The Angolan War 1975-88

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The Angolan War 1975-88

• This presentation covers the two most important
  phases (the beginning end)
• The civil war in 1975
• 1987-88 the battle to destroy Unita (by the
  Cubans MPLA) and attempts to prevent this by
  the SADF- battle of Lomba river and defence of
  Cuito
• Cuanavale final push by Cubans in June 1988 in
  the south-west of Angola
• Read notes on the outbreak of the 1975 war and
  the events till 1988 (see link
• on intranet grade 12 site).

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By 1975 the stage was set for the Cold War
shifting across into Africa as a hot proxy war.
(like Vietnam and the Middle East). The Cuban
government wanted to spread the socialist
revolution of their own country (a third-world
communist state) into Africa. Here they had USSR
support. The US government were concerned about
growing communist influence in Africa but after
Vietnam did not want to commit their own combat
troops. Therefore, they gave the FNLA and UNITA
some limited support in terms of arms. The South
African government wanted a non-communist
neighbor in Angola who would not give sanctuary
to SWAPO launching attacks into Namibia. The
South African government assumed that if they
launched any military assault against the MPLA
and Cubans, then the US would provide support.
This did not happen and only resulted in even
more Cuban troops coming into Angola with Soviet
support. Effectively the USSR (with Cuba
supplying the troops) and USA took sides (But the
US government in a sense was using the SADF as
its Cubans) But the US government also did not
want to appear close to the SA government because
of the latters apartheid policies. The SA
governments main concern was to try and ensure
that SWAPO military operations into Angola were
limited or completely stopped. Therefore by
mid-1975 there were several national agendas all
centered around one country Angola, at the
height of Cold War tensions.
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MAP SOWING THE 1975 SADF ADVANCE INTO ANGOLA
The attack by SADF troops in late 1975 drove deep
into Angola although they outfought the Cuban
troops, the South Africans found themselves
often outgunned by Cuban Soviet-supplied multiple
rocket launchers (the so-called Stalin-Organ. Fa
ced with increasing numbers of Cuban
reinforcements and without American support,
which had been intimated would be provided., the
SADF troops withdrew The MPLA supported by the
Soviets and Cubans became the Angolan one-party
state government. SWAPO continued to receive
support from new Angolan government and their
guerillas still crossed the border into Namibia.
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MAP SHOWING THE OPERATIONAL AREAOF NORTHERN
NAMIBIAAND SOUTHERN ANGOLA
UNITA HAD THEIR MAIN BASE AT JAMBA FROM THE
BEGINNING OF 1987 THE MPLA GOVERNMENT WITH CUBAN
AND SOVIET SUPPORT BEGAN A PARTICULARLY LARGE
ARMS BUILD UP CENTRED AROUND MAVINGA. THE
INTENTION WAS TO MOVE SOUTH AND DESTROY UNITA
WITH CONVENTIONAL WARFARE WEAPONRY (TANKS,
AIRCRAFT, ARTILLERY) THIS WASS EQUIPMENT WHICH
UNITA COULD NOT COMBAT- THEREFORE THE SADF MOVED
IN LIMITED NUMBERS OF TROOPS WITH AIR SUPPORT,
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE NEW ARTILLERY BUILT IN
SOUTH AFRICA (THE G5 GUN) THIS ARTILLERY HAD
BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN ARMS
INDUSTRY AFTER THE LESSONS LEARNT BY THE SADF IN
1975.
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The G5 was the best artillery piece of this type
available anywhere. It outranged Anything the
Cubans or FAPLA (MPLA troops) had.
