Operation Motel
Operation Motel was a Zimbabwe-Rhodesian military operation in Zambia with clandestine assistance from the South African Air Force (SAAF) during the Rhodesian Bush War. The Rhodesian Air Force planned raids against a ZIPRA camp in Northern Zambia.
| Operation Motel | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Rhodesian Bush War | |
| Location | Zambia   Lusaka Solwezi Operation Motel (Zambia) |
| Objective | Destroy ZIPRA camp in Northern Zambia. |
| Date | 23 August 1979 |
Operation
The operation consisted of two raids on a ZIPRA camp on 23 August 1979. The Rhodesian and South African Canberra bombers and Hawker Hunter strike aircraft took off at 09h40 for Operation Motel I with the aircraft forming over Victoria Falls before conducting a low-level bombing attack on a camp 32 km south of Solwezi in Northern Zambia.[1]: Ch5
Aftermath
See also: Operation Motel II
The same formation left again for Operation Motel II at 15h30 for another attack on the same target and the aircraft returned to base with one of the SAAF Canberra bombers was damaged by friendly fire after taking shrapnel from bomb explosions.[1]: Ch5
References
- Lord, Dick (2012). From Fledgling to Eagle. The South African Airforce during the Border War. Solihull, England: Helion & Company. ISBN 9781908916624.
Further reading
- Lord, Dick (2012). From Fledgling to Eagle. The South African Airforce during the Border War (Kindle ed.). Solihull, England: Helion & Company. ISBN 9781908916624.
- Moorcraft, Paul; McLaughlin, Peter (2011). The Rhodesian War. A Military History (3rd ed.). Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 9781848845220.
- Geldenhuys, Preller (13 July 2007). Rhodesian Air Force Operations with Air Strike Log. Durban, South Africa: Just Done Productions Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920169-61-9.