Episode 102 – 32 Battalion strikes Menongue Airfield and a Mirage is shot down

Welcome back to South African Border Wars, with me your host, Des Latham, this is episode 102. The South Africans were taking Fubblers 59 Brigade, but had run into an ambush, Cubans operating Soviet tanks had laid up waiting for foresight to cut across their hull-down positions. These were the T-55s of the Third Battalion. The commanders and the gunners were Cubans while the drivers were Angolan. As the SCD had found out early on the 14th of every 1988 Valentine's Day, the Cubans were also operating as spotters. Mike Muller of 61 Mac was now trying to capture a Cuban, but the last he'd seen had been shot down right in front of him while trying to surrender, by Unito Troops, whose blood was up. When we left off last, it was the afternoon and the SCDF had just won a victory over 59 Brigade and the Third Battalion. The Angolans and the Cuban Allies were in full retreat towards the Tumpo Triangle, that wide junction in the road east of Guitaghuanavali and just north of the Tumpo River. This retreat was a route in many ways, with Fubblers officers only managing to halt the retreating 59 Brigade north east of Guitaghuanavali. 21 and 25 Brigades were also pulling back along with the Third Tank Battalion. They left behind 14 destroyed T-55s, eight armored cars burnt out, one BM-21 Stalin-Auguin, one mobile radar-guarded Sam-13 missile system, and seven ZU-23 Anti-Ecroft guns seized. 400 Fubblers were dead, hundreds more injured, so far on the battle on Valentine's Day. 61 Mek had lost four men dead, around a dozen wounded three seriously. Now that 59 had been overrun, Falsai and the Kasi-Skuman turned north, heading towards 61 Mek's support, as they continued to engage with Fubblers 25 Brigade, a retreating Third Tank Battalion, and 59 Brigades rear-guard. The SCARS were now clear, which was bad news for the SCDF. Thousands of tons of bombs were dropped by the Mek's, and eventually the South Africans like ran out. One of these landed directly on a group of Falsai and National Servicemen, killing four. And yet Mike Müller was upbeat, he'd seen action since the first Angolan invasion by the SCDF in 1975, Operation Savannah. He was not 35 years old, and he'd been fighting nonstop for 12 years. This was one of the more significant defeats he'd seen Fubblers take in all the years of fighting. However, optimism was tempered by reality. The MPLA government in Angola could call on 30 advanced Mek 23 fighters. 8 Sukkuri SU-22 fighter bombers, 50 Mek 21s, as well as 16 out of date Mek 17 fighters, 33 MI-24 high-end helicopter gunships, 27 Aloit assault choppers, 69 MI-8 and MI-17 transport helicopters, and farplier also had more than 350 T-54/55 tanks left, along with 150 T-34s, and 50 PT-76 amphibious light tanks. The USSR had also agreed to send five giant Antonov-22 transport planes to Angola, by 1985 Russia had already sent five billion dollars worth of military equipment into the African country. Watching from their position close to the Tumpo Triangle were elements of the wreckies they'd buy Sean Mullin. He reported the MiGs bombing everything to the east, dust, and smoke hung in the air. Meanwhile, what was called a side show had been underway far to the northwest of this battleground. To coincide with a big attack by four-science 61 Mek against 59 Brigade on Sunday 14th of February 1988, Dion Ferreira wanted three Tuberteleons to strike them a non airbase. This was the hamper of the Angolans, as they dispatched their attack helicopters and ground support MiGs, and the plans for this had been underway since the 6th of February. It may have been a side show, but it was extremely daring, a wonderful event in the entire border war in terms of its conventional-style plan. The idea was to launch from a small stream called the Kuma, which was 20 km south east of Menong. Commandant Ravi Hartslift moved into position with 65 vehicles including 16-10 tank tracks, carrying mobile rocket launcher and mortar ammunition. Duckhole trucks loaded with 1.20mm mortars and entire Rathall 90 squadron, a command Rathall and other logistics and support vehicles. They moved at night without lights unseen by their Angolans and through heavy rain. They moved blind using instruments, the night was pitch black. Every kilometer they halted to count the trucks and the Rathals, making sure no one was left behind. Every river was an event, they could not use the roads so they had to build forwards out of logs and rocks some of the vehicles became bogged down, they were winched out. It took this group of attackers four days to reach the Kuma River, undetected. They had to pass through farms on the way and enemy reconnaissance patrols were scouting around, but still they made it through without raising the alarm. Ten kilometers north of the Kuma River, they spotted an enemy tank squadron, while there were also heavy enemy movements along the road south of Menong. So by the evening of 13th of February, Hotslips 3-2 battalion was in place and Major Pierre Franken took command of the artillery barrage. After all the dragging and the driving, he realized that the target was too far away for the 120mm mortars, so he relied on the four Valkyrie MRLs instead. It was 10.30pm and these began to fire on Menong airfield, a ripple of 96 rockets plunged into that base, but the wreckies feeding him