Military Despatches Vol 33 March 2020

Myths and misconceptions Things we still get wrong about the War Turning back the clock 93 year old Arctic Convoy veteran visits Russian ship

Battle of Ia Drang First battle between the Americans and NVA

For the military enthusiast CONTENTS March 2020

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Hipe’s Wouter de The old South African Page 14 Goede interviews former Defence Force used 28’s gang boss David a mixture of English, South Vietnamese Williams. Afrikaans, slang and techno-speak that few Special Forces outside the military could hope to under- stand. Some of the terms Features 32 were humorous, some Weapons and equipment were clever, while others 6 We look at some of the uniforms were downright crude. Ten myths about Vietnam and equipment used by the US Marine Corps in Vietnam dur- Although it ended almost 45 ing the 1960s years ago, there are still many Part of Hipe’s “On the myths and misconceptions 34 couch” series, this is an about the . We A matter of survival 26 interview with one of look at ten myths and miscon- This month we look at fish and author Herman Charles ceptions. ‘Mad Mike’ dies aged 100 fishing for survival. Bosman’s most famous 20 Michael “Mad Mike” Hoare, characters, Oom Schalk widely considered one of the 30 Turning back the clock Ranks Lourens. Hipe spent time in world’s best known , A taxi driver was shot When the Russian cruis- has died aged 100. This month we look at the dead in an ongoing Hanover Park, an area er Marshal Ustinov berthed in Army of the Republic of Viet- war between rival taxi plagued with gang harbour, she wel- nam (ARVN), the South Viet- organisations. violence, to view first- comed aboard a 93 year old 30 namese army. hand how Project World War II Arctic Convoy Veteran. Youth support appreciated Ceasefire is dealing with Ex TS Woltemade Sea Cadet Quiz the situation. 24 assists the youth of Cape Town. Hipe TV brings you videos ranging from actuality to humour and every- Hats off to the GB Old Boys And the support and belief in 13 thing in between. Interviews, mini-documentaries and much more. SATS General Botha Old Boys our youth is appreciated. Weapons of the ‘Nam Association award bursaries to How well do you know the Check out Hipe TV and remember to like, comment, share and subscribe. Sea Cadets. weapons of the Vietnam War? 00 3 CONTENTS Page 70

Editor’s PUBLISHER Sitrep Hipe Media EDITOR Matt Tennyson

PHOTO EDITOR ’m just recovering from me that I have won a vast sum of Regine Lord Saint Patrick’s Day 2019, money or from those wishing to CONTRIBUTORS and here it is upon us again. give me money. March in military history I Raymond Fletcher, Ryan Mur- I just can’t seem to win. I calculated that in February phy, Matt O’Brien, Matt Tenny- As soon as I’ve finished this alone I won or was donated the son, Lt Com Glenn von Zeil. editorial I think I’ll take out the total sum of $217 million. If Head-to-Head Forged in Battle Book Review old bottle of Bushmills and get only it was true. Military Despatches is pub- 44 56 69 an early start on Saint Paddy’s Of course I never respond to lished on-line every month. ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare - The Legend Day. any of these e-mails. They are Strongest military forces A-6 Intruder The articles used in Military Written by Chris Hoare, the How many of you managed deleted straight away. But I must This month we take a look at Used by the US Navy and US Despatches are copyrighted son of Mike, in this biography to watch the SONA (State of admit that some of them are cre- the fighting vehicles of Marine Corps, the Grumman and may not be used without – rich in new material – the au- the Nation Address) on televi- ative. the ten strongest military forces A-6 Intruder earned its reputa- prior permission from the edi- thor separates the man from the sion this year? I’m still trying to I received one from a in the world. tion during the Vietnam War. tor. myth in a way only a son can. decide whether I find it scary or Dr (Mrs) Someone-or-other that The views stated in this mag- hilarious. informed me that she was a doc- azine do not necessary reflect Famous Figures Battlefield Front Cover One of the things that goes tor with the US Military in Af- the views of Hipe!, the editor, 62 with being the editor of Military ghanistan. Her husband was also the staff, or Hipe Media. 50 The Chinese Navy’s Type Despatches is that I get a lot of a colonel and doctor in Afghani- William C. Westmoreland 054A frigate Weifang (550) sits e-mails on a daily basis. stan and he was killed in . Hipe! As a Army Gen- The first major battle between in berth in Cape Town harbour. Many of these are compli- He had found a large stockpile P.O. Box 31216, Tokai, 7966 eral, Westmoreland command- the United States and the North mentary, something I am really of gold and had smuggled it out . ed the US forces during the Vi- Vietnamese Army. Photo: Regine Lord grateful for. I’ve had one or two of the country and converted it etnam War from 1964 to 1968 critical e-mails, normally about to cash. email and later became the Chief of Gaming something I got wrong. I also She discovered that she has [email protected] Staff of the US Army. get e-mails from people sending some disease and only has six 66 in articles for publication. months to live. So she was do- Back Issues Total War - Shogun 2 I do, however, receive a lot of nating the money to me ($30 To view any back issues of Become the military ruler of spam and scam e-mails. Many million). Naturally it would cost Military Despatches, go to - or die trying. of them are from companies me to get the money released. www.militarydespatches.co.za Movie Review (mainly from China for some Do they really thing these scams or click here. reason) trying to sell me some still work? totally unrelated product like Until next time. 68 plastic pipes or perfume. Flight of the Intruder The vast majority of these type Set during the Vietnam War of e-mail are from people telling Matt 4 5 Top Ten Top Ten ducted nearly 1,200 patrols and gent to , known Soviet Union - Moscow Ten myths about the Vietnam War inflicted heavy casualties on as the Queen’s Cobra Battalion. proved to be North Vietnam’s the Viet Cong. Their own loss- It also pledged its national po- chief ally throughout the con- The Vietnam War lasted 19 years, 5 months, 4 weeks and 1 day, and the lives of more than 58,000 es totalled one killed in action, lice force’s air assets to monitor flict, supplying both weapons American troops. Although it ended almost 45 years ago, there are still many myths and miscon- one died of wounds, three acci- several segments of the Ho Chi and military advisors. ceptions about the Vietnam War. We look at ten myths and misconceptions. dentally killed, one missing and Minh trail that passed through In addition to maintaining a one death from illness. Twen- neighbouring Laos. troop commitment that topped he Vietnam War, also tions about the Vietnam War. invited (and pressured) a num- ty-eight men were wounded. - One of the earliest 3,000 men at its peak, the So- known as the Second In this article we take a brief ber its allies in the region to More than 500 Australian foreign contributors to the Sai- viet’s lavished Hanoi with more Indochina War, and in look at ten of them. lend a hand in South Vietnam. personnel were killed during 10 gon government was the ardent- than 2,000 , 7,000 artillery T years of operations and 3,000 ly anti-communist Republic of pieces, 5,000 anti- guns Vietnam as the Resistance War More than 400,000 troops from Against America or simply the six other countries answered were wounded. China. In fact, Taiwan provided and nearly 200 surface to air American War, was a conflict in 10. Vietnam was an Ameri- the call. - The next larg- transport aircraft and secretly missile batteries. Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia can war. - They were by est partner in the U.S.-led war offered several hundred of its Aid from Russia eventually from 1 November 1955 to the The Vietnam War is largely far the most committed foreign was the Philippines. Beginning special forces soldiers to the reached $2 million a day. In at fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. remembered as a contest be- ally of the American-led war ef- in 1966, Manila deployed up- cause beginning in 1961. least one incident, Soviet advi- It was the second of the Indo- tween North and South Viet- fort in South East Asia. wards of 10,000 troops to help Over the next 11 years, three sors engaged American forces china Wars and was officially nam with the United States in- Between 1965 and early support the Saigon government, aircraft were lost to enemy in combat. During an air raid fought between North Vietnam tervening on behalf of the latter. 1973, more than 320,000 South but kept its contribution limited ground fire and a number of on the North in 1965, Soviet an- and South Vietnam. Yet this in not the case. Korean troops served in the war to medical and logistical oper- Taiwanese commandos were ti-aircraft gunners fired on and The war, considered a Cold Both South and North Viet- alongside U.S. and ARVN forc- ations. captured while on missions in destroyed American F-4 jets War-era proxy war by some, nam enjoyed considerable help es, although ROK troop levels Filipino casualties were min- North Vietnam. In all, 25 Tai- near Hanoi at Thanh Hoa. lasted more than 19 years, with from a host of other world pow- never reached more than 50,000 imal, yet the decision by the wanese died in action in Viet- China - Beginning in 1965, direct U.S. involvement ending ers both large and small. at any given time. administration of Ferdinand nam. the People’s Republic of Chi- in 1973, and included the Laoti- In fact, more than 10 other All told, more than 5,000 Marcos to deploy troops to In- - Although not offi- na provided both military engi- an Civil War and the Cambodi- nations took an active role in South Korean soldiers were dochina was still controversial cially a military contributor to neers and anti-aircraft batteries an Civil War, which ended with the decade-long fight, losing killed in nine years of fighting; domestically. the American war effort, Cana- to the North Vietnamese war all three countries becoming more than 15,000 lives in the 10,000 were wounded. - Between 1964 dian industry supplied the U.S. effort. This followed Beijing’s communist in 1975. process. While some coun- - In total, more and 1972, more than 3,800 New with more than $2.5 billion policy of supplying millions of It was one of the most contro- tries’ contributions are widely than 61,000 Australian soldiers Zealanders served as part of the worth of war materiel during dollars in rice and more than versial wars that America was known, others might come as a also served in the war between Allied war effort. In addition the 1960s and early 1970s. 90,000 assault to the com- ever involved in. America was surprise. Let’s examine some of 1962 and 1972, although that to providing artillery batteries, More than 30,000 citizens munist regime. left divided when it came to the the Vietnam War’s other partic- commitment never exceeded combat engineers and medi- volunteered to fight in the con- By 1968, China began to war with those that support- ipants. 8,000 troops at one time. cal personnel, Wellington sent flict. At least 100 Canadians withdraw its support following ed the war and those that were Allies of the South In addition to sending infan- elements of the country’s elite died in American uniform dur- a widening rift with Hanoi’s against it. In fact there was Between 1964 and 1973, try, airborne, special forces, Special Air Service. Pilots also ing the war and one even won chief ally, the Soviet Union. a strong anti-war movement more than 2.7 million Ameri- medical and armoured units, served as part of the larger Aus- the Medal Of Honour in 1970 Beijing gradually shifted its within the United States. can troops served in Vietnam. A Australia’s task force also in- tralian contingent. for heroism under fire. support to the Khmer Rouge in Many Vietnam Veterans felt total of 58,318 Americans were cluded squadrons of helicop- New Zealand Special Air Ser- Allies of the North Cambodia. betrayed by their country and killed in Vietnam and 303,644 ters, transport planes and even vice (NZSAS) also sent a troop, As America’s role in the war Following the victory over feel that they were never giv- were wounded. Canberra bombers. The Royal consisting of an officer and 25 widened, the communist world the south in 1975, the unified en the recognition that they Yet despite this hefty commit- Australian Navy contributed a other ranks, to fight in Vietnam. was keen to see Hanoi prevail. Vietnam waged a four year war deserved for fighting for their ment, Washington was eager to destroyer to the effort as well. In all, 37 troops were killed While support to North Viet- against Cambodia. China in- country. portray the war as a multina- One of the units heavily com- during the eight-year mission nam largely came in the form of vaded Vietnam in 1979 by way Although the war ended al- tional effort aimed at counter- mitted to Vietnam were the and 187 were wounded. weapons and material, a number of retaliation. most 45 years ago, there are still ing communist aggression. Australian Special Air Service - In 1965 Bangkok of countries sent advisors and North Korea - Pyongyang many myths and misconcep- To that end, the White House (SASR). They con- committed a small army contin- even a handful of combatants. also contributed to the commu- 6 7 Top Ten Top Ten nist north. In 1966, the reclusive moaned that “the sacrifice and regime dispatched two squad- valour and commitment of the rons of MiG-17s and a squad- South Vietnamese Army largely ron of MiG-21s - 30 planes in disappeared from the American all. More than 200 of the coun- political and media conscious- try’s aviators eventually rotated ness.” in and out of country through- He wrote of the tenacious out the war during which time fighting spirit of those troops, many flew combat missions. particularly at the Battle of Two full of air Dong Ha, where they were defence troops were also dis- charged with supporting Amer- patched. North Korean dictator ican Marine units. “In combat, Kim Il Sung reportedly urged the South Vietnamese refused to his men to protect the skies I AWAIT YOUR ORDERS: Ho Chi Minh it conversation with Le leave their own dead or wound- above Vietnam as if they were Duan, the man who was the actual power behind North Viet- ed troopers on the field or aban- “their own.” nam. GIANT CENTIPEDE: The Vietnamese or Jungle centipede don a weapon,” he recalled . - They have never (Scolopendra subspinipes) could grow to insane sizes. formally confirmed their -par will, focus and administrative before American forces could 6. The VC were masters of ticipation in the Vietnam War, skill necessary to dominate the intervene. And in 1967-8, there Between 1964 and 1973, vol- Percentage wise, there were the jungle although several thousand mil- Communist Party. was a large-scale purge in Ha- unteers outnumbered enlisted more American volunteers in Many believe that the VC itary engineers reportedly aid- Along with his right-hand noi when Ho, General Giap and troops by nearly four to one. the Vietnam War than during (Viet Cong) and, to a lesser ed the communist war effort. man, the indomitable Le Duc their allies opposed Mr. Duan’s Nor did the military rely pri- World War II. extent, the North Vietnamese In addition, military advisors Tho, who would later with plans for the . marily on disadvantaged citi- Army (NVA) were masters of from Havana are believed to Henry Kissinger during the He became the General Sec- zens or African Americans. 7. South Vietnamese troops the jungle. They were at home have taken part in the interroga- Paris peace negotiations. Duan retary of the Central Commit- According to the Report of were useless in the hostile terrain and knew tion of at least 19 captured U.S. constructed a sturdy militarist tee of the Communist Party of the President’s Commission on Some contend that the Army the jungle like the back of their fliers. In fact, their supposedly empire that still looms over Ha- Vietnam and held the position an All-Volunteer Armed Force of the Republic of Vietnam hands. Yet this may not be the brutal methods have since been noi today. Their hawkish poli- from 10 September 1960 and in February 1970, African (ARVN), the South’s army, was case. dubbed “the Cuban Program”. cies led North Vietnam to war remained in power until his Americans “constituted only not up to the job. Andy Wal- In 1996, as a journalist, I was Castro himself visited Quang against Saigon and then Wash- death on 10 July 1986 at the age 12.7 % of nearly 1.7 million en- pole, formerly of Liverpool invited on a tour of Vietnam as Tri shortly after it fell to the ington, and ensured that a nego- of 79. listed men serving voluntarily John Moores University, wrote they were trying to promote the communists in 1972. tiated peace would never take in 1969.” that “they were [unwilling] to country as a tourist destination. the place of total victory. 8. Most US troops were A higher proportion of Afri- engage in combat with their One of the places I visited 9. Ho Chi Minh led the North Duan ruled the party with an conscripts can Americans were drafted in guerrilla counterparts and were was an old tunnel complex that Everyone knows that Ho Chi iron fist and saw Ho and Gen. Popular culture is rife with the early years of the war, but more interested in surviving is now preserved as a muse- Minh, known as Bác Hồ (Un- Vo Nguyen Giap, renowned for examples of poor and minority they were not more likely to die than winning.” Harry F. Noyes, um and tourist attraction. The cle Ho), was the man that led defeating the French at Dien soldiers arriving in Vietnam via in combat than other soldiers. who served in Vietnam, com- curator was an elderly gentle- North Vietnam to victory and Bien Phu, as the greatest threats the draft and then dying. Seventy-nine percent of plained about this widespread man who had once been a ma- independence. In reality Ho Chi to his authority. He sidelined This is a common theme in troops had at least a high school belief: “Everybody ‘knows’ jor in the NVA and I was lucky Minh was nothing more than a Ho, General Giap and their sup- books and movies about the education (compared with 63% they were incompetent, treach- enough to have a long chat with figurehead. porters when making nearly all Vietnam War. In his 1989 book of veterans and erous and cowardly.” him. It was Lê Duẩn who was the key decisions. “More Like Us” author James 45% of World War II veterans). But those who fought along- He thought it very amusing architect, main strategist and In 1963-4, Duan blackmailed Fallows says that the Vietnam And according to VFW Mag- side the ARVN tell a different when I mentioned how the VC commander in chief of North Ho into silence when the ag- War was “the most blatant class azine, 50% were from mid- story. Gen. Barry R. McCaf- had this huge advantage in the Vietnam’s war effort. The quiet, ing leader opposed the contro- war since the Civil War.” dle-income backgrounds, and frey, adviser to the South Viet- jungle. stern Duan shunned the spot- versial decision to escalate the Yet the facts show otherwise. 88% were white (representing namese Airborne Division, be- “I think that the VC adapt- light but he possessed the iron war and seek all-out victory 86% of the deaths). 8 9 Top Ten Top Ten ed better to the jungle than the its deadliest. Heartbreak Grass, support to aid the French in the supplied to their Southeast Asia Americans,” he told me. “But Flame Lillies, Twisted Cord recovery of their former colony. ally. to be honest with you, we were Flowers, and Bark Cloth Trees When the French withdrew Ships of the Soviet Navy de- probably more terrified of the are all powerful enough to kill a in 1954, the newly formed in- tected incoming American air jungle than the Americans human or cause blindness upon dependent state of South Viet- raids and provided early warn- were. You must remember that contact or accidental ingestion. nam was given financial and ings to the North Vietnamese we knew what was in the jun- “You must remember that military training support by the defences. gle. And just about everything most rural Vietnamese were United States under the Eisen- Czechoslovakia, Cuba, and in the jungle could kill or injure farmers,” the major said. “They hower administration. Amer- North Korea likewise provid- you.” worked in large open fields. The ican military advisors helped ed aid to the North Vietnamese. I later learnt of just some of jungle was considered a hostile to train the South Vietnamese Communist aid to the North the animal, insect and plant place and you stayed out of it if army throughout the 1950s, as Vietnamese was cited as sup- life that was in the jungle and at all possible. well as arm it through foreign portive of the so-called domino he hadn’t been joking when military aid programs. theory early in the war, but by he said that nearly all of it was 5. US involvement began 1968 - the year of the Tet Of- dangerous. under John F. Kennedy 4. US bombing missions fensive - the domino theory had Take the Scolopendra sub- Many historians take it as were restricted CARPET BOMBING: The US dropped more than seven million been largely discounted by mil- spinipes for example. Known fact that it was John F. Kennedy History would have us believe tons of aerial bombs in Southeast Asia. This was more than itary planners and diplomats. three times the amount dropped by them in World War II. as the Vietnamese Centipede or who first dispatched American that in late 1964, just before the Jungle Centipede, they could military advisors to Vietnam, landslide election of Lyndon B. 2. The US conducted a lim- grow to insane sizes. They were and that it was the Kennedy ad- Johnson to the Presidency, the South Vietnamese pilots, in an troops as simple peasants who ited bombing campaign extremely aggressive and their ministration which orchestrated United States launched a re- attempt to interdict supplies had first resisted French coloni- Many still believe that the venomous bite was very pain- the CIA supported coup d’etat strained tactical bombing cam- reaching North Vietnamese and alism and during the American United States conducted a ful. And giant scorpions were which led to the overthrow of paign against North Vietnamese Viet Cong units in South Viet- phase of the war were resisting limited bombing campaign another danger to face. the Diem government. units and Viet Cong positions. nam. American imperialism. in Vietnam There are those Being bitten by a weaver ant In fact, Kennedy’s Depart- This was in accordance with Johnson was presented with They depicted themselves as who believe that the American can be likened to having a lit ment of Defense and Robert Johnson’s election campaign, in options in December on how freedom fighters, determined to aerial bombing campaign was cigarette put out on your flesh McNamara wanted to retain which he had presented himself to bring the North Vietnamese ensure that a unified Vietnam designed to limit air strikes to - it’s that painful. So image an Diem in exile, and when he and as the candidate of “reason and to an agreement to withdraw was established which repre- strategic targets and to interdict entire nest of these red ants at- his brother were killed during restraint”, as opposed to his op- their forces from South Viet- sented Vietnamese traditions, the movement of supplies into tacking you. the coup Kennedy was shocked, ponent, Arizona Senator Barry nam. Johnson’s choices includ- religious beliefs, and freedoms. Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Snakes thrive in a hot and hu- not at the overthrow of the Diem Goldwater, who had advocated ed heavy air launched reprisals Hi Chi Minh was their spiritual Trail. mid environment, and Vietnam government, but at the murder for a more vigorous response. against North Vietnamese and leader and figurehead. American bombers and fight- was no exception. The jungle of the Diem brothers. Johnson tried to prevent the Viet Cong units, followed by Almost forgotten in America er bombers targeted these and is filled with Cobras, Kraits, It was Truman and Eisen- war from escalating by restrict- “graduated air war”, and the today is that Ho Chi Minh died anti-aircraft weapons emplace- Vipers and many more species, hower that expanded American ing the bombing raids by US deployment of ground troops to in September 1969, years be- ments, rather than targeting cit- most of which are deadly. The activity in Vietnam. In 1950, airplanes to military targets as support the South Vietnamese. fore the American withdrawal. ies and civilian targets, such as snakes that weren’t venomous under the administration of the first American bombing By December, 1964, the plan- The North Vietnamese troops industrial facilities. were all giant constrictors, still President Harry Truman, US campaign of the war began. ning to deploy American com- were well-trained, professional The bombing was conduct- very capable of crushing you in military advisors were embed- The fact is that the United bat forces was well advanced. soldiers. The North Vietnamese ed with precision, using the your sleep. ded within the military hier- States began bombing targets army was far from an army of techniques developed through The jungles of Southeast Asia archy of Vietnam at all levels. in Laos in October, 1964. Be- 3. The North Vietnamese lightly armed peasant freedom the experiences of the Second are also home to aggressive ti- While the French fought the fore the election was held in fighters. Communist advisors World War and the Korean War, ger species, leopards, and bears. were a peasant army Viet Minh and their communist the United States, American During and since the war the from China and the Soviet Un- especially in the area of close Even the plant life can be dan- supporters the United States aircraft struck targets in Laos, ion provided training and ar- air support of units deployed on gerous. Vietnam’s most beau- North Vietnamese leadership provided financial and covert flown by both American and presented themselves and their maments, with heavy artillery, the ground. tiful trees and flowers are also tanks, and anti-aircraft batteries 10 11 Top Ten Quiz

