rhodesian mercenary mike rousseau rhodesian mercenary mike rousseau

"All too many of the other great tragedies of historyStalins atrocities, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Holocaust, to name but a fewwere perpetrated by armed troops against unarmed populations. The bullet hit the base of his attackers neck, severed the spinal cord, and stopped the fight. The JEWS CAN SHOOT trademarks are owned and controlled by Doris Wise Montrose. They generally served alongside Rhodesian personnel in a large number of units, though a group of Frenchmen served together in a separate unit. Mozambique Drill - Bryce Towsley 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. As he turned a corner, he encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. The historian Luise White noted in 2004 that "the figure most sources cite is 1,500 foreign soldiers, of whom perhaps 400 were American", though the Rhodesian Army put the number at 1,000 including 100 Americans. [22], From the mid-1970s the Rhodesian government began placing advertisements seeking volunteers in the international media. this do in honour of dead mercenaries - Democratic Underground Most of the mercenary soldiers carried FN FAL or HK G3 rifles. The British military did not take up a suggestion by the FCO that it warn servicemen against enlisting with the Rhodesian Security Forces on the grounds that serving as a mercenary was not actually illegal. Carry Calibers: .40 S&W Vs. .45 ACP Vs. 9mm - Gun Digest Fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, at 10 paces. So how does a Rhodesian mercenary figure into the story? Proper tactics can vary greatly depending on the circumstances and situation. Mozambique Drill - Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core Rousseauarmed onyl with a pistolturned a corner and encountered an enemy soldier carrying an AK-47. [87] The historian Hugh Patterson noted that the relatively small numbers of volunteers from the UK indicates that "however vocal the support for Rhodesia by some on the political right, very few men were actually willing to put their futures on the line for the Smith [Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith] regime". His third shot was low, taking out the fighters neck and spinal cord. Heads bob around erratically and the effective zone is relatively small. Get free updates when we add new tips, articles and more! The sanctions it imposed following UDI banned efforts to entice British citizens to live or work in Rhodesia. Remember that 9mm ammo circa late 1960s and late 1970s was marginally better than 9mm ammo from WWII. Let your fellow shooters know share this article using the Facebook, Twitter and other social media icons below. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. The Carter administration considered taking steps to stop Americans serving in Rhodesia, but this did not result in any policy changes. However, the guerilla soldier kept coming, with two bleeding wounds to the torso, and still armed with his rifle. He offered Rhodesia the services of these men after they completed training, though he intended to eventually use them to retake Albania. Historian Michael Raeburn put the figure in 1978 as between 1,500 and 2,000. [28] This magazine had been established that year to promote mercenary opportunities, and provided a positive portrayal of the lifestyle available to mercenaries. However, in a dynamic situation, the fraction of a second it takes to assess the threat could put your life in danger. Shooting Skills: The Mozambique-Failure Drill, Light Em Up: Home Defense Lasers and Lights. 2023 Springfield Armory. However, since you wont have time to interview your attacker in the heat of the moment, the specific cause of the failure isnt important. [60] Foreign volunteers who openly expressed extreme racial views were deported. [78], The nationalists argued in their propaganda that the Rhodesian regime's need for foreign volunteers illustrated its political and military weaknesses. Engaged in a firefight at an airport in Lourenco Marques, Rousseau encountered a guerilla fighter armed with an AK-47. Africa has always offered employment opportunities to those with certain skills. Live The Armory Life. [103] Stephen Jeffreys' 1980 play 'The Jubilee Too' included a British volunteer who had returned from Rhodesia as one of its characters. Its a port city in southern Mozambique where it can be hot with humidity over 80 percent. 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. Mozambique Drill | Gun Wiki | Fandom Over the years, this drill has morphed into a variety of other drills and, if you put any two firearms instructors together, youll get a different opinion as to how its to be properly executed. [69], Despite the Rhodesian government's claim that it did not recruit mercenaries, the British mercenary Peter McAleese was accepted into the Rhodesian Army during 1976. The volunteers had a range of motivations. The foreign volunteers who fought for the country are celebrated by these groups. 