The photographs depicted here were snapped by me using an instamatic camera while deploying SAS troops into "The Russian Front" near Mapai in Mocambique in 1978. I was flying with Roger Thomas and the other helicopter seen in the photographs was crewed by Mike Lange-Smith with Pete Caborn as his technician/gunner. These missions were exteremely dangerous as the area was crawling with FRELIMO and ZANLA. On many occasions the call-sign would be mortared by the enemy just after we had deployed them. The gooks would drop thier mortars into the "Msimbiti" or ironwood thickets (which can be seen in the photographs) which could have potentially devastating effect on the call-sign as the wood was very hard and the shrapnel from the splinters was similar to steel.
The LZs in this area were also very limited and we carried Pegasus hot extraction kits in case of emergencies.
To those aviation buffs the G Car is fitted with a Mark 2 Anti Strela shroud over the engine.
The Pegasus Hot extraction kit can be seen fitted under the belly of the G Car in the first picture. The SAS gunner in view is armed with an RPD machine gun.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I welcome comments from everyone on my book Choppertech.
I am interested especially on hearing from former ZANLA and ZIPRA combatants who also have thier story to tell.