What were the weapons that both sides had during the Rhodesian Conflict?

[KVLG]

What were the weapons that the Rhodesian government and ZANU and ZAPU had during the war? Where did they come from?

[James]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodesian_Bush_War


The Rhodesian Army was, considering the arms embargo, well-equipped. The standard infantry weapon was the Belgian FN FAL Rifle as produced in South Africa under license as the R1 Rifle and supplemented by the H&K G3 rifle. However other weapons such as the L1A1 and the older British Lee-Enfield bolt action rifle were used by reservists and the British South Africa Police. Other weapons included the Bren LMG, Sten SMG, Uzi, Browning Hi-Power pistol, Colt M16 rifle (very late in the war), GPMG MMG, 81 mm mortar, and Claymore mines. After UDI Rhodesia was heavily reliant on South African and domestically-produced weapons and equipment, as well as international smuggling operations.

google rocks.

[Royal]

What were the weapons that the Rhodesian government and ZANU and ZAPU had during the war?

Guns


Where did they come from?

Factories

FFS learn how to search.

Please?

[wilhelm]

Zanu and Zapu used Chinese and Soviet equipment. Pretty much the same as other guerilla movement worldwide at the time.

James, via Google, answered your Rhodesian question easily enough.p-)

Most of Rhodesia's weapons were from South Africa. I have seen an indigeneous sub machine gun though who's name escapes me. I'm unsure wether it was widely distributed. An SMG can be produced by any fairly decent engineering workshop though.

EDIT: Below is a picture of the Kommando SMG. There is some confusion over wether it was actually made in Rhodesia or in South Africa.

[retrobob]

Zanu and Zapu used Chinese and Soviet equipment. Pretty much the same as other guerilla movement worldwide at the time.

James, via Google, answered your Rhodesian question easily enough.p-)

Most of Rhodesia's weapons were from South Africa. I have seen an indigeneous sub machine gun though who's name escapes me. I'm unsure wether it was widely distributed. An SMG can be produced by any fairly decent engineering workshop though.

EDIT: Below is a picture of the Kommando SMG. There is some confusion over wether it was actually made in Rhodesia or in South Africa.
There's a good writeup on the 'Kommando' SMG in 'Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of Rhodesia 1965-1960' (Peter G. Locke,Peter D.F. Cooke ,P and P Publishing, 1995 NZ).According to the book the 'Kommando was manufactured in both Rhodesia and RSA.Dubbed the 'Rhuzie' due to it's resemblance the the Israeli Uzi it only saw very limited service with the Rhodesian security forces. No orders where actually secured by the manufacturers despite considerable interest shown by the security forces though it was very popular in private hands for 'home defence' with somthing like 10,000 Rhodesian manufactured weapons sold by mid-1979.

[KVLG]

Zanu and Zapu used Chinese and Soviet equipment. Pretty much the same as other guerilla movement worldwide at the time.

James, via Google, answered your Rhodesian question easily enough.p-)

Most of Rhodesia's weapons were from South Africa. I have seen an indigeneous sub machine gun though who's name escapes me. I'm unsure wether it was widely distributed. An SMG can be produced by any fairly decent engineering workshop though.

EDIT: Below is a picture of the Kommando SMG. There is some confusion over wether it was actually made in Rhodesia or in South Africa.

Looks a bit like a Czech vz 23 subgun. BTW, could you tell me more about what Chinese and Soviet hardware was used by ZANU and ZAPU? Did they have any weapons from other sources?

[AUDIEM249]

I know that, genius. What I meant was what specific types, and what countries they originated from. when making such a comment, know who you are talking too.

BTW it doesnt usually help when you insult the people you ask for help, just food for thought.

[KVLG]

when making such a comment, know who you are talking too.

BTW it doesnt usually help when you insult the people you ask for help, just food for thought.

I'm sorry. I thought that he was being obnoxious. Believe me, the last thing I want is any trouble.

[James]

KVLG, please use google and search on your own. I will refrain from locking this thread so you can share whatever information you find with the rest of us.

[wilhelm]

There's a good writeup on the 'Kommando' SMG in 'Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of Rhodesia 1965-1960' (Peter G. Locke,Peter D.F. Cooke ,P and P Publishing, 1995 NZ).According to the book the 'Kommando was manufactured in both Rhodesia and RSA.Dubbed the 'Rhuzie' due to it's resemblance the the Israeli Uzi it only saw very limited service with the Rhodesian security forces. No orders where actually secured by the manufacturers despite considerable interest shown by the security forces though it was very popular in private hands for 'home defence' with somthing like 10,000 Rhodesian manufactured weapons sold by mid-1979.

Nice info ... thanks Retrobob!!

KVLG, found anything interesting yet? I remember seeing something that in the beginning, a lot of surplus WW2 weaponry was used. When I was at Infantry School in Oudtshoorn, we had a look at some of the weaponry captured over the years from guerillas. I must stress that I'm not sure is any of it was from the Rhodesian war. With the usual AK-47/AKM's were Simonovs, PPSH41, and an MG-42. Yes, I'm aware of the Yugoslav copy!

[retrobob]

No probs mate,my pleasure.
According to the same reference there were 7 home designed/manufactured SMG's of which only the 'Kommando' and GM15/GM16 achieved some measure of success .The GM15 and it's semiauto version the GM16 were covertly manufactured,unlicenced copies of captured Czech Vz25 SMG's intended to supplement Uzi, Sterling,and Sten SMG's in use with Rhod. security Forces.The GM 15's performance compared with the original Vz25 was disappointing and like the 'kommando' SMG only saw very limited use with Security Forces.Production quantities are unknown and only small quantities of the semi-automatic GM16 were sold to the public.Production of the GM15/GM16 ceased in 1980.

[The Saint]

"The Rhodesian Front War: Counter-Insurgency and Guerrilla War in Rhodesia, 1962-1980", by Henrik Ellert (Mambo Press, Gweru, revised ed 1991), shows pictures and data of different domestic-produced weapons, as well as captured Zipra/Zanla armament, taken from a BSAP manual.
Ellert was in the Special Branch of the BSAP.

[KVLG]

Nice info ... thanks Retrobob!!

KVLG, found anything interesting yet? I remember seeing something that in the beginning, a lot of surplus WW2 weaponry was used. When I was at Infantry School in Oudtshoorn, we had a look at some of the weaponry captured over the years from guerillas. I must stress that I'm not sure is any of it was from the Rhodesian war. With the usual AK-47/AKM's were Simonovs, PPSH41, and an MG-42. Yes, I'm aware of the Yugoslav copy!

Well, supposedly, about half of ZANLA/ZANU forces had SKS, all of which were supposedly ChiCom, and at most half had AKs, some ChiCom, most from Soviet satellites, none from the USSR itself, though that reference may have left out the later part of the conflict when the Soviet Union started supported ZANU.