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. 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. Tom Cruise was great in Collateral. He should play villain in more Blisk's character is based off Rhodesian mercenary Michael Rousseau, who popularized the shooting technique known as the Mozambique drill. [34], In addition to using advertisements, Rhodesian recruitment teams, including some led by Lamprecht, visited several countries. [4][12] The resistance to the Rhodesian regime was dominated by two black nationalist movements, the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). (snip) Rousseau related the story to an acquaintance, small arms expert Jeff Cooper, founder of the Gunsite Academy shooting school, who incorporated the "Mozambique Drill" into his . This led to a negotiated conclusion to the war that involved a transition to majority rule and the establishment of Zimbabwe in 1980. What the drill emphasizes is shot placement and the ability of the defender to end the deadly encounter quickly. 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. The so-called Mozambique Drill (two shots to the chest, one to the head) was actually developed by accident by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau during the War of Independence in Mozambique when two pistol shots to the torso failed to bring down an enemy guerrilla. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. [29] Advertisements were also placed in other American magazines, including Shotgun News and Shooting Times. I prefer the original name, but whats in a name? If you start slinging your lead outside of the V1 or V2 zones, slow it down. [66] The difficult conditions contributed to high desertion rates. The Browning Hi Power: The Superlative WWII Combat Handgun That Played |-- Places MOZAMBIQUE DRILL.. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. Even better (although much more difficult), make the final shot as youre moving offline. He also edited Shooters Bible Guide to Firearms Assembly, Disassembly, and Cleaning; 50 Guns That Changed the World; and Gun Traders Guide. [44] Opponents of the regime frequently highlighted the issue of 'mercenaries' fighting for Rhodesia, and claimed that they were often mentally unstable and had little regard for civilian casualties. [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. One would figure two slugs to the chest would drop the enemy fighter, but no. .22 LR Self-Defense Ammo Testing - Gunpowder Magazine [16], Despite its need for foreign volunteers, the Rhodesian government was uncomfortable with them. [105], Modern white supremacist and far-right groups continue to provide a positive portrayal of white rule in Rhodesia. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. Rousseau related the story to an acquaintance, small arms expert Jeff Cooper, founder of the Gunsite Academy shooting school, who incorporated the "Mozambique Drill" into his modern technique shooting method. Most of its members left Rhodesia after the company was withdrawn from operations to be retrained, though some settled in Rhodesia. | Discussion opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent For simple evaluation purposes, position a target with a V1 and V2 zone 5 yards to your front. As he turned a corner, he bumped into a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. Forums | Journals| Store [92] Many of the Americans wrongly believed that their government opposed their presence in Rhodesia, with articles in Soldier of Fortune and works by the author Robin Moore also claiming this. Shooting Skills: The Mozambique-Failure Drill - Gun Digest [72], The Rhodesian Army regarded the volunteers as disloyal and undisciplined. [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. Rumored to have begun with Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau and adopted into coursework at Gunsight Academy, the Mozambique Drill is intended to drop an advancing threat immediately. Aaron Cowan of Sage Dynamics takes a look at the Mozambique Drill and puts his own spin on it, suggesting for arguments sake to try firing all three shots to the head instead of two to the chest and one to the head. While a thousand organizations use the Holocaust as a platform for speeches about tolerance, Alex Kozinski, Chief Judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Children Of Jewish Holocaust Survivors [Jews Can Shoot]. The United Nations General Assembly had adopted a similar motion several days earlier at the behest of several countries in southern Africa. [13], Guerrilla activities began in 1966, and mainly involved small groups operating in northern Rhodesia. The Rhodesian government attempted several strategies to address these shortages. 