Download or read book The South African Defence Forces in the Border War 1966 1989 written by Leopold Scholtz and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The SADF in the Border War 1966-1989 offers the first comprehensive analysis of the South African Defense Force's role in the Border War in Namibia and Angola since the end of this conflict in 1989. It investigates the causes of the Border War and follows its progress and escalation in the 1980s. It also considers the broader international context against which this conflict took place. The author brings vital new information to light gained from documents which have since been declassified. This includes documents from the State Security Council, the department of foreign affairs, the SADF itself, as well as from the Cuban and Soviet governments. It sheds light on the objectives of the National Party government in both Angola and the former Southwest Africa, the SADF's strategy in the war and its cross-border operations in Angola. To sketch as complete a picture as possible of individual operations, the author not only interviewed several high ranking SADF officers, but also included information from the Cuban archives and testimonies of Cuban and Russian officers. All the major operations and battles are discussed, including Savannah, Reindeer, Sceptic, Protea and Moduler, as well as the battles of Cassinga and Cuito Cuanavale. Where a battle had no clear winner, the author asks what the aim was of each of the parties involved and whether they succeeded in achieving that goal. In this way, he offers fresh perspectives on long-running and often controversial debates, for instance on who won the battle of Cuito Cuanavale. In the last chapter, the author looks at the objectives of all the parties involved in the war and whether they achieved them. In the process he tries to answer the all-important question: Who won the Border War?
Download or read book The SADF in the Border War written by Leopold Scholtz and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book South Africa s Border War written by Gary Baines and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2014-02-27 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Africa's 'Border War' provides a timely study of the 'war of words' waged by retired South African Defence Force (SADF) generals and other veterans against critics and detractors. The book explores the impact of the 'Border War' on South African culture and society during apartheid and in the new dispensation and discusses the lasting legacy or 'afterlife' of the war in great detail. It also offers an appraisal of the secondary literature of the 'Border War', supplemented by archival research, interviews and an analysis of articles, newspaper reports, reviews and blogs. Adopting a genuinely multidisciplinary approach that borrows from the study of history, literature, visual culture, memory, politics and international relations, South Africa's 'Border War' is an important volume for anyone interested in the study of war and memory or the modern history of South Africa.
Download or read book The SADF and Cuito Cuanavale written by Leopold Scholtz and published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This book was released on 2020-02-15 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A shooting war is often followed by a second war. This war is not fought with bullets or artillery shells, not with tanks or bombers, but rather with words. The war is, in effect, fought again on paper." In 1987–1988 the dusty Angolan town of Cuito Cuanavale was the backdrop for the final battles of the Border War. Ever since the war ended, the fighting around Cuito has been the subject of a fierce public debate over who actually won the war. While the leadership of the former South African Defence Force (SADF) claims it was never defeated, the supporters of the Angolan MPLA government, Cuba and SWAPO insist that the SADF was vanquished on the battlefield. They contend that the SADF wanted to overrun Cuito Cuanavale and use it as a springboard for an advance on Luanda. But was Cuito Cuanavale ever really an objective of the SADF? Leopold Scholtz tackles this question by examining recently declassified documents in the SANDF archives, exploring the strategic and tactical decisions that shaped the six main battles, from the SADF's stunning tactical success on the Lomba River to the grinding struggle for the Tumpo Triangle. His incisive analysis untangles what happens when war, politics and propaganda become entwined.
Download or read book South African Armour of the Border War 1975 89 written by Kyle Harmse and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-02-23 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Border War saw the biggest armoured battles in Africa since World War II. Starting as a counter-insurgency operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF) against the South West Africa People's Organisation, South Africa became embroiled in the complex Angolan Civil War, where they came up against enemies well supplied with equipment and armoured vehicles from the Soviet Union. With the aid of stunning illustrations and photographs, this study details the characteristics, capabilities and performance of the wide variety of armoured vehicles deployed by the SADF, from the Eland armoured car to the Ratel infantry combat vehicle and the Olifant tank. Designed for the unique conditions of the region, South Africa's armour was distinctive and innovative, and has influenced the design of counterinsurgency armoured vehicles around the world. Frequently requested by Osprey readers, and written by two renowned experts on armoured vehicles, this will appeal to all those interested in modern armour and the Cold War proxy wars.
Download or read book At The Front written by Jannie Geldenhuys and published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This book was released on 2012-03-19 with total page 634 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: General Jannie Geldenhuys is widely regarded as one of the leading military commanders South Africa has produced. As Chief of the South African Defence Force from 1985 to 1990, he brought his experience to bear on the Border War in Namibia, and was part of the negotiating team that brought an end to the conflict in 1989. In this completely revised and updated edition, Geldenhuys reflects on a military career spanning more than four decades. At the Front covers the years before and during the protracted Border War, and consists of Geldenhuys' personal experiences and insights. He sheds light on the final years of the conflict and the negotiated settlement, and also writes of his early years, as he evolved from a rugby-mad young officer to a deep-thinking, reflective man with ever-sharpening insights into war, peace, politics and, most of all, himself.