The air war was intended to support the units of the US mil- Weapons of the ‘Nam itary and the Army of the Re- hese 15 weapons all saw action during the Vietnam War. You tell us what they are, and as a public of Vietnam (ARVN), not bonus tell us which country the are from. You’ll find the answers to the quiz on page 90. stand on its own. T Yet that facts speak for them- selves. Over seven million tons of aerial bombs were dropped 1 2 3 in Southeast Asia by Ameri- can aircraft during the Vietnam War, more than three times the total tonnage dropped in all of the Second World War in the European and Pacific Theatres combined. The tonnage dropped on Laos 4 6 alone was equivalent to one ton for every resident in the nation. About four million tons were WE WERE SOLDIERS: Lt Colonel led the American troops at the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965. He called the battle a dropped on targets in South draw for the Americans at best. Vietnam, including suspected 5 troop and Viet Cong concen- trations, villages and towns, One of the American com- from onset until it was finished, and targets called in by troops manders who fought in the bat- and his appraisal did not award 7 8 9 heavily engaged on the ground. tle, which was the first in which a victory to the US Army. Besides aerial bombing, high casualties figures of dead In his book “We Were Sol- Vietnam was also heavily tar- and wounded Americans oc- diers”, he wrote: “The peasant geted by big guns from US Na- curred, was stunned by the tac- soldiers had withstood the ter- val warships, including cruisers tics employed by the North Vi- rible high-tech firestorm deliv- and destroyers and in 1968 the etnamese. ered against them by a super- battleship USS New Jersey. The United States claimed a power and had at least fought clear victory, basing the claim the Americans to a draw.” 10 11 12 1. The US won every major on the higher number of casu- He also wrote about the North battle in Vietnam alties inflicted upon the enemy, Vietnamese, “By their yardstick According to the Americans later determined to have been a draw against such a powerful the US Army won the battles in inflated by more than 30%. The opponent was the equivalent of which it fought, and Vietnam United States claimed that the a victory.” was lost to the communists by kill ratio inflicted upon the en- gutless politicians. The claim emy was more than 10:1. does not hold up to the light of Yet Lieutenant Colonel Har- 13 14 15 day. old G. Moore, known as Hal, The first major battle fought said that the battle was at best a between US troops and the draw for the Americans. And he North Vietnamese was during should know. He commanded the Pleiku Campaign in 1965, the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry at in the Ia Drang Valley. the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965. Moore fought in the battle 12 13 Diệm, the Special Forces were volved in the FOG program. Hanoi declared that all agents Special Forces - South Vietnam run by his brother, Ngô Đình At Long Thành, they were were to be killed or captured. Nhu, until both were assassinat- trained in intelligence gather- Those who were captured were ed in November 1963 in a coup. ing, sabotage and psychological interrogated and executed. In Part Thirteen of a series that takes a look at Special Forces units around the world. This The Special Forces were dis- operations (PSYOP). The main 1961, the Special Forces and month we look at South Vietnam banded in 1975 when South Vi- duties of the Special Forces en- the Army of the Republic of etnam ceased to exist after the tailed the recruitment and train- Vietnam (ARVN) 1st Infantry he Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Fall of Saigon. ing of one-to-four man teams Division, based in the north- Forces (Lực Lượng Đặc Biệt Quân Lực Việt in intelligence, sabotage, and ernmost area of South Vietnam, Nam Cộng Hòa or LLDB) were the elite mil- T Early years psychological warfare missions conducted a joint operation itary units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam in North Vietnam. The success against Communist infiltrators (ARVN). The Special Forces came into of these missions in northern Quảng Trị Prov- Following the establishment of the Republic of Vi- being at Nha Trang in February was poor. ince. etnam (commonly known as South Vietnam) in Oc- 1956 under the designation of Although In the autumn of 1961, tober 1955, the Special Forces were formed at Nha the First Observation Battalion/ minor sab- Special Forces units be- Trang in February 1956. During the rule of Ngô Đình Group (FOG). By 1960, most Special Forces units were in- otage and gan Operation Eagle unrest was at Bình Hưng with a fomented, night parachute assault.

14 15 In September 1962, United achute drops or night time sam- In this plan, Tung and his radio they were called “XRAY” group (Vietnamese: Liên đoàn States Special Forces person- pan journeys, nearly all were operatives would assassinate so it would not reveal the unit 81 Biệt cách dù), under the di- nel assumed responsibility of captured or killed. U.S. ambassador Henry Cabot as CIDG. rect command of the JGS. the Central Intelligence Agen- Those who were captured Lodge Jr., other key officials It can be counted as part of cy (CIA)’s border surveillance were often used for propaganda and Buddhist leader Thích Trí 1970s the Special Forces and was and Civilian Irregular Defence by the North Vietnamese. Tung Quang, who was given asylum In March 1970, aware of the under the Special Forces com- Group (CIDG) programs and was heavily criticised for his after being targeted in the pago- impending withdrawal of U.S. mand, later being placed under began working with the ARVN management of the operations. da raids. Special Forces from Vietnam the JGS command. Special Forces. The Special On 1 November 1963, a coup as part of a general withdraw- The unit was bloodied dur- Forces continued to expand and Buddhist crisis was launched by the ARVN al, the U.S. Military Assistance ing the 1968 Tet Offensive began to increasingly operate In 1963, South Vietnam faced against Diệm. Command, Vietnam (MACV) and the 1972 Easter Offensive with the CIDG. civil unrest in the face of Bud- Knowing Tung was a loyal- agreed to convert CIDG camps when it was launched into bat- dhist protests against discrimi- ist who would order his Special into ARVN Border Ranger tle to relieve the garrison of An Diem era nation by the Catholic-oriented Forces to defend Diệm, the gen- camps. Lộc northwest of Saigon from During the rule of President Diệm regime. In the wake of the erals invited him to Joint Gen- The most highly regarded a People’s Army of Vietnam Ngô Đình Diệm, the Special shootings of nine Buddhist pro- 81st Airborne eral Staff (JGS) headquarters of the CIDG units, the Mobile siege. Forces were used mainly for re- testers on the birthday of Gau- Commando Battalion on the pretext of a routine meet- Strike Force followed the con- Some former LLDB person- pressing dissidents. tama Buddha for defying a ban ing. He was arrested and later version and integration into the nel were formed into a new Despite the fact that South on the Buddhist flag, mass pro- believe the fish was a reincar- executed along with his deputy ARVN as well. The LLDB were clandestine unit, the Vietnam- Vietnam was struggling against tests calling for religious equal- nation of one of Gautama Bud- and younger brother, Lê Quang eventually disbanded. ese Special Mission Service the communist insurgency of ity erupted around the country. dha’s disciples. Triệu. Diệm and Nhu were also The former indigenous re- (SMS), while others went to the Viet Cong in the rural ar- With opposition to Diệm As pilgrimages to the pond executed after being captured at connaissance team personnel serve in the Republic of Vi- eas, the Special Forces were growing, Nhu plotted an at- grew larger and more frequent, the end of the successful coup previously assigned to work etnam National Police Field mostly kept in the capital Sai- tack against Xá Lợi Pagoda, the so did disquiet among the dis- and the ARVN’s leadership with MACV-SOG (the US mil- Force. gon, where they were used to largest Buddhist centre in Sai- trict chief and his officials, who consequently changed. itary reconnaissance office for Approximately 5,000 person- prevent coups or harass regime gon, where the movement was answered to Ngô Đình Cẩn, an- In 1964, the U.S. Army’s 5th MACV) were regrouped into nel served in the Special Forces opponents. organizing its activities. other younger brother of Diệm. Special Forces Group was offi- the Intelligence Directorate of during the Vietnam War. After Under Diệm, the Special Tung’s special forces under The pond was mined, but the cially assigned to Vietnam. The the JGS. the Fall of Saigon, those who Forces were headed by Colonel Nhu’s orders were responsible fish swam on unhindered. After LLDB worked closely with the This directorate was usually did not managed to escape were Lê Quang Tung, who had been for the raid on 21 August 1963, raking the pond with machine U.S. command and although the known by the nickname “the sent to re-education camps. trained by the CIA in the Unit- in which 1,400 monks were ar- gun fire, the fish still lived. Americans funded the CIDG 7th Technical Directorate” and ed States and commanded some rested and hundreds were esti- To deal with the problem, camps, the LLDB assumed ul- was divided into three sections: Effectiveness 1,840 men under the direction mated to have been killed, as Tung’s forces were called in. timate responsibility. • the Coastal Defence Office The LLDB’s largest opera- of Nhu. well as extensive property dam- Grenades were thrown into the These camps were com- to deal and manage with all tion occurred with the CIDGs, Tung’s most notable military age. pond, killing the carp. The in- manded by the ARVN Special maritime-related reconnais- an immense network of ethnic activity was leading a group run These attacks were replicated cident generated more publicity Forces, supplemented by U.S. sance activities. minorities and montagnards by the CIA, in which ARVN across the country in a synchro- as newspapers across the world Special Forces advisors. From • the Liaison Office to man- funded and trained with CIA- personnel of northern origin nised manner. Following the at- ran stories about the miraculous 24 June to 1 July 1964 under age the reconnaissance and U.S. Special Forces resources. were sent into North Vietnam, tacks, U.S. officials threatened fish. Project DELTA, LLDB teams military intelligence in the Historically, the South Viet- posing as locals, in order to to withhold aid to the Special ARVN helicopters began performed five parachute drops northern part of South Vi- namese considered such mi- gather intelligence as well as Forces unless they were used landing at the site, with ARVN into Laos to gather intelligence. etnam and the adjoining norities inferior, especially the sabotaging communist infra- in fighting communists, rather filling their bottles By 1965, LLDB personnel tri-border area (Vietnam, semi-primitive mountain tribes, structure and communications. than attacking dissidents. with water which they believed were working with the ARVN Laos and Cambodia). and this diminished effective They were trained in bases at Another infamous religious had magical powers. in recruiting and training as well • the Topography Office to cooperation and a mutual sense Nha Trang, Đà Nẵng and some- assault on the Buddhist commu- Tung was reported to have as sending groups into commu- manage the field reconnais- of purpose between the LLDB times offshore in Taiwan, Guam nity was carried out by Tung’s been planning an operation at nist areas in South Vietnam to sance activities within South and its Central Highland mili- and Okinawa. Of the eighty men in 1963. In a small pond the request of Nhu to stage a gather information. US Special Vietnam. tia. groups of operatives, number- near Đà Nẵng, a hugely over- government organised student Forces referred to the LLDB as The ARVN also fielded a air- Command and control was ing six or seven per group, that sized carp was found swim- demonstration outside the US “LL” or “LIMA-LIMA” using borne-qualified special strike frequently strained, a factor that were deployed in 1963 via par- ming. Local Buddhists began to Embassy, Saigon. the phonetic alphabet. Over the unit, 81st Airborne Ranger contributed to an unsuccessful 16 17 rebellion in September 1964, by tribal groups loyal to the Weapons used by United Front for the Liberation South Vietnam Special Forces of Oppressed Races (FULRO). The degree to which the trib- al minorities influenced the war cannot be underestimated. They provided intelligence, acted as scouts, and in many cases be- came effective guerrilla sol- diers. Thus, the South Vietnamese, despite their racist attitudes, needed the assistance they re- ceived from the montagnards, and U.S. Special Forces and M1 Australian Special Air Service (SAS) advisers acted as inter- mediaries when clashes oc- curred between the LLDB and the montagnards. Ultimately, however, the ad- visers could not exercise com- M16 Bush War Books has probably one of the finest plete jurisdiction because the South Vietnamese were techni- collections of military titles available. Especially cally, though not realistically, in on the . charge of these programs. During the period of Viet- namization (1969-1972), the number of U.S. advisers was re- AK-47 duced, then eliminated, which forced the LLDB to assume Click here to visit their website. complete control over tens of thousands of ethnic troops, which the ethnic troops resent- ed. Weapons The South Vietnam Special Forces were armed mostly with M79 M1 Garand, M1 Carbine and early M16 rifles. Like the American Special Forces in Vietnam, they would often make use of captured AK- 47 and AKM assault rifles. Colt M1911A1 The , or Thump Gun, was also issued “War does not determine who is right - only who is left” to them. The standard side arm was the .45 Colt pistol. 18 00 The three warships – SAS luxury Table Bay Hotel. All Convoys. These convoys had Amatola, Marshall Ustinov and three were open to the public on come at a time when the Sovi- Turning back the clock Weifang – were berthed at Jet- Tuesday, 26 November, attract- et Union was in desperate need When the Russian missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov berthed in Cape Town harbour, she wel- ty 2 in the Victoria & Alfred ing a steady stream of curious of both military and humanitar- comed aboard a 93 year old World War II Arctic Convoy Veteran. History had come a full Waterfront, right in front of the visitors, local and overseas. ian supplies, in order to repel circle. Regine Lord was there to record the event. A particularly special visitor the Nazi threat on the Eastern to the Marshal Ustinov was a Front. The Russian people have During the last week of No- simulations, anti-piracy and 93-year-old veteran of the Rus- always been very appreciative vember 2019, Cape Town wel- boarding operations and disas- sian Arctic Convoys of World of the immense sacrifices made comed several warships from ter control exercises. The ships’ War II, Mr Joseph Wilkinson, by the men who participated two of South Africa’s BRICS crews also participated in vari- who was accompanied by his and risked their lives in the At- partners – the Russian Federa- ous military social and cultural daughter Michele and Dr Eli- lantic and Arctic Convoys. This tion and the People’s Republic activities and tours onshore. na Komarova Tagar. The vis- was also evident from the reac- of China. From the South African it had been arranged thanks to tions of the officers and sailors They had come to participate side, the SAS Amatola (F145) the close cooperation of Con- on board the ship, who immedi- in Exercise Mosi, the first trilat- Valour-class frigate, the SAS sul Dmitry Polyansky from the ately recognised the medals Mr eral naval training exercise in- Drakensberg (A301) fleet re- Consulate General of the Rus- Wilkinson wore on his chest; volving the South African, Rus- plenishment ship, and the SAS sian Federation in Cape Town they greeted him with respect- sian and Chinese navies in the Protea hydrographic survey and Russian Compatriots South ful nods and friendly smiles, Southern African oceans. vessel were joined by the Chi- Africa. and some even approached to The theme of Exercise Mosi nese Navy’s Type 054A frigate Captain 1st Rank Vladimir V. was to promote safe navigation Weifang (550), as well as Kuzmin graciously and respect- and maritime economic secu- the Russian Navy’s Sla- fully welcomed Mr Wilkin- rity, by developing good rela- va-class missile cruis- son on board his ship, and ex- tions between the three nations, er Marshal Ustinov pressed his gratitude on behalf improving interoperability, and (055), the Kalin- of the Russian people for the training a multinational task ingradneft-class role he had played in the Arctic force able to counter security medium sea- threats at sea in order to en- going tanker sure regional maritime peace, Vyaz’ma, and security and stability. It includ- the Project ed surface gunnery exercises, Sliva sea res- helicopter cross-deck landings, cue tug SB- assistance to vessel in distress 406.

