  Provided Al-Quaida's fifth columnists in the haven't been succesul in baning this tactic as "inhuman and barbaric", i was thinking it could be quite good against insurgents and Iraq.
 
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turfsteker       5/20/2010 1:43:52 PM
I was one of the guys who inlisted into the RLI voluntary and that was in 1961
 
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ZimJim    Tactics   8/13/2011 5:08:36 PM
Hi,
 
Booby traps where not a part of our arsenal, though we were trained to make & spot them.
 
If the Selous Scouts, or anyone else for that matter, called in Fire Force there was no messing about. We went in, killed the enemy, and went back to base.
 
Booby traps are of little use when the enemy has been nailed. Besides, we were trying to protect our own people, in our own country, so killing potentially innocent people was not on the agenda.
 
On that point, I would not be surprised if booby traps where deployed on "external" operations to enemy base camps, i.e. in Mozambique or Zambia. But I doubt we'd have bothered, we had better things to do with the stuff.
 
Best regards
 
ZimJim.,
 
 
 
 
 
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