On 20 February, Sector 10 HQ issued Operational Order 2/80, authorising 52 Battalion and 32 Battalion to conduct an operation to clear the area north of Beacon 6 to Beacon 13 of SWAPO. From his tactical headquarters at Ogongo, Deon "Falcon" Ferreira would command six...
South African Bush War
Operation Driehoek
When radio intercepts indicated that SWAPO was stockpiling supplies for a possible attack on Eenhana or Elundu, it became necessary to disrupt the so-called Far Eastern Front. Measured against the frequency of contact with the enemy, Operation Driehoek (triangle) was...
Operation Revenge
A SWAPO operation / attack on the South African Defence Force (SADF) base at Katima Mulilo on August 23, 1978, in retaliation for the preceding South African Operation Reindeer. This response involved a bombardment of rockets launched from Zambia, which killed ten...
Operation Reindeer
On 22 April 1978, a group of SWAPO hijacked a bus travelling between Oshakati and Ruacana and drove the 73 passengers aboard across the border into Angola. Three days later, the South African government formally accepted proposals for a negotiated settlement to the...
Operation Kropduif
Six months earlier, during Operation Bucksaw, it had been determined that there was a major SWAPO base some six kilometres north-west of Chana Golf. Aerial reconnaissance photographs of the base had been taken, and documents captured at Tofima during Seiljag 3...
Operation Seiljag 3
This offensive differed from its predecessors in that all the 32 Battalion companies were deployed in Owamboland, and spent the first seven days attacking designated targets in the ‘shallow’ area between four and nine kilometres inside Angola. A tactical headquarters...
Operation Seiljag 2
Operation Bucksaw was followed almost immediately by deployment of a 32 Battalion company south of the Angolan border, with Alpha, Delta and Foxtrot companies finding themselves north of the border yet again on 17 May. At 18h00 on 27 May, Second Lieutenant H...
Operation Bucksaw
Operational Order No. 21, issued by 101 Task Force on 28 March 1977, required 32 Battalion to pinpoint enemy bases or groups on the Angolan side of the border between beacons 26 and 38 as part of Operation Bucksaw. However, for the first time 32 Battalion was ordered...
Operation Seiljag 1
The next deployment against SWAPO by the officially renamed 32 Battalion was in November 1976, and involved ‘special operations’ companies under command of Omauni base, as well as companies deployed in Owamboland and acting under command of a battalion headquarters in...
Operation Tombotie
For the first few months of 1976, operations were conducted on an area defence/patrol system, with only verbal orders being issued. On 28 April, Colonel Jan Dirk Breytenbach issued the first formal order for deployment – Operational Order No. 1, aimed at preventing...
Operation Budgie
By the end of February 1976, all SADF forces had been withdrawn from Angola after Operation Savannah, leaving only the politically leaderless FNLA troops of Battle Group Bravo to keep the Cuando Cubango province from falling into FAPLA hands, under what official...
Operation Savannah
Operation Savannah was the South African code name for their military incursion into Angola in 1975–1976. It was part of the South African Border War and arose due to the Angolan War of Independence. The operation also materially influenced the subsequent Angolan...
Operation Sausage II
On 22 August 1975, the SADF launched operation "Sausage II", a major raid against SWAPO in southern Angola. In addition, on 4 September 1975, Vorster authorized the provision of limited military training, advice and logistical support. In turn FNLA and UNITA would...
Operation Blouwildebees
By early 1966, the South African authorities had become aware of SWAPO's presence and two Alouette III helicopters were dispatched to the region to aid the detachment of South African police assigned to guard the border. Using an informer within the group of...