The Rhodesian government did not formally reply. The latest content straight to your inbox plus an automatic entry to each of our monthly giveaways! Hitting the T-zone is a challenge. [34] Foreign volunteers were also offered land if they settled in Rhodesia after completing their service with the security forces. [32] For instance, the American neo-Nazi Harold Covington claimed to have served in the Rhodesian Army before being deported due to his racism. Guerrilla fighters were swarming the airport and Rousseau turned a corner and nearly bumped into a FRELIMO fighter wielding an AK-47. Semi-automatic pistols in those days relied on FMJ bullets so the pistol would function properly. |-- Political Videos These letters were closely scrutinised, as many of the men who had written them were considered "obviously nuts" by the Rhodesian Army's recruitment officer Major Nick Lamprecht. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. Get free updates when we add new tips, articles and more! With small arms, mortars, and artillery of predominantly Russian and Chinese origin, guerrilla fighters in places like the Congo and Mozambique engaged in pitiless unconventional warfare that saw widespread atrocities. As he turned a corner, he bumped into a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. [58], Foreign volunteers who were accepted were required to swear an oath of loyalty to Rhodesia, and the Rhodesian government considered them to be members of the security forces rather than mercenaries. Once you can achieve repeatable accuracy, then you can start to speed things up. [38], Most of the foreigners who volunteered to fight for Rhodesia did so individually. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, much of Africa burned. the technique may also be called a triple tap, or failure to stop drill. [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. A quick how-to on shooting the Mozambique Drill. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Cooper_%28colonel%29. Miss the zone, and the projectile could deflect off the bony areas of the skull without eliminating the threat. [43] The academic Luise White has written that they were commonly opposed to the establishment of governments run by black people and did not have any particular commitment to Rhodesia itself. Armed with a Browning HP35 pistol chambered in 9mm, Rousseau immediately brought up his Hi Power and shot the guerrilla twice in the chest. If any of your three shots land outside the V zones, you have failed the drill. Volume 9: EDC Digital Magazine. The third shot should be aimed to destroy the brain or brain stem, killing the target and preventing the target from retaliating. 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. [35] Organisations representing veterans were another method used to contact potential recruits. It may be ironic that the Mozambique Drill is a technique used with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, during the Mozambican War of Independence from 1964 to 1974. 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. FRELIMO's Marxist underpinnings earned it support from Russia and China. [36] Neil Grant gave a lower figure in 2015, stating that over 10 per cent of the unit were foreign volunteers. The drill is also sometimes called the Failure Drill, as the third and final shot is made in response to a situation when the double tap fails to stop an advancing threat. Britain and the United Nations Security Council imposed wide-ranging trade and other sanctions on Rhodesia with the objective of forcing it to return to its previous status. This article is featured in By the early 20th century, the scramble to colonize Africa was on. Those who were considered potentially suitable were sent information packs, and asked to supply documentation to support their application; preference was given to applicants who provided notarized documents in their response. Rousseau later related the story to an acquaintance, Jeff Cooper, who incorporated the "triple tap" or "Mozambique Drill" into his practical shooting technique. The scope of these sanctions was increased over time, and included restrictions on support for its military. After the end of the Frontier War, he went on to create a popular bloodsport competition called the Apex Games. Rousseau was fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques, which is now called Maputo. 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. Of course, we have to be careful of adhering to dogma, no matter where it comes from. Mozambique Drill - Wikipedia [6], The Rhodesian Front's ideology held that the end of colonial rule in Africa and the development of African nationalism during the 1950s and 1960s had been the result of international communism aided by a policy of appeasement towards African nationalists by the United Kingdom and other western countries. Damn the Terrs: American warriors fighting for Rhodesia As you know, Cooper founded Gunsite Academy and preached his tactical gospel of the modern technique. 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. Your goal should be three accurate shots in under four seconds. Two American ex-Marine deserters from the Forces who robbed jewelry stores in Salisbury, while carrying stolen Uzis, were involved in a shoot-out with authorities at the South African border. [65] Most of the volunteers served under Rhodesian officers. During a fight, he bumped into a guerrilla soldier armed with an AK-47. