Battle for Cassinga is the first-hand account by a South African
paratrooper who was involved in the 1978 assault on the Angolan
headquarters of PLAN, SWAPO's armed wing. The battle, although a
resounding success, suffered setbacks which could have proved disastrous
to the South Africans had they not maintained the initiative. The
improvisations made by Colonel Jan Breytenbach ensured that a flawed
jump and inadequate intelligence did not adversely affect the outcome.
The unforeseen Soviet-supplied SWAPO anti-aircraft guns used
devastatingly in a ground role also threatened to derail the attack. A
late appearance by a large Cuban/FAPLA (Angolan regulars) armored
column, from the nearby town of Techamutete, threatened to engulf the
lightly armed paratrooper force still on the ground. A fierce rearguard
action, together with the almost suicidal actions of the South African
Air Force pilots, ultimately saved the day.
McWilliams examines why the South African government took the political
risk in attacking 'Fortress Cassinga' in a cross-border operation that
would clearly attract the ire of the world. He studies SWAPO claims that
Cassinga was a refugee camp guarded by only a few PLAN soldiers,
explaining why Sam Nujoma, the SWAPO leader, had no option but to
perpetuate this falsehood. He looks dispassionately at all the players
involved: SWAPO/PLAN and their commander Dimo Amaambo who fled the field
of battle; the Cuban and FAPLA intervention; and the South African
paratroopers, led by Breytenbach, who not only had to combat a
determined enemy but also senior South African staff officers. Above
all, it is a soldier's tale which pays homage in equal parts to the
bravery of the paratroopers and the determination of the PLAN fighters
who stood to their guns until annihilated.