20 21 shake his hand. Mr Wilkinson and his entou- rage were given a tour of the deck of the cruiser. Bristling with antennas and high-tech equipment, the Mar- shal Ustinov is an impressive sight indeed. It is named after Dmitry Fyodorovich Ustinov (1908 to 1984), a former Sovi- et Minister of Defence. With its fearsome attack missile weap- ons (the ‘Volcano’), air defence missile systems (‘Fort’ and ‘Osa-M’), anti-aircraft artillery systems (‘AK-130’ and ‘AK- 630’) and anti-submarine weap- CHINESE NAVY: The Chinese Navy’s Type 054A frigate Wei- fang (550) ons, the cruiser is designed to repel airstrikes and destroy sur- face ships, underwater targets maments on board and the ex- son, including his experienc- and coastal targets, as well as cellent condition of the ship, es on the Arctic Convoys, the to protect and defend convoys and that he had never seen any- Atlantic Convoys, D-Day, the and airborne troops during sea thing quite so shipshape! time he met King George VI, crossings. Interestingly, the Marshal and his own part in history. It With a maximum length of Ustinov is assigned to the 43rd is an article that should not be 186 metres and a maximum Missile Ship Division of the missed. WELCOME ABOARD: Captain 1st Rank Vladimir V. Kuzmin shaking hands with Royal Navy width of 20.8 metres, a max- Russian Northern Fleet, whose veteran Mr Joseph Wilkinson. imum speed of 34 knots (63 homeport is at Severomorsk, a Authors Note: With much km/h) and a cruising range of town located on the Barents Sea gratitude to Mr Joseph Wilkin- BELOW: Captain Kuzmin welcomes Dr Elina Komarova Tagar aboard. 12,000 km (specifications from along Kola Bay, not far from son for sharing his life story the ship’s display poster), it can Murmansk. with me so generously; I am accommodate a crew of 520 The Arctic Convoys, which also indebted to his son Brian and it carries enough food re- operated between August 1941 and daughter Michele for their serves for 30 days. and May 1945, delivering mil- gracious assistance and feed- As he was shown around the itary hardware and supplies to back, and for giving me access cruiser, Mr Wilkinson remarked Murmansk and Archangelsk, to their archive material. And that it was significantly larger ended mainly in this area of I am very grateful to Dr Elina than the sloop he had sailed on Kola Bay. This historic connec- Komarova Tagar for arranging during World War II, when he tion made Mr Wilkinson’s visit the visit to the Marshal Ustinov and his shipmates participated to the Marshal Ustinov all the and her feedback on this arti- in the Atlantic and Arctic Con- more special. cle. voys, which transported tanks, During a subsequent inter- fighter planes, fuel, ammuni- view, Mr Wilkinson graciously tion, raw materials and food shared some of his life story from the United States, Canada with me, focusing especially Photo Credits: and Iceland to Britain and on- on his military service during Regine Lord wards to ports in the north-west- World War II. ern Soviet Union. In the next edition of Military He commented that he was Despatches we will be bringing amazed at the nature of the ar- you the full story of Mr Wilkin- 22 23 Officer Commanding TS At- tikwa and TS Woltemade, Ens Hats off to GB Old Boys Juwayriah Syster and Lt Cdr Paul SATS General Botha Old Boys Association award bursaries to Sea Cadets to study at Lawhill Jacobs, expressed their delight at Maritime Centre. Article byLt Cdr Glenn Von Zeil. the opportunity afforded the Sea Cadets knowing that they would both make good use of the oppor- wo Sea Cadets from TS and specialised job seekers. 1947. The Cadets continued to be tunities provided. Woltemade were awarded trained in Gordons Bay at what has May these Sea Cadets dreams S.A.T.S. General Botha SATS General Botha now become Naval College where T become a reality as they are in- Old Boys Association bursaries all SA Navy Officers receive their In 1920 the British Cruiser spired by the teaching staff and to further their maritime studies training. Later the General Botha HMS Thames was purchased scholars at Lawhill Maritime at Simon’s Town High School, was relocated to Granger Bay by Captain TBF Davis, a Master Centre. May they also provide a Lawhill Maritime Centre in Si- where a custom facility was built. Mariner, entrepreneur, yachtsman platform for other youth to follow mon’s Town from 2020.The Sea In 1987 the General Botha ceased LEFT TO RIGHT: Chairman of the S.A.T.S. General Botha Old and philanthropist as a training their maritime dreams. Cadets are AB Gracia Pillay and platform for the Cape Town Na- to exist as the training was taken Boy’s Association, Captain Tony Nicholas, and Captain Peter AB Juvandre Williams. over by the Cape Technikon. The Coetzee, with AB Gracia Pillay and AB Juvandre Williams from val Cadet Corps. Should you wish to assist any of In addition, four Sea Cadets +3,000 Cadets trained are always TS Woltemade after their award for maritime bursaries to study A crew was assembled under the following please contact: from TS Attakwa and TS Wolte- command of Captain FB Renouf spoken of with respect as they all at Lawhill Maritime School. made were also awarded mari- uphold their motto “Honour and and consisted of a Sea Cadet Of- fully completed their studies and Chairman of the Teekay Corpora- SATS General Botha Old Boys time bursaries, from undisclosed Duty”. ficer, 20 Cadets and other skilled have gone into various aspects of tion (and an ex cadet of the Gen- Association sources, to Lawhill. They are - Traditionally the TS Wolte- men. The ship was renamed the the maritime and related indus- eral Botha). Captain Tony Nicholas, Chairman AB Cloe Griewelaar (TS Attak- made Sea Cadets provide a Guard TS General Botha and sailed from tries. www.generalbotha.co.za wa),Sea Meche Mini (TS Wolte- of Honour at the annual General on 8 February 1921 ar- The Centre receives no state The TS Woltemade Cadets [email protected] made), AB Sylvino October (TS riving in Cape Town on 26 March Botha War Memorial Service in funding and its students the ma- AB Gracia Pillay resides in Attakwa) and Sea Jamie van 1921 after an eventful journey and central Cape Town. The associa- jority who come from financially Kuilsriver and has attended Si- Lawhill Maritime Centre Rooyen (TS Woltemade) much adventure. tion between the Sea Cadets and stressed homes, are dependant on mon’s Town High School where www.lawhill.org Sea Cadet Training Ships at- It was soon realised that a part General Botha Old Boys Associ- bursaries provided by the mari- maths and science are included [email protected] tract youth from 13 to 17 with an time Cadet organisation would be ation is also reflected by the navy time industry to cover their Grade in her curriculum. She explained interest in nautical, maritime and unable to finance and maintain the blue and dark green colours of the 10 to 12 studies. that she was “honoured to have South African Sea Cadets naval matters. It is one of many ship and after negotiation the ship Sea Cadet Ensign and the insignia The following two quotes sum been given the opportunity to Lt Cdr Glenn von Zeil Units located around the country was handed over to the South Af- (eg. ties, cravats, etc) which are up the excellent work at the Cen- study maritime subjects” by both [email protected] in coastal and Gauteng region rican Government. It continued to used by the Old Boys. tre. General Botha and Lawhill. She staffed by volunteer adult Instruc- be used for the full time training of It is therefore significant that the “The Lawhill programme has aspires to be a harbour pilot and An interesting note: tors. young men for careers at sea and General Botha Old Boys Associa- shown that we can find and nur- this opportunity is the start of her Captain Iain Peddle, a Master Captain Tony Nicholas, Chair- for the next 20 years was moored tion wishes to continue the tradi- ture maritime talent amongst journey towards this goal. She Mariner, was trained in the Gener- man of the S.A.T.S. General in Simon’s Bay. During this peri- tion of supporting Sea Cadets in those who have no idea such an started as a Sea Cadet mascot from al Both and is retired from sea. He Botha Old Boys Association, in- od 1276 Cadets were trained with furthering their maritime training. industry exists, let alone knowing the age of 7 as she was too young served on the staff of the Lawhill dicated that their Bursary Fund an excellent reputation. about exciting careers it offers.” to attest. When not actively par- Maritime Centre where he taught intended to establish a long term Due to the possibility of Ger- Lawhill Maritime Centre Brian Ingpen, Lawhill Maritime ticipating at TS Woltemade she aspects of seamanship and cargo relationship with the Sea Cadet man submarine attack during The Lawhill Maritime Centre is Centre enjoys family interaction, outdoor stowage. On a Saturdays he gives Corps to provide suitable mari- World War II and the risk this associated with the Simons Town “Many schools do a good job activities, reading and swimming. instruction to the TS Woltemade time scholars and thereby keep imposed on the Cadets were re- High School and offers a maritime of educating the youth, but few AB Juvandre Williams resides Sea Cadets on navigation and oth- their organisation relevant. This housed ashore on Red Hill. The studies program. This industry fo- schools prepare young students for in De Gama Park. Maths and sci- er related seamanship subjects. kind gesture would provide much ship was commandeered by the cused course provides the school a career. A school such as Lawhill ence were subjects he chose with Are there perhaps other experi- needed funding for those who had navy and moored in the harbour leavers with finding employment Maritime Centre at Simons Town a view to a future career. He is a enced seafarers who may wish to the aptitude however were short for accommodation and as a de- in the maritime environment. School is exactly what South Afri- described by his peers as a gen- assist the Sea Cadets around the of funding. The Maritime econo- tention quarters. Founded in 1995 as a pilot ca needs considering the country’s tleman, enjoys outdoor activities, country? my would ultimately benefit from The S.A.T.S. General Botha program more than 3000 young high levels of unemployment.” swimming and his dream is to be a core of enthusiastic, well trained was sunk in False Bay on 13 May southern Africans have success- Sean Day, South African born a marine engineer. 24 25 perback simply as Mercenary (subtitled “The Classic Account ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare dies of Mercenary Warfare”). aged 100 In the mid-1970s, Hoare was Michael “Mad Mike” Hoare, widely considered one of the world’s best known mercenary, hired as technical adviser for has died aged 100. the film The Wild Geese, the fictional story of a group of mer- cenary soldiers hired to rescue a homas Michael Hoare, better known as deposed African president. Mad Mike Hoare, a soldier of fortune The character “Colonel Alan and adventurer known for his military Faulkner” (played by Rich- T ard Burton) was modelled on activities in Africa and attempt to conduct a coup d’état in the , has died at the Hoare. age of 100. At least one of the actors in Hoare was born on Saint Patrick’s Day in the film, Ian Yule, had been a Calcutta to Irish parents. His father was a river mercenary under Hoare’s com- pilot. At the age of eight he was sent to school mand, before which he had in England to Margate College and then com- served in the British Parachute menced training in accountancy and, as he was Regiment and Special Air Ser- not able to go to Sandhurst, he joined the Territo- THE WILD GEESE: Mad Mike Hoare (centre) on the set of the vice (SAS). rial Army. 1978 film ‘The Wild Geese’. Hoare was the technical advisor. Of the actors playing merce- Aged 20 he joined the London Irish Rifles at With him are Roger Moore (left) and (right). naries, four were born in Af- the outbreak of World War II, later he then joined rica, two were former POWs, the 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment of the Royal Ar- In 1964, Congolese Prime lives. Hoare was later promot- and most had received military moured Corps as a 2nd lieutenant and fought in the Minister Moïse Tshombe, his ed to lieutenant-colonel in the training. The film also starred Arakan Campaign in Burma and at the Battle of employer in Katanga, hired Armée Nationale Congolaise Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Kohima in . He was promoted to the rank of Major Hoare to lead a mili- and 5 Commando expand- and Hardy Kruger. major. tary unit called 5 Commando, ed into a two-battalion force. After the war, he completed his training as a Armée Nationale Congolaise (5 Hoare commanded 5 Comman- The Seychelles Affair chartered accountant, qualifying in 1948. He Commando ANC) made up of do from July 1964 to November In 1978, Seychelles exiles in subsequently emigrated to , Prov- about 300 men most of whom 1965. South Africa, acting on behalf ince in the where were from South Africa. Speaking on the conflict, he of ex-president James Man- he later ran safaris and became His second-in-command was said, “I had wanted nothing so cham, discussed with South a soldier-for-hire in various Af- a fellow ex- of- much as to have 5 Commando African Government officials rican countries. ficer, Commandant Alistair known as an integral part of the launching a coup d’état against Wicks. The unit’s mission was AMC, a 5 Commando destined the new president -Al- The to fight a revolt known as the to strike a blow to rid the Congo bert René, who had “promoted” Hoare led two separate mer- . of the greatest cancer the world himself from prime minister cenary groups during the Congo Later Hoare and his merce- has ever known - the creep- while Mancham was out of the Crisis. Hoare’s first mercenary naries worked in concert with ing, insidious disease of com- country. action was in 1961 in Katanga, a Belgian paratroopers, Cuban munism.” The coup was seen favour- province trying to break away from exile pilots, and CIA-hired mer- Later, Hoare wrote his own ably by some in Washington, the newly independent Republic of the cenaries who attempted to save account of 5 Commando’s role D.C., due to the United States’ Congo. His unit was called “4 Comman- 1,600 civilians (mostly Europe- in the 1960s Congo mercenary concerns over access to its new do”. ans and ) in Stan- war, originally titled Congo military base on During this time he married Phyllis leyville from the Simba rebels Mercenary and much later re- island, the necessity to move Sims, an airline stewardess. in . peatedly republished in pa- operations from the Seychelles This operation saved many to Diego Garcia, and the de- 26 27 termination that René was not the customs officer insisted on weapons and Hoare asked the Chris, Tim and Geraldine. someone who would be in fa- searching his bag. captain if he would allow the He left accountancy and ran a vour of the United States. The rifles were well-con- door to be opened so they could motor car business. In 1954, he Associates of Mancham con- cealed in the false-bottomed ditch the weapons over the sea motorcycled across Africa from tacted Hoare, then in South kitbags; however, one before they returned to South Cape Town to . Africa as a civilian resident, to was found and a customs of- Africa, but the captain laughed In 1958 he set up a safari fight alongside fifty-three other ficer sounded the alarm. One at Hoare’s out-of-date knowl- business in the Kalahari and the mercenary soldiers, including of Hoare’s men pulled his own, edge on how pressurized air- Okavango delta. A keen sailor, ex-South African Special Forc- disassembled AK-47 from the craft functioned, telling him it he had a yacht in Durban, then es, former Rhodesian soldiers, concealed compartment in the would not be at all possible. later bought a 23 metre Baltic and ex-Congo . luggage, assembled it, loaded it Four of the mercenary sol- trader called Sylvia in which In November 1981 Hoare and shot the escaping customs diers were left behind and were he sailed the Western Mediter- gathered together a group of man before he could reach the convicted of treason in the Sey- ranean for three years with his Click above to watch a trailer for the film ‘The Wild Geese’. white, middle class mercenar- other side of the building. chelles. family and wrote a book about ies, and dubbed them “Ye An- The plan for the coup pro- In January 1982 an Interna- spent 33 months in prison until it could not expel him despite the travels. cient Order of Froth Blowers” ceeded despite this set-back tional Commission, appointed released after a Christmas Pres- protests from members as he After divorcing in 1960, (AOFB) after a charitable Eng- with one team of Hoare’s men by the Security idential amnesty. had committed no offence and he married airline stewardess lish social club of the 1920s. attempting to capture a bar- Council in Resolution 496, in- paid his membership dues. Phyllis Sims in 1961 and they The plan was to fly the group racks. quired into the attempted coup Private life His imprisonment allowed the had two children, Michael Jere- into the Seychelles on a chart- Fighting ensued at the airport d’état. The UN report conclud- Hoare was a chartered ac- ICAEW to expel him from my and Simon. ed flight. In order for the plan and in the middle of this, an Air ed that South African defence countant and member of the membership in 1983. Thomas Michael Hoare died to work, he disguised the mer- India jet (Air India Boeing air- agencies were involved, includ- Institute of Chartered Account- Hoare married Elizabeth Sto- in Durban on 2 February 2020, cenaries as a rugby club, and craft Flight 224), landed at the ing supplying weapons and am- ants in England and Wales. Pre- tt in in 1945 and to- just over a month short of his hid AK-47s in the bottom of his airport, damaging a on one munition. viously the Institute had said gether they had three children, 101st birthday. luggage, as he explained in his of the trucks strewn on the run- Being associated with the book ‘The Seychelles Affair’. way. South African security servic- “We were a Hoare managed to negotiate a es, the hijackers were initially beer-drinking club. We met for- ceasefire before the aircraft and charged with kidnapping, which Click on the photograph below to take a virtual tour of Warrior’s Gate mally once a week in our fa- passengers were caught in the carries no minimum sentence, and find out more about the Memorable Order of Tin Hats. vourite pub in Braamfontein. crossfire. After several hours, but this was upgraded to hijack- We played Rugby. Once a year the mercenaries found them- ing after international pressure. we organised a holiday for our selves in an unfavourable posi- Hoare was found guilty of members. We obtained special tion and some wanted to depart aeroplane hijacking and sen- charter rates. Last year we went on the aircraft, which needed tenced to ten years in prison. In to . In the best tradi- fuel. total, 42 of the 43 alleged hi- tions of the original AOFB we Hoare conceded and the cap- jackers were convicted. One of collected toys for underprivi- tain of the aircraft allowed them the mercenaries, an American leged kids and distributed them on board after Hoare had found veteran of the Vietnam War, was to orphanages ... I made sure fuel for the aircraft. found not guilty of hijacking, as the toys were as bulky as pos- On board, Hoare asked the he had been seriously wounded sible and weighed little. Rug- captain why he had landed in the firefight and was loaded ger footballs were ideal. These when he had been informed aboard while sedated. were packed in the special bag- of the fighting taking place, to Many of the other mercenar- gage above the false bottom to which the pilot responded once ies, including the youngest of the compensate for the weight of the aircraft had started to de- group, Raif St Clair, were quiet- the weapon.” scend he did not have enough ly released after three months in The fighting started prema- fuel to climb the aircraft back to their own prison wing. Hoare’s turely when one of Hoare’s men cruising altitude and still make brother-in-law Robert Sims and accidentally got into the “some- his destination. Sims’ common-law wife Susan thing to declare” line at which Hoare’s men still had their Ingles were not charged. Hoare 28 29 Youth support appreciated Ex TS Woltemade Sea Cadet assists the youth of Cape Town. And the support and belief in our youth is appreciated. By Lt Cdr Glenn von Zeil, SA Naval Reserves.

