[75] The Rhodesian Army only learnt of Lamb's history after his death during an operation in 1976. Portugal still maintained strong control over Mozambique. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. dissenting.). Home Its editor was a strong supporter of the white Rhodesian cause and wanted to encourage Americans to fight for Rhodesia. I came about after Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau told the story of an encounter he had in combat at an airport. We must protect our Second Amendment and we must spread the word that Jews support the right to bear arms. [15], Foreigners with far right beliefs were often sympathetic to the Rhodesian cause during the war. These letters were closely scrutinised, as many of the men who had written them were considered "obviously nuts" by the Rhodesian Army's recruitment officer Major Nick Lamprecht. 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. In 1977 the pretender to the Albanian throne, Leka I, asked the Rhodesian government to train a battalion of Albanians that he hoped to recruit. The Portuguese used WWII vintage pistols in their two decades long colonial wars in Angola and Mozambique (some claim the gun Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau used in the original Mozambique . 4 Things to Do During Self-Isolation - The Shooter's Log [103] Stephen Jeffreys' 1980 play 'The Jubilee Too' included a British volunteer who had returned from Rhodesia as one of its characters. [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. [62] He had previously attempted to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces, but was rejected. Tom Cruise was great in Collateral. He should play villain in more [81], The British government was opposed to its citizens fighting for Rhodesia. [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? Rousseauarmed onyl with a pistolturned a corner and encountered an enemy soldier carrying an AK-47. He serves as contributing editor for several magazines, including NRAs American Rieman and Shooting Illustrated, Varmint Hunter, and Combat Handgunner, and is the editor for Gun Digests Cartridges of the World 13th Edition. [22][27] Men with previous military experience, and especially service in wars, were preferred. The Portuguese forces collaborated with Rhodesia which had experience from the Bush War in the early 1960s to create special forces teams to deal with FRELIMO. Forum Categories Dont be surprised to hear the drill referred to as the Zombie Drill or Zombie Check. a close quarter tactical method of killing a target with two shots to the chest and one follow up shot to the head. You fight with what you have, and at about ten paces (or five yards) Rousseau fired two 9mm rounds into the fighters chest. The bullet hit the base of his attackers neck, severed the spinal cord, and stopped the fight. During the fighting, he encountered a guerrilla fighter armed with an AK-47 at . Doing so was illegal under laws banning mercenary activity in Israel, West Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. He is the leader of the Apex Predators, an infamous outfit of ruthless freelance Pilots. These men were often directed to wear Rhodesian uniforms, and the South African government falsely claimed that some had volunteered for the Rhodesian Security Forces. [74], The Canadian spree killer Mathew Lamb was able to join the Rhodesian Army in 1974 after being released from a mental institution. [1] From 1962 its government was led by the Rhodesian Front political party. 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. During the Mozambican War of Independence, a Rhodesian mercenary by the name of Mike Rousseau was engaged in a firefight at the airport at Lourenco Marques. I imagine Rousseau had a moment of shock and then quickly decided to end it with a headshot. White notes that this was "not because of how they were paid for fighting but because of why they were fighting", with it being argued that the volunteers had involved themselves in a war that was not theirs. This little rhyme, refers to the Mozambique Drill. |-- Ask the Administrators The Browning Hi Power: The Superlative WWII Combat Handgun That Played However, for reasons lost to history Rousseau was reduced to his sidearm, a GP35 Browning Hi-Power in 9mm. Rousseau immediately performed a "double tap" maneuver, a controlled shooting technique in which the shooter makes two quick shots at the target's torso. Mike Rousseau was friends with Colonel Jeff Cooper, a legend in the firearms training world and the founder of Gunsite Academy. [44] The Rhodesian military rarely discussed the foreign volunteers with journalists. [41][42] The CIO regarded this as a success, but all other elements of the Rhodesian government were sceptical. Robert A. Sadowski has written about firearms and hunting for more than fifteen years. You can also take two steps to the side to get offline of the attack before making the final head shot. Over the years, this drill has morphed into a variety of other drills and, if you put any two firearms instructors together, youll get a different opinion as to how its to be properly executed. [99][100], A range of works have provided positive portrayals of the foreign volunteers. Proper tactics can vary greatly depending on the circumstances and situation. Rousseau then aimed for the head, and fired the shot that finally put the enemy solder down. Those who were combat veterans resented being placed under the command of younger and less experienced Rhodesians. "The Mozambique Drill: A History and How To", "Lesson Plan: Immediate Target Engagement (CMC-22 Combat Marksmanship Coaches Course 08/12/2008)", "History of the Failure Drill: Mozambique Revolt Roots", "Shooting Skills: The Mozambique-Failure Drill", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mozambique_Drill&oldid=1141379493, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 