More AK 47 in Angola

Cuban Intervention Halts South African Invasion

The Guardian 26 July 1985

Sources in Luanda claim an invasion of Angola's southern Cuando Cubango province by South African forces has been halted after fierce fighting.

'For several weeks the apartheid regime has been sending tanks and mechanised troops over the border in support of CIA backed UNITA terrorists who are challenging the authority of the legitimate MPLA led Government of Angola,' said a spokesman in Havana.

'Cuban soldiers have assisted their Angolan comrades to fight off this assault, and after a series of battles have successfully expelled the South Africans from Angolan territory' he said.

'The South Africans have suffered heavy losses, particularly in their armoured formations, whilst Cuban and Angolan casualties have been minimal,' he said.

Sources closer to the front line in Angola's southern town of Menongue report heavy military traffic, all heading south, over the past week. 

If Havana has committed combat troops this could represent a major escalation of the so called 'border war' that has dragged on in this region for the best part of a decade since Angolan independence in 1975. Since the mid seventies, Cuban forces have largely been confined to garrison duties as well as providing training and logistical support for the MPLA Government forces. Most of the actual fighting in Angola has been between the western and South African backed UNITA rebels and the MPLA forces. Additionally, Pretoria has been fighting a low intensity war along the Namibian - Angolan border with SWAPO guerrillas who use bases in Angola for their efforts to destabilise South African occupied Namibia.

Washington alleges that East German and Soviet pilots and aviation technicians have recently been deployed in Angola. If true, this is further evidence that that Moscow is escalating a proxy war in southern Africa.

Cuban tanks take the objective - a destroyed MPLA T-34 marks the crest of the hill

 Cuban Motor Rifle troops seize the railhead - UNITA militia take cover in the background

A murderous little battle for a territorial objective - SADF mechanised infantry fight off  enemy T-34s, BTR 60s and infantry

In other words we've played three more games using the original AK 47 Rules. This has really given us fresh enthusiasm. Whether this will manifest itself in renewed interest sufficient to breath more life into these blog posts we'll see. When I started this blog the narrative was a much bigger part of things - we'll see...

Tank Battles on Namibian - Angolan Border

The Guardian 19/8/1985: 

Reports of heavy fighting between South African forces and Angolan troops on the Namibian border indicate that the South African army is under pressure and taking heavy casualties.

Correspondents in Luanda and Havana allege that South African mechanised columns crossed the border a month ago as Pretoria launched a major offensive against SWAPO guerrillas operating in northern Namibia.

'There are a number of refugee camps in southern Angola and the South Africans have bombed these as they've retaliated against several successful operations by SWAPO in occupied Namibia,' said sources in Havana.

'Cuban soldiers, carrying out their international duty in support of our Angolan and Namibian comrades, have provided assistance to the anti-fascist fighters and have been victorious every battle. We have also provided air defence forces to strike back at the aggressive bombing of unarmed refugees and civilians'

Sources in Warsaw released this aerial photograph of South African armour operating in Southern Angola

Cuban armour and infantry fighting in a built up area, In the centre of the picture there are several destroyed South African armoured fighting vehicles.

We're having lots of fun with the classic AK47 ruleset. Three games in and some of the subtleties are becoming apparent, particularly around where to concentrate one's efforts given the fog of war factor regarding objectives i.e. the defender knows what features the attacker is aiming for but he doesn't know their relative worth (to the attacker). Allied with alternate unit activation, randomly determined movement distances and simultaneous exchanges of fire this is providing us with some very enjoyable weekend afternoons.

Reports of Heavy Fighting in Southern Angola

'Flight Leader, I have you on my screen. You are cleared for auxiliary runway number two. Don't screw around, we have more hostiles on the way.'

'This is Three Five Zero. Roger. Auxiliary number two. Coming straight in."

'Watch for smoke Flight Leader, we have burning fuel.'

'With me Fifty One?'

'Roger Five Zero.'

