Operation Gatling
Operation Gatling | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Rhodesian Bush War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Rhodesia | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ian Smith Lt. Gen Peter Walls Maj. Brian Robinson Gp Cap. Norman Walsh Sqn Ldr Chris Dixon (known during the raid as ‘Green Leader’) |
Joshua Nkomo Mountain Gutu Unknown | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Rhodesian Army
| unknown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
8 Canberras (Green Section) 8 Hawker Hunters (Blue Section) 4 Alouette III (K-Cars) 1 DC-3C Dakota (Paradak) 1 Reims Cessna (Lynx) | 4,000 cadres | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 killed 3 wounded 1 helicopter crashed |
ZIPRA: 1,500 killed'[1] 1,348 wounded[2] 1 captured[3] 192 missing Zambia: 37 killed Cuba: unknown | ||||||
351 civilians killed (ZIPRA claim) |
Operation Gatling, which took place on 19 October 1978, was a joint-force operation into
The Rhodesian operation's other targets were Chikumbi, 19 kilometres (12 miles) north of Lusaka, and Mkushi Camp; all three were to be attacked more or less simultaneously in a coordinated sweep across Zambia. Assaulting targets deep inside Zambia was a first for the Rhodesian forces; previously only guerrillas near the border had been attacked.[1]
Background
Operation Gatling was divided up into three phases when it was being planned by the Rhodesian Security Forces.
- Phase 1:
The first phase of the operation would involve a series of airstrikes by the Air Force against the ZIPRA base situated at Westlands Farm.
- Phase 2:
The second phase of the operation would involve an attack by the SAS made on the ZIPRA base at Mkushi, which was approximately 125km north-east of the Zambian capital Lusaka. This attack was planned to commence at exactly the same time as the attack by the Air Force on the camp at Westlands Farm (or Freedom camp as it was called by the insurgents belonging to the ZIPRA).
- Phase 3:
The third, and final, phase of the operation would involve an attack by the Rhodesian Light Infantry, the RLI, on another ZIPRA base located near the Great North Road, approximately 15km north of Lusaka. The camp was referred to as the CGT-2 (Communist Guerrilla Training Camp) by the Rhodesians.[5][6]
The Operation
Led by Squadron Leader Chris Dixon, who identified himself to
Aftermath
During the course of Operation Gatling the
In comparison, only one member of the
A number of Zambian citizens were killed in the raid, including noted Zambian musician and broadcaster Alick Nkhata who lived near the area of the operation.
References
- ^ a b c Moorcraft & McLaughlin 2008, p. 155
- ^ Geldenhuys 2007, pp. 319
- ^ Geldenhuys 2007, p. 320
- ^ Petter-Bowyer 2005, p. 333
- ^ Geldenhuys 2007, pp. 227
- ^ Geldenhuys 2007, pp. 226–229
- ^ Moorcraft & McLaughlin 2008, pp. 135–144
- ^ Geldenhuys 2007, pp. 319–320
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-1-920169-61-9. Archived from the originalon 24 December 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- Petter-Bowyer, P J H (November 2005) [2003]. Winds of Destruction: the Autobiography of a Rhodesian Combat Pilot. Johannesburg: 30° South Publishers. ISBN 978-0-9584890-3-4.
- ISBN 978-1-84415-694-8.