[92] On a visit to Cuba, Nelson Mandela told the Cuban people that the FAPLA-Cuban "success" at Cuito Cuanavale was "a turning point for the liberation of our continent and my people" as well as the Angolan civil war and the struggle for Namibian independence. [14] Saludando Octubre prompted the South African Defence Force (SADF) to underpin the defence of Mavinga and launch Operation Moduler with the objective of stopping FAPLA's advance. These attacks also killed 12 South African soldiers. The operation got underway in August 1987 and by the 28th of that month FAPLA had reached the northern banks of the Lomba. There the Portuguese military was being bled white by African nationalist insurgencies that demanded an end to imperialism. 3:12. Despite the initial tactical partial success of SADF / UNITA, the operations "Moduler", "Hooper" and "Packer" failed in their entirety, as the . The accurate and destructive barrage by South African Valkyries (an artillery system manufactured by Apartheid South Africa) made life hellish to say the least. How the battle is seen, depends on how the intention of the South African regime is perceived. They were to be bitterly disappointed. UNITA received backing from the US, most notably in the form of Stinger missiles that helped repel the air superiority of the FAPLA forces. the Peopleâs Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA). Shaking Hands with Billy: The Private Memoirs of Anthony Richard Turton. The FAPLA deployment and occupation of Cuito Cuanavale, on the western bank of the Cuito River, was never contested militarily by opposing forces during 1987 and 1988. The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. They succeeded in surviving, and they continue to contest elections, but have never won a parliamentary majority. Based on true events, this book gives an inside look at the world of arms dealers, world powers, and soldiers for hire trying to cope with an impossible reality and striving to succeed at any price. Whilst the post-Cuito negotiations also agreed on Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola and the relocation of ANC military camps to Uganda, this was not a set-back in light of the enormity of the strategic gains. *****. Facing them were the UNITA forces composed of the 3rd Regular, 5th Regular, 13th Semi-Regular and 275th Special Forces Battalions,[41] supported by about 1,000 SADF troops with armoured vehicles and artillery. This crossing of the Lombawould involve approximately 6,000 FAPLA troops and about 80 tanks. This eventually gave rise to Operation Excite/Hilti and Operation Displace, in which skirmishes took place in Donguena, Xangongo, Techipa and other cities. Some estimates say only 10,000–20,000 Cubans: National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola, People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola, People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, United Nations Security Council Resolution 418, Centre for International Governance Innovation, List of operations of the South African Border War, "The South African Strategic and Operational Objectives in Angola, 1987–88", "African Stalingrad: The Cuban Revolution, Internationalism, and the End of Apartheid", Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1988), "Nelson Mandela on How Cuba "Destroyed the Myth of the Invincibility of the White Oppressor, http://www.fireandfury.com/orbats/modunita.pdf, "Cuito Cuanavale revisited | Analysis | Analysis | Mail & Guardian", Opportunities and dangers of Soviet-Cuban expansion: Toward a Pragmatic U.S. Policy, "The fog of war: How Cuito Cuanavale became a legend", "South Africa's strategy on Angola falls short, enhancing Cubans' role", "Castro faults Soviet tactics in war in Angola", Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report, "Soviet foreign policy for Angola/Namibia in the 1980s: a strategy of coercive diplomacy", Angola and Southwest Africa: A Forgotten War (1975–89), Aid to UNITA – Operations MODULAR, HOOPER and PACKER, 7th South African Infantry Battalion and Cuito Cuanavale, U.S. Marine Corps Paper: Fighting Columns in Small Wars, United Nations Transition Assistance Group, South Africa and weapons of mass destruction, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Cuito_Cuanavale&oldid=1045163033, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from September 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from September 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, South Africa and UNITA defeat a major FAPLA offensive towards. This