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. Shots to the chest can also slow an attackers advance, even if they dont completely incapacitate him. Center mass shots are easier to make quickly. [36] Neil Grant gave a lower figure in 2015, stating that over 10 per cent of the unit were foreign volunteers. If any of your three shots miss, you have failed the drill. Rousseau immediately performed a double tap two shots to the center of the torso. |-- Archives How rude! Two shots to the chest failed to stop the guy, so Rousseau had to transition point of aim for a head shot. [23] In 1979, the military historian John Keegan noted that foreigners made up between a quarter and a third of the strength of the RLI. Frankly, I dont know of many shooters who maintain the level of skill to pull this off consistently at 3-5 yards. Click As of 2021, the literature largely comprises brief discussions of the topic as part of books and academic journal articles on broader issues. He serves as contributing editor for several magazines, including NRAs American Rieman and Shooting Illustrated, Varmint Hunter, and Combat Handgunner, and is the editor for Gun Digests Cartridges of the World 13th Edition. Silveira v Lockyer, (9th Cir. The most common motivation was opposition to governments led by black people, but other volunteers were motivated by anti-communism or a desire for adventure. It doesnt matter how fast you can pull off rounds if they dont hit your target. [39] An exception was a group of almost 200 French military personnel who enlisted together in late 1976. Home 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. 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. Back in the day when European countries colonized portions of Africa, this area on the east coast of Africa was called Portuguese East Africa. Multiple Gunshot Death - TV Tropes [1][5][8][9], The Mozambique Drill was incorporated in the Gunsite curriculum from the late 1970s. 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. Save my name and email to use for future comments. He was fighting in the Mozambican War of Independence 1964-1974. Transitioning between targets can take some getting used to, especially for shooters still trying to get some experience under their belts. 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. the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC. The Rhodesians' brutal counterinsurgency tactics also proved counter-productive. [77] Rhodesia attempted to counter the "mercenary" claim by processing the volunteers through the Department of Immigration and framing them as prospective Rhodesian citizens, though few ever applied for citizenship. He has trained with some of the countrys finest firearm instructors in handguns, rifles/carbines, shotguns and long-range shooting. LLC. If youre looking for some variety in your training, one practical application of the drill is to fire the first two shots to the targets center mass (V1), then take two steps back to create distance before the third shot. "The Mozambique Drill: A History and How To", "Lesson Plan: Immediate Target Engagement (CMC-22 Combat Marksmanship Coaches Course 08/12/2008)", "History of the Failure Drill: Mozambique Revolt Roots", "Shooting Skills: The Mozambique-Failure Drill", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mozambique_Drill&oldid=1141379493, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 19:40. [62] He had previously attempted to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces, but was rejected. What these European countries didnt factor in was the determination of the African people. [86] Due to the difficulty of drafting legislation that could effectively ban Britons from serving with Rhodesia or enforcing the measures that were brought in, there is no record of any British citizens being punished for serving with the Rhodesian Security Forces during the war. Today, most instructors teach their students to hold the pistol on target after the first two shots. [88], The United States' Neutrality Act of 1794 prohibits American citizens from enlisting with foreign militaries or working as mercenaries for other governments. Throwback Thursday The Mozambique Drill - The Mag Life [84] The FCO advised anyone who sought information about fighting for Rhodesia that doing so was illegal, but did not explain why. A quick how-to on shooting the Mozambique Drill. He named it after the country where the incident occurred, dubbing his drill the Mozambique Drill.. Portugal still maintained strong control over Mozambique. Rhodesian officers also sought to use their networks in other militaries to attract volunteers. Portugal had ruled Mozambique for four hundred years, had subsequent deep roots in the country, and was not leaving without a fight. They could also be wearing body armor. | ContactUs | PrivacyPolicy. The new Prime Minister Robert Mugabe directed shortly after the election that "mercenaries" be dismissed as they were among the "irregular features of the present Army" and were "not needed". Canada had similar laws to the UK, and France and New Zealand were unable to prevent their citizens from travelling to Rhodesia to fight. Product prices mentioned in articles and videos are current as of the date of publication. Oops, there's been