n ex-Sea Cadet from TS Woltemade, now Aresident in Namibia, recently reached into his heart to give South African youth the same opportunities and experi- ence he was given as a teenage boy – that of learning seaman- ship, sailing and things mari- time. In 1976 father Arie and son Bart Reiman look the lead and with the TS Woltemade ship’s company constructed a much needed slipway and quay op- SUPPORT: Ex TS Woltemade Sea Cadet Bart Reiman ad- posite the unit in Lakeside. For dresses the guests and ship’s company at the opening cere- the first time the Sea Cadets mony of the refurbished slipway. OFFICIALLY OPEN: Ex TS Woltemade Sea Cadet Bart Reiman cuts the ribbon at the opening could launch and recover their the unit Admiral (JG) (Ret) sion, commitment, discipline, pulling and sailing boats. At the of the refurbished slipway at TS Woltemade, giving youth in Cape Town the same opportunities Koos Louw, Chairman of the seamanship training and skills. he experienced as a teenager. time Bart was also a Sea Cadet Sea Cadet Board, approached As a result the company donat- at TS Woltemade. As a result Bart to assist financially with ed the full cost of the work to he has a close association with repairing the slipway. He as- the Sea Cadets. unit and as a citizen with a con- sessed his finances and kindly Bart Reiman and his fami- science has had a desire to give made a sizable sum available for ly attended the TS Woltemade something back to the youth, the repairs which created lever- Prize giving Parade and opened especially where discipline and age for the project so that Adm the new slipway. Click here to maritime skills are taught and Louw could start the project. Thank you to Bart Reiman, implemented. A contractor was recommend- ex TS Woltemade Sea Cadet Listen Live Over the years the Officers ed by a Captain in the SANDF now resident Walvis Bay, Na- and Sea Cadets from TS Wolte- Reserves and this proved to be mibia, Robert Bower of GMC made have repaired the slipway good advice. The contractor, Diving & Marine Civil for en- and quay. However, the soil GMC Diving & Marine Civil, suring that the Sea Cadets can Where the music does the talking under the slipway had become accepted the offer and agreed to continue to launch and recover eroded and the wheels of the add 50% to complete the task. their boats. Catch Military Despatches editor Matt Tennyson on the Sunday Breakfast Zone from dollies carrying the Saldanha The reconstruction included The Sea Cadet organisation 09h00 to 12h00 every Sunday morning on Zone Radio 88.5 fm. dingies, built at the unit and placing new concrete slabs for would like to invite other es-Sea used for pulling and sail train- a reconstructed slipway and re- Cadets to follow the example of Matt brings you hits from the 60s, 70s, 80s and early 90s - the hits we love and re- ing, dropped off the lip. This pairs to the jetty. This was un- Bart Reiman. Please contact member. And you can WhatsApp your requests through on +27 72 447 8044 resulted in the Sea Cadets strug- dertaken by divers. your old Training Ship Officer gling to retrieve their boats and While conducting the recon- Commanding to see how you an operation far beyond their struction they we exposed to can assist the youth who are The Voice of the Valley on 88.5 fm capacity. the Sea Cadets in training and experiencing some challenging Due to the long history with were impressed with their pas- times. 30 31 1941 Pack This small pack was used to US Marine uniform and hold rations and personal ef- fects, while the rolled sheet of camouflage canvas formed Angle head kit - Vietnam 1960s half of a “pup” tent when flashlight joined to a second sheet. M1 Coat Tropical WR The M1 was a slightly mod- ified version of the famous Class II World War II helmet. It fea- The tight weave on this shirt tured a pressure , which made it wind-resistant and al- was introduced to reduce the most waterproof. The fabric risk of choking. was found to offer a good mix Local map of breathability and defence M1955 Armoured against biting insects. Vest The Doron-armored (fibre- Parachute flare glass and plastic) vest - heavy and unsuitable for tropical conditions - would have little Designed to use the then standard NATO round, the US M14 re- chance of stopping a bullet, placed the old M1 rifle. The M14 possessed a fully automatic fire but it was an effective defence capability and was equipped with a larger . By the late against shrapnel. 1960s, it was replaced by the M16.

M67 Grenades The M67 “base- ball” grenade had a M79 Grenade Launcher notched-wire interior designed to fragment With a maximum range of 300m, the M79 into many small piec- grenade launcher bridged the gap between es on the detonation Jungle Boots the hand grenade and the . As well of its high-explosive These tropical combat (or as firing high explosive, the M79 could fire charge. jungle) boots were among anti-personnel, smoke, and illuminating the most common type rounds. Two were issued to each rifle squad. issued to Marines. Their hard rubber soles were directly molded on since stitching tended to rot in the hot climate. From 1967, sole boots were issued, with an embed- ded steel plate to protect against punji-stick booby-traps. M61 The straps of the M61 web- bing looped over the Marine infantryman’s shoulders to help take the weight of the M60 equipment hung around The M60 was the US example of the general-purpose machine gun - inherit- his waistbelt. ing some design features from the German MG42. It was widely used by the US Marine Corps in Vietnam and is still in service today. 32 33 Image refraction A matter of survival - Fish and fishing Water refracts light so that the fish sees Over the next few months we will be running a series of articles looking at survival, something that things above the water at a slightly differ- has always been important for those in the military. This month we look at fish as a food source. ent angle - and can probably see more on the bank than you think. y now you should have Where to fish bait, are when the jump out of It is always better to fish from a sitting or a better idea of how to Fish choose the places in the water, or you see frequent kneeling position than standing up so that B trap and hunt on land. the water where they are most clear ring ripples breaking you are less likely to be in vision. There is, however, another comfortable and where they out where the fish are taking Keep back from the edge. Always try to potential source of food - and most easily find their prey. flies on the surface. keep your shadow off the water you are fish- that can be found in water. This will be affected by the Where lots of little fish are ing. If you are near a river or temperature of the day. darting about they may well lake, then you will probably If it is hot and the water is be pursued by a larger preda- be able to find fish. low, fish in shaded water and tory fish. Fish are a valuable food where there are deep pools. You can improvise hooks from all kinds of materials. Below (from left to right) a pin, a thorn, a source, containing protein, ANGLING In a lake fish retreat to the bunch of thorns, nails, bone and wood have been used. vitamins and fats. All fresh- coolness of deep water in hot Fishing with a hook and line water fish are edible, but weather. is the popular way of fishing some tropical fish can be dan- In cold weather choose a (though other methods are gerous. shallow place where the sun usually more effective) and It takes skill to catch fish by warms the water. Lake fish they are part of your survival conventional methods, but, will tend to keep to the edges kit. by considering their feeding which are warmer. Hooks can be improvised habits and following the sim- If the river is in flood, fish from wire, pins, bones, wood ple methods given here, you where the water is slack - on and even thorns. can be successful. the outside of a bend - for ex- Large hooks will catch large Fish range in size from tiny ample, or in a small tributary fish but small ones will catch tiddlers to some of prodi- feeding the mainstream if its both large and small fish. gious size. They differ widely flow is different - quite pos- Near the end of the line you Using floats and weights in their eating habits and diet. sible for the flood may not be will probably need to attach Along the line attach a small Different kinds of fish feed due to local rainfall. another short length with a floating object, easily visible from at different times and at dif- Fish like to shelter under weight to take the hook down the bank, and you will be able to see ferent levels in the water. banks and below rocks and and stop the line being car- when you have a bite. Its position Some prey on other fish, oth- submerged rocks. ried along the surface of the will help control where the line de- ers eat worms and insects, but water, especially if fishing scends. the can all be attracted and When to fish deep. hooked with appropriate bait. As a general rule leave lines If it is a long line you also Small weight between the float If you are an experienced out overnight and check the need another length with a and the hook will stop the line from angler you can apply your just before first light. Some float which will be pulled trailing along the water or prevent skills, especially if you have fish feed at night during a full down when you get a bite. it from being too near the surface in plenty of time on your hands, moon. A rod is not essential as you a current. and will probably gain a lot If a storm is imminent fish can fish effectively with a of pleasure, but if you are before it breaks. Fishing is handline but makes it easier fishing for survival the sport- poor in a river after a heavy to land fish and to cast away ing angler’s techniques are rain. from the bank. A deeper hook position can be not the most effective. ensured by extending the line to a Two of the most useful Indications of fish feeding weight below the hook. methods are the night line Signs that fish are feeding, and the gill net. and therefore likely to take a

34 35 Rank Structure - South Vietnam

Over the next few months we will be running a series of articles looking at the rank structure of various armed forces. This month we look at the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).

he Republic of Vietnam Vietnam since the state’s inde- Military Forces (Quân pendence from France in Octo- Tlực Việt Nam Cộng hòa), ber 1955 to its demise in April were the official armed defence 1975. After the liberation of Thượng Sĩ Thượng Sĩ Nhất forces of South Vietnam, a state Saigon, the Socialist Republic First Sergeant Sergeant Major that existed from 1955 to 1975 of Vietnam and United States in the southern half of what is major combat operations were Officers now Vietnam. all the US military adviser pro- The RVNMF was respon- gram from the United States sible for the defence of South Department of Defence.

Army (1967-1975) NCO’s & Warrant Officer Sinh viên Sĩ quan Chuẩn úy Thiếu úy Officer Cadet Aspirant Second Lieutenant

Binh Nhất Hạ Sĩ Hạ Sĩ Nhất Private First Class Corporal Corporal First Class Trung úy Đại úy Thiếu tá First Lieutenant Captain Major

Trung Sĩ Trung Sĩ Nhất Sergeant Sergeant First Class Trung tá Đại tá Chuẩn tướng Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Brigadier General

36 37 Thiếu tướng Trung tướng Thượng Sĩ Thượng Sĩ Nhất Major General Lieutenant General Chief Petty Officer Warrant Officer Officers

Đại tướng Thống tướng General General of the Army Sinh viên Sĩ quan Chuẩn úy Thiếu úy Officer Cadet Midshipman Ensign Navy (1967-1975) NCO’s & Warrant Officer

Trung úy Đại úy Thiếu tá Binh Nhất Hạ Sĩ Hạ Sĩ Nhất Lieutenant Junior Grade Lieutenant Lieutenant Commander Seaman Able Seaman Leading Seaman

Trung Sĩ Trung Sĩ Nhất Trung tá Đại tá Phó đề đốc Petty Officer Second Class Petty Officer First Class Commander Captain Commodore

38 39 Đề đốc Phó đô đốc Thượng Sĩ Thượng Sĩ Nhất Rear Admiral Vice Admiral First Sergeant Sergeant Major Officers

Đô đốc Thủy sư Đô đốc Admiral Admiral of the Fleet Sinh viên Sĩ quan Chuẩn úy Thiếu úy Marines (1967-1975) Officer Cadet Aspirant Second Lieutenant NCO’s & Warrant Officer

Binh Nhất Hạ Sĩ Hạ Sĩ Nhất Trung úy Đại úy Thiếu tá Private First Class Corporal Corporal First Class First Lieutenant Captain Major

Trung Sĩ Trung Sĩ Nhất Trung tá Đại tá Chuẩn tướng Sergeant Sergeant First Class Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Brigadier General

40 41 Officers

Thiếu tướng Trung tướng Major General Lieutenant General Sinh viên Sĩ quan Chuẩn úy Thiếu úy Officer Cadet Aspirant Second Lieutenant Air Force (1967-1975) NCO’s & Warrant Officer

Trung úy Đại úy Thiếu tá First Lieutenant Captain Major

Binh Nhì Binh Nhất Hạ Sĩ Airman Airman First Class Corporal

Trung tá Đại tá Chuẩn tướng Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Brigadier General

Hạ Sĩ Nhất Trung Sĩ Trung Sĩ Nhất Corporal First Class Sergeant Sergeant First Class

Thiếu tướng Trung tướng Đại tướng Thống tướng Major General Lieutenant General General General of the Air Force

Thượng Sĩ Thượng Sĩ Nhất First Sergeant Sergeant Major

42 43 head to head head to head Puma Military Strength The Puma is a German infan- try fighting vehicle (Schützen- In the seventh of a series of articles, we examine Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) used panzer or short SPz) designed by the ten strongest current military forces. to replace the aging Marder IFVs currently in service with ast month we looked at An infantry fighting vehicle, The infantry fighting vehicle the . Production the Main Battle also known as a mechanized in- (IFV) concept evolved directly of the first batch of 350 vehicles (MBT) used by the ten fantry combat vehicle (MICV), out of that of the armoured per- L began in 2010 and is scheduled strongest military forces. This is a type of armoured fighting sonnel carrier (APC). for completion by August 2020. month we look at Infantry vehicle used to carry infan- South Africa were the first Fighting Vehicles (IFV) that try into battle and provide di- country to use wheeled IFV as • Designer: Krauss-Maffei each of these countries uses. rect-fire support. opposed to ones with tracks. Wegmann; Rheinmetall Landsysteme • Crew: 3+6 76 mm grenade launcher • Designed: 1996–2009 • Armour: Modular AMAP • Engine: MTU V10 892 die- 10. Germany • Manufacturer: Rheinmetall composite armour sel Total military personnel – 210,305 Landsysteme • Main armament: 30 mm • Operational range: 460 km • Weight: 31,45 tonnes MK30-2/ABM auto-cannon • Speed: 70 km/h • Length: 7.6 metres • Secondary armament: 7.62 Marder 1A3 • Width: 3.9 metres mm MG5; Spike LR an- The Marder (German for • Height: 3.6 metres ti-tank guided missile; 6-shot “marten”) is a German infan- try fighting vehicle operated by the German Army as the main weapon of the Panzergrena- 9. diere (mechanized infantry) Total military personnel – 891,300 from the 1970s through to the present day. FNSS ACV-15 • Designer: Rheinmetall ACV-15 is the designation of Landsysteme an amphibious armoured com- • Designed: 1960–1969 bat vehicle family developed • Manufacturer: Rheinmetall by the Turkish defence compa- Landsysteme, Maschinen- tection up to 20 mm APDS mm MG3 machine gun ny FNSS Savunma Sistemleri bau Kiel DM43 from 0 m and 25 mm • Engine: MTU MB 833 Ea- A.Ş. The ACV-15 is based on • Weight: 33.5 tonnes APDS from 200 m 500 diesel engine the American Advanced Infan- • Length: 6.79 metres • Main armament: 20 mm • 441 kW (591 hp) try Fighting Vehicle. • Width: 3.24 metres Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202 • Operational range: 520 km • Height: 2.98 metres automatic cannon; MILAN • Speed: 65 km/h • Manufacturer: FNSS De- • Crew: 3+6 ATGM launcher fence Systems • Armour: Welded steel, pro- • Secondary armament: 7.62 • Weight: 14 tonnes • Length: 5.26 metres • Width: 2.83 metres FNSS Sharpshooter Turret el 6V-53T • Height: 2.88 metres • Secondary 7.62mm machine • Operational range: 490 km • Crew: 3+8 gun • Speed: 65 km/h • Armour: Aluminium hull • Engine: Detroit Diesel Mod- • Main armament: 25mm 44 45 8. 6. Japan Total military personnel – 157,500 Total military personnel – 310,457

Warrior Mitsubishi Type 89 The Warrior tracked vehi- The Mitsubishi Type 89 IFV is cle family is a series of British a Japanese infantry fighting ve- armoured vehicles, originally hicle that entered service with developed to replace the older the Japan Ground Self-Defence FV430 series of armoured ve- Force in 1989. There were 58 hicles. The Warrior started life vehicles in service as of 1999 as the MCV-80, “Mechanised and a total of 120 produced by Combat Vehicle for the 1980s”. 2014 with 300 planned.

• Designer: GKN Sankey • Designer: Mitsubishi Heavy • Designed: 1984 Industries • Manufacturer: BAe Systems • Designed: 1989–2004 • Manufacturer: Mitsubishi • Weight: 25.4 tonnes appliqué chine gun • Armour: Steel ceramic com- machine gun Heavy Industries • Length: 6.3 metres • Main armament: 30 mm • Engine: Perkins V-8 Condor posite armour • Engine: Mitsubishi • Weight: 26.5 tonnes • Width: 3.03 metres L21A1 RARDEN cannon Diesel • Main armament: 35 mm 6SY31WA Water-cooled • Length: 6.8 metres • Height: 2.8 metres • Secondary armament: • Operational range: 660 km KDE cannon 6-cylinder diesel • Width: 3.2 metres • Crew: 3+7 L94A1 coaxial 7.62 mm • Speed: 50 km/h • Secondary armament: 2 × • Operational range: 400 km • Height: 2.5 metres • Armour: Aluminium and chain gun; 7.62 mm ma- Type 79 Jyu-MAT missile; • Speed: 70 km/h • Crew: 3+7 Type 74 7.62 mm coaxial

7. Republic of Korea 5. France Total military personnel – 3,699,000 Total military personnel – 426,265 K21 A replacement for the South VBCI Korean K200-series infan- The Véhicule Blindé de Com- try fighting vehicles, formerly bat d’Infanterie is a French In- designated as K300 or XK21 fantry fighting vehicle designed KNIFV (Korea Next-genera- to replace the AMX-10P. tion Infantry Fighting Vehicle), is currently called the K21. • Manufacturer: Giat Indus- The initial production began in tries / Renault VI 2009. • Weight: 28.5 tonnes • Length: 7.6 metres • Designer: Agency for De- • Width: 2.98 metres fense Development • Height: 3 metres • Designed: 1999–2008 • Height: 2.6 metres • Secondary armament: 7.62 • Crew: 3+8 • Manufacturer: Hanwha De- • Crew: 3+9 mm M60 GPMG • Armour: Protection against • Secondary armament: Co- • Operational range: 750 km fence • Armour: Reinforced ceram- • Engine: Doosan- D2840LXE 14.5 mm API axial 7.62 mm NATO ma- • Speed: 100 km/h • Weight: 25.6 tonnes ic armour diesel • Main armament: Canon mi- chine gun • Length: 6.9 metres • Main armament: K40 40 • Operational range: 500 km trailleur GIAT modèle M811 • Engine: Renault Diesel 550 • Width: 3.4 metres mm auto-cannon • Speed: 40 km/h NATO calibre 25 mm hp 46 47 4. India 3. China Total military personnel – 2,598,921 Total military personnel – 2,545,000