19:40. The young African not only failed to fall, but he advanced toward Rousseau with murderous intent. FRELIMO attacked targets in typical guerrilla-style warfare and, like other small insurgent forces, they made full use of hit and run tactics, their knowledge of the terrain, and used the monsoon season to their advantage. [28] This magazine had been established that year to promote mercenary opportunities, and provided a positive portrayal of the lifestyle available to mercenaries. The articles in Soldier of Fortune reflected Rhodesian government propaganda, as they claimed that the country was a western democracy, the war was being fought against communism and did not discuss the oppression of Rhodesia's black majority. Jeff Cooper created The Modern Technique of the Pistol and the Combat Mindset. [37] Some of the Americans volunteered to work as security guards on farms in Rhodesia as this offered the opportunity to fight communists while receiving higher pay than that offered by the security forces. Its a port city in southern Mozambique where it can be hot with humidity over 80 percent. 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 . The Walther P38: Godfather of the modern combat handgun 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. Back in the day when European countries colonized portions of Africa, this area on the east coast of Africa was called Portuguese East Africa. [38] The prohibition proved difficult to enforce, as it was not possible to prevent Britons leaving the country. | Donate, AboutDU Mozambique Drill | Gun Wiki | Fandom [62] Those who failed this training had to leave the country, with their airfare home being paid by the Rhodesian government. and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the As the story goes, a Rhodesian named Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. Although he aimed for the fighters ocular cavity, the adrenaline coursing through Rousseaus body caused him to miss. The party was deeply committed to maintaining the white minority's status, with this motivating a decision to declare independence from the United Kingdom rather than submit to a transition to majority rule. [30] As a result, White has observed that the volunteers were typically more willing to fight and even die for the ideology of the Rhodesian Front party than for Rhodesia itself. All rights reserved. Therefore, the more difficult head shot should be used as a follow up to your double tap. aka Failure Drill. [67] Many of the volunteers were frustrated that they were paid only in Rhodesian dollars, as foreign banks would not process this currency and the Rhodesian government allowed no more than R$1,500 to be converted to other currencies. "All too many of the other great tragedies of historyStalins atrocities, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Holocaust, to name but a fewwere perpetrated by armed troops against unarmed populations. [101] Robin Moore included profiles of twelve volunteers as part of a non-fiction book he wrote in 1976 that argued that the Rhodesian government was not racist and sanctions against it should be lifted. [4][12] The resistance to the Rhodesian regime was dominated by two black nationalist movements, the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). Position a silhouette target (preferably with outlined V1 and V2 zones) five yards from the firing line. Most of its members left Rhodesia after the company was withdrawn from operations to be retrained, though some settled in Rhodesia. This drill was popularised by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau, during the Mozambican War of Independence, who was the inspiration for the character of Kuben Blisk. The bottom line: Accurate head shots are hard. FRELIMO's Marxist underpinnings earned it support from Russia and China. He finished the job with a headshot. [58], Foreign volunteers who were accepted were required to swear an oath of loyalty to Rhodesia, and the Rhodesian government considered them to be members of the security forces rather than mercenaries. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. One such soldier of fortune was Mike Rousseau. [34], American and Australian volunteers who had fought in the Vietnam War were generally well regarded by Rhodesian soldiers, and were often posted to the elite SAS and Selous Scouts. |-- General Discussion: Presidency Shooting Skills: The Mozambique-Failure Drill - Gun Digest Remember, the Mozambique drill is designed for a defensive situation where the first two shots failed to stop an attacker. Modern zombie culture has also appropriated the Mozambique Drill. Towsley on Tactical blog Archives - Bryce Towsley Relying on instinct and training, Rousseau delivered a double tap to the combatants chest with his Browning Hi Power pistol and, Upon hearing the story of Rousseaus encounter, Cooper incorporated a three-shot drill into his training at the famous, . Two American ex-Marine deserters from the Forces who robbed jewelry stores in Salisbury, while carrying stolen Uzis, were involved in a shoot-out with authorities at the South African border. List of battleships of the United States Navy, List of aircraft of the Malaysian Armed Forces, http://practicalfirearmstraining.com/reading/HandgunDrillsPDF.pdf, Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, USMC manual CMC-37R of 8 Feb 2006: METHOD OF TARGET ENGAGEMENTS. Sometimes in practice, I will draw my weapon and shoot one shot to the chest . [11], UDI and Rhodesia's racial inequalities led to the outbreak of the Rhodesian Bush War. If a few hundred Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful of weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars." Easter Lessons by bmt | Mar 29, 2016 | Towsley on Tactical blog Rousseau relayed this story to Jeff Cooper, who then began employing this failure to stop drill in his teaching at Gunsite. In the 1980s, the Los Angeles Police Department began teaching the drill but renamed it the more politically correct Failure Drill. Miss the zone, and the projectile could deflect off the bony areas of the skull without eliminating the threat. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! He named it after the country where the incident occurred, dubbing his drill the Mozambique Drill., Practical Variations to the Mozambique Drill, El Presidente Drill Assessing Your Shooting Skills, The Best Self Defense Ammo Ballistic Testing. These organisations provided recruits for the security forces as well as private industry, including farms, mines and timber companies. [65] Most of the volunteers served under Rhodesian officers. [60] Foreign volunteers who openly expressed extreme racial views were deported. Big Forums | ContactUs | PrivacyPolicy. So how does a Rhodesian mercenary figure into the story? 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. [84] The FCO advised anyone who sought information about fighting for Rhodesia that doing so was illegal, but did not explain why. |-- General Discussion Rousseau later related the story to an acquaintance, Jeff Cooper, who incorporated the "triple tap" or "Mozambique Drill" into his practical shooting technique. The story goes that this technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau. [79] Both the main nationalist groups believed that the volunteers' presence indicated that western governments supported the Rhodesian regime. From the beginning, Africas indigenous people resisted. A forum community dedicated to Springfield Armory XD and XD-M series firearm owners and enthusiasts. [5][9], The Mozambique Drill is featured in a number of movies, notably Heat and Collateral, both directed by Michael Mann.[10]. While Im no gunfighter and there isnt any (sane) person who wants to learn gunfighting from me, Id offer another alternative that might be more slightly attainable to more people, and which is suggested by our own Stephen Wenger based off of his decades in studying armed self-defense. It is not the only way to do things, and was never intended to be taken as the one true way.. [4][5][6], According to anecdotal history, the technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, engaged in the Mozambican War of Independence (19641974). Armed with a Browning HP35 pistol chambered in 9mm, Rousseau immediately brought up his Hi Power and shot the guerrilla twice in the chest. However, since you wont have time to interview your attacker in the heat of the moment, the specific cause of the failure isnt important. Mozambique Drill - How It Works & Why To Use It - The Lodge at AmmoToGo.com Multiple Gunshot Death - TV Tropes You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to use this website. [88], The United States' Neutrality Act of 1794 prohibits American citizens from enlisting with foreign militaries or working as mercenaries for other governments. Rousseauarmed onyl with a pistolturned a corner and encountered an enemy. Body armor, extra thick clothing, psychoactive drugs, or even a massive adrenaline dump are all reasons those first two shots may not be effective on your target. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. He was fighting in the Mozambican War of Independence 1964-1974. It is vital to mix up your training, firing different numbers of shots into your targets, at different locations, because you never know if your first shot or your fifteenth is going to be the one that stops the threat. [5], The Mozambique Drill is intended to ensure that the target is immediately stopped, by first placing two shots into the larger, easier-to-hit mass of the upper body, then, if the target is still active, following with a third, more precisely aimed and difficult head shot. 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. Engaged in a firefight at an airport in Lourenco Marques, Rousseau encountered a guerilla fighter armed with an AK-47. [102] He also wrote the novel Crippled Eagles which was based on the experiences of American volunteers. [85], In 1977 the British government provided a tentative response to an American proposal that the United Nations Security Council adopt a resolution requiring UN members to prevent their citizens from serving in the Rhodesian military. Rousseau hit the target on either side of the sternum, usually enough to incapacitate or kill a target outright. board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules These articles frequently highlighted the experiences of Americans who were fighting in Rhodesia. The drill was inspired by an incident encountered by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau during the Mozambican War of Independence (1964 to about 1974). If a few hundred Jewish fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars. Oops, there's been an error. Mozambique Drill | Military Wiki | Fandom [35] Organisations representing veterans were another method used to contact potential recruits. 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. [23] In 1979, the military historian John Keegan noted that foreigners made up between a quarter and a third of the strength of the RLI. Jews Can Shoot is a civil rights group that honors the memory of the Holocaust to preserve, protect and defend the Second Amendment and was formed for the purpose of education regarding gun laws, gun rights, legal precedent and cause-related advocacy. The term refers to his encounter with an AK-47 armed guerilla at an airport in Mozambique where he was armed with a Browning Hi-Power. As he turned a corner, he encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! The volunteers had a range of motivations. the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC. |-- The DU Lounge Under three seconds, and youve got some major skills. 