Battle of Menongue 25 October 1975



Outskirts of Menongue looking East. The South Africans attacked down this road.



We played the latest episode our camapign this week, the attempt by South African troops of Task Force Orange to link up with the paratroopers who had been dropped in to seize the airport at Menongue.

Both sides were given confiential breifings and objectives, together with how to achieve victory.

The scenario was an' exit' game involving a motorised SADF force entering the short table edge and having to fight its way across the table to exit on the opposite edge. The SADF had a detachment of Eland 90s and some Landrover technicals together with a company of infantry mounted in Buffel APCs and another in Unimogs.

The FAPLA defenders were three companies of militia with no heavy weapons.

FAPLA's only advantages were their ability to ambush the South Africans in the bush and built up areas and one company that had managed to dig itself in on the outskirts of town, directly in the path of the SADF advance.

FAPLA 'won' in that they prevented the South Africans exiting the table but if the game had gone on for another one or two turns the liklihood is that the result would have been different. FAPLA succesfully ambushed the SADF armoured cars and Landrovers but suffered heavy casualties and were losing ground in house to house fighting in Menongue itself when time ran out.

By evening on 25 October Task Force Orange had relieved 1 PARA and secured the airfield at Menongue.

Thanks to Chris and Evan for being such good sports an entering into the spirit of 'War for Slow Readers'