Publisher's Synopsis
Operation Zero Hour is centred around a group of highly-trained ZIPRA freedom fighters from the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), the military wing of Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU), and members of the Rhodesian Special Forces - The Rhodesian Light Infantry. The insurgent's 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 remainder of the die-hard 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 to 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 ZANU faction. ZIPRA intends to secure total dominance over the entire country and restore Ndebele power. The Guerrillas are led by a high-ranking ZIPRA Commander Tshinga Mufumo, whom himself is driven by a deep sense of purpose and determined to fight for the liberation of Zimbabwe. Mufumo has recently returned to Zambia following two years of intensive training in the Soviet Union. Commander Mufumo sees the struggle for self-determination as the responsibility of all Zimbabweans. His success in Matabeleland is essential in the overall planning for Operation Zero Hours and establish a bridgehead into the Op Tangent area. Once established thousands of ZIPRA fighters, with heavy armour, will flood into Matebeleland to capture the second city - Bulawayo. 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 the enemy in a battle. Sent to reinforce defences in Murula are four soldiers of the Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI). 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 terrorists they have been sent to confront are, in reality, a group of hard-core guerrilla's ready to stand and fight on any terms. Corporal Mike Cameron, an ex-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. On the other hand, van Arden, an Afrikaner, bursts into the story as a soldier who has a passion for killing the enemy and takes great pride in keeping the mentality of a diehard Afrikaner alive. Shaun McIntosh, Scotty to his friends, was a former British and Commonwealth Boxing Champion. His final defeat was not in the ring but against his own demons. Allan DeWitt, Budgie to his friends, is on his first operational mission after failing to pass out of recruit training three times. He is soon to learn 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 an African soldier Trooper Horatio Solomon Phiri who transferred to the famed Selous Scouts after distinguishing himself with the Rhodesian African Rifles and brings much 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