bearings. They waited for a response, there was none. So they said about reloading the MRLs. Each missile weighs 60kg, it's not easy loading Valkyrie's in the darkness, then popping in the charge packs for firing. Everyone was groping around, sateless, followed by the eye-singing brightness of the MRLs screaming into the dark, destroying a little night vision you've established. The second ripple of 96 missiles went off at 1.30am on Valentine's Day, then the South Africans scurried off towards Gimbe to the south, only stopping at 5.30 when the dawn sky began to brighten. By 6.45 they'd pulled camouflage over their tracks and the rifles, then hunkered it down. A few minutes later the first meigs flew over heading towards Quitteau, Kwonavali. The men thought these were from La Bunga, far to the northwest, but they were wrong. While most of their missiles had hit the base, that caused very little damage, 7 Cubans had been killed, along with 37 Angolan Air Force stuff, but only 1 Meg 21 had been slightly damaged. By midday of the 14th of February the meigs were taking off again from Menong Airfield. By not being able to bring the much more deadly 120mm mortars into action, the South Africans had missed the trick. We fell far short of what we had hoped to achieve, Robbie Hotsleyve said later. The battalion was stuck here for the rest of February, with the meigs flying all over the place, looking for them. Then one morning there was a concerted effort, two Meg 23s flew top cover as 6 Meg 21s screamed in low from the south, aiming at three two's positions, pouring streams of 30mm cannon into the trees, peppering the trenches that the South Africans had dug. They knew we were there somewhere, but they didn't know exactly where. Said Hotsleyve to author Fred Bridgland. These were complex maneuvers by the Angolan Air Force, and the men on the ground knew that they were pretty sure of their target. "We were all deep in our foxholes," said Captain Herman Mulder, of three two battalion later. "Our scared shitless, I thought we were going to be cut to pieces." But none were hit. The 30mm cannon destroyed the trees in the bush around, but missed all the vehicles, and the men of three two, along with the Allies from Yenita, who were lying alongside about a kilometer away, were fine. The pounding was causing the Pretoria top brass, some concern, however, they couldn't allow the Angolan Air Force free reign. So on Friday, the 19th of February, full mirage, F1AZs, took off from Cruth, Fontaine in Northern South Africa. Their target was a fabla convoy, expected to pass through it quite dear, 40km east of them, you know. The last plane out that day was flown by major Ed Every, known to all at the base as "never ready," because he often forgot things, like his gloves, maps, or flat documents, but on this day he forgot nothing. The other pilots were Norman Miner, France Coutier, and Trompé Nel. They were armed with sticks of pre-fragmented air burst bombs, and over the previous six days, a number of other sorties had already been flown in the same area. The four headed at low level towards the target, and as usual, the first three tossed their bombs using their technique I explained previously, soaring upwards from low level a few kilometres from the target, releasing the bomb, then dipping down and flying away at high speed. Miner and Every broke out to the left, while the other pair went to the right of the target. Miner heard Every shot, break left, which Miner did then, he heard, "Rumpé Nel" shot. "Eject! Eject!" Rekis were watching this attack, and suddenly they saw black smoke pouring from the mirage, just as it reached its pitch-up position, then it rolled and disappeared. This mirage had been downed by one of Uppers' guns, or a missile, from nearby at Gimbe, three two battalion troops saw the huge black pool of smoke, and knew that every had hit the deck. It was about 20 kilometres south of the main road, just west of the Quattillo River. There'd be no sign of an ejection, although Unito observers said later they thought that seen a parachute, the rickies today. not. They knew that every had died in the plant. The other SAF was part of it had seen the Mirage on the ground, totally broken up. There were no emergency calls, no sign of the pelber beacon. This was every second tour of duty. He was 31 years old. In a cruel twist, during the seven-month deployment, Squadron personnel were continually rotated to allow for rest and recreation back at Hootspray, but Ed Evry had volunteered to stay at the Khurifentane over this period. It had been shot down the very next weekend. SAF's pilots were in greater danger now because the ward entered a static phase. The enemy had studied their tactics. They had moved the anti-aircraft batteries closer to where the Mirages would pitch up, and after release, the missile system had locked onto the aircraft's exhaust bloom. The wreckies were eyeing the crash site. They knew that Evry would be carrying maps of three two battalions positions. Should Foupler find these, then the next bombing runs by the mix would be even more accurate. And the wreckies jugged off to try and reach the burned-out Mirage before Foupler. The Angolans were also on the move towards the site. It was a race. Any men's search and rescue operation was launched with Captain Dave Stuck flying a Tel-Star mission, listening for any possible