Middle School: Get Me Out Of Here Summary, Guardian Life Health Insurance Contact Number, Christchurch Music Festival 2022, Articles R

During fighting at the. [38], Most of the foreigners who volunteered to fight for Rhodesia did so individually. How rude! White notes that this was "not because of how they were paid for fighting but because of why they were fighting", with it being argued that the volunteers had involved themselves in a war that was not theirs. 2023 Springfield Armory. There is evidence that the Departments of Justice and State tacitly encouraged Americans to volunteer for Rhodesia as part of efforts to prevent the country collapsing before a negotiated solution to the war could be finalised. [71] There were concerns that many of the volunteers were motivated more by a desire to fight in a war than a commitment to Rhodesia. |-- Topic Forums The Rhodesian government attempted several strategies to address these shortages. [44] Many volunteers were also strongly anti-communist, and wanted to stop the further spread of this ideology in Africa. No matter the reason, the third shot should stop the attacker in his tracks. All Rights Reserved. |-- DU Groups [4] UDI was illegal under British law, and was regarded as such by almost all other countries and the United Nations. You have entered an incorrect email address! The Mozambique Drill[1] is a close-quarter shooting technique in which the shooter fires twice into the torso of a target (known as a double tap to the center of mass), momentarily assesses the hits, then follows them up with a carefully aimed shot to the head of the target. You can support the efforts of Jews Can Shoot that Nothing Says Never Again Like an Armed Jew. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[970,250],'democraticunderground_com-medrectangle-1','ezslot_2',177,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-democraticunderground_com-medrectangle-1-0');report this ad the technique may also be called a triple tap, or failure to stop drill. [101] Robin Moore included profiles of twelve volunteers as part of a non-fiction book he wrote in 1976 that argued that the Rhodesian government was not racist and sanctions against it should be lifted. This was because they believed that it was being fought to sustain white rule and prevent communists from taking over the country. FRELIMO was the dominant political party in Mozambique fighting for independence from Portugal. Jews Can Shoot is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. |-- Archives Live The Armory Life. [64] The RLI was a key element of Rhodesia's strategic reserve, and was frequently deployed against guerrilla forces. Kuben Blisk is a South African mercenary Pilot who served in the IMC 's forces as a ranking commander and contracted mercenary. Easter Lessons by bmt | Mar 29, 2016 | Towsley on Tactical blog Flat nose bullets and hollow points were not in widespread use, so those FMJs from Rousseaus HP35 must have passed right through the fighter. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo),. A par time for this drill should be four seconds. It was expected that most of the volunteers for the security forces would not settle in Rhodesia. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. Volume 9: EDC Digital Magazine. Forum Categories This led to a rapid growth in the insurgency which the security forces were unable to contain. In 1976 former Portuguese officials offered 2,000 white soldiers who had served with the UNITA nationalist movement in Angola until that country's independence. The Mozambique drill, originally developed by a Rhodesian mercenary, MIke Rousseau, is a standard practice drill for self defense. in 1978, he was the final recipient of the Rhodesian civil Independence Commemorative Decoration for services rendered to the country. It sought to attract more white immigrants to the country, but from 1973 onwards the white population decreased. After a quick assessment of the situation, Rousseau tried for a shot to the mans central nervous system. During fighting at the Loureno Marques airport (modern-day Maputo ), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla, 10 paces away and armed with an AK-47. McAleese had previously led a group of British mercenaries in Angola, and was posted to the elite Rhodesian Special Air Service (SAS) after completing training. Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British colony located in southern Africa whose economy and government was dominated by the small white minority of its population. Oops, there's been an error. So, as the story goes, Rousseau was involved in a firefight at the airport. Historian Michael Raeburn put the figure in 1978 as between 1,500 and 2,000. The. Rousseau fired two quick shots that struck the enemy soldier in the chest, but failed to stop him. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Setup: 1x USPSA Silhouette Target: [14] Rhodesia's security situation deteriorated during the mid-1970s when the nationalists were able to establish bases in Mozambique as Portuguese rule faltered and finally ended in 1975. [22][24], Another strategy used to address white manpower shortages was seeking white volunteers from outside the country, which the Rhodesian government began doing in 1973. He also wrote that these men were from 38 different nationalities. [102] He also wrote the novel Crippled Eagles which was based on the experiences of American volunteers. [5] South Africa and Portugal provided Rhodesia with assistance, and it was able to evade the sanctions and covertly trade with many countries. A forum community dedicated to Springfield Armory XD and XD-M series firearm owners and enthusiasts. It doesnt matter how fast you can pull off rounds if they dont hit your target. Robert A. Sadowski has written about firearms and hunting for more than fifteen years. Mike Rousseau was friends with Colonel Jeff Cooper, a legend in the firearms training world and the founder of Gunsite Academy. Many could well have been avoided or mitigated, had the perpetrators known their intended victims were equipped with a rifle and twenty bullets apiece, as the Militia Act required here. Mike Rousseau was a white Rhodesian mercenary engaged in combat against FRELIMO guerillas in and around the Mozambique capital of Maputo. The Portuguese used WWII vintage pistols in their two decades long colonial wars in Angola and Mozambique (some claim the gun Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau used in the original Mozambique . These [96][97] In January 1980 the British Lord Privy Seal, Ian Gilmour, stated that the British government had committed during the negotiations that led to the Lancaster House Agreement to not remove foreigners from the Rhodesian military prior to the election. Although the legendary Col. Jeff Cooper is credited with developing the Mozambique Drill, he had a little help. The Carter administration considered taking steps to stop Americans serving in Rhodesia, but this did not result in any policy changes. The story goes that this technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau. Rousseau hit an . As he turned a corner, he encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. [18] As the war continued, additional army and police units were raised and the periods of active service reservists were required to undertake was increased. If a few hundred Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful of weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars." However, they and their guerrilla armies were motivated mainly by nationalism and a desire to end discriminatory practices and establish majority rule in Rhodesia. Titanfall Blisk is working under a new long-term contract with the IMC on the Frontier, providing Combat Intel and Counterinsurgency services. [60] Foreign volunteers who openly expressed extreme racial views were deported. [79] Both the main nationalist groups believed that the volunteers' presence indicated that western governments supported the Rhodesian regime. The Rhodesian government openly advertised in the American Soldier of Fortune magazine during 1975. [63], After completing training, many of the volunteers were assigned to the all-white Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI) and particularly its 3 Commando sub-unit. [7] Fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered an enemy combatant, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, at 10 paces (7.5m (25ft)). 20 Best Concealed Carry Guns In 2023 (Updated! [40] They were recruited by the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) from a French military base in Djibouti. A proposal by the mercenary Mike Hoare to establish an international brigade modelled on the French Foreign Legion was also rejected. I prefer the original name, but whats in a name? Rhodesian officers also sought to use their networks in other militaries to attract volunteers. While Im no gunfighter and there isnt any (sane) person who wants to learn gunfighting from me, Id offer another alternative that might be more slightly attainable to more people, and which is suggested by our own Stephen Wenger based off of his decades in studying armed self-defense. One would figure two slugs to the chest would drop the enemy fighter, but no. No country ever officially recognised Rhodesia's independence. This bullet struck a bit low, entering the mans neck and severing his spinal cord, effectively ending the fight. Rousseauarmed onyl with a pistolturned a corner and encountered an enemy. Col. Jeff Cooper - A shooting legend and the man who codified the drill. Seeing that the fighter was still advancing, Rousseau attempted a head shot that hit the guerrilla through the base of his neck, severing the spinal cord. Big Forums Failure in a gunfight is not an