Anniversary of OPS Savannah
The month of October is the anniversary of Ops Savannah. We ask you to take some time and remember the Brave ones who gave up their lives for us.
SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER 1975 Task Force Zulu crossed the SWA Angolan Border. Koos (Propies) van Heerden with Cmdt SWJ (Sarel) Kotze as his 2IC. He had two battle groups, namely: Alpha Group under command of Cmdt Delville Linford and Bravo Group under Cmdt Jan Breytenbach AND SO STARTED …..
“OPERATION SAVANNAH.”
The 1st large scale cross border operation of the bushwar. A covert operation by 4 SADF battlegroups, (Foxbat, Zulu, Alfa, Bravo) in support of the pro Western Freedom movements (UNITA and FNLA) in Angola in the days prior to independence, and as a secondary role, to clear SWAPO/PLAN out of southern Angola.
The purpose of the operation was to ensure a military and political victory for the pro-Western forces of FNLA and UNITA. The CIA covertly assisted as well up to a point, and then withdrew as the USA was busy dealing with the Vietnam defeat and withdrawal, and the USA was ill-informed about the real situation in Angola. This left the small SADF Taskforce to fight alone against massive odds.
The enemy was the communist supported MPLA freedom movement, backed up by well equipped Cuban forces of ever increasing strength. The SADF raiding parties operated in support of and with UNITA and FNLA. The SA Government denied knowledge of any presence in Angola and the SADF operated covertly in American style “Greens” and vehicles where painted in a non-standard SADF camouflage scheme.
The pressence of SADF troops in Angola was revealed to the world by the war correspondent, Fred Bridgeland, who’s article appeared in the Washington Post. He later wrote an excellent book on the latter years of the bushwar called: “The War for Africa”. Later, 2 SADF POW’s captured in the battles north of Cela, were paraded on international TV, and SA could no longer deny its involvement in Angola.
For more info read:
http://www.geocities.com/sa_bushwar/opssavannah.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Border_War