'Prelude' Operation Zero Hour

Operation Zero Hour is centred around a group of highly trained freedom fighters from the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), the military wing of the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (Z.A.P.U.), and members of the Rhodesian elite commandos, the Rhodesian Light Infantry. The insurgents' mission is to infiltrate Rhodesia from their base in Zambia and make their way towards Southwest Matabeleland.
The freedom fighters base themselves in the Matopos National Park and, from this sacred Ndebele stronghold, launch attacks against the farming community in Marula to drive out the remainder of the European farmers, who have so far resisted any attempt to dislodge them. The success of their mission would determine the timing of Z.A.P.U.'s long-awaited plan to initiate the first phase of ‘Operation Zero Hour,’ which would transition guerrilla insurgency to conventional warfare.
‘Operation Zero Hour’ aims 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 eliminate the pro-Chinese Z.A.N.L.A. fighters, who currently control the northeast of Zimbabwe under the command of Robert Mugabe, and secure total dominance over the entire country.
The Guerrillas are led by a high-ranking ZIPRA Commander, Tshinga Mufumo, who 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, and sees the struggle for self-determination as the responsibility of all Zimbabweans. His success in Marula is crucial in establishing the necessary bridgeheads into Matabeleland once the farmers have been driven out of the 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 the enemy in a battle to the death.
Four soldiers of the Rhodesian Light Infantry are deployed to reinforce defences in the Murula farming area. 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 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 I.R.A. 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 maintaining the mentality of a diehard Afrikaner. 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 pass out of recruit training on his first attempt. He is soon to learn that war is a dirty business, and bullets do not discriminate by the colour of a man’s skin. Soon, the battle experience turns him from a raw recruit into an R.L.I. Commando. They are later joined by an African soldier, Trooper Horatio Solomon Phiri, who transferred to the famed Selous Scouts after distinguishing himself from the Rhodesian African Rifles. He brings a wealth of experience to the group.
Each combatant has a story of their fears, motives, and what drives them to fight for their beliefs. The characters bring a rich combination of experience, loyalty, idealism, and death.