radio transmissions. A C160 scoured the region with parabets on board, who'd be parachuted in if they heard anything, but it was clear. Evry had not survived. By nightfall, an entire battalion of Cuban soldiers was at the crash site. The tanks and vehicles parked close by. They were walking around with lamps and torches trying to find anything of value. That was not a very clever thing to do. The wreckies were watching and called in a ripple of 96 MRLs, which exploded directly over the Mirage. Dozens of Cubans and Angolans soldiers died. The South Africans felt they had some sort of revenge for Evry, but they'd lost not only a valuable pilot, but one of the very few Mirages. And in a few days, they were going to lose another. It was a shocked airbase at Hruthfentane that counted the cost. Only three Mirages returned. They responded immediately, realizing that the SAF was trying to protect 3-2 battalion lurking somewhere south of the Menon Quito-Quanavali Road. They pushed an entire infantry brigade with tanks and their heavy M-46 guns into the bush right there trying to flush out the battalion. Things were heating up, not just the temperature. And Rundu HQ told 3-2 battalion to withdraw in a series of night hops. The battalion was smarting after the downing of the Mirage, and on the way south, they sent a group of 45 vehicles east to bomb a battalion or fapler infantry, based at the time of Bay Shalonga on the Longa River. It was hit by 96 MRLs and 351-20mm mortar shells. Nothing, however, could replace their critically limited Mirage and pilot. The frustration was growing. Here was a highly mobile battalion flitting about in the bush when they should really be attacking Wito-Quanavali, thought Hotslif and other commanders. Even trade the forces, strike their logistic centers, surround the town, so chaos, Miral would collapse. At panic, they realised that the South Africans had surrounded them. But Pretoria was wary of the cost of such a significant action. Here was the tension again between the political diploies back in Pretoria and the soldiers, who since there only had a few weeks left to do anything of real value. Slugging it out in the trenches had cramped their style, and with the Russians sending vast quantities of material into southern Africa, the prognosis for Pretoria was not good. Furthermore, the rules of engagement meant four-science sixty-one mech were not allowed north or west of Wito-Quanavali, and still fapler's suppliers rolled in hundreds and hundreds of tons a day, ammunition, food, reinforcements. The wreckies worked hard to try and stem the tide. Teams under leaders like Johnny Decavera, Julian Macella, and Ian Castellan were deployed in the direction of Lunga from where they would monitor the logistics convoys. Further up the road, closer to Menong, resodged books from the back and corporal bezper segment. Both sets of teams had used Rambi illumination flares. They would track a convoy until the vehicles halted for the night in the late afternoon, then they'd creep up to the most forward and rear vehicles, plant these flares in the ground, then withdraw. The team leaders would radio that the flares were on the ground and ready, and Rundu HQ would be informed. The Mirages would fire back up in Kroetfantane, swooping in for the attack at first at last light, as the wreckies fired up the flares. Each of these convoys were up to six kilometres long. In one attack, the Mirages returned three times, destroying two dozen vehicles and two tanks. You need to, with then grab as much gears they could, and everyone would disappear back into the bush. Eventually, more than four hundred vehicles and tanks were smoking ruins on the side of this all-important road, but still on they came, trundling along, bringing the material that Fruppler needed to continue their battles against the S-Hedia. By now, the Angolan 25 brigade was the air-marked four special South African attention. The wreckies were in place, acting as intelligence gatherers and spotters deployed at the Tumpo Triangle. First, though, the S-Hedia have had to deal with a heart-point designated as twelve-fifty-one. Twenty-one brigade companies were based here and would be a threat when the upcoming push against Tumpo Triangle began, they had to be dislodged. It was up to Commandant Mike Müller and 61 Mech. He put together a special unit, including an Ulyfhan Squadron, one Rattles Squadron, and a battalion of Unita troops, along with a mortar section. They moved into their starting position, six kilometers east of one of Fruppler's twenty-first brigade battalions, which were being protected, apparently about three T-55s. It was before dawn on the 20th of February, when the special attack force moved off, with Unita leading the way. Soon the Rattles entered a manfield and one had its front axled blown off, then the MiG-23s appeared, then the Rattles and Ulyfhan's headed for cover. As they tried to move out, the MiGs returned, then an Ulyfhan hit a mine and had to be repaired. These minefields were laid out according to Russian doctrine forcing the attackers into squeeze points, a killing zone for Fruppler's artillery. The S-Hedia was determined to push through these directly rather than fall prey to the Angolan plans, but this meant more vehicles would be damaged. All the while, the Angolans fired the M-46s and mortars, then they styled an organ multiple