Roland de Vries - Eye of the Firestorm

THE NAMIBIAN-ANGOLAN-SOUTH AFRICAN BORDER WAR MEMOIRS OF A MILITARY COMMANDER

Roland de Vries

Major General (Retired)

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Published by Helion & Company 2016

Designed and typeset by Farr out Publications, Wokingham, Berkshire

Cover designed by Johan Koortzen

Originally published as Eye of the Firestorm: Strength Lies in Mobility by Naledi, Tyger Valley, South Africa 2013

Text Roland de Vries, 2016

Edited by Willem Steenkamp, Friedel Hansen & Gustav Venter

Photographs as individually credited within the book

Maps by and Camille Burger

Cover photo: Brigade night attack, Exercise Thunder Chariot, Lohathla, 1984

ISBN 978-1-909982-69-7

eISBN 978-1-912174-40-9

Mobi ISBN 978-1-912174-40-9

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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Map 1: The relative position of the Western Sub-Theatre of War

Map 2: The Western Sub-Theatre of War

Map 3: Manoeuvring Sectors and Choke-Points within the Western Sub-Theatre of War

Map 4: Appraised target areas

Map 5: Area in dispute activated in September 1981 on completion of Operation Protea

Map 6: Operation Bowler during the Rhodesian War, 1979/80

Map 7: Operation Carrot, April 1981

Map 8: Operation Yahoo, April to May 1982 Deployment of Own Forces

Map 9: Operation Yahoo, April to May 1982 Enemy Infiltrations and Contacts

Map 10: Operation Protea, August 1981 The Battle for Xangongo

Map 11: Operation Protea, August 1981 Actions by Battle Group 10

Map 11: Operation Daisy, October to November 1981 Overview

Map 12: Operation Daisy, October to November 1981 Target Zone

Map 14: Operation Makro, December 1981 to January 1982

Map 15: Operation Meebos, July to August 1982

Map 16: Opration Modular The Final Phase

Map 17: Operation Prone Contingency Plan for Mobile Defence

Map 18: From Operation Modular to Prone, 198788 The Final Battle

Figure 1: Organisation of 61 Mechanised Battalion Group in 1981-82

Figure 2: Badges and Insignia of 61 Mech and its Motto

Figure 3: Attrition Theory Two-Dimensional Figure

Figure 4: Manoeuvre Theory Three-Dimensional Figure

Figure 5: The Attritionist versus Manoeuvrist Theory of Warfare

Figure 6: Attrition and Manoeuvre Three-Dimensional Figure

Figure 7: Manoeuvre Theory Three-Dimensional Figure

Figure 8: Manoeuvring and Fire Support Coordination

Figure 9: The Parameters of Command

Figure 10: Decision-Action Cycle

Figure 11: The Battle of Amajuba

Figure 12: Ambush Sketch by Captain Jan Malan (Operation Yahoo)

Figure 13: Task Organisation for Operation Yahoo, 1982

Figure 14: Task Organisation for Operation Protea, 1981

Figure 15: Task Organisation for Operation Daisy

Figure 16: Task Organisation for Operation Makro

Figure 17: Task Organisation for Operation Meebos II

Figure 18: Ambush Sketch by Captain Jan Malan

61 Mechanised Battalion Group.

Second-in-Command.

Area Force Unit (citizen force units in South West Africa, similar to South African commando units).

African National Congress.

A grass-covered area in a woodlands landscape usually depicting a floodplain of a river. Not to be confused with a Shona or Omuramba.

Azanian Peoples Liberation Army.

Air Support Officer.

Another name used for Arlindo Salupeto Pena, one of the senior military chiefs of UNITA.

South African four-wheeled mine protected troop carrier.

South African four-wheeled mine protected troop carrier.

Term used to refer to non-military life, home, friends and family.

An integrated military management system (comprising trained personnel, hardware and software) referring to command, control, communications and intelligence.

An all arms fighting unit based on the headquarters of an infantry battalion or armour regiment.

An all arms fighting sub-unit based on the headquarters of an infantry company or armour squadron.

Digital electronic transmission (text message) system used by the SADF to send classified radio messages.

Electronic Warfare.

Forward Assembly Area (also referred to as an attacking position in close proximity to the enemy).

The Foras Armadas Populares de Libertao de Angola was originally the armed wing of the Angolan MPLA movement but later became the countrys official armed forces when the MPLA took control of the government in 1975.

National Liberation Front of Angola ( Frente Nacional de Libertao de Angola ). One of the original political parties and liberation movements of Angola, which participated in the civil war.

South African 155 mm artillery gun (gun-howitzer) which was capable of firing a 47 kg bomb up to 42 km.

General Officer Commanding.

Helicopter Administrative Area.

High explosive anti-tank (type of high explosive munitions used to destroy armour).

High Frequency.

Headquarter.

Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Infantry Combat Vehicle).

Intelligence.

Institute for Strategic Studies, University of Pretoria.

(Umbundu for Elephant) UNITAs military base in southeast Angola.

stretched over a distance of 450 km from Beacon 1 in the west up to Beacon 45 in the east.

Koevoet (Afrikaans for crowbar), also known as Operation K (Koverte Operasies Covert Operations) and officially denoted as a Counter Insurgency Unit of the South African Police, was a paramilitary-trained police unit employed during the South African Border War.

A kraal is the typical rural settlement form of northern SWA and Angola. Characteristically it consists of a roughly circular fenced space within which a smaller secondary enclosure containing a collection of huts is found. The primary space is used for the propagation of crops and the keeping of livestock when not taken out by herdsmen for daily grazing. Fencing is done to protect crops and stock from unwanted elements and is normally done by the stacking of thorny branches. Fencing of smaller enclosures is mostly done by implanted poles harvested from surrounding woodlands.

A temporary position involving the deployment of vehicles normally in a square or circle usually at night with the HQ in the centre as a defensive measure against surprise attack.

Light Workshop Troop.

Mobile Air Operations Team.

Refers to Russian fighter aircraft used by the Cuban and Angolan air forces during the war in Angola, such as the MiG-21 and MiG-23. Both were armed with 23 mm cannon, a variety of modern air-to-air missiles and an assortment of air-to-ground attack weapons, such as rockets and 500 kg airburst bombs.