option. In 1980, two Los Angeles Police Department SWAT officers, Larry Mudgett and John Helms, attended pistol training at Gunsite and received permission from Cooper to teach the technique to the LAPD, and to rename it the Failure Drill (concerned that "Mozambique" might have racist overtones). The pelvis does not move as erratically as the head or shoulders, and should be an easier target than a bobbing and weaving head. The need for non-Rhodesians to sustain the country's independence was also considered problematic. These men were often directed to wear Rhodesian uniforms, and the South African government falsely claimed that some had volunteered for the Rhodesian Security Forces. The party was deeply committed to maintaining the white minority's status, with this motivating a decision to declare independence from the United Kingdom rather than submit to a transition to majority rule. The reality of the war confronted Rousseau at the airport in Loureno Marques, which has been called Maputo since 1976. From the beginning, Africas indigenous people resisted. To guarantee instant incapacitation by impacting the brain and central nervous system, the head shot must be delivered to the area between eyebrows and upper lip, otherwise, various bony areas of the skull could deflect the bullet. [47], All foreign volunteers were required to complete basic training upon arrival in Rhodesia, even if they had prior military experience. ), Shoulder Holster: 8 Pro Up-Top Carry Options (2023). [91] The American volunteers were generally regarded in the United States as mercenaries. [66], Under the terms of the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement that ended the war the British government resumed control over Rhodesia in December 1979, with the country temporarily reverting to the colony of Southern Rhodesia until elections could be held. [37] Some of the Americans volunteered to work as security guards on farms in Rhodesia as this offered the opportunity to fight communists while receiving higher pay than that offered by the security forces. Guerrilla forces of the Mozambique Liberation Front (or FRELIMO) became embroiled in a war of independence with Portugal. [32][33], The Rhodesian Security Forces' recruitment staff responded to people who wrote letters of inquiry after reading the advertisements. |-- Latest Breaking News The Rhodesians' brutal counterinsurgency tactics also proved counter-productive. The Rhodesian military also adopted some of the terminology used by Americans in Vietnam, such as referring to guerrillas as 'gooks' and labelling one of their supply lines the 'Ho Chi Minh trail'. The Australian parliament passed legislation banning Australians from serving with Rhodesia in 1978. Felons can be high on adrenalin or drugs to the point that they do not recognize or respond to pain. Rousseaus exploit turned into the Failure Drill and was included in the Academys curriculum starting in the late 1970s. [65] Most of the volunteers served under Rhodesian officers. The ZANU was supported by China and the ZAPU by the Soviet Union, both of which were communist countries. A quick how-to on shooting the Mozambique Drill. Armed with a Browning HP35 pistol chambered in 9mm, Rousseau immediately brought up his Hi Power and shot the guerrilla twice in the chest. [104], Few works by historians have been published on the volunteers who served with the Rhodesian Security Forces. Mike Rousseau was a white Rhodesian mercenary engaged in combat against FRELIMO guerillas in and around the Mozambique capital of Maputo. Relying on instinct and training, Rousseau delivered a double tap to the combatants chest with his Browning Hi Power pistol and, Upon hearing the story of Rousseaus encounter, Cooper incorporated a three-shot drill into his training at the famous, . Mike Rousseau was a white Rhodesian mercenary engaged in combat against FRELIMO guerillas in and around the Mozambique capital of Maputo. Hearing this story, Cooper later incorporated this three-shot drill into his program of instruction as a way to end a fight that cannot be immediately stopped with bullets fired into the chest. The bullet hit the base of his attackers neck, severed the spinal cord, and stopped the fight. If you start slinging your lead outside of the V1 or V2 zones, slow it down. There arent a lot of guarantees in a gunfight, but the Failure Drill just might be your best defense in time of need, particularly if you are facing an opponent wearing body armor. [62][76], The nationalist groups that were fighting the Rhodesian regime and many progressive groups worldwide considered the volunteers to be mercenaries. Most of the mercenary soldiers carried FN FAL or HK G3 rifles. Body armor, extra thick clothing, psychoactive drugs, or even a massive adrenaline dump are all reasons those first two shots may not be effective on your target. [7] The party believed that Rhodesia