ISBN 978-1-95271-506-8, Casemate Publishers, February 2021, 316 pages, $57.35 hardcover
Reviewed by Anthony Lawson, Professor of Practice, Joint Special Operations University
Over the last several years there has been a resurgence in Cold War-era foes. Currently, Ukraine finds itself in a fight for its existence with Russia. While the fighting in Rhodesia was much different than what is taking place today, many of the issues faced in the Rhodesian conflict remain today. Fighting for Time Rhodesia’s Military and Zimbabwe’s Independence provides an in-depth account of the problems faced by a country undergoing a counter insurgency fight and the innovative approaches the Rhodesians used to overcome them. The author, Charles Melson, a former Chief Historian for the U.S. Marine Corps, focuses his work on irregular warfare and counterinsurgency (COIN), an increasingly relevant fight in the current global environment.
Melson begins chapter one by framing the situation in Rhodesia prior to the fighting, focusing mainly on events leading to Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. The author’s approach to the military situation throughout the colonial period prepares the reader well for the events later in the book. While the Unilateral Declaration of Independence certainly contributed to the fighting, a broader framing of Rhodesia’s importance and geo-political position within the Cold War helps novice readers gain a more holistic appreciation of the Rhodesian environment.
In chapter two, “From Border Control to Cross-border Operations” the author introduces the growth of the conflict. As the situation developed in Rhodesia, so did the tactics and structure of the Rhodesians. Melson provides a great overview of two of the most influential organizations of the conflict, the Special Air Service and the Combat Trackers, whose tactics and developments reached far beyond Southern Africa. For readers uninitiated to the Rhodesia conflict, paying special attention to this chapter, and the first, will help readers understand the multitude of acronyms that are intrinsic to all military operations.
Chapter three provides the groundwork for what may be the most important part of the book—supporting arms and air support. The Rhodesian Air Force had a strategic role in the conflict, but what it is probably best known for is its role in supporting the ground forces. Supporting arms is perhaps the aspect of the conflict that benefits the most from added context about the Cold War because of the clandestine nature of the resupply of supporting arms. While this reader mostly enjoyed the chapter, a discussion on why providing arms and aircraft to the Rhodesians was critical, it would demonstrate the importance of supporting arms in the conflict.
The author continues the topic of air power in chapter four as he shifts focus from internal security to COIN. This chapter describes the changing focus of air power as the insurgency grew in the region. It focuses mainly on the traditional uses of air power but introduces the changing use of air support in COIN, as air assets were increasingly used for command and control, reconnaissance, and observation in addition to close air support.
Chapter five provides detail on joint operations, and Melson’s experience as a Marine officer shows through in his ability to accurately make sense of the operations. The overall structure and command and control of the operations within the conflict is described, while additional focus is placed on the tactical considerations of joint operations. This chapter also introduces more information on the Selous Scouts, Grey’s Scouts, the Special Air Service and how things like the Rhodesian Intelligence Corps and psychological operations supported joint operations.
Chapters six through eight get into the heart of the fighting and will provide great value to both practitioners and academics studying Rhodesia and COIN. Chapter six, appropriately titled “The Killing Machine,” focuses on the Fire Force. Melson provides great insight into the conflict through his collection of first-hand accounts of Fire Force deployments while detailing all aspects of the operations. In chapter seven, he goes into detail on cross border operations. Since many of these external operations were never disclosed or even denied, the author’s research provides a great record. Chapter eight gains the interest of practitioners through the author’s discussion of special operations and unconventional warfare, as Melson debates Rhodesia’s interaction with the Mozambique National Resistance and what were labeled “dirty tricks.” Melson’s conclusion, “To What End: Tactical Victory, Strategic Defeat,” says it all. The book focuses on the tactical aspects of the conflict but there is enough coverage on the strategic side to understand why the Rhodesians lost. Fighting for Time Rhodesia’s Military and Zimbabwe’s Independence is an in-depth, well researched look at an incredibly interesting important topic, COIN. The lessons of Rhodesia have many similarities to the recent fights in Afghanistan, making the book both timely and relevant. Additionally, strategic competition has many parallels to a new cold war, making the study of conflicts such as this increasingly