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SADF ARTILLERY IN ACTION DEEP IN ANGOLA DURING
LATE 1987. THIS WAS THE WEAPON THAT MADE THE
BIGGEST DIFFERENCE!
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Note direction of arrows this push was with
tanks and armoured troop carriers intended to
destoy UNITA. The SADF then gave limited
conventional warfare support using about 3000
troops equipped with G5 artillery, vehicle
mounted anti-tank missiles, tanks, armoured cars
with infantry in Ratels.
The FAPLA/CUBAN offensive towards Jamba
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FAPLA FORCES AND THEIR CUBAN SUPPORT RECEIVED A
MASSIVE DEFEAT FROM THE SADF IN OCTOBER 1987 AT
THE LOMBA RIVER BATTLE. IT WAS THIS HUGE DEFEAT
THAT PROMPTED CASTRO TO DEPATCH HIS BEST TROOPS
AND WAR EQUIPMENT TO ANGOLA. CASTRO WAS
DESPERATE TO PULL HIS FORCES OUT BUT WITHOUT THEM
LEAVING ON SUCH A LOW NOTE. GENERAL JANNIE
GELDENHUYS, THE SADF CHIEF, COMPARED THE BATTLE
TO A RUGBY GAME WHERE ONE SIDE WAS CAMPED THE
WHOLE MATCH IN THE OTHER SIDES HALF AND
SCORED A DEVASTATING TRY. READ THE INTRANET
NOTES WERE THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO LOMBA
RIVER ARE EXPLAINED.
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JONAS SAVIMBI THE UNITA LEADER AND HIS TROOPS.
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ALTERNATE VIEWS ON THE BATTLE OF CUITO
CUANUVALE (BECAUSE THE SADF WITHDREW AND
PRESSED NO ATTACK ON THIS POSITION, THE
ANGOLANS/CUBANS AND ANC ANOUNCED IT A
MILITARY VICTORY) IN FACT IT WAS NOT THE SADF
INTENTION TO TAKE CUITO THEY HAD STOPPED THE
ATTACK ON UNITA AND WERE WITHDRAWN.
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PROPAGANDA LEAFLETS PICKED UP ON BATTLEFIELD BY
SADF TROOPS
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OCT 1987 THE BATTLE OF LOMBA RIVER A HUGE
DEFEAT FOR FAPLA FORCES AND THEIR
CUBAN ADVISORS AFTER THIS, CASTRO
ORDERED EXTENSIVE CUBAN TROOP AND AIRCRAFT
REINFORCEMENTS INTO ANGOLA.
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JUNE 1988- CUBAN TROOPS SUDDENLY MOVED TOWARDS
THE SOUTH-WEST OF ANGOLA THE SADF WERE
CONCERNED THEY WOULD ATTEMPT AN ATTACK OVER INTO
NAMIBIA THEREFORE PROVOKED THE CUBANS INTO
BATTLE NEAR TECHIPA THE CUBANS SUFFERED SEVERE
LOSSES FROM G5 ARTILERY IN PARTICULAR, BUT
SUCCEEDED IN LAUNCHING A SUDDEN AIR ATTACK
ON CALUEQUE DAM ONE BOMB WHICH WAS INTENDED FOR
THE DAM HIT A SADF BUFFEL KILLING 12 TROOPS. THE
SCENE WAS SET FOR FULL WAR BUT NEGOTIATIONS
ENDED THE CONFLICT. CUBAN TROOPS WITHDREW AND IN
1990 NAMIBIA BECAME INDEPENDENT.
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SITE OF CLASH BETWEEN CUBAN AND SADF FORCES IN
JUNE 1988
CUBAN MIGS BOMB DAM, JUNE 1988 WITH 12 SADF
TROOPS KILLED.
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LOSSES ON BOTH SADF AND CUBAN/FAPLA MILITARY
FORCES BY THE END OF THE ANGOLAN WAR 1987-1988.
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THE WAR IN ANGOLA OCCURRED AS THE COLD WAR WAS
SLOWLY ENDING WITHIN A YEAR GOBACHEV GLASTNOST
POLICIES WERE SWEEPING THROUGH EASTERN EUROPE.
NAMIBIA WAS INDEPENDENT BY 1990 FW DE KLERK
UNBANNED THE ANC AND NEGOTIATIONS BEGAN IN SOUTH
AFRICA FOR A NEW CONSTITUTION. THE CUBAN TROOPS
HAD BEEN SENT TO ESTABLISH AND DEFEND ONE-PARTY
STATE SOCIALISM THIS WAS NOT ACHIEVED IN SOUTH
AFRICA, NAMIBIA OR ANGOLA. ABOUT 4000 CUBAN
TROOPS DIED IN ANGOLA BETWEEN 1975 AND 88. THERE
ARE VERY FEW LINKS OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE
BETWEEN CUBA AND ANGOLA TODAY. CUBAN SOCIALISM
SEEMS DESTINED TO DISAPPEAR IN THE LONG
TERM ANGOLA IS SLOWLY STILL RECOVERING FROM THE
EFFECTS OF A WAR WHICH LASTED NEARLY THREE
DECADES, FROM THE FIRST ATTACKS ON THE PORTUGUESE
IN 1961.