British UDI Military Intervention 1966

[Julius Vogel]

We've been speculating elsewhere in the forum about whether UK military intervention would be opposed after UDI which made me wonder how practical military intervention would be on the part of the British.

I assume somewhere there is a box of plans written by the specialists but without opening said drawer, let's discuss. Note, I'm not interested in whether they would do it, as history answered that. More could and how.

My initial view is that whilst the UK has capacity to do this, it'd be an Almighty effort that would take months to prepare for, given the vast distance from the UK, useful UK bases and available forces and equipment. I'm going on assumption that UK would need to deploy on basis that attack would be opposed and an occupation would be necessary.

I'm also assuming Portugal and South Africa wouldn't provide any useful assistance.

Thoughts?

How would you do it?

 

[Skinny87]

UDI?

 

[overoceans]

Unilateral Declaration Of Independence, I think. Rhodesia.

 

[Sulemain]

UDI?

The Rhodesian Unilateral Declaration of Independence of 1965 wherein the white minority who ruled Southern Rhodesia declared it independent to preserve white rule.

 

[guernseydonkey]

Your going to need some form of base nearer than ascension, cause you are right on the far edges of the range of transport commands aircraft if they landed, and im not sure there is any capacity for aerial refueling at the necessary scale.

 

[Don Quijote]

Botswana was still a few months away from independence at the time of the UDI, so the UK could use it as a convenient base next door to Rhodesia itself. However, the RAF don't seem to have had any permanent stations in the country, so they'll have to make do with civil facilities initially. Maun Airport was open at the time, and seems to be the only site capable of supporting large aircraft. The authorities in Botswana will probably be all too happy to cooperate if it means they get a decent airfield built for them.

On the actual operations, presumably transport flights would be able to call in at Uganda or Ghana on their way south for refuelling if necessary. For any large scale operations, the Hastings and Argosy are going to be the primary transports. The Beverley is available, but doesn't offer significantly better load carrying capacity, and has a much shorter range. The Valetta, which was mentioned in the other thread, is a bit small, and would only be used as a supplement to the four-engined aircraft, at least until a closer base has been established in Botswana. If any combat aircraft are needed, I first thought that late-mark Hunters should be enough, given their reasonable ability to operate in rough conditions, but apparently the Rhodesians themselves had obtained 12 Hunter FGA.9s in 1962 to replace their aging DH Vampires. I don't know how many of these were serviceable at the time of the UDI, but it's enough to at least give the RAF something to worry about.

That's all I can offer, as I don't know much about the political side of things, and whether a shooting war was actually likely.

 

[guernseydonkey]

Botswana was still a few months away from independence at the time of the UDI, so the UK could use it as a convenient base next door to Rhodesia itself. However, the RAF don't seem to have had any permanent stations in the country, so they'll have to make do with civil facilities initially. Maun Airport was open at the time, and seems to be the only site capable of supporting large aircraft. The authorities in Botswana will probably be all too happy to cooperate if it means they get a decent airfield built for them.

On the actual operations, presumably transport flights would be able to call in at Uganda or Ghana on their way south for refuelling if necessary. For any large scale operations, the Hastings and Argosy are going to be the primary transports. The Beverley is available, but doesn't offer significantly better load carrying capacity, and has a much shorter range. The Valetta, which was mentioned in the other thread, is a bit small, and would only be used as a supplement to the four-engined aircraft, at least until a closer base has been established in Botswana. If any combat aircraft are needed, I first thought that late-mark Hunters should be enough, given their reasonable ability to operate in rough conditions, but apparently the Rhodesians themselves had obtained 12 Hunter FGA.9s in 1962 to replace their aging DH Vampires. I don't know how many of these were serviceable at the time of the UDI, but it's enough to at least give the RAF something to worry about.

That's all I can offer, as I don't know much about the political side of things, and whether a shooting war was actually likely.

It really depends on the date cause if the invasion happens in 1967 onwards you could have both shorts belfasts and vc10s providing heavy lift.

It terms of air superiority its how much you want to strip from the uk really. Also would they have much in the way of early warning systems?

 

[Don Quijote]

It really depends on the date cause if the invasion happens in 1967 onwards you could have both shorts belfasts and vc10s providing heavy lift.

It terms of air superiority its how much you want to strip from the uk really. Also would they have much in the way of early warning systems?

By 1965/6 the Lightning was available in decent numbers and the Hunter was being relegated to a secondary role anyway, so they can afford to take out a couple of squadrons if they are needed. I don't really know enough to say what the AEW systems would have been like. Gannets from the FAA perhaps, given the Navy isn't going to be desperately busy with anything else in this operation? They might also have some spare Skyraiders still about, which could double as attack aircraft.

 

[guernseydonkey]

Botswana will get a nice big airport out of this

 

[Sulemain]

By 1965/6 the Lightning was available in decent numbers and the Hunter was being relegated to a secondary role anyway, so they can afford to take out a couple of squadrons if they are needed. I don't really know enough to say what the AEW systems would have been like. Gannets from the FAA perhaps, given the Navy isn't going to be desperately busy with anything else in this operation? They might also have some spare Skyraiders still about, which could double as attack aircraft.

I suspect that Sea Vixens and Buccaneers would be useful.

 

[Aber]

Why not make it a UN action?

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

Because it's a British problem and inviting the UN to get involved there opens the door to other interventions later. Such as Gibraltar, Belize, The Falklands, British Indian Ocean Territory and of course the ever present Irish Question.

 

[Sulemain]

All the sources I've read suggest that bar a few extremists, the Rhodesian military would not have put up a fight.

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

Has anyone ever looked at what could have happened had Harold Wilson accepted the Rhodesian declaration of independence?

 

[History Learner]

Everyone keeps mentioning Botswana, but to be able to use it would require approval from either the Portuguese or South Africans for overflights, which is something I doubt either nation would want to do.

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

Portugal is Britain's oldest ally, and fighting to hold on to their own colonies, they might give permission even if Britain's ultimate aim is and independent Rhodesia with universal suffrage.

 

[Mightyboosh5]

There wouldent be an invasion to speak of, the Rhodesian army in this scenario are a few thousand pro British men fighting against their former colleagues, more like an occupation with some violent outbursts.

 

[Julius Vogel]

Right, but what British forces? What would be credible?

 

[Don Quijote]

It should be possible to get to Botswana via Tanzania and Zambia. From Zambia only an extremely short overflight of Rhodesia itself would be needed. Equally Portugal might be persuaded to allow flights across Mozambique.

 

[Bernard Woolley]

All the sources I've read suggest that bar a few extremists, the Rhodesian military would not have put up a fight.

That's something I've read too. Indeed I'm sure both rank and file and senior Rhodesian officers said they would not have fought Crown forces.

Right, but what British forces? What would be credible?

The SAS were allocated the task. It's mentioned in the book Ghost Force by Ken Connor. He alleges that action did not go ahead because 22 SAS expressed disquiet about possibly having to fight their ex-colleagues in the Rhodesian SAS. Odd, really, because I've read that when C (Rhodesian) Squadron was part of 22 in Malaya it wasn't well regarded because it was not keen on working with the native Malayans and ethnic Chinese.

However as already observed above since the Rhodesians would not have put up any resistance probably the SAS and 16 Parachute Brigade would probably have been enough to get the job done.