Dingo Firestorm

This book tells the story of the biggest conflict of the Rhodesian Bush War, fought in neighboring Mozambique. Code-named Operation Dingo, the battle was a huge gamble. It took place when Rhodesia was running out of money, ammunition and friends. Prime Minister Ian Smith authorized a risky two-pronged attack on ZANLA bases in Mozambique to buy time and weaken Robert Mugabe s negotiating position. He committed virtually the entire Rhodesian Air Force to support 184 paratroops and helicopter troops in a surprise attack on an enemy force of thousands. The attack was planned to coincide with a meeting of Mugabe and his War Council at their Chimoio HQ. Pringle describes the political and military backdrop leading up to the raid, and he tells the story of the battle through the eyes of key personalities who planned, led and participated in it. Using his own experience as a jet and helicopter pilot, he recreates the battle in detail, explaining the performance of men and machines in the unfolding drama of events. The author obtained exclusive interviews with three top Rhodesian commanders weeks before their (coincidental) deaths in 2010, including valuable insights by Lieutenant General Peter Walls, the supreme Rhodesian commander. Dingo Firestorm is a fresh, gripping recreation of a key battle in southern African military history."