- Rhodesian Security Forces
-
Rhodesian Security Forces Disbanded 1980 Headquarters Salisbury Rhodesia
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Contents
Rhodesian Army
The Rhodesian Army HQ was in Salisbury and commanded over four infantry brigades and later an HQ Special Forces, with various training schools and supporting units. Numbers 1,2, and 3 Brigade were established in 1964 and 4 Brigade in 1978.[1]
- 1 Bde – Bulawayo with area of responsibility in Matabeleland
- 2 Bde – Salisbury with area of responsibility in Mashonaland
- 3 Bde – Umtali with area of responsibility in Manicaland
- 4 Bde – Fort Victoria with area of responsibility in Victoria province
During the Bush War, the army included:
- Army Headquarters Army HQ
- The Rhodesian Light Infantry
- C Squadron 22 (Rhodesian) SAS (in 1978 became 1 (Rhodesian) Special Air Service Regiment)
- Selous Scouts
- The Rhodesian Armoured Car Regiment (The Black Devils)
- Grey's Scouts
- The Rhodesian African Rifles (six independent companies)
- The Rhodesia Regiment (eight battalions, numbered 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
- 1 Psychological Operations Unit
- The Rhodesian Defence Regiment (two battalions)
- The Rhodesian Intelligence Corps
- The Rhodesian Artillery (one depot, one field regiment)
- Six Engineer Squadrons (numbered 2, 3, 4, 6, 7) 1 Engr Sqn (link www.sasappers.net
- 5 Engineer Support Squadron
- Three Brigade Signals Squadrons (numbered 1 to 3), 41 Troop 4 (Bde.) Signals Squadron, and three Signal Squadrons numbered 8, 10-12
- Two Services Area HQs (Matabeleland and Mashonaland)
- Two Ordnance and Supplies Depots (Bulawayo, Salisbury)
- Two Base Workshops (Bulawayo, Salisbury)
- 1 Air Supply Platoon
- Three Maintenance Companies (numbered 1 to 3)
- Three Medical Companies (1, 2, 5) and the Army Health Unit
- Tsanga Lodge
- Five Provost Platoons (numbered 1 to 5) and the Army Detention Barracks
- Six Pay Companies (numbered 1 to 5, 7)
- Rhodesian Army Education Corps
- Rhodesian Corps of Chaplains
- Army Records, and Army Data Processing Unit
- Rail Transport Organisation Platoon
- 1 Military Postal Platoon
- Training establishments: School of Infantry, 19 Corps Training Depot, School of Military Engineering, School of Signals, Services Training School, Services Trade Training Centre, Medical Training School, School of Military Police, Pay Corps Training School, School of Military Administration.
Rhodesian Air Force
The Rhodesian Air Force was never a large air force. In 1965, it consisted of only 1,200 regular personnel. At the peak of its strength during the Bush war, it had a maximum of 2,300 personnel of all races, but of these, only 150 were pilots actively involved in combat operations. These pilots, however, were rotated through the various squadrons partly to maintain their skills on all aircraft and partly to relieve fellow pilots flying more dangerous sorties.
British South Africa Police
The British South Africa Police (BSAP) were the first line of defence in Rhodesia had the specific responsibility of maintaining law and order in the country.[1]
Intaf
Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs (Intaf) officers were heavily involved in implementing such civic measures as the protected villages program.
Combined Operations
The Rhodesian Bush War required that each of the security forces work in a combined effort to combat the enemy. Therefore it became essential to establish an organisation known as Combined Operations in Salisbury to co-ordinate the efforts of each service. The Rhodesian army took the senior role in Combined Operations. Combined Operations was responsible for the conduct of all operations both inside and outside Rhodesia. Combined Operations had direct command over the Joint Operational Centres (JOCs) deployed throughout the country in each of the Operational Areas. There was a JOC per Operational Area.[1]
The operational areas were known as:
- Op Hurricane – North east border
- Op Thrasher – Eastern border
- Op Repulse – South east border
- Op Tangent – Matabeleland
- Op Grapple – Midlands
- Op Splinter – Kariba
- Salops – Operations in and around Salisbury
Military equipment of Rhodesia
Name Type Country of Origin In Service Notes T-55 Main Battle Tank. Soviet Union
8-12 8 T-55LD tanks given by South Africa, together with South African Defence Force advisers for the purpose of training the Rhodesian crews. Some T-55 tanks captured from Mozambique.[2] T-54 Main Battle Tank. Soviet Union
Captured. T-34 Main Battle Tank Soviet Union
5-10 Some captured from Mozambique. Browning Hi-Power Pistol Belgium
M1911 Pistol United States
Beretta 92 Pistol Italy
Walther P38 Pistol West Germany
Enfield revolver Revolver United Kingdom
Enfield No. 2 Mk I Revolver. Star Pistol Spain
Star Model 1920, Star Model 1921 and Star Model 1922. Sten Submachine Gun United Kingdom
