SADF Holds the Line: FAPLA Attack Beaten Back

Captain van Vleet climbed out of the turret of his Oliphant tank and checked his watch again. There was a low rumbling to the north. 'Smitty! Get on the blower to the loggies and find out when we can expect them.'

The radio operator reported to his commanding officer a few minutes later. It wasn't good news. 'The fuel tankers have been held up sir - apparently SWATF has traffic priority'.

'Bloody hell. We can't move without gas...'

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The mechanic shook his head at Teniente Lopez, 'I can't fix this without spares,' he said in Russian. Lopez sighed. This was the second vehicle that had broken down in the past hour. They were due to attack at 0700 and that was only two hours away.

Lopez turned to the Angolan officer nominally in command of the battalion group. 'We should ask brigade for a postponement,' we're already under-strength and we're beyond the range of our artillery support.' 

Major Marcos shrugged. 'The Boers haven't stopped running for a week. Now is the time to strike hard!'

Great, thought Lopez, today of all days this clown chooses to assert his authority...

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The game started with political manoeuvre and the South Africans managed to upgrade their troop of three Oliphants to professional status and then promptly lost all three tanks to fuel shortages, along with one of the Ratel MICVs.

For their part the FAPLA force lost a T 55 and a BTR 60 to mechanical breakdown.

The SADF deployed their mortar platoon on table in the Kraal template, thereby securing the objective there. The two other dismounted infantry platoons were in ambush. The Oliphants were off-table and  immobile and played no part in the game. The mechanised infantry platoon (less one Ratel) was also off-table in reserve.

FAPLA massed on their left flank, two tank platoons up, followed by the motor rifle platoon with infantry mounted. The BRDM recce unit was deployed on the road and the mortars in the rear.

FAPLA advances straight into the SADF ambush. Despite losing  their most potent anti-tank weapons i.e. three tanks to fuel shortages the SADF have massed RPGs and Recoiless Rifles at the decisive point.

Meanwhile reinforcements in the shape of the mechanised infantry platoon arrive quickly and consolidate the hold on the objective in the kraal.

FAPLA's tanks and APC mounted HMGs  bang away at the dug in SADF infantry with little effect. As the game clock runs down they send in the infantry in a desperate assault...which fails...

 The result was a surprise given the SADF's lack of anti-tank weapons. On further analysis it was apparent  that long range fire tank and machine gun fire wasn't going to kill off dug in defenders. FAPLA didn't have enough infantry to force the issue and carry the position either. Mortar fire was ineffective and there was no heavy artillery support.

So it was a case of clever deployment, using the ambush rule, by the SADF and a FAPLA force that was not suited or equipped to take a well-defended position. Heavy artillery and an airstrike may have made the difference but, in keeping with the campaign narrative, FAPLA has out-run its supporting artillery and the Soviet and Cuban advisors weren't sending MiGs over Namibian airspace and out from under their SAM umbrella.

A convincing victory for the defending South African forces!