Events

Sunday, 20 Nov 1983
Daniyal Gukov - Soviet Battalion Advisor to FAPLA flew to Menongue for further travel to Cuito Cuanavale, to the location of the FAPLA 16th Infantry Brigade.

Monday, 25 Nov 1985
An "Aeroflot" Antonov AN-12 cargo airplane in route from Cuito Cuanavale to Luanda was shot down by a SADF 5 Special Forces Team operating with UNITA and crashed approximately 43 km from Menongue using a captured  "Strela-1" on a BRDM-2 chassis

Tuesday, 29 Sep 1987
FAPLA 47 Brigade is again ordered to cross the Lomba River and marry up with 59 Brigade. The orders are for the combined force to then move east to the Cunzumbia River where it will link up with 21 Brigade. Late in the afternoon these orders are changed and 21 Brigade is instructed to withdraw to the north-east in response to the aggressive harassment from the SADF. President PW Botha is given a high-level briefing in Pretoria and he authorises a more offensive campaign designed to destroy the total FAPLA capacity east of Cuito Cuanavale

Wednesday, 14 Oct 1987
The SADF G5 artillery bombardment of Cuito Cuanavale begins. This lasts for weeks wearing down FAPLA’s will to fight. FAPLA 59 Brigade is ordered to locate and destroy these artillery batteries. Task Force Delta shadows 59 Brigade, but is unable to engage, because the terrain precludes the use of their anti-tank weapons. As a result of this dilemma, Battle Group Alpha, still in existence, is ordered to attack 59 Brigade, giving Task Force Delta the opportunity to move to the high ground at Vimposto, tasked with the responsibility of preventing reinforcements from FAPLA 16 or 66 Brigade from coming in to support 59 Brigade.

Saturday, 24 Oct 1987
In a very sophisticated operation, 4 SAAF Mirage F-1AZ fighter aircraft launch a dummy attack on the airfield at Cuito Cuanavale. Knowing they are no match for the MIG-23 fighters, their task is to bluff them that they were about to attack. As they overfly the base, they break off their attack and drop below radar level and return to base. As they do this, SADF SF launch balloons designed to confuse radar and convince the MIG-23’s to scramble. As they taxi onto the runway out of their reinforced hangars, they are mercilessly pounded by accurate G5 artillery barrages, destroying one and damaging the rest. This effectively factors the MIG-23’s out of the combat equation in the short-term. The G5 barrage continues sporadically until 28/10/87, under the forward control of SADF SF in an OP over the airfield, by which time it is totally destroyed.

Saturday, 07 Nov 1987
FAPLA's 59 Brigade was instructed to provide 21 Brigade with 3000 litres of diesel fuel, 2000 litres of petrol, a tanker with lubricants, three BRDMs and two BTR-60s. The 21 Brigade battalion that had deployed in search of the artillery, was brought back to rejoin the main body to prepare for the offensive.

Saturday, 21 Nov 1987
Elements of UNITA's 3rd and 5th Regular Battalions clashed with FAPLA patrols east of the Chambinga bridge on several occasions. FAPLA recovery parties crossed the bridge during the day to recover vehicles that had been abandoned on the east bank. These parties were shelled, but continued with their work with some success.

The G-5s shelled Cuito Cuanavale and targets of opportunity elsewhere, including a convoy of one hundred vehicles moving from Tumpo to Cuito Cuanavle. At the town itself, a G-5 shell scored a direct hit on a Bar Lock radar. A BM-21 that attempted a counter-bombardment was destroyed.

Thursday, 03 Dec 1987
Cuban soldier  Osmani Bermúdez Argüelles is KIA in mine explosion (6 of his colleagues died along with him). He was part of a reinforcement column that was heading to Cuito Cuanavale

Tuesday, 08 Dec 1987
5 x SAAF Mirage F1AZs escort a Buccaneer to hit the bridge over the River Cuito near Cuito Cuanavale with H2 guided bombs at 17h25, but technical problems caused it to be cancelled

Saturday, 12 Dec 1987
SAAF Mirage F1Azs escort a Buccaneer to hit the bridge over the River Cuito near Cuito Cuanavale with H2 guided bombs

Sunday, 13 Dec 1987
SAAF Mirage F1Azs escort a Buccaneer to hit the bridge over the River Cuito near Cuito Cuanavale with a H2 guided bomb at 14h35, but the bomb again malfunctioned an fell into the river just short of the bridge.

Thursday, 14 Jan 1988
Operation Hooper and the siege of Cuito Cuanavale begins in earnest. Cold War T-62 main battle tanks are brought into action for the first time by FAPLA

Saturday, 06 Feb 1988
A SAAF Buccaneer formation flew a second strike using the H2 weapon system against the Cuito Cuanavale bridge, the results were reported inconclusive

Saturday, 20 Feb 1988
A SAAF Mirage F1AZ (#245) piloted my Maj.Every is shot down by a SA-13 missile whilst on a Vergooi bombing run near Cuito Cuanavale

Thursday, 25 Feb 1988
SAAF Mirage F1AZs engage with Cuban MiG-23s in the area between Menonque and Cuito Cuanavale. The Cubans Migs break off the engagement