 During heavy rains , it was much more difficult to track insurgents by air , negating Portugal 's air superiority , and Portuguese troops and vehicles found movement during rain storms difficult . In contrast , the insurgent troops , with lighter equipment , were able to flee into the bush ( the mato ) amongst an ethnically similar populace into which they could melt away . Furthermore , the FRELIMO forces were able to forage food from the surroundings and local villages , and were thus not hampered by long supply lines . 
 During heavy rains , it was much more difficult to track insurgents by air , negating Portugal <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>air superiority , and Portuguese troops and vehicles found movement during rain storms difficult . In contrast , the insurgent troops , with lighter equipment , <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> able to flee into the bush ( the mato ) amongst an ethnically similar populace into which they could melt away . Furthermore , the FRELIMO forces <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> able to forage food from the surroundings and local villages , and <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> thus not hampered by long supply lines . 
During heavy rains , it was much more difficult to track insurgents by air , negating Portugal  air superiority , and Portuguese troops and vehicles found movement during rain storms difficult . In contrast , the insurgent troops , with lighter equipment , was able to flee into the bush ( the mato ) amongst an ethnically similar populace into which they could melt away . Furthermore , the FRELIMO forces was able to forage food from the surroundings and local villages , and was thus not hampered by long supply lines .