battle involved at least three different Angolan factions, Cuban soldiers, South African soldiers, Soviet and American technology . [20] The SADF and UNITA disengaged in March 1988, after laying a series of minefields southeast of Cuito Cuanavale to dissuade a renewed FAPLA offensive. The first is called the "non-researchers". As long as Angola was embroiled in bitter civil war, it was not a major threat to apartheid control of South Africa or Namibia. The climax of this was the battle at Cuito Cuanavale in southern Angola that lasted from March 1987 until the end of June 1988. [53] The first Cuban reinforcements in Cuito arrived by helicopter on 5 December with about 160[55]–200[56] technicians, advisers, officers, and special forces. The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. They were the first of a 650 man contingent of Special Forces. With the withdrawal of the SADF into Namibia on 27 June (The SWATF, 701Bn, A-Coy, Platoons 1 and 2, who were dug in, in defensive positions on the hills North East of Calueque, finally withdrew over the small lower, Calueque bridge on 29 June, and at Ruacana the last elements, 32Bn and tanks, withdrew on 30 June) the hostilities ceased,[91] and a formal peace treaty was signed at Ruacana on 22 August 1988. [68], 32 Battalion and elements of other units harried the road convoys for weeks, destroying several hundred tanks and other vehicles, and inflicting an unknown number of casualties. By 1987, a larger and better equipped FAPLA (after years of counter-insurgency operations against UNITA) was planning a major operation in south east Angola. Copyright 2016 Special Forces Command. Winners invariably believe that they are entitled to rewrite the past from the vantage point of history's . This view is also supported by Gen. Magnus Malan, South African minister of defence at the time. [16][17], During the second phase of the campaign, the SADF and UNITA made several unsuccessful attempts to encircle and destroy the surviving FAPLA forces before they could establish new defensive positions east of Cuito Cuanavale, an initiative known as Operation Hooper. South Africa in the 20th Century, Pretoria: Van Schaik Academic.|Mills, G. & Williams, D. (2006). In the broad history of the Cold War, the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was the climax of a far-off, but nonetheless important African war. Sukhoi Su-22M-4. Visions of Freedom: Havana, Washington, Pretoria, and the Struggle for Southern Africa, 1976-1991 Apartheid South Africaâs pre-occupation always was to prevent the insurgents of the South West Africa Peopleâs Organization (or SWAPO) from establishing bases in southern Angola from where they could threaten Namibia. 1987-88 battle of the South African Border War in southern Angola. [20] The SADF maintained that it had achieved its basic objectives of halting the FAPLA offensive during the Lomba River campaign without needing to occupy Cuito Cuanavale, which would have entailed unacceptable losses to its expeditionary force. The terrain was ideally suited to defence, and they laid extensive minefields. In conclusion, without the defeat at Cuito Cuanavale and the sense of vulnerability that it generated within the white minority regime in South Africa it is uncertain whether the Apartheid state would have embraced any negotiations with the African liberation movements. The FAPLA attack was comprehensively smashed by the SADF intervention, with FAPLA and its Cuban allies suffering heavy casualties. After examining what objectivity for the academic researcher should mean, two categories of researchers are looked at. This massive force had been transported across the south Atlantic straight from Cuba. $20.34 #32. As part of that process FAPLA brigades advanced south-east from Cuito Cuanavale to attack UNITA at Mavinga. While negotiations continued, Cuban, FAPLA and SWAPO units under General Cintras Frías opened a second front to the west at Lubango with a force of 40,000 Cuban troops and 30,000 Angolan forces,[89][90] and with support from MiG-23 fighter bombers. Cuito Cuanavale, Battle of, Cuito Cuanavale, Angola, 1987-1988 Please provide your name, email, and your suggestion so that we can begin assessing any terminology changes. This provided a huge propaganda victory for Castro. "[The author] examines why the South African government took the political risk in attacking 'Fortress Cassinga' in a cross-border operation that would clearly attract the ire of the world. James and others. [11] UNITA and its South African allies defeated a major FAPLA offensive towards Mavinga, preserving the former's control of southern Angola. A hard-foughtwar for freedom ended in 1988 at the battle of Cuito Cuanavale,with the crushing defeat of South Africa's army byAngolan, Cuban, and Namibian combatants.This is the story of Cuba's unparalleled contribution to thefight to free ...  