The War for Africa by Fred Bridgland

Author:Fred Bridgland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: eBook ISBN: 9781612004938
Publisher: Casemate
Published: 2017-09-21T16:00:00+00:00

★ ★ ★

It looked to Deon Ferreira as though everything would evolve according to his plan after the G-5s’ opening early morning barrage. Koos Breytenbach watched in amazement as two companies of 16 Brigade’s infantry marched from the concentration area across the anhara towards the bridge, providing a perfect target for long-range artillery. Breytenbach brought in ten G-5 airburst fragmentation rounds onto the foot soldiers, followed by an MRL airburst ripple. Reconnaissance Commandos counted more than 60 dead 16 Brigade soldiers on or approaching the bridge.

The SADF artillery’s priority was to lay down patterns of fire which would keep the bridge blocked for as long as possible. An early G-5 salvo caught a vehicle on the bridge, forcing 50 or so other vehicles to pull back southeastwards while the obstruction was cleared.

The G-5s’ timely success was an encouraging omen for Combat Group Alpha as it set out from its laager area southeast of the Chambinga source. Piet van Zyl linked up with Mike Muller, who was shocked by the 32 Battalion captain’s refusal to ride inside the Ratel-20 armoured infantry carriers, or ‘coffins,’ as Van Zyl described them. Instead Van Zyl’s men took turnabout in riding on top of the tanks and walking between the tanks and armoured cars. ‘It had rained all night,’ said Van Zyl. ‘It was cold and every time we pushed through the trees we were showered from the wet leaves. The best place to be was on the flat area behind the turret of an Olifant above the exhaust. It was nice and warm. It was too noisy there to hear warnings of air attacks. But you could tell when the alarm had been given because you would see our infantry on the ground disappear into the Ratels at high speed.

‘As we advanced the tanks began firing ahead speculatively. It was an amazing sight. After an Olifant unleashed a 105 mm shell you saw a path opening up through the forest just like the Red Sea divided for Moses. We seemed to be doing well, but then UNITA warned us that a major minefield stretched ahead for something like ten kilometres. We had to stop while the sappers checked it out. It turned out to be just a few scattered small mines. That lost us at least an hour.’

Mike Muller had decided to attack 21/25 Brigades on the high ground between the Chambinga and Hube sources from the northeast, with Combat Group Bravo deploying further south as his reserve. Muller’s Combat Group Alpha found itself manoeuvring through unexpectedly continuous thick bush at snail’s pace, causing further delay. The roar of the revving tank and armoured car engines gave the 21/25 Brigade force warning of the impending attack, and elements began slipping away from their defensive positions towards the Chambinga bridge. When at last Alpha was in position to smite the enemy an air raid warning forced its vehicles to take cover. By the time the all-clear sounded, the whole 21/25 Brigade force had decamped and extended the distance between it and Alpha.

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