Operation Nickel

Operation Nickel
Part of the Rhodesian Bush War (or Second Chimurenga)
Victoria Falls Wankie Wankie Game Reserve Operation Nickel (Zimbabwe)
Date 1 August – 8 September 1967 Location Victoria Falls, Wankie, Rhodesia Result Rhodesian victory
Belligerents
Rhodesia  South Africa	ZIPRA ANC (Umkhonto we Sizwe)
Commanders and leaders
Lt-Col. Jack Caine Lt. Charl Viljoen	Dumiso Dabengwa Lennox Lagu Chris Hani
Units involved
Rhodesian Army RLI 2 Commando RAR BSAP RRAF	Luthuli Detachment
Strength
Unknown 2 Provost trainers 1 Alouette III 2 Hawker Hunters	79–90
Casualties and losses
8 killed 14 wounded	In Rhodesia: 29 killed 17 arrested 1 missing In Botswana: 29 arrested (1 later died in custody) In South Africa: 1 arrested Total: 77

Operation Nickel or the Wankie Campaign or the Wankie Battles was a military operation launched by the Rhodesian Security Forces on 1 August 1967 in response to the group of ZIPRA and Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) fighters crossing the Zambezi River, which marked the Rhodesian-Zambian border. The operation was a success with only one of the cadres out of a force of seventy-nine making it back to Zambia.