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'

South African Paratroopers 'Invade Angola'

The Guardian 27 October 1975

Reports from Southern Angola indicate a South African troops have attacked the town of Menongue, some 300 km from the South West African border.

The Cuban government alleges that South African airborne forces were parachuted into Menongue two days ago and captured the town's airfield. According to Havana, a South African armoured column linked up with the paratroopers 24 hours later.

'The colonial government is due to leave Angola on 11 November and the Cuban people have been rendering fraternal aid and assistance to their Angolan brothers and sisters in the People's Liberation Movement of Angola (MPLA) as they prepare to lead the Angolan people to freedom. This attack by the racist Pretoria regime is proof that South Africa is bent on imposing its will on the peace loving people of Africa,' said a Cuban government spokesman.

Pretoria has confirmed it has troops in Angola. According to sources close to the South African Government the South African Defence Force has been carrying out limited operations to forestall  communist terrorist activity inside Angolan territory.

An Anglican priest in Capetown, Father John Wilson, has confirmed that a family in his parish has been informed of the death of their 19 year old son, a soldier in the South African Army, 'on active service', earlier this week.

The Soviet Union has formally protested to the South African Government and a further protest has been lodged with the United Nations Assembly by the East German Ambassador to the UN.

Rueters

An Airfield Too Far?

'Sunbeam, this is Harrier, the wicket is good over'

'This is Sunbeam, copy you Harrier, over and out'

'Time to move boys, those paras are waiting!'

1 PARA covers the airfield perimeter road

0600 25 October 1975: Bravo Company, 1 PARA, has seized Menongue airfield. Task Force Orange's spearhead has just been signalled to cross its start line and drive on Menongue to link up with the paras.

Major Christian van Fleet commands Battlegroup Sunbeam, a SADF motorised column and the spearhead of TF Orange.

Leiutenant Alberto Contador, Cuban Special Forces, has assembled three 'alarm' companies from the half trained FAPLA garrison of Menongue. His men have no heavy weapons and little hope of stopping the South Africans. The attack on the airfield came as a complete surprise, there had been no indication from either the FAPLA  command or his own superiors that the South Africans were prepared to use airborne troops .

Contador doesn't know the paratroopers' stength but he knows an enemy motorised column is operating in the area. He expects an attack from the south as the main South African force tries to link up with the airborne troops. He resolves to communicate news of the enemy advance to headquarters and to fight a delaying action in the town for as long as he can.