'You're in first. Number two's longer than it looks, but it comes up suddenly behind the trees. Don't flare early. You'll be fine.'

'Flight Leader, this is Control, I have you visual'

'I'm rolling out, my wingman's coming in first.'

'Roger. Do you need assistance on the ground?

'Negative. Not unless we fuck it up.'

'Your runway'

.......

'Talk to me Control, where are we going?'

'Proceed to taxiway four, crescent B'

'Numbers?'

'Just take take the first open bay, this is war my distinguished Comrade Aviator'



Operation CROSSBOW continues. The South Africans have committed their air force in numbers. Cuban and East German pilots are flying multiple sorties in support of FAPLA and Cuban ground forces. The South Africans are sending in the ParaBat.

A game of AK 47 Reloaded is scheduled for tomorrow.

Operation Crossbow AK47 AAR

I'm in danger of confusing two alternative timelines as I have a Soviet invasion of Western Europe underway in 1981 using SPI's boardgame NATO as well my continuing Angolan Border War narrative that's reached the slightly earlier date of March 1979.

Readers will recall from earlier posts that the South Africans have launched a major external, codenamed CROSSBOW, into Angola to try and destroy SWAPO camps there. We've already played one table top battle using AK47 Reloaded rules and last night we fought our second.

The situation was that a SADF mobile column was trying to seize a vital river crossing. A detachment from 32 Battalion, mounted in Landrover Technicals, spearheaded the advance supported by Eland Armoured Cars and Mechanised infantry from 62 Mech Battalion.

Above: SADF armoured cars storm into an Angolan village, at the top pf the picture FAPLA T-34s have just arrived

East German piloted MiGs attack the South African Armour

The Angolans were quick to react, deploying armour, in the shape of T-34 tanks and BRDM armoured cars crewed by Cubans, as well as a unit of Cuban motorised infantry. Two units of FAPLA militia were also part of the defending force.

This was dubbed a 'hot incursion' using the AK47 rules, and the SADF launched a feint against the objective in the village with their armoured cars before shifting the attack to the right flank against a hill held by a dug in unit of FAPLA militia.

The Angolans made the most of their assets, bringing on an armoured unit which was promptly the target of an SADF airstike. At the same time 32 Battalion's technicals entered the table behind the Angolan armour - a bold move but one that ultimately led to the liquidation of the South African unit as the Angolan tanks survived the airstrike and shot up the landrovers.

This was to prove the decisive episode in a close game - an Angolan airstrike against the SADF armoured cars knocked out one of them but couldn't stop the remainder shooting up the objective as the SADF infantry moved in. Alas for the Army of Apratheid, the game ended before they could secure the objective and once the points were totted up it was a clear Angolan victory!

Cuban and South Africans Clash in Angola

The Guardian 18 March 1979

Associated Press: Luanda

Reports of heavy fighting along the Angolan-South West African Border have been confirmed by the communist MPLA government here in Luanda.

According to government sources, South African troops crossed the border into Angola three nights ago and were met by a swift response from the Angolan Army. The fighting including tank battles near the town of N'giva.

There are unconfirmed reports of airstrikes by Cuban and East German piloted Migs in support of the Angolan troops. The Angolan army is trained and advised by Cuban soldiers.

The fighting represents the biggest escalation of the tension between South Africa and Angola in the area since the apartheid regime's raid on a SWAPO guerilla base in the southern Angolan town of Cassinga last year.

Back on the Border...

I dug out the three QRF Ratels I bought over a year ago and cleaned up and assembled them this evening before spraying them with black car paint as an undercoat.

A remark by my regular gaming partner about how he'd enjoyed our AK 47 games set in Angola prompted me to do this. I've been thinking that I might put a bit of effort into this period over the next few weeks and see if I can rekindle some interest.

My models are a long way from looking like the one pictured above but it shouldn't be too hard to knock out something that's as good. I have plenty of Unimogs, Buffels, Elands, Landrovers and Centurions to take on the BTR 60s, T34s and T55s...