rockets. A number of Unita troops riding on the Ulyfhan's were killed or wounded, but the S-Hedia of attack ground on them. At 4pm, they approached Harpoint-1251, and were within a kilometer of the first Fruppler trenches, when the Angolans began to bolt across the Dala and Kwanavali rivers. Rekis and Muller's spotters called in the G-5s, which shelled the open unhunter, downing some of the fleeing enemy. The South Africans then, over round the battalion's trenches, only to find that the tanks and other vehicles had already pulled back. Muller headed towards the north bank of the Dala river, and the Ulyfhan spotted a mortar position further south, they dropped shells on the enemy there. So the Harpoint had been taken, 61 Mx4s, along with the Unita pulled back east of the Chambinga high ground. But now they were spotted by the Angolan artillery, forward teams who called in a bombardment of the M-46 guns, then the MiG-23s returned, dropping bombs within 50 metres of the tanks and the rifles. No one was hit, but the incessant air attacks were wearing the troops down. As Klaav halts of 61 Mx4s in his book At Thigh Call, it was like a raffle, where there were only 100 tickets and no date for the draw. Someone's name was going to come up, but no one knew who it would be, or when. The only thing we knew for certain was that we were all ticket holders, he said. They spent the next few days fixing broken vehicles, cleaning the weapons, re-shooting, reloading ammunition. This time 61 Mx4s were going to be the main assault force, and the troops felt that this would be the mother of all battles. All remaining Farplough forces had gathered in a confined area, the Tumpo Triangle, just in front of the Quito Bridge, and they had been digging in for weeks. As long as Farplough held this bridge, they held the key to the entire southeastern Angolan region. The Angolans had been systematically clearing away bush along their front, increasing the kill zone, calibrating the distances for their artillery. This was like the western front, machine gun emplacements, accurate distances mapped out by artillery commanders, extremely heavy shells lined up, ready to go. And Farplough had also pulled their damaged tanks into 45 strong points, hurled down their guns and added danger, turrets and barrels jutting out of these holes, ready to open up on the SED of crossing the open ground. The Angolans then began to work on the South African psyche. As 61 Mx2s and Mx2s waited for their next attack, a truly bizarre and chilling incident took place. The official records did not speak much of this, with unita troops close by, there was an opportunity for a vicious booby trap. One morning, a man who said he was from unita approached, asking for help, he wanted his water bottle filled. Lanscorpal press of 61 Mx2, taking the water bottle from the man and going off to fill it up. Moments later the bottle exploded, it had been buoy-trapped, with a hand grenade, press was killed. The so-called unita soldier disappeared into the nearby bush, then common and bullet-radioed all meant to apprehend unita soldiers in their vicinity. A few were stopped, but it became clear that FAPLA saboteur had managed to get away. A bitterness swept over the units, there had been stuck here for three months and the raffle ticket analogy was firmly wedged in their minds. And the Migs bombed daily, slowly, their accuracy improved. The troops then took to digging their foxholes down at least two meters, covering these with thick logs, tarpaulin and sand, to stop the air burst shrapnel. They sank, they had not washed in weeks, they felt like animals. Across in the Tumbo Triangle, the SIDF's enemies were building stronger defenses, two lines of intricate infantry trenches and sandbag bunkers running north-south between the source of the Dala and Tumbo rivers. After breaking the first line, the South Africans would have to break the second. Anti-tank and anti-personnel manfields were laid out front for farpless snipers and machine gunners. There was an almost treeless flatland of the Amhara Lebunda ahead, and where the flatland had forest, this forest had been cut down. M-46 and D-30 guns were set up, along with BM-21 Stalin organs, all on the waste bank of the Guido River, behind these two lines of troops, and now Fappers artillery was on equal terms with the SIDF's G-5s. Everything was within range, should 61 Mech come charging over the flatland. It makes you wonder at the courage of these troops, bludgeoned by now and yet ready to go once more. They were going to drive straight into this death zone, hopefully push Fappler and the Cubans out, then let you need to take over the abandoned positions. Like M-61 Mech was going to plan into this murderous flatland, but first the generals and political leadership back home needed to sign off on the plan. What option did they have? Retreat was not an option, but direct assault was suicide. Army Chief Cut Lebunbach duly passed the plan to Defence Minister Magnus Malin, who passed the plan to his cabinet. We'll hear next episode what this plan entailed, and what was decided for this major assault. Please rate the podcast on iTunes, it helps raise the visibility of the series. If you want to contact me, you can head off to abwarpodcast.com, there's a contact form in the homepage, or direct message me on Twitter @DearsLafen. Until next, last page. [Music]