We Dared to Win: The SAS in Rhodesia by Scheepers Andre & Wessels Hannes

Author:Scheepers, Andre & Wessels, Hannes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Casemate Publishers (Ignition)
Published: 2018-04-19T07:00:00+00:00

Viscount Umniati and Attack into Angola

On the afternoon of 12 February 1979 two busloads of casually attired travellers arrived at Kariba airport. In the heavy heat outside two Air Rhodesia Viscounts waited. Shod of their lively livery, now painted a dull matt-grey to lessen the chances of a hit from a SAM missile they served as a reminder of the dangers that lurked in the blue yonder. But among the passengers the mood was one of relaxed confidence. Known to most of them, the pilots were varying their routes from the airfield to confuse the terrorists and climbing quicker after take-off to exit the range of most of the known shoulder-fired missiles. They were sure the precautions taken were adequate.

Red and green boarding cards were issued arbitrarily by airline staff. Red-card holders would fly the first aircraft out, green second. One person who drew a green was an off-duty General Peter Walls.

Air Rhodesia Viscount Umniati duly took off from Kariba and banked as it climbed. Only minutes later there was an explosion, a “mayday – mayday” call, a fireball and the old aeroplane tumbled out of the sky. This time the end was mercifully quick for 54 passengers and five crew. There were no survivors. The captain, Jan du Plessis, was still mourning the death of his son Leon who had been killed in action only months before at the controls of his Lynx ground-attack aircraft on a raid into Mozambique. In a savage irony the Boyd family of six was wiped out in its entirety. They were dear friends of Dr. Maclaren, the hero of the first Viscount disaster.

A Dakota from No 3 Squadron RhAF was first on the scene and dropped paratroopers but the follow-up yielded no results. The terrorists had melted back into the local populace.

Joshua Nkomo appeared at a press conference in Ethiopia and gleefully took responsibility. Again the rest of the world was silent. As long as the victims were white the deed was deemed acceptable.

The country demanded vengeance and Hunters of No 1 Squadron RhAF attacked Zipra bases near Livingstone north of Victoria Falls and these were soon followed by the most daring air raids in the history of the war when a decision was taken to hit a Zipra target in central Angola near the town of Va Luso on the Benguela railway line. A 4,000-kilometre flight, it would push the range of the ageing Canberras to their absolute limit. Adding to the crew’s woes they would have to fly under a Soviet-installed radar system, risk a SAM 7 response and face the real possibility of MIG 19s flown by well-trained Cuban pilots being scrambled. The pilots and navigators of the defenceless bombers would be relying on two Hunters flying top-cover to come to their aid in the event of interception. Standing by at Wankie airfield on the edge of the national park were 12 SAS men and a Dakota. In the event any of the aircraft were shot down they would be tasked with recovering the flyers.

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