Operation Miracle (Rhodesia)

Operation Miracle (or the Battle of Mavonde)
Part of the Rhodesian Bush War (or Second Chimurenga)
Chimoio Operation Miracle (Rhodesia) (Mozambique) Above:Eland-90 armoured cars of the Rhodesian Armoured Corps.
Date 27 September-6 October 1979 Location Chimoio Circle, Mozambique Result Zimbabwe Rhodesian victory
Belligerents
Zimbabwe Rhodesia	ZANLA FRELIMO
Commanders and leaders
Abel Muzorewa Gen. Peter Walls Lt. Col Ronald Reid-Daly	Herbert Chitepo Josiah Tungairai
Units involved
Rhodesian Army Selous Scouts RLI RAC RhAF	unknown
Strength
200 soldiers	ZANLA: 2,000-12,000 Frelimo: 6 tanks
Casualties and losses
8 killed 3 wounded 2 warplanes shot down 2 helicopters destroyed	ZANLA: heavy Frelimo: 1 tank destroyed

Operation Miracle or Battle of Mavonde was a military raid by the Selous Scouts against ZANLA guerrilla bases in Mozambique towards the end of the Rhodesian Bush War.^[1][2]

Background

In spite of previous Rhodesian Security Forces successes against ZANLA bases in the Manica Province of Mozambique, it became evident from reconnaissance missions that camps had again been established in a sixty kilometre radius from the town of Chimoio, not far from the Rhodesian border town of Umtali. Within this area, in what was now called the Chomoio Circle, and to the east of the Chimoio-Tete Road, aerial photographs revealed a large sprawling complex of five ZANLA camps.

The whole 64 square kilometre area, named New Chimoio, was heavily fortified, with an extensive system of trenches and bunkers protected by heavy weaponry and anti-aircraft guns. ZANLA and their advisors had chosen a prominent ‘bald’ kopje to site a large force of men and anti-aircraft weapons to defend the camps below from air-strikes by the Rhodesian Air Force. The kopje was nicknamed Monte Cassino by the Rhodesians.

Based on initial estimates of one to two thousand insurgents housed in the camps, ComOps made the decision to mount a ground and air attack on the ZANLA complex, using a flying column of one hundred troops from the Selous Scouts and the Rhodesian Armoured Corps.

Canberra bombers would initiate the attack, with Hunters and field guns of the Rhodesian Artillery providing heavy support as the assault progressed. One hundred paratroopers from 2 Commando, 3 Commando and Support Commando of the Rhodesian Light Infantry would be dropped east of the camp to put stop groups in place.

References