BMP-2 “Sarath” The People’s Liberation Army Ground Force makes use of eight different types of IFV. These BMP-2 “Sarath” (“Chariot of are: Victory”), also known as BMP- • CS/AA5 – Specialized IFV variant based on . II - Indian licence-produced • ZBL-08 – IFV variant of Type 08 modular infantry fighting vehicle. variant of the BMP-2, built by • ZBD-05 – amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. Ordnance Factory Medak. • ZBD-04A – infantry fighting vehicle. • BMD-3 – airborne infantry fighting vehicle. • Manufacturer: Kurgan- • ZBD-03 – airborne infantry fighting vehicle. mashzavod • ZSD-89-II– IFV based on Type 89 APC. • Weight: 14.3 tonnes • Type 86 – Chinese copy of Russian BMP-1. • Length: 6.735 metres • Width: 3.15 metres ZBD-04 • Height: 2.45 metres The ZBD-04 or Type 04 (in- • Crew: 3+7 and 9M113 Konkurs ATGM • 300 hp dustrial designation WZ502) • Armour: 33 millimetre plate • Secondary armament: 7.62 • Operational range: 600 km is a Chinese infantry fighting • Main armament: Turret with mm machine gun (PKTM) • Speed: 45 km/h vehicle. It bears some exter- 30 mm auto-cannon 2A42 • Engine: Diesel UTD-20/3 nal resemblance to the BMP-3, particularly with regards to its Abhay turret and main armament Abhay (“Fearless”) is an In- fantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) • Weight: 20 tonnes being developed in India by the • Length: 7.2 metres Defence Research and Devel- • Width: 3.2 metres opment Organisation (DRDO). • Height: 2.5 metres Abhay is being developed as a • Crew: 3+7 non • Engine: 670 hp diesel technology demonstrator for re- • Armour: Welded steel • Secondary armament: 7.62 • Operational range: 500 km placing Indian Army BMP-2s. • Main armament: 100 mm mm coaxial machine gun; 4 • Speed: 75 km/h rifled gun; 30 mm auto-can- x HJ-8 anti-tank • Designer: DRDO • Manufacturer: Ordnance Factory Medak • Weight: 23 tonnes • Main armament: 40 mm ATGM • Length: Not known L/70 auto-cannon • Engine: Diesel UTD-20/3 South African first • Width: Not known • Secondary armament: 30 300 hp The Ratel, a South African infantry fighting vehicle, was the first wheeled infantry fighting vehi- • Height: Not known mm automatic Grenade • Operational range: 400 km cle to enter service worldwide and was built on a modified MAN truck chassis. • Crew: 3+7 Launcher; 7.62 mm PKT • Speed: 35 km/h The Ratel was designed in response to a specification for a light armoured • Armour: Kanchan Armour co-axial machine gun; 2 vehicle suited to the demands of rapid offensives combining maximum firepower and strategic with Optional ERA × Konkurs-M or MILAN mobility. Unlike most contemporary IFVs, Ratels were not intended to fight in concert with tanks in a ma- jor conventional war, but provide strategic mobility to mechanised infantry units accustomed to operating independently across the vast distances of Southern Africa. Specialised variants of the Ratel carried mortars, anti-tank guided missiles, or a turret-mounted 90mm rifled gun.

48 49 2. Russia 1. United States Total military personnel – 3,586,128 Total military personnel – 4,397,128

BMP-3 M2 Bradley The BMP-3 is a Soviet and The Bradley is designed for Russian infantry fighting vehi- reconnaissance and to transport cle, successor to the BMP-1 and a squad of infantry, providing BMP-2. The abbreviation BMP them protection from small stands for boevaya mashina pe- arms fire, while also provid- hoty, literally “infantry combat ing firepower to both suppress vehicle” and eliminate most threats to friendly infantry. It is designed • Manufacturer: Kurgan- to be highly manoeuvrable and mashzavod to be fast enough to keep up • Weight: 18.7 tonnes with heavy armour during an • Length: 7.14 metres advance. • Width: 3.2 metres • Main armament: 2K23 turret • Engine: UTD-29M diesel • Crew: 3+6 mm coaxial M240C ma- • Height: 2.4 metres with 100 mm gun/launcher • Operational range: 600 km • Manufacturer: BAE Sys- • Armour: Spaced laminate chine gun • Crew: 3+7 2A70 • Speed: 45 km/h tems Land & Armaments armour • Engine: Cummins VTA- • Armour: Aluminium alloy + • Secondary armament: 2 × • Weight: 27.6 tonnes • Main armament: 25 mm 903T 8-cylinder diesel steel 7.62 mm PKT machine guns • Length: 6.55 metres M242 Chain Gun; 2 × TOW • Operational range: 483 km • Width: 3.6 metres Anti-Tank Missile • Speed: 56 km/h • Height: 2.98 metres • Secondary armament: 7.62

50 51 Famous figures in military history Famous figures in military history signments with the 18th Field from 1952 to 1953. After re- U.S. military prospects in Viet- Artillery at Fort Sill. turning to the United States, nam. William C. Westmoreland In 1939, he was promoted to Westmoreland was deputy as- However, as time went on, As a General, Westmoreland commanded the US forces during the Viet- first lieutenant, after which he sistant chief of staff, G–1, for the strengthening of communist nam War from 1964 to 1968 and later became the Chief of Staff of the US Army. was a battery commander and manpower control on the Army combat forces in the South led battalion staff officer with the staff from 1953 to 1955. to regular requests for increas- lthough he only spent Early Life young adult. 8th Field Artillery at Schofield In 1954, he completed a three- es in U.S. troop strength, from four years as the com- William Childs Westmore- After spending a year at The Barracks, Hawaii. month management program at 16,000 when he arrived to its Amander of the United land was born in Spartanburg Citadel, officially the Military In World War II, Westmore- Harvard Business School. As peak of 535,000 in 1968 when States forces during the Viet- County, South Carolina, on 26 College of South Carolina, in land saw combat with the 34th Stanley Karnow noted, “Westy he left. nam War, his name will always March 1914 to Eugenia Talley 1932, he was appointed to at- Field Artillery Battalion, 9th was a corporation executive in On April 28, 1967, Westmo- be synonymous with that war. Childs and James Ripley West- tend the United States Military Infantry Division, in , uniform.” reland addressed a joint session William Westmoreland was moreland. Academy on the nomination Sicily, France and Germany; he After the war, Westmoreland of Congress. “In evaluating the sent to Vietnam in 1963. In His upper middle class family of Senator James F. Byrnes, a commanded the 34th Battalion was the United States Army’s enemy strategy”, he said, “it is January 1964, he became dep- was involved in the local bank- family friend. in Tunisia and Sicily. Secretary of the General Staff evident to me that he believes uty commander of Military As- ing and textile industries. At His motive for entering West He reached the temporary from 1955 to 1958. He then our Achilles heel is our resolve. sistance Command, Vietnam the age of 15, William became Point was “to see the world”. wartime rank of colonel, and on commanded the 101st Airborne ... Your continued strong sup- (MACV), eventually succeed- an Eagle Scout at Troop 1 Boy He was a member of a dis- 13 October 1944, was appoint- Division from 1958 to 1960. port is vital to the success of our ing Paul D. Harkins as com- Scouts, and was recipient of tinguished West Point class ed the chief of staff of the 9th He was Superintendent of the mission. Backed at home by mander, in June. the Distinguished Eagle Scout that also included Creighton Infantry Division. United States Military Acade- resolve, confidence, patience, He served in this post un- Award and Silver Buffalo from Abrams and Benjamin O. Da- After the war, Westmoreland my from 1960 to 1963. determination, and continued til June 1968, shortly after the the Boy Scouts of America as a vis Jr. Westmoreland graduat- completed Airborne training at In 1962, Westmoreland was support, we will prevail in Vi- Tet Offensive, when he was ed as first captain - the high- the Infantry School in 1946. He admitted as an honorary mem- etnam over the communist ag- replaced by General Creighton est cadet rank - and received then commanded the 504th Par- ber of the Massachusetts Soci- gressor!” Abrams. the Pershing Sword, which achute Infantry Regiment, 82nd ety of the Cincinnati. He was Westmoreland claimed that Westmoreland adopted a is “presented to cadet with Airborne Division. promoted to lieutenant gener- under his leadership, United strategy of attrition against the highest level of military From 1947 to 1950, he served al in July 1963 and was Com- States forces “won every bat- Viet Cong and the North Viet- proficiency”. as chief of staff for the 82nd Air- manding General of the XVIII tle”. The turning point of the namese Army, attempting to Westmoreland also borne Division. He was an in- Airborne Corps from 1963 to war was the 1968 Tet Offen- drain them of manpower and served as the superin- structor at the Army Command 1964. sive, in which communist forc- supplies. tendent of the Protestant and General Staff College from es attacked cities and towns He also made use of the Unit- Sunday School Teachers. 1950 to 1951. Vietnam throughout South Vietnam. ed States’ edge in artillery and He then completed the Army Westmoreland was sent to At the time, Westmoreland air power, both in tactical con- World War II War College as a student in Vietnam in 1963. In January was focused on the Battle of frontations and in relentless Following gradua- 1951, and stayed as an instruc- 1964, he became deputy com- Khe Sanh and considered the strategic bombing of North Vi- tion from West Point in tor from 1951 to 1952. mander of Military Assistance Tet Offensive to be a diversion- etnam. 1936, Westmoreland Command, Vietnam (MACV), ary attack. It is not clear if Khe Many of the battles became an artillery Korean War eventually succeeding Paul D. Sanh was meant to be distrac- in Vietnam were officer and served Westmoreland was promot- Harkins as commander, in June. tion for the Tet Offensive or technically Unit- in several as- ed to Brigadier General in No- Secretary of Defense Robert vice versa - sometimes this is ed States victo- vember 1952 at the age of 38, McNamara told President Lyn- called the Riddle of Khe Sanh. ries, with the Unit- making him one of the young- don B. Johnson in April that Regardless, U.S. and South ed States Army in est U.S. Army generals in the Westmoreland was “the best we Vietnamese troops successful- control of the field post-World War II era. have, without question”. ly fought off the attacks dur- afterward; holding He commanded the 187th As the head of the MACV, ing the Tet Offensive, and the territory gained this Airborne Regimental Combat he was known for highly pub- communist forces took heavy way proved diffi- Team in operations in Korea licized, positive assessments of losses, but the ferocity of the cult, however. 52 53 assault shook public confidence Army Chief of Staff after Westmoreland retired in erine (Kitsy), two daughters, in Westmoreland’s previous as- In June 1968, Westmore- 1972. Katherine Stevens and Marga- surances about the state of the land was replaced by General Many military historians ret Childs, and a son, James Ri- war. Political debate and pub- Creighton Abrams, the decision have pointed out that Westmo- pley II. lic opinion led the Johnson ad- being announced shortly after reland became Chief of Staff at He had met his wife when ministration to limit further in- the Tet Offensive. Although the worst time in history with he was stationed at Fort Sill in creases in U.S. troop numbers the decision had been made in regard to the army. Oklahoma. She was only nine in Vietnam. late 1967, it was widely seen in Guiding the army as it tran- years old and was the daughter Nine months afterward, when the media as a punishment for sitioned to an all-volunteer of the post executive officer, the My Lai Massacre reports being caught off guard by the force, he issued many direc- Colonel Edwin R. Van Deusen. started to break, Westmoreland communist assault. tives to try to make Army life Westmoreland met her again resisted pressure from the in- He was mentioned in a Time better and more palatable for in North Carolina when she coming Nixon administration LEADER AND FUTURE LEADER: General Westmoreland magazine article as a potential United States youth - for exam- was nineteen and a student at for a cover-up, and pressed for a (left) in discussion with Major Norman Schwarzkopf Jr (centre). candidate for the 1968 Republi- ple allowing soldiers to wear University of North Carolina at full and impartial investigation As a general, Schwarzkopf would later lead the coalition forces can presidential nomination. sideburns and to drink beer in Greensboro. The couple mar- by Lieutenant General William during the in 1990-1991. Westmoreland served as the mess hall. However, many ried in May 1947. R. Peers. Chief of Staff of the United hard-liners scorned these as too However, a few days after ese Army (NVA) and the Na- the Tet Offensive occurred, States Army from 1968 to 1972. liberal. U.S. decorations and awards the tragedy, he had praised the tional Liberation Front of South since all his pronouncements In 1970, as Chief of Staff, in re- Westmoreland earned the fol- same involved unit on the “out- Vietnam (NLF) were able to of “positive indicators” did not sponse to the My Lai Massacre Later years lowing decorations and awards. standing job”, for the “U.S. in- dictate the pace of attrition to hint at the possibility of such a by United States Army forces Westmoreland retired from • Army Distinguished Service fantrymen had killed 128 Com- fit their own goals: by -contin last-gasp dramatic event. (and subsequent cover up by the Army in 1972. Westmo- Medal with three bronze oak munists in a bloody day-long uing to fight a guerrilla war Tet outmanoeuvred all of the Army chain of command), reland ran unsuccessfully for leaf clusters. battle”. and avoiding large-unit battles, Westmoreland’s pronounce- he commissioned an army in- governor of South Carolina in • with two Post 1969 Westmoreland also they denied the Americans the ments on “positive indicators” vestigation that compiled a the 1974 election. He published Oak Leaf Clusters. made efforts to investigate the chance to fight the kind of war in the minds of the American comprehensive and seminal his autobiography the following • . Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất they were best at, and they en- public. study of leadership within the year. Westmoreland later served • Air Medal with nine Oak massacre a year after the event sured that attrition would wear Although the communists army during the Vietnam War on a task force to improve edu- Leaf Clusters. occurred. down the American public’s were severely depleted by the demonstrating a severe erosion cational standards in the state of • Army Presidential Unit Ci- Westmoreland was convinced support for the war faster than heavy fighting at Khe Sanh of adherence to the army’s of- South Carolina. tation. that the Vietnamese commu- they. when their conventional as- ficer code of “Duty, Honor, In 1986, Westmoreland • American Defence Service nists could be destroyed by Westmoreland repeatedly re- saults were battered by Ameri- Country”. served as grand marshal of the Medal with one bronze ser- fighting a war of attrition that, buffed or suppressed attempts can firepower, as well as tens of The report, entitled Study on Chicago Vietnam Veterans pa- vice star. theoretically, would render the by John Paul Vann and Lew thousands of deaths in the Tet Military Professionalism, had rade. The parade, attended by • . Vietnam People’s Army unable Walt to shift to a “pacification” Offensive, American political a profound influence on Army 200,000 Vietnam veterans and • European-African-Middle to fight. strategy. opinion and the panic engen- policies, beginning with West- more than half a million specta- Eastern Campaign Medal His war strategy was marked Westmoreland had little ap- dered by the communist sur- moreland’s decision to end the tors, did much to repair the rift with seven service stars. by heavy use of artillery and air preciation of the patience of the prise sapped U.S. support for policy that officers serving in between Vietnam veterans and • World War II Victory Medal. power and repeated attempts American public for his time the war, even though the events Vietnam would be rotated into the American public. • Army of Occupation Medal to engage the communists in frame, and was struggling to of early 1968 put the United a different post after only six Westmoreland died on July with “Germany” clasp. large-unit battles, and thereby persuade President Johnson to States and South Vietnam into months. 18, 2005, at the age of 91 at • National Defence Service exploit the US’s vastly superior approve widening the war into a much stronger military posi- However, to lessen the im- the Bishop Gadsden retirement Medal with oak leaf cluster. firepower and technology. Cambodia and Laos in order to tion. pact of this damaging report, home in Charleston, South Car- • with Westmoreland’s response, to interdict the Ho Chi Minh trail. At one point in 1968, West- Westmoreland ordered that the olina. He had suffered from two ​3⁄16” bronze stars. those Americans who criticized He was unable to use the ab- moreland considered the use of document be kept on “close Alzheimer’s disease during the • with the high casualty rate of Viet- solutist stance that “we can’t nuclear weapons in Vietnam in hold” across the entire Army final years of his life. He was six ​3⁄16” bronze stars. namese civilians, was: “It does win unless we expand the war”. a contingency plan codenamed for a period of two years and buried on July 23, 2005, at the Westmoreland also earned the deprive the enemy of the popu- Instead, he focused on “pos- Fracture Jaw, which was aban- not disseminated to War Col- West Point Cemetery, United , lation, doesn’t it?” itive indicators”, which ulti- doned when it became known lege attendees. The report only States Military Academy. Basic Army Aviator Badge, and However, the North Vietnam- mately turned worthless when to the White House. became known to the public He left behind his wife Kath- Master Parachutist Badge. 54 55 Forged in (RFP) in February 1957. been re-designated A2F-1, in favourable characteristics in its This request called for a February 1958. low-level attack role and oper- battle ‘close air support attack bomber ating within all weather condi- capable of hitting the enemy at Design tions. any time’. Aviation authors Bill The Grumman A-6 Intruder is The A-6’s wing was relative- Grumman A-6 Intruder Gunston and Peter Gilchrist ob- a two-seat twin-engined mono- ly efficient at subsonic speeds, serve that this specification was plane, equipped to perform car- particularly when compared to Following the good performance of the propeller-driven Skyraider in the Korean War, the United shaped by the service’s Korean rier-based attack missions re- supersonic fighters such as the States Navy issued preliminary requirements in 1955 for an all-weather carrier-based attack air- War experiences, during which gardless of prevailing weather McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phan- craft. The Grumman A-6 Intruder was the result. air support had been frequently or light conditions. tom II, which are also limited to unavailable unless fair weather The cockpit used an unusu- subsonic speeds when carrying he A-6 was developed in a side-by-side seating con- 1997, multiple variants of the conditions were present. al double pane windscreen and a payload of bombs. during the late 1950s figuration, the workload were type being introduced during In response to the RFP, a to- side-by-side seating arrange- The wing was also designed and early 1960s in re- divided between the pilot and this time. tal of eleven design proposals ment in which the pilot sat in to provide a favourable level T were submitted by eight dif- the left seat, while the bombar- of manoeuvrability even while sponse to a requirement issued weapons officer. In addition by the for to conventional munitions, the Background ferent companies, including dier/navigator sat to the right carrying a sizable bomb load. A an all-weather jet-powered car- type was also compatible with Following the good perfor- Bell, Boeing, Douglas, Grum- and slightly below. very similar wing would be put rier-based attack aircraft. the Navy’s air-based nuclear mance of the propeller-driven man, Lockheed, Martin, North The incorporation of a second on pivots on Grumman’s later It was designed as a succes- weapons, which were deploy- Skyraider in the Korean War, American, and Vought. crew member with separate re- supersonic swing-wing Grum- sor for multiple existing medi- able via a toss bombing tech- the United States Navy issued Grumman’s submission was sponsibilities, along with a man F-14 Tomcat, as well as um-sized attack aircraft, such as niques. preliminary requirements in internally designated as the unique cathode ray tube (CRT) similar . the piston-engined Douglas A-1 On 19 April 1960, the proto- 1955 for an all-weather carri- Type G-128. Following evalua- display that provided a synthet- The Intruder was also Skyraider. Unlike its predeces- type performed the type’s maid- er-based attack aircraft. tion of the bids, the U.S. Navy ic display of terrain ahead, were sors, and even some contempo- en flight. The U.S. Navy published an announced the selection of raries, the A-6 made extensive The A-6 was in service with operational requirement docu- Grumman on 2 January 1958. use of interconnected . the United States Navy and Ma- ment for it in October 1956. It The company was awarded Operated by a crew of two rine Corps between 1963 and released a request for proposals a contract for the development of their submission, which had

