Angolan and Cuban Forces, 1976-1983 As of mid-1976, the civil war in Angola was seemingly decided: supported by a large contingent of Cuban forces, the MPLA established itself in power in Luanda. Its native competitors, the US-French-Zaire-supported FNLA, and UNITA,...
19 with a Bullet - A South African paratrooper in Angola is a fast-moving, action-packed account of Granger Korff’s two years' service during 1980/81 with 1 Parachute Battalion at the height of the South African 'bush war' in South West Africa (Namibia) and Angola....
The Inside Story of South Africa's Elite Fighting Unit For his entire adult life he had been a soldier. Half of his military career he spent with 32 Battalion. During early 1993 he volunteered to compile the story of 32 Battalion. He was inspired to do this during...
Twelve Months that Transformed a Continent The story of the Cuban-South African war in Angola in 1987–88 through the eyes of the South Africans who fought in it. The Angolan Civil War lasted over a quarter of a century, from 1975 to 2002. Beginning as a power struggle...
Operation Firewood was a 1987 cross-border military operation conducted by the South African Defence Force (SADF) against the armed wing of SWAPO, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), during the later phases of the South African Border War. he PLAN Northern...
The southern element of the FAPLA offensive was launched from the area of Cuito Cuanavale on 14 August 1987. The brigades involved here were 25 Brigade, already deployed east of the Cuito River at Tumpo, and 16, 21, 47, 59, 66, 8, and 13 Brigades, which were deployed...
Tank Killers Take on Big Game A Soviet T-55 battle tank rumbles slowly through the southern Angolan countryside, its two mates in echelon close behind. The FAPLA tank commander peers nervously at every shadow, at every oddly shaped bush and rock. He knows the South...
According to official records Askari ended on 20 January, but in fact 32 Battalion’s contingent, referred to as Task Force EV, stayed in the area east of Tetchamutete to continue operating against SWAPO, and Opsaal (Saddle Up) was actually the third phase of Askari....
Operation Askari, launched on 6 December 1983, was the SADF's sixth large-scale cross-border operation into Angola and was intended to disrupt the logistical support and command & control capabilities of People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) the military wing...
Operation Karton (Operation Cardboard) was a secret military operation during August 1983 by the South African Defence Force (SADF) during the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War. UNITA attacked on 1 August with between 3000 and 6000 soldiers with the SADF...
Operation Klipklop was a retaliatory action following the standoff mortar bombardment on Ruacana. during the South African Border War between the Republic of South Africa and SWAPO. The operation began at first light on the 30 July 1980 when South African forces...
Operation Dolfyn (Operation Dolphin) was a military operation in Angola from May 1983 by the South African Defence Force (SADF) during the Angolan Civil War and South African Border War. The aim of the operation locate and destroy the People's Liberation Army of...
By early 1983 the South African forces had established unrestricted mobility in central Angola for at least 100 km on either side of the road from Cuvelai–Ongiva to Santa Clara. Ongiva became the general operational base, and 32 Battalion’s operations were controlled...
SWAPO's military wing PLAN had created a specialised infiltration unit called Volcano. Members of this unit had spent the second half of 1982 receiving training from East German, Cuban and Russian instructors and were regarded as best PLAN soldiers.  By January 1983,...
On 11 January 1983, 32Bn Sergeant Dave van der Merwe and the four members of his reconnaissance team were flown by helicopter to a point 20 km east of the Virulundo mountain, 65 km south of Varai. It took them four days to hike to the top of the mountain, which...
The aim of Operation Meebos was to prevent FAPLA from re-occupying the towns of Xangongo and Ongiva.The secondary aim was to pinpoint and destroy enemy headquarters and caches and to disrupt its logistical routes. As an added instruction the force had to keep the...