Operation Uric
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Operation Uric (or Operation Bootlace for the South Africans) was a cross-border raid carried out in
Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
by operatives of the
Rhodesian Security Forces The Rhodesian Security Forces were the military forces of the Rhodesian government. The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of a ground force (the Rhodesian Army), the Rhodesian Air Force, the British South Africa Police, and various personnel a ...
during the
Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also called the Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe-Rhodesia). The conflict pitted three for ...
, with combat assistance from the
South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...
. During the operation, which took place from 1 to 7 September 1979, up to 200 Rhodesian and South African military personnel attacked bridges and a major staging point for
Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), a militant African nationalist organisation that participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against white minority rule of Rhod ...
(ZANLA) insurgents in
Gaza Province Gaza is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 75,709 km2 and a population of 1,422,460 (2017 census), which is the least populous of all the provinces of Mozambique. Xai-Xai is the capital of the province. Inhambane Province is to t ...
. Along with Operation Miracle, this was one of the largest Rhodesian external operations of the war.


Targets

During the
Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also called the Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe-Rhodesia). The conflict pitted three for ...
(or Second ''
Chimurenga ''Chimurenga'' is a word in the Shona language. The Ndebele equivalent, though not as widely used since the majority of Zimbabweans are Shona speaking, is ''Umvukela'', meaning "revolutionary struggle" or uprising. In specific historical term ...
'') the
Rhodesian Security Forces The Rhodesian Security Forces were the military forces of the Rhodesian government. The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of a ground force (the Rhodesian Army), the Rhodesian Air Force, the British South Africa Police, and various personnel a ...
(RSF) had to deal with an increasing flow of externally trained insurgents coming into Rhodesia, latterly
Zimbabwe Rhodesia Zimbabwe Rhodesia (), alternatively known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, also informally known as Zimbabwe or Rhodesia, and sometimes as Rhobabwe, was a short-lived sovereign state that existed from 1 June to 12 December 1979. Zimbabwe Rhodesia was p ...
, from its neighbouring countries, especially from
Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...
and Mozambique, the latter in particular after its independence in 1975. The objectives of Operation Uric were to attack the ZANLA forces in their command and training centre before they could enter Zimbabwe-Rhodesia and to cut off supply routes into the
Gaza Province Gaza is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 75,709 km2 and a population of 1,422,460 (2017 census), which is the least populous of all the provinces of Mozambique. Xai-Xai is the capital of the province. Inhambane Province is to t ...
of Mozambique. It was also hoped that the destruction of communication and railway lines, roads and bridges as far as 200 miles into Mozambique would affect the economic situation and the morale of those who supported ZANLA and
Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...
. Targets were the bridges at Aldeia Da Barragem along with a vital irrigation canal feeding a major agricultural area in Mozambique. Air strikes were planned on FRELIMO installations in
Mapai Mapai ( he, מַפָּא"י, an acronym for , ''Mifleget Poalei Eretz Yisrael'', lit. "Workers' Party of the Land of Israel") was a democratic socialist political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger in ...
and Maxaila to demoralise the occupants. Afterwards the base at Mapai would be taken and destroyed by Zimbabwe-Rhodesian ground forces.


Attack

Prior to the attack, 200 Zimbabwe Rhodesian troops had been deployed into an area inside of Mozambique east-southeast of Chigubu. Helicopters were at Chipinda Pools airstrip within Zimbabwe Rhodesia. The attack only began on 5 September because of bad weather conditions.
Rhodesian SAS The Rhodesian Special Air Service or Rhodesian SAS was a Rhodesian special forces unit. It comprised: *C Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment (Malayan Emergency (1951–1953) *"C" Squadron (Rhodesian) Special Air Service (1961–1978) *1 (Rho ...
troops were airlifted to Aldeia De Barragem and four other targets to destroy bridges and infrastructure.
Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-R ...
jets and Cessna Lynx aircraft bombed the area and provided air support. During evacuation of a wounded soldier one AB-205A helicopter was shot down by a
RPG-7 The RPG-7 (russian: link=no, РПГ-7, Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт, Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomyot) is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket-propelled grenade launcher. ...
with the technician, LAC AJC Wesson killed on impact. The pilot Flt Lt Dick Paxton was rescued by the SAS. On 6 September the ZANLA base at Mapai was bombarded by
Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-R ...
s destroying the command centre and the main radar station. Afterwards the Zimbabwe-Rhodesian troops were transported by helicopter to attack positions near the base. During transport operations a South African
Puma Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...
helicopter was hit by an RPG-7 at killing all 14 Zimbabwe-Rhodesian commandos and the three South African Air Force crew on board. This was the highest loss of life for the Rhodesian Security Forces in a single incident during the war. The crash site was later bombed in an attempt to cover the South African markings on the Puma helicopter. The bodies were never recovered. The Mapai base was fortified by interconnecting zig-zag trenches which provided good cover for the defenders. Heavy fighting took place between the Rhodesian Army and FPLM soldiers. Mapai was repeatedly bombarded by Hunter jets and
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
bombers. Shortly before sundown the decision to withdraw was taken by the Supreme Commander of the Rhodesian Army General Walls.


Aftermath

The battle resulted in over 300 dead ZANLA soldiers and a number of damaged bridges, buildings and infrastructure. Mozambican casualties were 22 killed and 32 wounded. Zimbabwe Rhodesian casualties were 17 killed, which amounted to a disaster for the Rhodesian forces, despite a kill-ratio of over 20:1. It became obvious to the Rhodesian Security Forces that their enemy would soon become a more legitimate fighting force than before, who were trained by their Soviet advisers, and who were now, through experience, standing their ground through air attacks unlike earlier in the war. Zimbabwe Rhodesian soldiers were well trained, motivated, and equipped, but international sanctions such as
United Nations Security Council Resolution 232 United Nations Security Council Resolution 232, adopted on December 16, 1966, noted with concern that the efforts to break off international economic activity with Southern Rhodesia had failed to bring the rebellion to an end, the Council decided ...
, and isolation had led to increased problems in replacing mostly aircraft, while arms and ammo were mostly plentiful in stocks. Politically the operation led to
Samora Machel Samora Moisés Machel (29 September 1933 – 19 October 1986) was a Mozambican military commander and political leader. A socialist in the tradition of Marxism–Leninism, he served as the first President of Mozambique from the country's ...
putting pressure on
Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...
to take part in the Lancaster House peace talks. Machel wanted to prevent Mozambique from being dragged further into the war with Zimbabwe Rhodesia, which had already seriously damaged its economy.


References


Bibliography

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External links


Operation Uric at www.rhodesia.nl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uric, Operation 1979 in Mozambique 1979 in Rhodesia 1979 in South Africa Battles and operations of the Rhodesian Bush War Military operations of the Rhodesian Bush War involving South Africa Mozambique–Rhodesia relations September 1979 events in Africa