rhodesian mercenary mike rousseau

Forum Categories The story goes that this technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau. The story goes that this technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. in 1978, he was the final recipient of the Rhodesian civil Independence Commemorative Decoration for services rendered to the country. Get free updates when we add new tips, articles and more! Its much harder than you may think. All too many of the other great tragedies of history - Stalin's atrocities, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Holocaust, to name but a few - were perpetrated by armed troops against unarmed populations. The volunteers had a range of motivations. People have an annoying habit of wanting to move around when you are shooting at them. 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. Due to factors such as body armor, the bolstering effect of drugs, or failure to hit vital organs, the body shots may not be immediately effective, necessitating the third shot. The shots should be fired as fast as you are able, however they shouldnt be so fast that you miss your intended target. Accurate hits will beat fast misses every single time. If the target continues to advance despite two well-placed shots to the torso, the shooter follows up with a more precisely aimed (and more difficult to accomplish) head shot. He also noted that the party drew on the ideas and language used by the contemporary radical right movement in the United States to justify UDI. The story goes that this technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau. John McVicar Malloch ICD, was a South African-born Rhodesian bush pilot, gun-runner and sanctions-buster who flew in World War II and in various legal and illegal roles around Africa and the Middle East until the early 1980s. [65] Most of the volunteers served under Rhodesian officers. The Rhodesians' brutal counterinsurgency tactics also proved counter-productive. They also feared for their lives due to a perception that a black majority government would place them on trial for murder and other crimes. [36] In 1976 some current and former British soldiers were sent unsolicited leaflets that encouraged them to enlist in the Rhodesian Army and explained its conditions of service. The academics Jacob Ware and John Campbell stated in 2022 that people from more than fifteen countries had volunteered to fight for Rhodesia, including "several hundred" Americans. the phrase was coined by a rhodesian mercenary named Mike Rousseau while he was serving in Mozambique. Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, England and Portugal thought they had free rein over Africa. What these European countries didnt factor in was the determination of the African people. A quick how-to on shooting the Mozambique Drill. Two to the body and one to the head is guaranteed to stop a threat. Rousseau then lowered his weapon to the ready position. This is an effective way to stop a threat that isnt immediately stopped by two shots to the bodys center mass. If you start slinging your lead outside of the V1 or V2 zones, slow it down. You sweat just standing still. Thats why practicing the Mozambique Drill is so important. In a veritable ocean of blood, one otherwise trivial engagement gained lasting notoriety. He was fighting in the Mozambican War of Independence 1964-1974. He also wrote that these men were from 38 different nationalities. The drill was inspired by an incident encountered by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau during the Mozambican War of Independence (1964 to about 1974). The French troops were being withdrawn from Djibouti upon that country's independence, and French intelligence agents helped facilitate their recruitment by the Rhodesian Army. For simple evaluation purposes, position a target with a V1 and V2 zone 5 yards to your front. [93], The legality of volunteering for the Rhodesian Security Forces varied between other countries. Editors Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. 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. As you know, Cooper founded Gunsite Academy and preached his tactical gospel of the modern technique. Its editor was a strong supporter of the white Rhodesian cause and wanted to encourage Americans to fight for Rhodesia. These organisations provided recruits for the security forces as well as private industry, including farms, mines and timber companies. 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. Its a port city in southern Mozambique where it can be hot with humidity over 80 percent. He named it after the country where the incident occurred, dubbing his drill the Mozambique Drill.. Many of the Europeans had previously served with the French Foreign Legion. Guerrilla fighters were swarming the airport and Rousseau turned a corner and nearly bumped into a FRELIMO fighter wielding an AK-47. [39] An exception was a group of almost 200 French military personnel who enlisted together in late 1976. [60] The volunteers also received the same pay as white Rhodesians,[43] between $US 4,000 and $US 7,000 annually. Rousseau later related the story to an acquaintance, Jeff Cooper, who incorporated the "triple tap" or "Mozambique Drill" into his practical shooting technique. These articles frequently highlighted the experiences of Americans who were fighting in Rhodesia. [72], The Rhodesian Army regarded the volunteers as disloyal and undisciplined. [17] The Army's structure of administrative corps was similar to that of the British Army, and many of its officers had undergone training in the United Kingdom. [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. Home [32][33], The Rhodesian Security Forces' recruitment staff responded to people who wrote letters of inquiry after reading the advertisements. Named for Mike Rousseau, an associate of Jeff Cooper, who, ironically, died during the war in Rhodesia. MOZAMBIQUE DRILL.. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. What the drill emphasizes is shot placement and the ability of the defender to end the deadly encounter quickly. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. Rousseau hit the target on either side of the sternum, usually enough to incapacitate or kill a target outright. After a quick assessment of the situation, Rousseau tried for a shot to the mans central nervous system. Once you can achieve repeatable accuracy, then you can start to speed things up. [44] Many volunteers were also strongly anti-communist, and wanted to stop the further spread of this ideology in Africa. [16], Despite its need for foreign volunteers, the Rhodesian government was uncomfortable with them. FRELIMOs Marxist underpinnings earned it support from Russia and China. They generally joined the Rhodesian Security Forces individually after seeing advertisements or after being contacted by recruiters. The young African not only failed to fall, but he advanced toward Rousseau with murderous intent. The Portuguese government banned Rhodesian recruitment in the late 1970s, but was unable to enforce the legislation. Those who did so received amnesties as part of the British government measures associated to end of the conflict. Portugal had ruled Mozambique for four hundred years, had subsequent deep roots in the country, and was not leaving without a fight. This bullet struck a bit low, entering the mans neck and severing his spinal cord, effectively ending the fight. He was fighting in the. Of course, we have to be careful of adhering to dogma, no matter where it comes from. 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. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to use this website. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! By 1979 the Rhodesian government was facing defeat and the war was costing 2,000 lives each month. Upon hearing the story of Rousseaus encounter, Cooper incorporated a three-shot drill into his training at the famous Gunsite Academy. One such soldier of fortune was Mike Rousseau. In many countries it was illegal to serve with the Rhodesian Security Forces. [40] They were recruited by the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) from a French military base in Djibouti. Most of its members left Rhodesia after the company was withdrawn from operations to be retrained, though some settled in Rhodesia. 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 (~7.5 . [7] However, even with two new and bleeding nipples, the guerrilla was still coming at him, so Rousseau tried for the head. 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. During fighting at the Loureno Marques airport (modern-day Maputo ), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla, 10 paces away and armed with an AK-47. This proposal was quickly dismissed as the Rhodesians did not see how they could arm or use large numbers of non-English speakers. [74], The Canadian spree killer Mathew Lamb was able to join the Rhodesian Army in 1974 after being released from a mental institution. Armed with a Browning HP35 pistol chambered in 9mm, Rousseau immediately brought up his Hi Power and shot the guerrilla twice in the chest. Mike Rousseau was friends with Colonel Jeff Cooper, a legend in the firearms training world and the founder of Gunsite Academy. At the start signal, draw from concealment and fire two shots into the V1 zone and one shot into the V2 zone as fast as you can do so without missing either zone. 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. 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. One would figure two slugs to the chest would drop the enemy fighter, but no. [40], The Rhodesian government did not accept all offers of volunteers. He is a contributing editor to numerous gun-enthusiast magazines and websites, including Combat Handguns, Black Guns, Gun Tests, Gun Digest, Gun World, Ballistic, range365.com, SHOT Business, and others. [106], Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces, Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence, February 1980 Southern Rhodesian general election, "Foreign Fighter Problem: What the War in Rhodesia Means for Ukraine", "Fine-mannered, articulate and urbane: the mercenary as deadly romantic", "Security Council resolution 460 (1979) [Southern Rhodesia]", "Rhodesia: Oral Answers to Questions Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 16th January 1980", "Many Rhodesian Whites Threaten to Quit Jobs", "Rhodesia's Approach to Counterinsurgency: A Preference for Killing", "Mercenary Activity: United States Neutrality Laws and Enforcement", "The White House and White Africa: Presidential Policy on Rhodesia 1965-79", "The 'New Model' Armies of Africa? Live The Armory Life. Canada had similar laws to the UK, and France and New Zealand were unable to prevent their citizens from travelling to Rhodesia to fight. [4][5][6], According to anecdotal history, the technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, engaged in the Mozambican War of Independence (19641974). [10] This ideology attracted support from many mainstream conservative politicians and military veterans in the United Kingdom and United States, as well as from some far right groups in those countries. [44] The Rhodesian military rarely discussed the foreign volunteers with journalists. Click the Go To Forum Thread link below to jump in! Today, most instructors teach their students to hold the pistol on target after the first two shots. Africa has always offered employment opportunities to those with certain skills. Rousseau immediately brought up his Browning . Big Forums All rights reserved. Seeing that the fighter was still advancing, Rousseau attempted a head shot that hit the guerrilla through the base of his neck, severing the spinal cord. Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. [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. 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. It is not the only way to do things, and was never intended to be taken as the one true way.. Two shots to the chest failed to stop the guy, so Rousseau had to transition point of aim for a head shot. However, since you wont have time to interview your attacker in the heat of the moment, the specific cause of the failure isnt important. I came about after Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau told the story of an encounter he had in combat at an airport. At the start signal, draw your weapon and fire two shots to the chest (V1 zone), followed by one shot to the head (V2 zone). [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. Relying on instinct and training, Rousseau delivered a double tap to the combatants chest with his Browning Hi Power pistol and 9mm ammunition. 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. [11], UDI and Rhodesia's racial inequalities led to the outbreak of the Rhodesian Bush War. 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.