needed to take a stand against the perceived communist threat to protect western civilisation in Africa. Most of its members left Rhodesia after the company was withdrawn from operations to be retrained, though some settled in Rhodesia. The term refers to his encounter with an AK-47 armed guerilla at an airport in Mozambique where he was armed with a Browning Hi-Power. If I were to guess, I would say Rousseaus ammo was a 115-grain with a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps. The Rhodesian government actively recruited white personnel from other countries from the mid-1970s to address manpower shortages in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War. [2] Rousseau was later killed in action in the Rhodesian War. [36][74] These volunteers may have further encouraged the Rhodesian Security Forces use of the 'body count' of guerrillas killed as a measure of success, with this having been a key metric in Vietnam. [42] Small numbers of black ex-Flechas from Mozambique were also accepted after the end of Portuguese rule in that country; they were paid less than white soldiers. [11], UDI and Rhodesia's racial inequalities led to the outbreak of the Rhodesian Bush War. [48] The British intelligence agencies also infiltrated agents into the Rhodesian Security Forces.[49]. However, for reasons lost to history Rousseau was reduced to his sidearm, a GP35 Browning Hi-Power in 9mm. [105], Modern white supremacist and far-right groups continue to provide a positive portrayal of white rule in Rhodesia. At the time of UDI, the Rhodesian Army had a strength of over 18,400, including 15,000 reservists, the Rhodesian Air Force had a small but modern fleet of combat aircraft and the paramilitary British South Africa Police included 7,000 full time and 25,000 reserve personnel. Upon hearing the story of Rousseaus encounter, Cooper incorporated a three-shot drill into his training at the famous Gunsite Academy. By 1979 the Rhodesian government was facing defeat and the war was costing 2,000 lives each month. Ex-military wanting to ply their tactical handiwork in return for treasure were welcomed to Mozambique to help the Portuguese military. Got a message for Democratic Underground? This led to a negotiated conclusion to the war that involved a transition to majority rule and the establishment of Zimbabwe in 1980. Now you understand the history and background as well as the importance of the Failure Drill. Sundry populist uprisings supported by distant communist benefactors strived to nip at the forces and institutions of the European colonial powers long enough to draw blood. During a fight, he bumped into a guerrilla soldier armed with an AK-47. [39][40][41] Sources differ on whether these men were paratroopers or members of the French Foreign Legion. However, even with two new and bleeding nipples, the guerrilla was still coming at him, so Rousseau tried for the head. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. Handgun Training for Personal Protection. The volunteers frequently received a hostile response from Rhodesians in the units they were posted to, and many ended their contracts early as a result. Sometimes shooting a bad guy in the chest just isnt enough. It takes focus, determination, and plenty of practice to pull off the Mozambique Drill quickly and effectively. As historians have found it difficult to access Rhodesian records, it is not known exactly how many foreigners volunteered for the Rhodesian Security Forces. Heres the connection. Get free updates when we add new tips, articles and more! The Portuguese forces collaborated with Rhodesia which had experience from the Bush War in the early 1960s to create special forces teams to deal with FRELIMO. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. [5], The Mozambique Drill is intended to ensure that the target is immediately stopped, by first placing two shots into the larger, easier-to-hit mass of the upper body, then, if the target is still active, following with a third, more precisely aimed and difficult head shot. [8] The historian Donal Lowry has endorsed Evans' views, noting also that "the Rhodesia Front sought to combine the notion that Rhodesia embodied the best of true Britishness, the notion that white Rhodesians were the sort of people who once made the Great" of Britain, while turning to America as the only remaining champion of the Free World. Although speed is definitely one of the goals of the Mozambique Drill, it isnt nearly as important as accuracy. Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Handgun Training for Personal Protection. Soldier of Fortune ran large numbers of articles on foreigners in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Bush War; each edition published between 1975 and 1980 included at least one article on the subject. What these European countries didnt factor in was the determination of the African people.