an error. Engaged in a firefight at an airport in Lourenco Marques, Rousseau encountered a guerilla fighter armed with an AK-47. [50] The high proportion of white Rhodesians who were born outside the country or held citizenship of another country also complicates the matter. While it might seem strange at first, its not a long stretch to connect the dots from a country off the east coast of Africa, to a Rhodesian mercenary, to a shooting technique, and finally to someone who conceal carries and trains to defend themselves. Dissecting the Mozambique Drill - Bearing Arms Under three seconds, and youve got some major skills. Rousseau immediately performed a "double tap" maneuver, a controlled shooting technique in which the shooter makes two quick shots at the target's torso. [32] For instance, the American neo-Nazi Harold Covington claimed to have served in the Rhodesian Army before being deported due to his racism. Some years back, Col. Cooper developed what he called the Mozambique Drill for the purposes of dealing with this type of situation. Damn the Terrs: American warriors fighting for Rhodesia Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. That was in the 1400s and 1500s when Portugal set up trading settlements that evolved into colonies. List of battleships of the United States Navy, List of aircraft of the Malaysian Armed Forces, http://practicalfirearmstraining.com/reading/HandgunDrillsPDF.pdf, Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, USMC manual CMC-37R of 8 Feb 2006: METHOD OF TARGET ENGAGEMENTS. [46] Economic factors also influenced some of the volunteers, as they believed that the Rhodesian Security Forces offered better career prospects than those available in their home country. I imagine Rousseau had a moment of shock and then quickly decided to end it with a headshot. While catchy mottoes are easy to remember, the technique itself can be difficult to master. Col. Jeff Cooper - A shooting legend and the man who codified the drill. 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." [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. Failure in a gunfight is not an option. The reality of the war confronted Rousseau at the airport in Loureno Marques, which has been called Maputo since 1976. [34] The Rhodesian government paid the airfares of volunteers who were unable to afford to travel until 1977. People have an annoying habit of wanting to move around when you are shooting at them. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! A British deserter from the Rhodesian military claimed in 1976 that 2,000 of the 6,000 regular soldiers in the Rhodesian Army were British and another 100 Americans. The Browning Hi Power: The Superlative WWII Combat Handgun That Played Engaged in a firefight at an airport in Lourenco Marques, Rousseau encountered a guerilla fighter armed with an AK-47. The articles in Soldier of Fortune reflected Rhodesian government propaganda, as they claimed that the country was a western democracy, the war was being fought against communism and did not discuss the oppression of Rhodesia's black majority. [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. When a double-tap to the chest failed to stop the aggressor, a third shot to the head ended the threat and created the Mozambique Drill. 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. a close quarter tactical method of killing a target with two shots to the chest and one follow up shot to the head. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. If any of your three shots land outside the V zones, you have failed the drill. Failure Drill: A Proven Strategy to Stop an Attacker Those who did so received amnesties as part of the British government measures associated to end of the conflict. All Rights Reserved. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to use this website. At least thats what Ive been told. Copyright 2023 BearingArms.com/Salem Media. 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. [22] The army units manned by full time personnel, which included a high proportion of white regular and conscripted soldiers, were the most powerful element of the security forces and formed a strategic reserve that responded to the guerrilla activities. [22] The number of white conscripts in the security forces was also increased by considerably expanding the age groups of men who were required to serve and the periods of active duty reservists needed to undertake. As historians have found it difficult to access Rhodesian records, it is not known exactly how many foreigners volunteered for the Rhodesian Security Forces. Copyright Ammotogo.com 2023 All Rights Reserved. [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. Sometimes shooting a bad guy in the chest just isnt enough. However, even with two new and bleeding nipples, the guerrilla was still coming at him, so Rousseau tried for the head. However, this drill is mostly concerned with improving your shooting skills rather than learning the nuances of self-defense tactics.