'Prelude' Operation Zero Hour: (1 Operation Zero Hour)

Operation Zero Hour is centred around a group of highly trained ZIPRA freedom fighters from the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (Z.I.P.R.A), the military wing of the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU), and members of the Rhodesian special forces, specifically the Rhodesian Light Infantry. The insurgents' mission is to infiltrate Rhodesia and make their way towards South-West Matabeleland. They base themselves in Matopas National Park and, from this sacred Ndebele stronghold, launch attacks against the farming community in nearby Marula and Plumtree. Their mission is to drive out the remaining European farmers, who have so far resisted any attempt to dislodge them. The success of their mission will determine the timing of the first phase of 'Operation Zero Hour, ' which will switch guerrilla insurgency into conventional warfare. The overall objective of 'Operation Zero Hour' is to confront the Rhodesian Armed Forces head-on for the final battle to liberate Zimbabwe. Once achieved, the second phase of 'Operation Zero Hour' will be to eliminate ZANLA fighters in the northeast, who are under the command of Robert Mugabe's Z.A.N.U faction. ZIPRA intends to secure total dominance over the entire country. The Guerrillas are led by a high-ranking ZIPRA Commander, Tshinga Mufumo, who himself is driven by a deep sense of purpose and determined to fight for the liberation of Zimbabwe. Mufumo has recently returned to Zambia after spending two years in intensive training in the Soviet Union. Commander Mufumo views the struggle for self-determination as a responsibility shared by all Zimbabweans. His success in Matabeleland is essential for the overall planning of 'Operation Zero Hour' and for establishing a bridgehead into the Op Tangent area. The combatants under his command follow him without question and have no fear of the elite soldiers of the Rhodesian Light Infantry. They know they will eventually face them in battle. Four soldiers of the Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI) are sent to reinforce defences in Murula and support the embattled farming community. They are unaware of the concerns of senior army commanders and see their task as just another routine operation. However, they are soon to learn that the enemy they have been sent to confront is a group of hardcore guerrillas ready to stand and fight on any terms. Corporal Mike Cameron, a former British soldier, leads the security force operation. Cameron has seen action in several theatres of war and displays all the qualities of a professional soldier; however, a run-in with the British Police regarding suspected arms dealings with the Provisional IRA forced him to flee his native land and seek adventure in Rhodesia. Van Arden bursts into the story as a soldier who has a passion for killing the enemy and takes great pride in maintaining the mentality of a 19th-century Afrikaner Boer. Shaun McIntosh, known to his friends as Scotty, was a former British and Commonwealth Boxing Champion. His final defeat was not in the ring but against his demons. Allan DeWitt, known to his friends as Budgie, is on his first operational mission after failing to graduate from recruit training on his first attempt. He soon learns that war is a dirty business, and bullets do not distinguish the colour of a man's skin. Soon, the experience of battle turns him from a raw recruit into an RLI Commando. They are later joined by Trooper Horatio Solomon Phiri, who transferred to the famed Selous Scouts after distinguishing himself with the Rhodesian African Rifles, bringing valuable experience to the group. Each combatant has a story to tell of their fears, their motives, and what drives them to fight for their beliefs. Together, the characters bring a rich combination of experience, loyalty, idealism, and death.