The last couple of weeks have been busy on our alternative frontline.
The arrival of Soviet supplied aircraft has begun and East German and Cuban air and ground crew are being flown in to commission the MiGs and helicopters and to commence operations in support of the Cuban and MPLA ground froces.
Despite western propaganda to the contrary, the only foreign communist combat troops deployed are Cuban.
Luanda is secure for the time being and Cuban troops have spearheaded the advance north and north east against the FNLA and their mercenary led forces. Whilst the advancing troops have made steady gains, there have been unexpectedly high casualties. We played a couple of games pitting company strength Cuban forces against FNLA rearguards using the adapted Cold War 83 rules ('Fireteam Angola') and whilst the communists have won, they've been bloody encounters.
In central Angola South African instructors are training UNITA cadre, and supplies of Bulgarian manufactured small arms and ammunition is being flown in via Zambia in specially adapted cargo planes crewed by mercenary pilots.
In the South, an unexpected development has been the emergence of a Portuguese settler faction centred on Benguela. This group is lobbying Zambia and South Africa for support and it may have already secured covert aid from the CIA.
The SADF is in full retreat and heading for the southern border, although it is rumoured that arms and munitions are being handed over to the Portuguese in Benguela.
On the modelling front I've finished a MiG 21, a MiL 8, a MiL 24 and am half way through painting a Dakota (for those covert flights supplying UNITA).
Look out for games involving civilians and media soon - also a mini campaign based on a UNITA insurgency.
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