Download or read book Ops Medic written by Steven Webb and published by Galago Pub.. This book was released on 2008 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a recent British immigrant the author was exempt from the compulsory two-year call-up for National Service that all white South African males faced when they turned 18. Despite this he volunteered for National Service in July 1984 and then volunteered to serve in the South African Medical Service. Following basic training he was posted to SAMS' Combat Medical Operation Company (Ops Company) for six months of advanced specialist training. In the lecture room and later in civilian hospitals he learned the arts of stabilising patients, stopping bleeding, maintaining airways, suturing wounds, administering drips and performing minor lifesaving medical procedures. On 1 March 1985 he was sent to SWA/Namibia, where he saw service in Angola until the SADF withdrew its troops a month later. From there he was posted to 53-Battalion's company base at Etale. It was garrisoned by Owambo troops of the SWATF's 101-Battalion and white National Servicemen. He writes about border patrols conducted on foot and in Buffel mine protected fighting vehicles, seeking out SWAPO's armed guerrillas who had infiltrated from Angola and the constant anticipation of ambush by an elusive foe.He tells of the stabilisation and casevac of casualties by helicopter.In truth white National Service units achieved little success in the border war against an underrated enemy. As one senior officer put it: 'In my view SWAPO, despite inferior weaponry, was ahead of us in most respects. We took a boy who had just matriculated, gave him a gun, two or three months of basic training - and threw him into the middle of a country that he didn't know, people he didn't understand and an enemy he had never seen. No wonder he didn't do very well. Nevertheless, the young conscripts bore a terrible load, for which they received little gratitude.' So this is not the story of elite and glamorous fighting units like the Reconnaissance Commandos, Koevoet, 32-Battalion, or the Parachute Battalions and the successes they achieved, but of young, white, conscripted National Serviceman, often straight from school, who were thrown headfirst into a guerrilla war in a country outside of South Africa and far from home. Many National Servicemen, including 37 Ops Medics, died fighting in the Border War. Fifteen were awarded the Honoris Crux (two of the silver grade) for bravery - four posthumously.
Download or read book South Africa s Border War 1966 1989 written by Willem Steenkamp and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book North of the Red Line Recollections of the Border War by Members of the Sadf and Swatf 1966 1989 written by Hanlie Snyman Wroth and published by 30 Degrees South Publishers. This book was released on 2016-03-31 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the years, much has been written about individuals and the forces and their operations in what became commonly known as South Africa s Border War, or Grens Oorlog, but never before has the human spirit of this 23-year-old conflict been so graphically and unashamedly captured and chronicled as in this book. Equally unique, was the exclusive use of social media to invite and encourage individuals to tell their personal stories, without apology or recrimination, and so provide an indelible oral history of the war. Over a period of three years, 21,000 of them spoke: national service troopies, permanent force officers, aviators, aircrew, medics, submariners and padres. Erstwhile antagonists also stepped up to the plate, placing their own personal first-hand experiences amongst those of their enemies of yesterday: Russians, Cubans, Angolans and SWAPO. The story is further enriched by the inclusion of a rich plethora of hitherto unseen unofficial photographs of stolen memories, in a war situation where the taking of any such photographs was strictly prohibited. Veterans unabashedly wear their hearts on their sleeves, speaking of the psychological impact of untold tragedy and grief; of bravery and unmitigated fear; of shenanigans and mischievous escapades to relieve the pressures of war; of miracles and fate; and of camaraderie."
Download or read book Recce written by Koos Stadler and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2018-07-13 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gripping firsthand account of life and combat operations in the elite South African Special Forces, known as Recces, by a veteran Recce officer. The South African Special Forces are one of the most effective—and mysterious—military units in the world. Working in secret on covert operations, the legendary Recces have long fascinated, but little is known about how they operate. Now Koos Stadler, a career officer in the South African Special Forces, shares a revealing chronicle of his life and his experiences in the Border War. Shortly after passing the grueling Special Forces selection course in the early 1980s, Koos Stadler joined the so-called Small Teams group at 5 Reconnaissance Regiment. This sub-unit was made up of two-man teams and was responsible for many secret missions behind enemy lines. Sent to blow up railway lines and enemy fighter jets in south Angola, Stadler and his partner stared death in the face many times.
Download or read book South African Armour of the Border War 1975 89 written by Kyle Harmse and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-02-23 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Border War saw the biggest armoured battles in Africa since World War II. Starting as a counter-insurgency operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF) against the South West Africa People's Organisation, South Africa became embroiled in the complex Angolan Civil War, where they came up against enemies well supplied with equipment and armoured vehicles from the Soviet Union. With the aid of stunning illustrations and photographs, this study details the characteristics, capabilities and performance of the wide variety of armoured vehicles deployed by the SADF, from the Eland armoured car to the Ratel infantry combat vehicle and the Olifant tank. Designed for the unique conditions of the region, South Africa's armour was distinctive and innovative, and has influenced the design of counterinsurgency armoured vehicles around the world. Frequently requested by Osprey readers, and written by two renowned experts on armoured vehicles, this will appeal to all those interested in modern armour and the Cold War proxy wars.