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. articles and videos are considered to be suggestions and not recommendations from Springfield Armory. Even better (although much more difficult), make the final shot as youre moving offline. They observed that the volunteers "failed in their efforts to protect the white regime, but not before they supported and contributed to a conflict that lasted fifteen years and claimed tens of thousands of lives". Two to the body, one to the head. [46], In addition to the actual volunteers, thousands of South African Police and South African Defence Force (SADF) personnel were deployed to Rhodesia by the South African government to serve in or alongside the Rhodesian Security Forces. [22] The army units manned by full time personnel, which included a high proportion of white regular and conscripted soldiers, were the most powerful element of the security forces and formed a strategic reserve that responded to the guerrilla activities. Shots to the chest can also slow an attackers advance, even if they dont completely incapacitate him. [80] Many Africans believed that the inaction of the western governments demonstrated their lack of commitment to combating white minority rule in Rhodesia and South Africa. [38], Most of the foreigners who volunteered to fight for Rhodesia did so individually. [95] On 21 December that year the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 460 that, among other things, called for the British authorities to expel all "mercenaries" and South African forces from Southern Rhodesia. Two shots to the chest failed to stop the guy, so Rousseau had to transition point of aim for a head shot. opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. [2][3] Accordingly, the government issued Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from the United Kingdom in November 1965, with the colony becoming Rhodesia. Type of Sear & Hammer Engagement has Little Effect You can support the efforts of Jews Can Shoot that Nothing Says Never Again Like an Armed Jew. Originally, it was called the Mozambique Drill, but the more current name is Failure Drill. The most effective way is two easy shots to the attackers center of mass, then assess the target. [86] The United States government did little to slow the flow of volunteers to Rhodesia. So, as the story goes, Rousseau was involved in a firefight at the airport. [7] Fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered an enemy combatant, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, at 10 paces (7.5m (25ft)). Gun Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Live The Armory Life. Not exactly a headshot, but the situation was terminated. Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, England and Portugal thought they had free rein over Africa. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. The United Nations General Assembly had adopted a similar motion several days earlier at the behest of several countries in southern Africa. Important Notices: By participating on this discussion If youve been around defensive pistol shooting for a while, youve likely heard of the Mozambique Drill (AKA, failure to stop drill). Guerrilla fighters were swarming the airport and Rousseau turned a corner and nearly bumped into a FRELIMO fighter wielding an AK-47. Rousseau and his mates were in action clearing the airport in what was then known as Lourenco Marques, the Maputo appellation came later. Rousseau immediately brought up his Browning HP35 pistol and fired two bullets into the target's upper chest, usually enough to incapacitate or kill outright. The Mozambique Drill, which is also known as the Failure Drill, Failure to Stop drill, the "Djibouti Shooty", or, informally, "two to the chest, one to the head," is a close-quarters shooting technique that supposedly originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, in the Mozambican War of Independence, hence the name. Judge turns down New Jerseys request for stay in NSSF lawsuit, MSU professor illustrates problem with gun control advocates, 71-year-old Philadelphia man shoots back at armed robbers, sends them fleeing, Texas congressman faces censure over gun control support, MO lawmaker believes he can get GOP support on gun control, Bump stocks back on store shelves in three states, Colorado Democrats introduce assault weapon ban, Bill reintroduced to abolish the Tiahrt Amendments, Nebraska Constitutional Carry bill overcomes filibuster threat, appears poised for passage, Former D.A. You sweat just standing still. We can either live in a paranoid politically correct world frantically trying not to offend the Hitlers and Mohammeds, and blaming their victims when they kill, or we can be free men and women who have chosen to take the power to defend our rights into our own hands. Now you understand the history and background as well as the importance of the Failure Drill. [62][76], The nationalist groups that were fighting the Rhodesian regime and many progressive groups worldwide considered the volunteers to be mercenaries. If the target is still advancing and active, apply a third, more surgical shot to the head to shut down the threat. [82] British citizens were prohibited from joining the Rhodesian Security Forces under the terms of an embargo enacted in 1968, with those who did so potentially facing fines or imprisonment. | Discussion There arent a lot of guarantees in a gunfight, but the Failure Drill just might be your best defense in time of need, particularly if you are facing an opponent wearing body armor. The military took steps to prevent material encouraging enlistment with Rhodesia from being circulated in its bases and service newspapers, however.