Operation Cauldron (Rhodesia)

Operation Cauldron
Part of the Rhodesian Bush War
Date 28 December 1967 – 31 May 1968 Location Northern Mashonaland, Rhodesia Result Rhodesian victory
Belligerents
Rhodesia	ZIPRA ANC (Umkhonto we Sizwe)
Commanders and leaders
Lt. Bert Sachse Lt. Chris Pearce Lt. Ron Marillier	Unknown
Units involved
Rhodesian Army RLI 3 Commando RAR BSAP RRAF	unknown
Strength
unknown 2 Canberras 2 Vampires	126
Casualties and losses
6 killed 2 wounded	60 killed 51 arrested

Operation Cauldron was launched by the Rhodesian Security Forces in response to an incursion by ZIPRA insurgents on 28 December 1967. Despite the death or capture of 77 out of 79 men, ZAPU, from its base in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, did not regard the incursion as a failure; on the contrary, its leaders were pleased that they had inflicted some casualties on the Rhodesian African Rifles. Buoyed by what they perceived as a success, they planned another operation to take place in northern Mashonaland: about 100 men—75 ZIPRA and 25 MK—were to infiltrate the Zambezi valley and establish a series of camps, including underground caches containing food, clothing, weapons and other equipment. They were instructed to avoid the Rhodesian Security Forces "at all cost" while they recruited local tribesmen to the nationalist cause and trained them. Once a sufficient indigenous force existed, they were to inform Lusaka, which would then coordinate a mass uprising. The aim was not to defeat the government forces, but rather to force the British military to intervene. If the operation were a success, the MK men were to be escorted to South Africa to begin similar activities.^[1][2]