56 57 equipped with the “Deceleron”, 14 July 1965 when an Intrud- most U.S. Marine Corps A-6 and taken by the Syrians to Da- a type of airbrake on the wings er from VA-75 operating from Intruders were shore based in mascus where he was released with two panels that opened in USS Independence, flown by South Vietnam at Chu Lai and on 3 January 1984. opposite directions; in this case, LT Donald Boecker and LT Da Nang and in Nam Phong, Later in the 1980s, two Na- one panel went up, while anoth- Donald Eaton, commenced a Thailand. val Reserve A-7 Corsair II light er went down. dive on a target near Laos. To provide U.S. Navy squad- attack squadrons, VA-205 and For its day, the Intruder had An explosion under the star- rons with a defence suppression VA-304, were reconstituted as surprisingly sophisticated avi- board wing damaged the star- aircraft to attack enemy anti-air- medium attack squadrons with onics, with a high degree of board engine, causing the craft defence and SAM mis- the A-6E at NAS Atlanta, Geor- integration. Some felt that this aircraft to catch fire and the hy- sile systems, a mission dubbed gia and NAS Alameda, Califor- could lead to extraordinary draulics to fail. Seconds later “Iron Hand” by the U.S. Navy, nia, respectively. maintenance requirements to the port engine failed, the con- 19 A-6As were converted to Intruders also saw action in identify and isolate equipment trols froze, and the two crew- A-6B version during 1967 to April 1986 operating from the malfunctions. men ejected. Both crewmen 1970. aircraft carriers USS America Hence, the aircraft was pro- survived. The A-6B had many of its and Coral Sea during the bomb- vided with automatic diagnos- Of the 84 Intruders lost to all standard attack systems re- ing of (Operation El Do- tic systems, some of the earliest TOUCH DOWN: An A-6 Intruder lands on the deck of an air- causes during the war, ten were moved in favour of specialized rado Canyon). The squadrons computer-based analytic equip- craft carrier after returning from a bombing mission. shot down by surface-to-air equipment to detect and track involved were VA-34 “Blue ment developed for aircraft. missiles (SAMs), two were shot enemy radar sites and to guide Blasters” (from USS America) These were known as Basic Point) it called for a high-speed Vietnam War down by MiGs, 16 were lost to AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 and VA-55 “Warhorses” (from Automated Checkout Equip- low-level approach. Nearing the The Intruder received a new operational causes, and 56 were Standard anti-radiation mis- USS Coral Sea). ment, or BACE (pronounced target point, the pilot would put standardized US DOD desig- lost to conventional ground fire siles, with AN/APQ-103 radar During the Gulf War in 1991, “base”). There were two lev- the aircraft into a steep climb. nation of A-6A in the Autumn and AAA. replacing earlier AN/APQ-92 U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine els, known as “Line BACE” At a computer-calculated of 1962, and entered squadron The last Intruder to be lost used in the A-6A, plus AN/ Corps A-6s flew more than to identify specific malfunc- point in the climb, the weapon service in February 1963. during the war was from VA- APN-153 navigational radar 4,700 combat sorties, providing tioning systems in the aircraft, would be released, with mo- The A-6 became both the 35, flown by LT C. M. Graf and replacing earlier AN/APN-122, close air support, destroying while in the hangar or on the mentum carrying it upwards U.S. Navy’s and U.S. Marine LT S. H. Hatfield, operating again used in the A-6A. enemy air defences, attacking flight line; and “Shop BACE”, and forwards. Corps’s principal medium and from USS America; they were Between 1968 and 1977, sev- Iraqi naval units, and hitting to exercise and analyse individ- The pilot would continue the all-weather/night attack aircraft shot down by ground fire on 24 eral Intruder squadrons operat- strategic targets. They were ual malfunctioning systems in climb even more steeply, un- from the mid-1960s. January 1973 while providing ed A-6Bs alongside their regu- also the U.S. Navy’s primary the maintenance shop. til near a vertical position the A-6 Intruders first saw action close air support. lar A-6As. Five were lost to all strike platform for delivering This equipment was manu- aircraft would be rolled and during the Vietnam War, where The airmen ejected and were causes, and the survivors were laser-guided bombs. factured by Litton Industries. turned, heading back in the di- the craft were used extensively rescued by a Navy helicopter. later converted to A-6E stand- The U.S. Navy operated them Together, the BACE systems rection from which it came. It against targets in Vietnam. The Twenty U.S. Navy aircraft car- ard in the late 1970s. from the aircraft carriers USS greatly reduced the Mainte- would then depart from the area aircraft’s long range and heavy riers rotated through the waters Saratoga, USS John F. Kenne- nance Man-Hours per Flight at maximum acceleration. payload (8,200 kilograms) cou- of Southeast Asia, providing air and later action dy, USS Midway, USS Ranger, Hour, a key index of the cost During this time, the bomb pled with its ability to fly in all strikes, from the early 1960s A-6 Intruders were later used USS America and USS The- and effort needed to keep mil- would rise to an apex, still head- weather made it invaluable dur- through the early 1970s. in support of other operations, odore Roosevelt, while U.S. itary aircraft operating. ing in its original direction, then ing the war. Nine of those carriers lost such as the Multinational Force Marine Corps A-6s operated The Intruder was equipped to begin to fall towards the target However, its typical mission A-6 Intruders: USS Constella- in Lebanon in 1983. On 4 De- ashore, primarily from Shaikh carry and launch nuclear weap- while traveling further forward. profile of flying low to deliver tion lost 11, USS Ranger lost cember, one LTV A-7 Corsair II Isa Air Base in . Three ons (B43, B57, B61) and Navy At a pre-programmed height, its payload made it especially eight, USS Coral Sea lost six, and one Intruder were downed A-6s were shot down in combat crews regularly planned for as- it would detonate. By that time, vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire, USS Midway lost two, USS In- by Syrian missiles. by SAMs and AAA. signed nuclear missions. the Intruder would be sever- and in the eight years the In- dependence lost four, USS Kit- The Intruder’s pilot, Lieuten- The Intruder’s large blunt Because the A-6 was a al miles away, traveling at top truder was used during the Vi- ty Hawk lost 14, USS Saratoga ant Mark Lange, and bombar- nose and slender tail inspired low-flying attack aircraft, a speed, and thus able to stay etnam War, the U.S. Navy and lost three, USS Enterprise lost dier/navigator Lieutenant Rob- a number of nicknames, in- semi-automated toss bomb- ahead of the shock wave from U.S. Marine Corps lost a total eight, and USS America lost ert “Bobby” Goodman ejected cluding “Double Ugly”, “The ing method was developed. the explosion. This unusual ma- of 84 A-6 aircraft of various se- two. immediately before the crash. Mighty Alpha Six”, “Iron Tad- Known as LABS-IP (Low Alti- noeuvre was known as an “over ries. Although capable of embark- Lange died of his injuries pole” and also “Drumstick”. tude Bombing System - Initial the shoulder” bomb launch. The first loss occurred on ing aboard aircraft carriers, while Goodman was captured Following the Gulf War, In- 58 59 truders were used to patrol the last Intruders were retired on 28 vis-Monthan Air Force Base, no-fly zone in and provid- February 1997. Arizona. Shrike missile ed air support for U.S. Marines Many in the US defence es- during Operation Restore Hope tablishment in general, and Na- General characteristics in . The last A-6E In- val Aviation in particular, ques- • Crew: 2 (pilot, bombardier/ truder left U.S. Marine Corps tioned the wisdom of a shift to navigator) service on 28 April 1993. a shorter range carrier-based • Length: 16.69 metres The A-6 also saw further duty strike force, as represented by • Wingspan: 16.15 metres over Bosnia in 1994. the Hornet and Super Hornet, • Width: 7.67 metres - wing sions to carry combinations of: • AGM-65 Maverick air-to- bomb compared to the older genera- folded Rockets: ground missile • 13× Mk 83 454 kg GP bombs Retirement tion aircraft such as the Intruder • Height: 4.93 metres • 12x LAU-10 4-round 5 inch • AGM-84 anti-ship • 5× Mk 84 907 kg GP bombs Despite the production of and Tomcat. • Wing area: 49.14 m2 Zuni pods missile/AGM-84E Standoff • 5x GBU-12/16/10 la- new in the 164XXX However, the availability of • Aspect ratio: 5.31:1 • 12x LAU-68 7-round 2.75 Land Attack Missile ser-guided bombs Bureau Number (BuNo) series USAF Boeing KC-135 Strato- • Empty weight: 12,093 kg inch FFAR pods • AGM-88 HARM anti-radar • 5x CBU-72 Fuel-Air Explo- just before and after the Gulf tanker and McDonnell Douglas • Max take off weight: 27,397 • 12x LAU-61/LAU-68 missile sives War, augmented by a rewinging KC-10 Extender tankers mod- kg (shore-based operations) 19-round 2.75 inch FFAR • AGM-123 Skipper air-to- • Up to three B43/B57/B61 program of older airframes, the ified to accommodate USN, • Fuel capacity: 9,030 litres pods ground missile “Special Weapons” (Nukes) A-6E and KA-6D were quickly USMC and NATO tactical air- (internal fuel) Missiles: • AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air Other: phased out of service in the mid- craft in all recent conflicts was • Zero-lift drag coefficient: • AGM-45 Shrike anti-radar missile • Mk 60 Captor Mine 1990s in a U.S. Navy cost-cut- considered by certain senior 0.0144 missile • ADM-141 TALD decoy • Up to five 1,100 litres drop ting move driven by the Office decision makers in the Depart- • Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & • AGM-78 Standard ARM an- missiles tanks of the Secretary of Defence to ment of Defence to put a lesser Whitney J52-P8B turbojets, ti-radar missile Bombs: • Various practice stores, reduce the number of different premium on organic aerial re- 9,300 lbf (41 kN) thrust each • AGM-62 Walleye TV-guid- • 28× Mk 82 227 kg GP bombs chaff launchers, baggage type/model/series (T/M/S) of fuelling capability in the U.S. ed glide bomb or Mk 20 Rockeye II cluster pods, flares. aircraft in carrier air wings and Navy’s carrier air wings and Performance U.S. Marine aircraft groups. self-contained range among • Maximum speed: 1,040 The A-6 was intended to be carrier-based strike aircraft. km/h at sea level replaced by the McDonnell Although the Intruder could • Cruise speed: 763 km/h Douglas A-12 Avenger II, but not match the F-14’s or the • Stall speed: 181 km/h (flaps that program was cancelled due F/A-18’s speed or air-combat down) to cost overruns. capability, the A-6’s range and • Never exceed speed: 1,300 The Intruder remained in ser- load-carrying ability are still km/h vice for a few more years be- unmatched by newer aircraft in • Combat range: 1,626 km fore being retired in favour of the fleet. (with max payload) the LANTIRN-equipped F-14D At the time of retirement, • Ferry range: 5,219 km Tomcat, which was in turn re- several retired A-6 airframes • Service ceiling: 12,900 me- placed by the F/A-18E/F Super were awaiting rewinging at the tres Hornet in the U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman facility at • g limits: -2.4 to 6.5 the twin-seat F/A-18D Hornet St. Augustine Airport, Florida; • Rate of climb: 38.7 m/s in the U.S. Marine Corps. these were later sunk off the • Lift-to-drag: 15.2 During the 2010s, the Un- coast of St. Johns County, Flor- • Take-off run to 15 metres: manned Carrier-Launched Air- ida to form a fish haven named 1,380 metres borne Surveillance and Strike “Intruder Reef”. • Landing run from 15 metres: programme was at one point in- Surviving aircraft fitted with 770 metres tended to produce a unmanned the new wings, as well as later aerial vehicle (UAV) successor production aircraft (i.e., BuNo Armament to the Intruder’s long distance 164XXX series) not earmarked : Five hardpoints strike role, but the initiative has for museum or non-flying stat- with a capacity of 1,600 kg each since changed priorities towards ic display were stored at the (4 under wings, one under fuse- the tanker mission instead. The AMARG storage center at Da- lage), 8,200 kg total,with provi- 60 61 The Battle of Ia Drang was the first major battle be- H15 Local Force Battalion had the area that had been designat- (east to west). It was estimated tween the United States Army and the People’s Army of been assembled in the area. The ed as possible helicopter land- that only eight UH-1 Hueys Vietnam (PAVN), and was part of the Pleiku Campaign B3 Front commander, ing zones, typically named for could fit in the clearing at a giv- battlefield conducted early in the Vietnam War. Both sides claimed Maj. Gen. Chu Huy Man, a letter of the NATO phonetic en time. planned to target South Viet- alphabet. Moore selected: The 1st Battalion, 7th Cav- the battle as a victory. namese positions in the Kon • LZ X-Ray as his landing alry (1/7) was typical for U.S. Tum and Pleiku provinces. The zone, a flat clearing -sur Army units of the time, con- he Battle of Ia Drang comprised two ple’s Army (PAVN) regulars city of Pleiku was the location rounded by low trees at the sisting of three rifle companies main engagements, centred on two pre- from North Vietnam. Military of the South Vietnamese II eastern base of the Chu Pong and a heavy weapons company: viously scouted helicopter landing zones Assistance Command, Viet- T Corps headquarters, command- Massif and bordered by a dry A-Alpha Company, B-Bravo (LZs), known as LZ X-Ray and LZ Albany. nam (MACV) General William ed by General Vinh Loc, who creek bed on the west. The Company, C-Charlie Company, B The first involved the 1st Battalion, 7th Cav- C. Westmoreland had secured had at his disposal nine South Ia Drang River was about 2 and D-Delta Company - about alry Regiment and supporting units under the the commitment of upward of Vietnamese battalions; four km to the northwest. 450 men in total of the 765 a command of Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, 300,000 U.S. regulars from ranger, three airborne and two • LZ Albany: about 2.5 km to of the battalion’s authorized and took place November 14–16, 1965 at LZ President Lyndon B. Johnson marine. the northeast of X-Ray strength. X-Ray, located at the eastern foot of the Chu and a build-up of forces took t The U.S. command saw this • LZ Columbus: about 2.2 km They were to be shuttled by Pong Massif in the central highlands of Viet- place in the summer of 1965. as an ideal area to test new air east of Albany 16 Huey transport helicopters, nam. Viet Cong forces were in t mobility tactics.[15] Air mo- • LZ Tango: about 2 km to the which could generally carry 10 The second engagement involved the 2nd nominal control of most of the bility called for battalion-sized north of X-Ray to 12 equipped troopers, so the Battalion, plus support- South Vietnamese countryside forces to be delivered, supplied • LZ Yankee: a similar dis- battalion would have to be de- l ing units under the command of Lieutenant by 1965 and had established and extracted from an area of tance south of X-Ray. LZ livered in several “lifts” carry- Colonel Robert McDade, and took place on military infrastructure in the action using helicopters. Yankee was on sloping ing just less than one complete e November 17 at LZ Albany, farther north in the Central Highlands, to the north- Since the heavy weapons of ground and could only fit company each time. Each lift Ia Drang Valley. It is notable for being the first east of the Saigon region. Viet- a normal combined-arms force about 6–8 helicopters at one would take about 30 minutes. large scale helicopter air assault and also the namese communist forces had could not follow, the infantry time. Lt. Col. Moore arranged the first use of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic operated in this area during the would be supported by coordi- • LZ Whiskey: 2.1 km south- lifts to deliver Bravo Company bombers in a tactical support role. previous decade in the First In- o nated close air support, artillery east first, along with his command Surrounded and under heavy fire from a nu- dochina War against the French, and aerial rocket fire, arranged • LZ Victor: about 6 km to the team, followed by Alpha and merically superior force, the American forces at winning a notable victory at the f from a distance and directed by south-southeast. Charlie Companies, and finally LZ X-ray were able to hold off and drive back Battle of Mang Yang Pass in local observers. • Artillery support would be Delta Company. Moore’s plan the North Vietnamese forces over three days of 1954. The new tactics had been de- provided from firebase “FB was to move Bravo and Alpha battle, largely through the support of both air There were few reliable roads veloped in the U.S. by the 11th Falcon”, about 8 km to the Companies northwest past the power and heavy artillery bombardment, which into the area, making it an ideal Air Assault Division (Test), northeast of X-Ray creek bed, and Charlie Compa- I the North Vietnamese lacked. LZ X-ray was place for the communist forces which was renamed as the 1st General Knowles stated that ny south toward the mountain. considered an American tactical victory, as the to form bases, relatively im- Cavalry Division (Airmobile). he had selected the initial land- Delta Company, which com- a Americans were able to exact an almost 10:1 mune from attack by the gener- The division’s troopers ing zone used by Hal Moore prised special weapons forces kill ratio. ally road-bound ARVN forces. dubbed themselves the “Air and his troops knowing quite including mortar, recon, and At LZ Albany, the American forces were During 1965, large groups of Cav” (Air Cavalry) and in July well that the enemy lacked an- machine gun units, was to be ambushed in close quarters. They were una- North Vietnamese Army reg- 1965 began deploying to Camp ti-aircraft guns and heavy mor- used as the battlefield reserve. ble to use air and artillery support due to the ulars moved into the area to D Radcliff, An Khê, Vietnam. tars that had been destroyed In the centre of the LZ was a close engagement of the North Vietnamese, the conduct offensive operations. By November, most of the di- during the attack on the Plei Me large termite hill that was to be- American forces were badly defeated, suffering Attacks to the southwest from r vision’s three brigades were camp and that the enemy could come Moore’s command post. a more than 50% casualty rate before being ex- these bases threatened to cut ready for operations. have positioned on the hillsides Furthermore, the Bravo Com- tricated from the battle. Both sides, therefore, South Vietnam in two. overlooking the landing zone to pany of the 2nd Battalion, 7th a were able to claim victory in the battle. By 1964 North Vietnam had Landing Zones gun down the helicopters and Cavalry closed in at 18h00. established the B3 Front in the Col. Brown selected Lt. Col. to decimate the cavalry troops n Background central highlands of South Viet- Moore and his men for the mis- landing on the ground. The battle By early 1965, the majority of rural South Vi- nam. By early November 1965 sion, with the explicit orders not LZ X-Ray was approximately The Battle of Ia Drang lasted g etnam was under limited Viet Cong (VC) con- three PAVN regiments – the to attempt to scale the mountain. the size of a misshapen football for five days, from 14 Novem- trol, increasingly supported by Vietnam Peo- 32nd, 33rd and 66th – and the There were several clearings in field, some 100 meters in length ber 1965 to 18 November 1965. 62 63 There is not enough space in 20 November units of the 32nd (crew served) 169, (individual) the “body count” as a measure this article to go into a detailed Regiment. 1,027. of success, as the U.S. claimed account of the five-day battle. The ARVN Airborne Brigade NVA casualty figures ad- that the kill ratio was nearly 10 At 10:48, the first troops of pursued the two remaining vanced by II Corps Command to 1. the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry 635th and 334th Battalions of relied especially on NVA reg- The vast majority of casu- (1/7) arrived at LZ X-Ray with the 320th Regiments and exe- imental command posts’ own alties inflicted on US forces members of B Company touch- cuted two ambushes: the first loss reports (as indicated by was through small-arms and ing down after about 30 minutes on 20 November at the north Maj. Gen. Kinnard), intercept- light-mortar fire, with Lt. Col. of bombardment via artillery, side and the second on 24 No- ed by ARVN radio listening sta- Moore noting the NVA/PAVN’s aerial rockets, and air strikes. vember on the south side of the tions. accurate shooting, well-placed The troops were inserted about Ia Drang River. On 26 Novem- Furthermore, they include ambushes and coordinated tar- 200 meters from the position of ber, witnessing no further con- NVA troop casualties caused by geting of officers and over- the NVA 9th Battalion belong- tact, the ARVN withdrew from the five-day Arc Light airstrike whelmed US positions in small- ing to the 66th Regiment. the area. that the NVA and U.S. sides fail unit tactics The last troops of the battalion A 1966 NVA Central High- to take into account. On the other hand, US forc- were landed at 15:20, by which lands Front report claimed that As the outcome of the entire es had emerged from the battle time the troops on the ground HELP FROM THE SKIES: Helicopters were used to bring in in five major engagements with campaign, the ARVN claimed by inflicting casualties through were already heavily engaged, reinforcements and supplies. They were also used to casevac U.S. forces, NVA forces suf- that the NVA were unable to B-52 strikes, aerial rockets and with one platoon cut off. Faced the wounded and dead. fered 559 soldiers killed and achieve their objectives of over- artillery and relying on over- with heavy casualties and unex- 669 wounded. NVA histories running the camp and destroy- whelming firepower. pected opposition, 1st Battalion Effects and aftermath and MACV. claim the United States suffered ing the relief column at Plei Me, Both sides probably inflat- was reinforced by B Company On the last day of the battle They then flew to Qui Nhơn 1,500 to 1,700 casualties during which is confirmed in the B3 ed the estimates of their oppo- 2nd Battalion 7th Cavalry. (18 November), General West- and went to the hospital to visit the Ia Drang Campaign. Front commander’s account, as nent’s casualties. Fighting continued the fol- moreland and General Cao Van the troops of the 2nd Battalion, The U.S. military confirmed well as that the entire B3 Field lowing day when the LZ was Vien, visited the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry who were wounded 305 killed and 524 wounded Force strength had been wiped Notable awards further reinforced by A Com- 7th Cavalry. They were briefed in the LZ Albany engagement. (including 234 killed and 242 out and the survivors pushed Three US officers, 2nd Lt. pany 2/7 and also by 2nd Bat- by Lt. Col. Moore about the After the battle, General wounded between 14 and 18 over the Cambodian border. Walter Marm and Capt. Ed talion 5th Cavalry, and the lost battle at LZ X-Ray. Westmoreland instructed his November. 1965), and claimed This battle can be seen as a Freeman and Maj. Bruce Cran- platoon was rescued. Westmoreland told them they J2 and J3 Chiefs to gain more 3,561 NVA were killed and blueprint for tactics by both dall who were helicopter pilots The last Vietnamese assaults were being recommended for a improvements and “to bring a more than 1,000 were wound- sides. The Americans used air during the battle, were awarded on the position were repulsed Presidential Unit Citation. They B-52 strike down within seven ed during engagements with the mobility, artillery fire and close the Medal of Honour. on the morning of the 16th. As then flew to the 3rd Air Caval- hours after acquiring suitable 1st Cavalry Division troops. air support to accomplish bat- Lt. Col. Hal Moore was the Vietnamese forces melted ry Brigade commanded by Col. intelligence”. According to ARVN intelli- tlefield objectives. awarded the Distinguished Ser- away, the remainder of 2/7 and Brown who gave them a brief- As the fight at LZ Albany was gence sources, each of the three The NVA learned that they vice Cross. A Company of 1st Battalion 5th ing and they flew over the oper- coming to an end, the ARVN NVA regiments’ initial strength could neutralize that firepow- Journalist Joseph Galloway Cavalry arrived. ation area. II Corps Command decided to was 2,200 soldiers: 1st Battal- er by quickly engaging Ameri- was the only civilian awarded By mid-afternoon 1/7 and B Before leaving Pleiku, they “finish off” the campaign by in- ion-500, 2nd Battalion-500, 3rd can forces at very close range. the Bronze Star Medal for hero- Company 2/7 had been airlifted also had a meeting with Gen- troducing the ARVN Airborne Battalion-500, Mortar Compa- North Vietnamese Col. Nguyễn ism during the Vietnam War. to LZ Falcon, and on the 17th eral Vinh Loc, II Corps Com- Brigade into the battlefield on ny-150, Anti-Aircraft Compa- Hữu An included his lessons He had travelled into the bat- of November 2/5 marched out mander and General Larsen, 17 November with the estab- ny-150, Signal Company-120, from the battle at X-ray in his tle on one of the helicopters and towards LZ Columbus while IFFV Commander who were lishment of a new artillery sup- Transportation Company-150, orders for Albany, “Move in- covered the entire battle. On 1 the remaining 2/7 and 1/5 com- involved in the battle at corps port base at LZ Crooks, secured Medical Company-40, Engi- side the column, grab them by November 1965 he disregarded panies marched towards LZ Al- level. In this session, with Col. by the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cav- neer Company-60, Recon Com- the belt, and thus avoid casual- his own safety to help rescue bany. Brown’s presence, they re- alry. pany-50. ties from the artillery and air.” two wounded soldiers while The latter force became viewed and agreed that the exe- The 5-day B-52 airstrike op- ARVN’s II Corps Command Both Westmoreland and An under fire. strung out and, in the early af- cution of the Battle of Ia Drang eration were carried on for two recapitulates the losses of the thought this battle to be a suc- He was finally awarded his ternoon, were badly mauled in was in line with the National more days: on 19 November the NVA from 18 October. to 26 No- cess. This battle was one of the Bronze Star on 8 January1988. an ambush before they could be Campaign Plan developed by carpet bombing aimed at the vember. as follows: KIA (body few set piece battles of the war reinforced and extricated. General Thang and General positions of units of the 66th count) 4,254, KIA (est) 2,270, and was one of the first battles to DePuy, the two J-3’s of the JGS and 33rd Regiments; and on WIA 1293, CIA 179, weapons popularize the U.S. concept of 64 65 Gaming