I'm thinking of a Angolan-Cuban invasion of Namibia in 1979, as a reaction to the South African raid on Cassinga in 1978 and as part of a wider communist offensive in Africa.

Not sure if we'll use the AK 47 rules off the peg or whether I'll go to the trouble of drafting scenarios. I probably won't - I think it's time to just get the little men and models on the table and start rolling dice...

Decision Games: 'Border War Angola Raiders'

Part of the map - the top is west

Border War is part of the Commando mini-game series. Once a battlegroup is organized, you move it across the border. When a force enters certain points an Event Card is picked. Events can include anything from special intelligence information to the appearance of major enemy forces. There’s a range of foes, from SWAPO insurgents and Angolan government regulars to powerful Cuban armored formations. Combat is resolved via a quasi-tactical procedure in which both tactical superiority and firepower play their parts. There are special rules for helicopter reaction forces, PSYOP, and leaders.

The above is from the blurb on the Decision Games website and it's all true. This game, and another in the same series 'Congo Merc', were waiting for me when I returned form holiday today. There had been a bit of a hiccup in them getting here - I originally ordered and paid for these games back in August and when they hadn't arrived by November I contacted Decision Games. Anyway, after a bit of tooing and froing they finally got here.

The games are specifically designed to be played solitaire in about an hour. My original motives for buying them were that I might be able to take them away with me when I'm travelling with work and secondly, I may be able to adapt the system to allow me to play a campaign that would add a bit of structure to the narrative of my alternative timeline and tabletop games.

On opening the ziplock package, I thought the map will be useful if nothing else. It's part of Southern Angola from the Atlantic Coast in the west to Jamba in the East and extends as far north as Caconda.

I've played one game and read this quite critical review: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/883766/a-hard-look-at-a-mini-game. It's hard to knock a US$13.00 game and the only criticism I agree with is that the victory conditions are a bit bland - 'recover x number of "real objectives"'...

What this means in practical terms is that you move one of your 'forces', which can be made up of one or more company sized units, onto an objective marker and, depending on how lucky and/or successful you are in dealing with the card generated events that subsequently occur, you get to see if it's 'real' or a dummy. The card generated events may mean you have to fight off SWAPO or FAPLA or the Cubans (you're commanding the SADF troops here...) and that can be bloody.

If the designer had taken the trouble to add a bit of flavour to the objectives - for example, defining these as PoWs or simply trashing a SWAPO base then it would be more believable. It is a mini game though and the system is applicable to the other game in the series, 'Congo Merc', and maybe there are more to come?

My other criticism is that I'm commanding the South Africans - and this is a bit creepy given the repugnant political system my boys are fighting for. And while I'm at it, the rules do nod towards the 'unsavoury' nature of what 'my' commandos are up to in this and 'Congo Merc', but what about a solo game where the player is the FAPLA  or SWAPO commander/ I appreciate that neither of these organisations fought for a completely noble cause either but they were, on the scale of things, fighting for something better than the Apartheid regime.

Anyway, back to the game...

I played out Operation Reindeer form 1978 and dropped a battalion of paras on Cassinga, supported by airstrikes and helicopters as well as sneaking a special forces unit across the border at Ngiva. The Ngiva operation was a success - SWAPO base destroyed, lots of prisoners taken, documents captured inciminating the Soviets and Cubans - but the Cassinga airdrop turned into a bloody disaster. The objective turned out to be a dummy so the paras had to fight their way to Caconda where they did succeed in neutralising the SWAPO base (I'm editorialising here - in game terms it was merely a 'real objective'...) but were wiped out in the process.

This was good fun and gave me plenty of ideas for a table top game or three and was all over in less than an hour so it does have potential to fill in the odd bit of spare timeif I want to generate some ideas or just have a game.

The solitaire system works quite well and their appears to be enough variety in the scenario generation system to keep things interesting for a while. So, on balance I'd say 8/10 - after all it was only thirteen bucks...