Communist Invasion of Rhodesia 1979

[Cobra Commander]

I want to make a scenario for this. Joshua Nkomo intended to invade Rhodesia with Russian and Zambian help in 1979 but the operation was aborted because the Rhodesian SAS foiled it by blowing some bridges and stuff.

Any help, especially OOBs for Nkomo's forces, I think I can handle the Rhodesians, but I,m not exactly sure how to distribute the armor or where they should be placed on the map. I know there is a map and it would be appreciated if I could use this too. Thanks

 

[Hellfish6]

There is a Zimbabwe map released maybe a year or so ago - I don't remember who it's by off the top of my head, but it's pretty good.

Beyond that, I know ZIPRA had a conventional brigade equipped with T-34/85s, BTR-152s and BRDM-1s. I don't know much beyond that, except that it was used, historically, to defend against Rhodesian cross-border raids. IIRC, Mozambique is the only country that engaged the Rhodies with armour at any point, and then only once or twice. Most of my reference books are loaned out at the moment, tho.

I've been working on a TOAW scenario for a while now involving the insurgencies in Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Rhodesia and South Africa 1975-1980.

Here's the OOB I made for the ZIPRA Brigade:

1st Motor Rifle Battalion
2nd Motor Rifle Battalion
3rd Motor Rifle Battalion

Each with:
10 Assault Squads
10 Assault AT Squads
10 Irregular Squads
6 73mm Recoilless Rifles
6 82mm Mortars
6 Medium MGs
3 SA-7s
4 BTR-40s
2 BTR-152A SPAAGs
44 BTR-152 APCs
5 Trucks

Tank Battalion

with:
31 T-34/85s
3 SU-100
3 PT-76
2 ZSU-57-2
3 BTR-40

Artillery Battalion

with:
12 122mm ER guns
6 76mm Howitzers
18 Irregular Squads (crews, applicable at the scale I'm using)
18 Trucks

Brigade HQ

with:
20 Irregular Squads (HQ troops)
3 Assault Squads
2 BTR-152 Quad AAMGs
2 BTR-152A SPAAG
2 Quad AAMG
6 BTR-152 APCs
2 Heavy MGs
2 Medium MGs
3 SA-7s
10 Trucks
1 Command Group

That's only an estimation... feel free to change as you see fit.

 

[Case]

There is a Zimbabwe map released maybe a year or so ago - I don't remember who it's by off the top of my head, but it's pretty good.

I made the map for my scenario 'Zimbabwe 2003', which can be downloaded from: http://www.warfarehq.com/archives/forumdisplay.php?f=8 Please note that there have been a few changes to Zimbabwe's infrastructure between 1973 and 2003, so you may need to remove a few railroads and downgrade some roads.*

I did the map at 15km/hex, which in retrospect was a mistake - 10km/hex would have worked better.


* Yes, I am aware that the quality of the roads and railroads in Zimbabwe is currently far below what TOAW models them as!

 

[Hellfish6]

Very good scenario, Case!

 

[viridomaros]

* Yes, I am aware that the quality of the roads and railroads in Zimbabwe is currently far below what TOAW models them as!

well isn't it possible to lower the amount of rail transport available to simulate this bad shape of the rail system?