Matt O’ Brien attempts to become sho- gun and rule Japan with an iron fist. First, however, he has to remove his iron foot from his mouth.

f you enjoy a good game of For example if you want to citizens and trade any excess chess chances are you will train and recruit cavalry troops crops that you have. Ienjoy Total War Shogun 2. you will first have to construct a The final method of raising Think of it as chess on a grand- horse breeders building. money is by conquering other er and more complex scale. As mentioned, all of this provinces. When you take over The concept of the game is takes money. You start the game a city you have the choice of simple. It is the 16th Century in with a limited amount of gold occupying it or looting it and Japan and where once ruled a coin. There are various ways of burning it to the ground. unified government now stand swelling your financial coffers. Most buildings can be up- many clans, all vying for hon- The first is through tax. Your graded. Cities and town will our, recognition, control and for province will have a popula- start with a fort. These can be among the enemy they can be Once you have an army you transport goods to other clans conquest. As daiymo (warlord) tion. Besides your army there upgraded to castles or even cit- devastating. will then move them into an- via the sea. Of course transport of one of these clans, it is your are also civilians that pay the adels. While a castle or citadel Naginata (heavy) infantry can other province. The moment ships are needed to carry troops. duty to befriend, betray or de- tax. You can raise or lower the offers much better protection defend and attack, but are not you enter another province it Above all you will need ships stroy utterly those that stand in taxes at any time. This is, how- and is easier to defend, they great at either. is a declaration of war. You can that can fight and offer protec- your way as you strive to unite ever, where it gets tricky. If you cost a lot of time and money to Bow infantry are excellent at then attack or lay siege to an tion to your fleet. the warring factions and rise up lower the taxes your daiymo build and they have to be main- range but useless when it comes enemy city. Total War Shogun 2 is one of to rule them all as undisputed will be popular and your citi- tained. to melee combat. As soon as the You can also train and recruit the best RTS games around. Shogun - the battle-proven mil- zens will be happy. The prob- Your army is important. It enemy gets close it’s time to special agents. These could be itary leader of Japan. lem is that you will soon run needs to have the right balance pull them back. religious agents that will move You begin the game by se- out of money. You will be un- of troop type to be success- Rifle infantry are expensive into a province and try and con- lecting one of the nine available able to construct any new build- ful. You can have a number of to train and recruit. They can vert them, or ninja that can spy clans. At the start you will con- ings or recruit new troops. An armies and some of them should put up a deadly volley of fire on the enemy or even try and trol a single province. Besides even bigger problem is that you be garrisoned in cities for de- but their matchlock rifles are assassinate a general. your warlord you will have a will be unable to pay your army fence. Other armies should be slow to reload and, like bow You can enter into negotia- small army. or feed your citizens. used to attack and take over infantry, they are useless at me- tions with other clans and set up The first thing you will need Raise the taxes and you will other provinces. lee combat. Their unit sizes are alliances or trade agreements. to do is increase the size and find yourself very unpopular Each army should have a gen- also fairly small. The game also has naval ele- strength of your army. This you and your citizens not happy eral. They provide experience Cavalry units are quick and ments and this bring in a whole do by recruiting troops from campers. Raise them too high and morale to the troops. They they can charge in formation. new dimension. special dojo (training halls). An and they could even revolt. A can gain experience points in The are vulnerable to bow and To use ships you will first archery dojo, for example, can revolt can lead to buildings be- battle and can then be upgraded. rifle fire but once they get close have to build a port. Your port train and recruit archers. ing damaged. They will have to Yari (spear) infantry are ex- they will destroy these units. is where you build ships. If you do not have a dojo then be repaired, and again this will cellent at defending. They can Don’t use them to attack spear First of all you can build fish- you will have to build one. This cost money. Finding a happy take a cavalry charge to pieces infantry head on though. ing boats. These can bring in Publisher - Bohemia Interactive costs money, as does recruiting balance with taxes is not easy. if attacked head on. They are Siege units do exactly as the resources to feed your troops new units. In some cases you Another way of getting in not great on offense and are name suggests. They are great and civilian population. Gather Genre - RTS will have to construct special money is through trade with vulnerable to sword infantry. for attacking fortifications but enough fish and you can even Score - 8.5/10 buildings that allow the con- other provinces. You can build Sword infantry are well bal- are worthless if the enemy gets trade them. Price - R299 (on Steam) struction of other buildings. farms, grow crops to feed your anced troops. If they can get in close enough to them. You will need ships that can 66 67 Book Review Movie Flight of the Intruder Review Released: 1991 Running time: 115 minutes “Mad Mike” Hoare: The Legend Director: John Milius olonel Mike Hoare led CIA agent who was to change 300 ‘Wild Geese’ across his life … and who was to stop light of the Intruder is a rives on board and reports to killed. The North Vietnamese Cthe Congo to crush a Nelson Mandela. 1991 war film directed by Camparelli, who later tells in Hanoi gloat on TV over the communist rebellion, rescue Later Mike was technical John Milius, and starring Jake’s roommate Sammy Lun- downing of U.S. aircraft. Cole 2000 nuns and priests from bar- advisor to the film The Wild F barity, beat … and Geese, which starred Richard Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, deen (Justin Williams) to take then agrees with Jake’s plan to and Brad Johnson. It is based on Jake, Bob “Boxman” Walkaw- attack Hanoi, deciding to hit become a legend. Burton playing the Mike Hoare the novel of the same name by itz (Tom Sizemore) and “Mad “SAM City,” a surface-to-air Of Irish blood, Mike was character. former Grumman A-6 Intruder Jack” (Dann Florek) to fly into missile depot. schooled in England and, dur- In 1981 Mike led 50 ‘Froth- pilot Stephen Coonts. Subic Bay the next day and Sent to bomb a power plant in ing World War 2, was the ‘best blowers’ in a bid to depose the Lieutenant Jake “Cool Hand” help Jake unwind. Jake goes to the vicinity of Hanoi, they drop bloody soldier in the British socialist government of the Grafton (Brad Johnson) and see Sharon, but she has already two of their Mark 83 bombs, Army’. He demobbed as major, Seychelles. Things went wrong his bombardier/navigator and departed. keeping eight for the missile qualified in London as a - char and Mike was sentenced to ten best friend Lieutenant Morgan He runs into a woman named depot and set a new course for tered accountant and emigrated years in jail for hijacking a Boe- “Morg” McPherson (Christo- Callie Troy (Rosanna Arquette), Hanoi for their independent to South Africa. ing 707. pher Rich) are flying a Grum- who is packing Sharon’s things, bombing mission. Going rogue, he started living In this biography – rich in man A-6 Intruder during the and they have a small, tense While the movie didn’t re- dangerously to get more out of new material – Chris Hoare sep- 2 February 2020 at the age of Vietnam War over the Gulf of encounter. After an altercation ceive favourable reviews from life, including trans-Africa mo- arates the man from the myth in 100. Tonkin towards North Vietnam. with civilian merchant sailors the critics, it is not a bad movie torbike trips, bluewater sailing, a way only a son can, and con- They hit their target, a ‘suspect- in the Bar, Jake runs and is well worth a watch. exploring remote areas, and cludes his ‘mad dad’ was an of- Softcover, 302 pages with ed truck park’, which actually into Callie again. leading safaris in the Kalahari ficer and a gentleman with a bit photos. turns out to be trees. After they reconcile, dance Desert. of pirate thrown in. Price: R350 On the return to carrier, Morg and spend the night together, Here Mike got to know the Mike Hoare passed away on is fatally shot in the neck by she reveals her husband was an armed Vietnamese peasant. a Navy pilot himself and was Landing on the USS Independ- killed on a solo mission over ence with Morg dead, a dis- Vietnam. turbed Jake, covered in blood, Cole and Jake are paired on walks into a debriefing with “Iron Hand” A-6Bs loaded with Commander Frank Camparelli Standard and Shrike anti-ra- (Danny Glover) and Executive diation missiles for SAM sup- Officer, Commander “Cowboy” pression. During the mission, Parker (J. Kenneth Campbell). after a successful strike, they Camparelli tells Jake to put encounter and manage to evade Morgan’s death behind him a North Vietnamese MiG-17. and to write a letter to Sharon, Jake suggests to Cole that Morg’s wife. New pilot Jack they bomb Hanoi, which would Barlow (Jared Chandler), nick- be a violation of the restrictive named “Razor” because of his rules of engagement (ROE) youthful appearance, is then in- and could get them court-mar- troduced. tialed. Cole initially rejects the We Dare to Win Against All Odds In The Kill Zone idea. On the next raid, Boxman R300 R650 R300 Lieutenant Commander Vir- hits the suspected target, but is Click on the poster to watch a gil Cole (Willem Dafoe) ar- shot down by another SAM and trailer of the film. All books are available from Bush War Books 64 65 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March