Sterling Submachine Gun United Kingdom
Uzi Submachine Gun Israel
Some of local manufacture. Škorpion vz. 61 Submachine Gun Czechoslovakia
Some of local manufacture. Lee Enfield Rifle United Kingdom
No. 4 Mk I and No 4 Mk I (T) Browning Auto-5 Shotgun United States
Ithaca 37 Shotgun United States
FN FAL Rifle Belgium
South African R1 and British L1A1. Also used heavy barreled light machine gun variant. M14 Rifle United States
M16 Assault Rifle United States
M16A1. Used very late in the war. Heckler & Koch G3 Rifle West Germany
G3A3, received from Portugal. AK-47 Assault Rifle Soviet Union
Captured. AKM Assault Rifle Soviet Union
Captured. SKS Carbine Soviet Union
Captured. Dragunov Sniper Rifle Soviet Union
Captured. RPD Light Machine Gun Soviet Union
Captured. RPK Light Machine Gun Soviet Union
Captured. PK Light Machine Gun Soviet Union
Captured. KPV Heavy Machine Gun Soviet Union
Captured. Bren Light Machine Gun United Kingdom
Mark 3. FN MAG General Purpose Machine Gun Belgium
Browning M1919 Medium Machine Gun United States
M1919A4. Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun United States
RPG-7 Anti-Tank Weapon Soviet Union
Captured. M72 LAW Anti-Tank Weapon United States
Bazooka Anti-Tank Weapon United States
M20 Super Bazooka. M18 Claymore Anti Personal Mine United States
Mine G.S. Mk V Anti Tank Mine United Kingdom
Ferret Armoured Car United Kingdom
20-48 Mk 2/2. Ratel Armoured Car South Africa
54 Ratel 90. BRDM-2 Armoured Car Soviet Union
Captured. BTR-152 Armoured Personnel Carrier Soviet Union
Captured. Eland Mk7 Armoured Car South Africa
139 60 Eland-90s and 70 Eland-60s. T17 Armoured Car United States
20 T17E1. Thyssen Henschel UR-416 Armoured Personnel Carrier West Germany
50 MILAN Anti-Tank Guided Missile France/
West Germany
9 9 Launchers and 75 missiles from South Africa. M40 Anti-Tank Weapon United States
24 B-10 Anti-Tank Weapon Soviet Union
Captured. B-11 Anti-Tank Weapon Soviet Union
Captured. Casspir Armoured Personnel Carrier South Africa
100 Casspir Mk 3. Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier South Africa
100 Pookie Mine Detection vehicle Rhodesia
Universal Carrier Armoured Personnel Carrier United Kingdom
30 Improved Universal carrier armed with two FN MAG. OTO Melara Mod 56 Howitzer Italy
18 M101 Howitzer United States
12 Ordnance QF 25 pounder Howitzer United Kingdom
24 L16 Mortar United Kingdom
100 BM-21 Grad Multiple Rocket Launcher Soviet Union
5 Captured. Strela 2 Surface-To-Air Missile System Soviet Union
15 Captured. ZPU Anti-Aircraft Gun 14.5mm Soviet Union
20 Captured. SU 23x2 Anti-Aircraft Gun Soviet Union
12 Captured. Land Rover 4×4 Vehicle United Kingdom
Willys MB 4×4 Vehicle United States
M38. Unimog 4×4 Vehicle West Germany
Bedford MK Truck United Kingdom
English Electric Canberra Bomber United Kingdom
21 3 from South Africia, 18 Canberra B 2s and 3 Canberra T 4s. Hawker Hunter Fighter United Kingdom
12 Hunter FGA 9. de Havilland Vampire Fighter United Kingdom
67 35 from South Africia. Supermarine Spitfire Fighter United Kingdom
22 Mk 22. North American T-6 Texan Trainer Aircraft United States
21 AT-6 Harvard, sold to South Africa. Percival Provost Trainer Aircraft/Light Attack Aircraft United Kingdom
25 Provost Mk 52. Aermacchi AL-60 Utility Aircraft Italy
11 AL-60F-5 "Trojan". Canadair North Star Transport Aircraft Canada
4 C-4 Argonaut. Douglas DC-7 Transport Aircraft United States
2 Cessna Skymaster Light Attack Aircraft United States
23 Reims-Cessna FTB 337G 'Lynx'. Aermacchi SF.260 Trainer Aircraft/Light Attack Aircraft Italy
49 SF.260C and SF.260W "Genet". Douglas C-47 Dakota Transport Aircraft United States
22 Britten-Norman Islander Transport Aircraft United Kingdom
6 Beechcraft Baron Transport Aircraft United States
1 Baron 95 C-55 Cessna 421 Transport Aircraft United States
1 Percival Pembroke Transport Aircraft United Kingdom
2 Percival Pembroke C.1 Cessna 185 Utility Aircraft United States
17 Bell UH-1 Iroquois Helicopter United States
11 Agusta-Bell 205. Used very late in the war. Aérospatiale Alouette III Helicopter France
97 SNIAS Alouette-II Light Transport Helicopter France
5 deliverd by RSA Armscor Darter Air to Air Missile South Africa
some Golf & Alpha Aircraft bombs Rhodesia
several Matra 68mm Aircraft rockets France
See also
- Rhodesian Light Infantry
- Selous Scouts
- Rhodesian Air Force
- Fireforce
References
External links
- Rhodesian Militaria: Army - Detailed photos & descriptions of genuine Army & Brigade patches.
Rhodesian Security Forces of the Bush War Regular Army: Grey's Scouts · Rhodesian African Rifles · Rhodesian Armoured Corps · Rhodesian Light Infantry (History: 1961–1972 · 1972–1980) · Rhodesia Regiment
Special Forces: Air Force: Rhodesian Air ForceOthers: Topics related to Rhodesia
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