Download or read book Beyond the Border War written by Gary F. Baines and published by Unisa Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For some fifteen years little attention has been paid to South Africa's late Cold War conflicts and the memories of soldiers who fought in them. Likewise, combatants with the liberation movements have all but been forgotten or otherwise marginalised in the new political dispensation. But the recent controversy over the exclusion of the names of SADF soldiers from the Freedom Park memorial wall and the popularity of publications and the existence of Internet sites that host personal accounts of the war suggest that there is significant public interest in these matters. The discovery of mass graves and questions about the treatment of detainees in SWAPO camps have kept the war in the public eye in Namibia. This volume offers new perspectives on the Border War through the paradigms of diplomatic and military history, cultural and literary studies, as well as victimology. Contributors to this volume have challenged the boundaries, broken the silences, even tackled some taboos about the war. They have put the Border War firmly back on the academic agenda thereby mirroring its place in the popular imagination.
Download or read book The Aftermath of the Cassinga Massacre written by Vilho Shigwedha and published by BASLER AFRIKA BIBLIOGRAPHIEN. This book was released on 2017-04-03 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It took the former South African Defence Force (SADF) less than four hours to kill more than eight hundred Namibian refugees at Cassinga on May 4, 1978. Thousands of survivors were left with irreparable physical and emotional injuries. The unhealed trauma of Cassinga, a Namibian civilian camp in southern Angola before the massacre, is beyond the worst that the victims of the attack experienced on the ground. Unacceptable layers of pain and suffering continue to grow and multiply as the victims’ grievances and other issues arising out of the aftermath of the massacre have been ignored, particularly following Namibia’s political independence. In this book, the afterlife of the victims’ traumatic memories and their aspiration for justice vis-à-vis the perpetrators’ enjoyment of blanket impunity from prosecution, in spite of their ongoing denial of killing and maiming innocent civilians at Cassinga, are explored with the aim to create public awareness about the unfortunate circumstances of the Cassinga victims.
Download or read book Borderstrike written by Willem Steenkamp and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2006 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book From Fledgling to Eagle written by Dick Lord and published by 30 Degrees South Pub Pty Limited. This book was released on 2008 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The crucible of combat over 23 years forged the fledgling South African Air Force into a formidable strike weapon, capable of defeating the best Soviet air defenses of the time. From Fledgling to Eagle chronicles the evolution of the SAAF in the 'Border War' that raged in Angola and South West Africa (Namibia) from 1966 to 1989, covering all the major South African Defence Force (SADF) operations from Ongulumbashe to the 'April Fools' Day war' in 1989. Dick Lord, who writes in a 'from the cockpit' style, has drawn on his own firsthand operational reports and diaries, incorporating anecdotes from dozens of aviators from a wide variety of squadrons--Buccaneers, Canberras, Mirages, Impalas, Bosboks, C-160s and -130s, Dakotas and helicopters. He also expands on the close relationship the SAAF had with the ground troops in a variety of operations--such units as the Parabats, Recces and Koevoet. However, Lord studies the broader ramifications of the conflict in that it was not a simple black-white war. Angola was really just a sideshow for the Soviets who wanted to bleed the SAAF in a war of attrition before attempting total domination of South Africa--their ultimate goal. He is unafraid to admit SADF mistakes--of Operations Hooper and Packer he says: "Lines of communications were too long to ably support the battle, which is why we did not clear them off the east bank of the Cuito River and why they captured the three Oliphant tanks which was their only propaganda victory." Although he gives credit to the enemy when they put up a stiff fight, he clearly outlines the overwhelming South African successes and dispels, in accurate detail, all enemy claims by giving an accurate account of each battle. He said: "I agree with General Geldenhuys that we thrashed them severely on the Lomba in '85 and '87 ... much recent publicity has also been given to the so-called victory of the Forces of Liberation [SWAPO, MPLA, and 50,000 Cubans and Soviets] over the SADF at Cuito Cuanavale in 1988. Nothing could be further from the truth--it is blatant propaganda."
Download or read book Back to Angola written by Paul Morris (Psychotherapist) and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In Back to Angola Paul Morris recounts his return to Angola in 2012 after going there in 1987 as a soldier. Morris, who was reluctantly conscripted just before he turned 19, goes back to the country to try and put his memories of war to rest and replace them with images of a peaceful Angola. The narrative switches between his solo cycle trip and his memories of the war." --Internet.
Download or read book Memories of the Border War written by Danielle Graham and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