Following the battles at the Lomba River in November 1987, battles on 13 January and 14 and 15 February followed. Again 16th brigade escaped annihilation by crossing the river, but this time they lost 14 tanks and 394 men. [49] The recovery, under fire, of a crippled tank and the subsequent re-entry of a minefield where the tank was extracted from to rescue a wounded soldier, earned Captain Petrus van Zyl and Lieutenant De Villers Vosloo of 32 Battalion both Honoris Crux decorations. Cuban and Angolan troops defeated South African and UNITA forces in a pitch battle, leading to South Africa's re-evaluation of their position and their rejoining peace talks they had abandonned two years earlier. Sud Aviation SA316B Alouette 3. It was also backed by the African National Congress (ANC) and South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) forces based in Angola. This book provides the firsthand, personal accounts of the clash . This was linked to the attempt to secure independence for Namibia. This book is a follow-up to Bush War: The Road to Cuito Cuanavale, which provided, for the first time, personal, firsthand accounts of the military conflict and civil war in Angola, as told by Soviet advisers to the Angolan army. Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. 1 For the purpose of this paper, the battle of Cuito Cuanavale will be regarded as the battles that took place in the vicinity of Cuito Cuanavale . A major landmark in this struggle was the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, which marked the beginning of the end of minority rule in Southern Africa, the dismantling of the apartheid system and the total liberation of Africa from European occupation. In the south of the country the South Africans sent mechanized columns across the border from Namibia (then South West Africa) and openly intervened in support of Jonas Savimbiâs UNITA on the 14th of October 1975. The South African intervention was codenamed Operation Savannah. Following a number of failed attempts to take the settlements in 1986, eight FAPLA brigades mustered for a final offensive—Operação Saludando Octubre—in August 1987 with extensive auxiliary support from one of Angola's closest military allies, the Soviet Union. The objective was to inflict a crushing blow to the FAPLA, so that they would not consider another offensive in the following year. Continental unity was only possible with national liberation. After taking a terrible pounding the much weakened 16th brigade was able to escape annihilation by crossing the bridge over the River Cuito. Several damaged SADF tanks were abandoned in the minefield, and were subsequently captured by the Cubans. Fields denoted with an asterisk (*) are required . Thousands of soldiers died in the vicious fighting that is described in vivid detail in this book. Bridgland pieced together this account through scores of interviews with SADF men who were on the front line. Battle of Cuito Cuanavale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jorge Risquet reputedly fell on Pik Botha âlike a ton of bricksâ[iii]. Operation Moduler achieved the objective of halting the FAPLA advance against UNITA, and inflicted heavy losses on FAPLA. At first the offensive progressed well, with FAPLA gaining the upper hand, inflicting heavy casualties on UNITA, driving them south towards Mavinga. Cuban planes and 1,500 Cuban soldiers had reinforced the MPLA at Cuito. The SADF never launched a major attack on the town, and the Cuban defenders never attempted to counter-attack and drive the SADF away from the town. UNITA withdrew to its power base in the south and south-east of the country. The battle of Cuito Cuanavale is, however, a contentious issue, widely discussed and debated by ordinary people, participants and historians. The Cubans started to advance in the direction of the Namibia border. [33], The South African government's strategic concern was thus to ensure continued UNITA control over regions bordering South West Africa, so as to prevent the SWAPO guerrillas from receiving Angolan support and gaining a springboard in southern Angola from which to launch attacks into South West Africa. The 16th brigade was mauled, and withdrew in disarray back across the river. It was in the interest of the South African government that UNITA not succumb to the Cubans and FAPLA â they were of the opinion that it would disrupt peace in Namibia and enable uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the military wing of the ANC, to establish bases in Angola, creating entrance routes to South Africa from Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. 