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! The Browning Hi Power: The Superlative WWII Combat Handgun That Played Got a message for Democratic Underground? Seeing that the guerrilla was still advancing, Rousseau made an attempt at a head shot that hit the guerrilla through the base of his neck, severing the spinal cord. The Mozambique drill, originally developed by a Rhodesian mercenary, MIke Rousseau, is a standard practice drill for self defense. Most of its members left Rhodesia after the company was withdrawn from operations to be retrained, though some settled in Rhodesia. This little rhyme, refers to the Mozambique Drill. This led to a negotiated conclusion to the war that involved a transition to majority rule and the establishment of Zimbabwe in 1980. I prefer the original name, but whats in a name? Portugal still maintained strong control over Mozambique. The United Nations General Assembly had adopted a similar motion several days earlier at the behest of several countries in southern Africa. [62][76], The nationalist groups that were fighting the Rhodesian regime and many progressive groups worldwide considered the volunteers to be mercenaries. Id argue that if the two shots at (and hopefully in) the chest of an aggressor fails to convince him to break off his attack, then youd be better to drop your aim to fire the third shot (and perhaps fourth and fifth shots) at the pelvis next. The two movements espoused Marxist beliefs and were regarded as communists by the Rhodesian government. According to the anecdotal history, the technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, engaged in the Mozambican War of Independence (1964-1974). The latest content straight to your inbox plus an automatic entry to each of our monthly gungiveaways! Its editor was a strong supporter of the white Rhodesian cause and wanted to encourage Americans to fight for Rhodesia. views and opinions of Springfield Armory. The sanctions it imposed following UDI banned efforts to entice British citizens to live or work in Rhodesia. Creator of the Mozambique Shooting Drill died in Zimbabwe How?? It was also unclear whether serving in the Rhodesian military was illegal under laws that prohibited service in foreign militaries as the British did not recognise Rhodesia's independence. Sometimes shooting a bad guy in the chest just isnt enough. Thank you for your support. [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. Tom Cruise was great in Collateral. He should play villain in more LLC. Rousseau had a pistol. He finished the job with a headshot. He told Cooper the story, and Cooper began to teach what he called the "Mozambique Drill" at Gunsite. Not exactly a headshot, but the situation was terminated. The Mozambique drill was made famous by Jeff Cooper after learning about this incident. Rousseau hit the target on either side of the sternum, usually enough to incapacitate or kill a target outright. Portugal had ruled Mozambique for . [41][42] The CIO regarded this as a success, but all other elements of the Rhodesian government were sceptical. page. 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. If you can successfully perform the drill in under five seconds, youre doing better than most law enforcement officers. Frankly, I dont know of many shooters who maintain the level of skill to pull this off consistently at 3-5 yards. Its much harder than you may think. Rhodesian officers also sought to use their networks in other militaries to attract volunteers. This unit performed poorly and committed atrocities that included raping women during operations. A forum community dedicated to Springfield Armory XD and XD-M series firearm owners and enthusiasts. [34] The Rhodesian government paid the airfares of volunteers who were unable to afford to travel until 1977. 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 . In 1977 the pretender to the Albanian throne, Leka I, asked the Rhodesian government to train a battalion of Albanians that he hoped to recruit. The Triple Tap Callsign can be unlocked by playing with the Mozambique, and Triple Tap XL can be unlocked via Advocate Gift. Mike Rousseau, a Rhodesian mercenary during the Mozambican War of Independence, was armed only with a 9mm Browning Hi-Power pistol, and he rounded a corner at Loureno Marques (now Maputo) Airport and came face-to-face with an African guerilla armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, less than 25 feet away. The bottom line: Accurate head shots are hard. Now you understand the history and background as well as the importance of the Failure Drill. Sometimes in practice, I will draw my weapon and shoot one shot to the chest . [46], In addition to the actual volunteers, thousands of South African Police and South African Defence Force (SADF) personnel were deployed to Rhodesia by the South African government to serve in or alongside the Rhodesian Security Forces. Forums | Journals| Store However, in a dynamic situation, the fraction of a second it takes to assess the threat could put your life in danger. [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. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. 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. They observed that the volunteers "failed in their efforts to protect the white regime, but not before they supported and contributed to a conflict that lasted fifteen years and claimed tens of thousands of lives". The views While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. Ideally, a more practical application might be to fire two shots to the torso, take two steps back and to the side to keep your distance and, if your attacker is still attacking, attempt the head shot.