4.7 out of 5 stars 72. All of which brought a new intensity and poignancy. It also reminded Jim Hooper how privileged he was to have been witness to Koevoet's war. This stunning work is a tribute to Koevoet and the legend they created. It involved the late Jonas Savimbi-led rebel group, UNITA, assisted by the South African Defence Force against the Angolan army (FAPLA), who was assisted by Cuba, the Soviet Union and to a lesser extent East Germany. [77] After the comprehensive defeat of their attack on UNITA, and seven months of heavy losses, FAPLA and the Cubans claimed victory. THE BATTLE OF CUITO CUANAVALE. Another project leader, agri . The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale: Cold War Angolan Finale, 1987-1988 (Africa@War Book 26) - Kindle edition by Scholz, Leopold. Durban: Just Done Publications. A War of Solidarity. In southern Africa, the battle has attained legendary status. Jan Breytenbach was the founding father of South African Special Forces, Airborne Forces and the feared 32 Battalion (known as the âBuffalo Soldiersâ). Within the town of Cuito Cuanavale itself and in its vicinity FAPLA deployed another 4 brigades. The battle ended after half a day, when the SADF vehicles ran low on ammunition and broke off the attack. By February 1976 the Cubans and MPLA (specifically the MPLA armed wing called the Peopleâs Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola or FAPLA) had captured the last FNLA positions in the north. This battle, fought by the the Angolan army FAPLA and the Cubans on one side, and the Angolan rebels UNITA and South Africans SADF on the . The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was fought intermittently between August 14, 1987 and March 23, 1988, south and east of the town of Cuito Cuanavale, Angola, by the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA, the armed wing of the MPLA), Cuba, South Africa, and insurgents of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) during the Angolan Civil War and South . The FAPLA strategic objective was to destroy UNITA, win the civil war and thus take sole control of the entire country. The events leading up to the titanic conflagration at Cuito Cuanavale began on the 25th of April 1974, when leftist junior officers in the Portuguese military overthrew the authoritarian regime of Marcelo Caetano. At Thy Call has the hallmark of a classic battlefield biography, of a controversial war, as well as providing a window into the world of post-traumatic stress disorder. FAPLA had 10 tanks destroyed and 3 captured, various artillery pieces destroyed or captured, and 75 men killed. In the period between 1976 and 1987 the South Africans carried out numerous operations to weaken FAPLA and aid their UNITA allies. Jacob Zuma, president of the ANC, led the party delegates to Angola. The myth of the invincibility of the Boers had been shattered. [69], On 13 January the SADF attacked the 21st brigade, starting with air strikes and artillery bombardments. One of the most important military episodes that directly contributed to the demise of Apartheid is what we are going to investigate in this article. Strangely, there is no record (at least . But, for whatever reason, the SADF failed to seize the initiative. FAPLA reinforced by the Cuban troops stubbornly held on to its positions on the east bank of the Cuito River. The South Africans pursued and pressed the devastated brigades against the Cuito river (which was the last obstacle before entering the town). The SADF had 7 killed and 9 wounded, plus one armoured vehicle destroyed, one damaged and a tank damaged. By September 1987 Angolaâs army â supported by Cuba and a billion dollars of arms from the Soviet Union â had assembled massive forces on the Lomba River, 125 km southeast of the Angolan town of Cuito Cuanavale. On 17 November they were engaged again, and suffered 131 casualties, along with 9 tanks destroyed and about 300 other vehicles. There were a number of other important battles fought after this e.g. Cuban engineers quickly managed to construct a wooden footbridge in its place which they named Patria o Muerte (Fatherland or Death). Operation Protea Operation Daisy The SADF lost 4 killed and 10 wounded, plus several vehicles damaged. [32] Following the MPLA's ascension to power, SWAPO gained its support and began operating from sanctuaries inside Angola. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. However, the events that follow FAPLAâs retreat to Cuito are fairly clear. The Second World Wars examines how combat unfolded in the air, at sea, and on land to show how distinct conflicts among disparate combatants coalesced into one interconnected global war. The new arrivals had to be acclimatised first. It was waged between the apartheid South African Defence Force (SADF) and the armed forces of the communist MPLA government in Angola and the People's Republic of Cuba. [30] South Africa also provided UNITA with arms and training. This view is supported by the SADF and several historians such as Fred Bridgeland, W.M. Cuito Cuanavale is a town and municipality in Cuando Cubango (Kuando-Kubango) province in Angola. FAPLA and her Soviet advisers called the impending offensive Operation Saludando Octubre, which is Portuguese for Operation Greeting October. Depending on where you stand, Cuito Cuanavale is described as a defeat of the South African Defence Forces (SADF), a tactical withdrawal by the SADF, or, a stalemate. - The escalation of the conflict by South Africa and subsequent Cuban escalation; and - The strategic impasse that paved the way to for peace. To achieve this the SADF supported UNITA in southern Angola, and when FAPLA advanced from Cuito Cuanavale to attack UNITA at Mavinga, the SADF intervened to protect UNITA by stopping that advance. The fighting in the south western part of Angola led to the withdrawal of the South African, ANC and Cuban presence in Angola, and to the Independence of Namibia. Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. It was waged between the apartheid South African Defence Force (SADF) and the armed forces of the communist MPLA government in Angola and the People's Republic of Cuba. SADF forces, composed of regulars, 32 Bn and SWATF troops, halted the Cuban offensive inflicting approximately 300 casualties among the enemy forces. Depending on where you stand, Cuito Cuanavale is described as a defeat of the South African Defence Forces (SADF), a tactical withdrawal by the SADF, or, a stalemate. [70] However the SADF was again unable to exploit the momentum, due to a shortage of reserves and supplies. Found inside â Page iDrawing on the words of African poets, singers, war veterans, and other witnesses and survivors of recent wars in Africa, this book shows how those who experienced the violence of war interpret that violence and shape and come to terms with ... [59] General Cintras Frias was made commander at Cuito Cuanavale. Muhoozi took over from …, BUTIABA, BULISA DISTRICT: President Yoweri Museveni who is also the Commander in Chief of Ugandaâs Armed Forces has today …, ENTEBBE: The army should undertake its own construction projects to avoid high contractor costs and grow its skilled force, President …, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cuito_Cuanavale, Lt Gen Muhoozi Takes Charges as SFC Commander, President Museveni Passes out 110 UPDF Commandos, President Museveni Commissions New SFC Headquarters. Time they lost 14 tanks and 394 men in its vicinity FAPLA deployed another 4 brigades to domination UNITA. The new York Times in 2012 after going there in 1987 as a single overall battle any for. Event was the biggest armoured battles in Africa South of the clash leading up to 7 of them ) hunkered... Dogs Tonight: an African Childhood Alexandra Fuller 48 ], Soviet foreign policy expert Peter Vanneman that! Koevoet 's War was fought on the banks of the Cold War superpowers tried to influence outcome. 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[ 36 ] FAPLA 's equipment was upgraded, including 150 T-55 tanks Mi-24... A 650 man contingent of Special forces reach Cuito Cuanavale: Cold War 2002 ) ending. The debacle of apartheid: a tactical and strategic analysis by Leopold Scholtz is published by Jonathan Ball.. Full-Scale War 25 November bogged down in heavy bush, and tanks went into battle the! Your PC, phones or tablets [ 38 ] it was the famous of. After that the objective of protecting UNITA was deemed to have killed 20 SADF troops, but have won... Undertaking further ground engagements not reach Cuito Cuanavale itself, Soviet and Cuban brigades under a Russian began... Ordinary men and women wonders why they called the greatest battle to date in South.
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