Some of the significant military events that happened in March. Highlighted in blue are the game reserve as soldiers try • 1976 - President Samo- ca Territory Force claims to names of those members of the South African Defence Force (SADF) that lost their lives during the to free fifteen tourists who ra Machel of Mozambique have killed sixty Swapo in- month of March. were kidnapped by Rwan- closes his frontier with Rho- surgents in various skirmish- dan rebels. desia, seizes all Rhodesian es in the previous month, 1 March SADF were killed while • 1982 - Rifleman Lewis • 2005 - At least fifty Congo- assets in the country and bringing the total this year to • 1896 - Ethiopian forces de- traveling as passengers in Francesco from 31 Battal- lese militiamen are killed by places Mozambique on a eighty-six. According to the feat Italians at Adwa, north- a military minibus vehicle ion (201 Battalion SWATF) South African and Pakistani war footing as a result of a SWATF, the security forces ern , ending Italy’s when the vehicle was in- Died of Wounds accidental- United Nations peacekeep- “hot pursuit” attack by Rho- suffered no losses. quest to create a substantial volved in a head-on colli- ly sustained in an explosion ing troops in a bloody gun- desian security forces during • 1991 - Umkhonto we Si- African colony. sion with a truck on the Pre- inside an bun- fight in the Congolese dis- the previous week in which zwe (MK) chief-of-staff • 1941 - German troops enter toria-Potchefstroom Road. ker at Omega Base. He was trict of Ituri. Several South twenty-four guerrillas were Chris Hani says as long as Bulgaria. They were: Private Gerhar- 22. African soldiers of 12 SA killed inside Mozambique. the SADF continues recruit- • 1951- Pilots Doug McKellar dus Stephanus De Bruin (22) • 1984 - Rifleman Hendrik Infantry Battalion (12 SAI) • 1976 - US government un- ment and training, his organ- and “Dizzy” Deans of the from Danie Theron Combat Francois van der Merwe are slightly hurt in the ac- der President Gerald Ford isation will continue recruit- SA Air Force’s No 2 (Fly- School. Gunner Jaques Ter- from the Vanderbijl Park tion. discloses that it has decided ing members and building ing Cheetah) Squadron, as- blanche (19) from 10 Artil- Commando apparently to sell weapons to Egypt. underground structures. sisting the UN in the Kore- lery Brigade. drowned in unknown cir- 3 March • 1980 - Rifleman Manuel • 1993 - An American soldier an War, locate seven trucks cumstances. He was offi- • 1901 - The Battle of Li- Yenga from 32 Battalion was is killed by a land mine in hidden in hilly terrain and 2 March cially declared dead by the chtenburg takes place. The Killed in Action when he Somalia and a second dies in strike target dive-bombing • 1900 - A council of war at State President in 1986. He British soldiers move their triggered a Soviet POM-Z2 a truck crash, bringing to six with napalm a procedure Poplar Grove, OFS, gives has no known grave and re- horses into the Dutch Re- Anti-Personnel Picket Mine the number of Americans used for the first time by the Danie Theron permission to mains unaccounted for. He formed Church building to inside an enemy bunker near killed in Operation Restore squadron. form a Scout Corps consist- was 25. shelter them from the fire of Naulila during Operation Hope. • 1954 - Bikini: US detonates ing of about 100 men. • 1985 - Rifleman Hilton General De la Rey’s troops. Makalani. He was 25. • 2004 - Angered by the way 15 megaton hydrogen bomb. • 1938 - Stalin initiates the Isaac Jacobs from the South • 1918 - Russia withdraws • 1983 - Special Consta- President Jean-Bertrand • 1981 - Rifleman Peter Hall Purges. African was from WW I, signs Treaty of ble Sam Iyambo from the Aristide was forced to flee from 61 Mechanised Battal- • 1943 - During World War killed in a Military Vehicle Brest-Litovsk with Germa- South West Africa Police his country, the 15-nation ion Group was accidentally II in the Pacific, a Japanese Accident at Kuils River. He ny. Counter-Insurgency Wing: Caribbean Community says killed during anti-insurgent convoy was attacked by 137 was 20. • 1945 - RAF bombs The Ops-K Division (Koevoet) it will not provide troops for operations in the Eenhana American bombers as the • 1986 - Sapper Daniel Wil- Hague in error, 511 die. was Killed in Action dur- the UN peacekeeping force Area. He was 19. Battle of Bismarck Sea be- helmus van Schalkwyk from • 1964 - Rifleman Brian Ivan ing a contact with SWAPO/ to . Aristide claimed • 1988 - Special Constable gan. 11 Field Engineer Regiment Dummer from the Tygerberg PLAN Insurgents in North- that he was abducted at gun- Thomas Kanitus from the • 1945 - Philippines: Japanese was killed in a Military Ve- Commando was killed in a ern Owamboland. He was point by US Marines and South West Africa Police resistance on Corregidor hicle Accident at Messina. military vehicle accident at 26. sent into exile in South Af- Counter-Insurgency Wing: ends. He was 22. Bethlehem. He was 19. • 1988 - The South West Afri- rica. Ops-K Division (Koevoet) • 1951 - Two pilots of the SA • 1988 - Special Sergeant He- was Killed in Action dur- Air Force’s Cheetah Squad- pute Wakumbilwa from the 4 March ing a contact with SWAPO/ ron, Lieutenant D.A. Ruiter South West Africa Police • 1900 - Boers are defeated by PLAN insurgents in North- and Captain W.J.J. Baden- Counter-Insurgency Wing: Lord Roberts at Driefontein ern Owamboland. He was horst, are killed in action Ops-K Division (Koevoet) in the Free State. 23. while assisting the United was Killed in Action dur- • 1945 - US Army Air Force • 1990 - State President F.W. Nations in the Korean War. ing a contact with SWAPO/ B-24s accidentally bomb de Klerk announces plans • 1955 - Egypt and Syria sign PLAN insurgents in North- Zurich. to bring covert operations a defensive alliance. ern Owamboland. He was • 1945 - Finland declares war by government agents under • 1962 - Coup in Burma ini- 27. Chris on Nazi Germany. Cabinet control. tiates an ongoing military • 1999 - Eight foreigners die Hani • 1968 - Leading Air Me- • 1990 - Two members of the regime. in a shoot-out in a Ugandan chanic James Ross Brum- 00 00 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March

mer from Air Operations from the Army Catering • 1974 - Rifleman Gerhar- tions are concluded during ing a contact with SWAPO/ and more than 870 soldiers School Langebaanweg was Corps was killed in a Mili- dus Johannes Jacobus van the First Anglo-Boer War. PLAN insurgents in North- are captured. accidentally killed while tary Vehicle Accident, at Os- Rhyn from 6 SAI died from • 1944 - USAF begins day- ern Owamboland. He was • 1936 - Hitler breaks the mounting a radio antenna on hakati. He was 24. gunshot wounds accidental- light bombing of Berlin. 28. Treaty of Versailles, sends the roof of a hanger at AFB • 1986 - Rifleman Benjamin ly sustained at Bwabwata, • 1971 - Private Francois • 1986 - Private Dawid Jo- troops into the Rhineland, Langebaanweg. The asbes- Tjenda from 201 Battalion Western Caprivi. He was 18. Nel from the Army Service hannes Retief from 6 Main- and the Allies fail to act. tos roofing gave way and he SWATF was killed when his • 1980 - Rifleman Johannes Corps was killed in a private tenance Unit accidentally • 1941 - WWII: British troops fell to his death. He was 24. Buffel Troop Carrier over- Jacobus Maass from Regi- motor vehicle accident in drowned in the operational invade Italian-occupied Ab- • 1970 - French submarine turned in Northern Owam- ment Erongo was Killed in Pretoria. He was 16. area when his Military vehi- yssinia, now Ethiopia. ‘Eurydice’ explodes while boland. He was 19 Action during a contact with • 1976 - Sergeant Trevor Wal- cle skidded off the road and • 1941 - Gunther Prien, daring submerged in the Mediterra- • 1990 - Ciskei’s President SWAPO/PLAN insurgents ter August Booysen from landed in a river, leaving submarine captain of ‘U- nean, 57 die. Lennox Sebe is overthrown in Northern Owamboland. Regiment Westelike Provin- him trapped inside the vehi- 47’, is killed in action at the • 1981 - Rifleman Frans Karel in a coup. The homeland’s He was 24. sie was accidentally killed at cle. He was 19. age of 34. Petrus Burger from the Cape new military leader, Briga- • 1980 - Rifleman Eric -Nor Ruacana when he fell off the • 1986 - Corporal Pieter • 1942 - First black cadets Town Highlanders was Re- dier Oupa Gqozo, announc- man van Reenen from 52 back of a moving vehicle. Jeremias Smith from the graduate from the USAAF ported Missing while cross- es that his government’s ulti- Battalion was Killed in Ac- He was 29. Specialist Unit died in the flying school at Tuskegee. ing a river when on a patrol mate goal is reincorporating tion during a contact with • 1980 - Lance Bombardier Tygerberg Hospital from • 1943 - Japanese refuse a near Ruacana. He disap- the territory into South Af- SWAPO/PLAN insurgents Matthew Johannes Naus multiple shrapnel wounds German request to join war peared under the water and rica. Looting and burning near the Cut-line in North- from 14 Artillery Regiment sustained in an accidental against Russia. despite an intensive search, continue for two days and ern Owamboland. He was died from a gunshot wound mortar bomb explosion. He • 1945 - Troops of the US 9th his body was never located. about twenty-seven people 29. that was apparently self-in- was 21. Armored Div, commanded He was 22. die in violence. • 1990 - SA sends troops to flicted. He was 19. • 1993 - Unita rebels capture by German-born Lt. Karl • 1982 - Two members of 31 Ciskei to suppress mob at- • 1983 - Two members from 1 Angola’s second largest city, Timmerman, capture the Battalion (201 Battalion 5 March tacks on factories and shops Medium Battery, 4 Artillery Huambo, after a two-month Ludendorff Bridge over the SWATF) were Killed in Ac- • 1916 - SA troops led by after military coup under Regiment that were attached battle with government Rhine at Remagen. tion during a contact with General Jan Smuts invade Brigadier Gqozo ousted au- to 61 Mech Battalion, were troops. • 1952 - Job Masego, WW2 SWAPO/PLAN insurgents East Africa in their confron- thoritarian President Sebe. Killed in Action while on veteran who sunk a German near the Cut-line. They tation with German forces in • 1993 - Lance Corporal guard duty on a farm near 7 March supply boat while a prisoner were: Rifleman Mahorison . Sydwell Boer from 3 SAI Tsumeb that was located • 1876 - During the second of war after the capture of Rodriques (21). Rifleman • 1936 - Maiden flight of the was killed in a military ve- well below the “Red Line”. invasion of Abyssinia by Tobruk, dies in Springs, Tvl. Llewellyn Verwey (20). prototype Supermarine Spit- hicle accident on the N3 at A small group of SWAPO/ Egypt, the Egyptian forces A street and a school in Kwa • 1983 - Two members from fire. Keyridge. He was 25. PLAN insurgents attacked are defeated at Gura by the Thema have been named af- 32 Battalion were Killed in • 1942 - Burma: British ap- the farm and shot them both Ethiopians under King Yo- ter him and in 1997 the SAS Action during a contact with point Sir Harold Alexander 6 March at point blank range. The hannes. Kobie Coetzee was renamed enemy forces in Southern Commander-in-Chief. • 1836 - Fort Alamo fell to casualties were: Gunner • 1900 - The Battle of Pop- SAS Job Masego. Angola during Operation • 1942 - The US Navy Sea- Mexican troops led by Gen- Christo Francois Bezuiden- lar Grove (or Modderrivi- • 1977 - The Defence Amend- Snoek. They were: Sergeant bees are established. eral Santa Anna. The Mexi- hout (20). Gunner Jameson erspoort) takes place. Pres- ment Bill, first published on Augusto Mande (30). Ri- • 1945 - US VII Corps cap- cans had begun the siege of Bosse (19). ident Paul Kruger escapes 31 January 1977, becomes fleman Joao Daniel Kativa tures Cologne. the Texas fort on 23Febru- • 1984 - Martin Niemöller, with the help of General De law. Under it the State Presi- (26). • 1953 - Soviet dictator Jo- ary, ending it with the kill- WW I U-boat skipper, an- Wet. dent is empowered to invoke • 1984 - Rifleman Patrick seph Stalin dies at the age of ing of the last defender. “Re- ti-Nazi clergyman, at 92. • 1902 - General De la Rey powers of censorship and Kudumo from 902 Battalion 73. member the Alamo” became • 1985 - Special Constable defeats and captures Gen- of commandeering prem- SWATF was accidentally • 1968 - Rifleman Cornelius a rallying cry for Texans Matheus Oukongo from the eral Methuen in the Battle ises. Service in defence of shot dead by a fellow soldier Andre Grobler from 6 SAI who went on to defeat Santa South West Africa Police of Tweebosch (or De Klip- the Republic now includes while on duty in Northern was killed in a military ve- Anna in the Battle of San Ja- Counter-Insurgency Wing: drift) in Western Transvaal, anti-terrorist operations as Owamboland. He was 25. hicle accident in Grahams- cinto in April. Ops-K Division (Koevoet) the last important battle won well as the prevention and • 1986 - Private Petrus Dolf town. He was 20. • 1881 - Armistice negotia- was Killed in Action dur- by the Boer forces. Methuen suppression of internal dis- 00 00 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March order and there can be great- covered two days later when 8 March to extract and then hook the hannes Metcalfe (27). 9 March er flexibility and speed in the builders gravel was re- • 1902 - General De la Rey grenades into their webbing • 1987 - Private Allen Alber- • 1831 - The French Foreign mobilisation. moved. He was 20. releases General Lord via the grenade handle. Un- to Mariano from 101 Field Legion is founded in • 1980 - Three members from • 1986 - The State of Emer- Methuen after his wounds fortunately, when Abraham Workshops was accidentally to serve in the French colo- 13 Field Engineer Squad- gency imposed on 21 July are treated. took off his webbing after killed at Omauni in Owam- nies in Africa. ron were Killed in Action at 1985, is lifted. • 1916 - Battle of Dujaila: returning to Nkurukuru Base boland while loading a dam- • 1864 - Ulysses S. Grant was the Chandelier near Elundu • 1991 - 2nd Lieutenant Ste- The Turks beat off a British from a patrol, his thumb aged vehicle onto a low-bed. commissioned as a Lieu- when a booby-trapped land- ven van Rooyen from the attempt to relieve the siege caught on the grenade pin The crane lift chain broke tenant General and became mine coupled together with Dog Training Centre ac- of Kut. and pulled it out. The armed and the vehicle fell onto commander of the Union ar- other improvised explosive cidentally drowned in the • 1942 - Indies M26 grenade fell onto the him, killing him instantly. mies. devices, exploded while Blyde River at Belvedere. surrender to the Japanese. floor in the middle of the He was 19. • 1916 - Germany declares they were in the process of He was 19. • 1950 - USSR announces tent and without hesitation, • 1988 - Trooper Mark Ste- war on . defusing it. The casualties • 1993 - Angola says its they have developed the he dived onto the grenade ven Bannell from 1 Special • 1922 - General Jan Smuts were: Sergeant Deon van troops have withdrawn from atomic bomb. and absorbed the full force Service Battalion was killed declares martial law in the der Vyver (21). Corporal Huambo after two months • 1963 - Air Mechanic Pie- of the explosion that killed whilst doing riot patrol on Transvaal after mobilising Antonie Oberholzer (22). of fighting with rebels that ter Jacobus Hattingh from him instantly but saved the the outskirts of East London the active citizen force in a Sapper Willem Johannes left 10,000 dead. 35 Squadron was killed in lives of all the others in the when his Buffel Troop Car- bid to quell the dispute of Steenkamp Prinsloo (22). • 1993 - The SADF’s Battal- a Ferret Armoured car ac- tent. He was 21. rier overturned. He was 19. striking mineworkers. • 1982 - Six Front Line States ion 31, composed primarily cident while carrying out • 1983 - Rifleman Adriaan • 1994 - President Lucas • 1945 - US B-29s drop 1,665 meet in Maputo and decide of the San (Bushmen) battal- in-lying Picket duty patrol Jacobus Booysen Thirion Mangope calls out troops as tons of incendiaries on To- to coordinate further their ion who fought in the war in of the Security Fence at Air from the Boksburg Com- unrest flares in Bophuthat- kyo, creating a firestorm; by military and economic pol- Namibia and has lately been Force Base Ysterplaat. He mando was accidentally swana. dawn on the 10th between icies to counter South Afri- deployed in South African was 20. killed in a mortar bomb ex- • 1996 - Lt Col John “Mad 80,000-120,000 have died, ca’s economic and military townships, is disbanded at a • 1964 - General of Infantry plosion in Southern Angola. Jack” or “Fighting Jack” the highest toll in a single aggression. public ceremony in the Cape Paul Emil von Lettow-Vor- He was 24. Churchill, DSO, MC, who air raid, exceeding even the • 1983 - Lance Corporal province. The 1,000 soldiers beck, dies aged 83. • 1987 - Two members from fought WW II with a long- atomic bombs Owen Christopher Williams will be transferred to other • 1965 - First US combat 54 Battalion were Killed in bow, claymore, & bagpipes, • 1969 - Lt General Moneim from 5 SAI, attached to 101 units in the northern Cape troops (3,500 Marines) ar- Action during a contact with dies at the age of 89. Riad, chief of staff of Battalion Romeo Mike was and will help patrol the bor- rive in Vietnam. SWAPO/PLAN insurgents • 2004 - Fifteen suspected Egypt’s armed forces, is accidentally killed in a Rifle der to Namibia. • 1972 - Trooper Hubert Ter- at Elundu. They were: Cor- mercenaries are arrested in killed during Israeli-Egyp- Grenade explosion while on • 1994 - Multinational Afri- rance Caddy from 1 Special poral Irvine Manuel Daniels Equatorial Guinea, includ- tian gun battle across Suez operations in Southern An- can army installs new gov- Service Battalion was killed (28). Rifleman Henry Jo- ing the alleged leader of the Canal. gola . He was 21. ernment in Liberia. at Zeerust when his Eland advance party, Nick du Toit. • 1977 - Lieutenant Gerrit • 1985 - Corporal Deon van • 2004 - seizes a Armoured Car overturned Most of the suspects are Keulder from 32 Battalion Niekerk from the North- US-registered cargo plane during a training exercise. South African. was Killed in Action whilst ern Transvaal Command carrying sixty-four suspect- He was 20. • 2013 - Ewald-Heinrich von on patrol in Henombe area Provost Unit was Reported ed mercenaries and military • 1973 - Maritime headquar- Kleist, German officer, an- of Southern Angola. He was Missing in Clubview, Pre- equipment. , of ters at Silvermine is opened. ti-Hitler conspirator, last 21. toria while on official traffic the mercenary outfit Exec- • 1977 - Corporal Abraham surviving veteran of the • 1977 - Rifleman P. Katanga control duty during a mili- utive Outcomes, is arrested Liebergh Pelser from 7 SAI “July Plot”, dies at the age from 202 Battalion SWATF tary exercise. A large truck along with five others on saved the lives of his fellow of 90. was Killed in Action during filled with tons of builders the tarmac, after the Zimba- soldiers on the afternoon of a Contact with enemy forces gravel jack-knifed on the bwean authorities have been 08 March 1977. Some of in Southern Angola. He was Old Johannesburg Road tipped off by the SA govern- the troops used to straight- 19. and overturned in the area ment. en the pins on the hand gre- Jan • 1982 - Lance Corporal Er- where he had been doing nades, making them easier rol Carl Moolman from the duty. His body was only dis- Smuts 00 00 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March

Rand Light Infantry was was Killed in Action dur- are imposed on all private nounces that it will unveil fore he could be evacuated. • 1945 - Anne Frank, dies in accidentally drowned in a ing a contact with SWAPO/ travel in the UK, in prepara- six new products at a United He was 24. Bergen-Belsen concentra- rowing boat accident while PLAN Insurgents in North- tion for D-Day. Arab Emirates weapons ex- • 1985 - Rifleman K. Iyango tion camp of typhus. She serving in the Operational ern Owamboland. He was • 1964 - US begins reconnais- hibition to increase its sales, from 101 Battalion SWATF was 14. Area. He was 20. 25. sance flights over East Ger- especially in the Middle was Killed in Action during • 1951 - North Korean/Red • 1982 - Rifleman John -Ver • 2007 - Chief of the SA Air many. East. a contact with PLAN and Chinese troops driven out of rooy from the South Afri- Force (SAAF) Lieuten- • 1966 - North Vietnamese FAPLA forces in Southern Seoul. can Cape Corps attached to ant-General Carlo Gagiano capture US Green Beret 11 March Angola. He was 24. • 1962 - Defence Minister J.J. Wenela Base was acciden- announces Waterkloof air Camp in the Ashau Valley. • 1779 - The US Army Corps • 1987 - Rifleman E. Nangu- Fouche outlines the basic tally drowned when he fell force base the country’s most • 1970 - Corporal Hermanus of Engineers is established. la from 101 Battalion Ro- principles of South Africa’s off a pont near Wenela Base prominent air force base is Stephanus van der Merwe • 1941 - During World War meo Mike Team 901 SSC- defence policy and gives de- in Eastern Caprivi. He was closing for all flying opera- from Northern Air Defence II, the Lend-Lease program RM-3 SWATF was Killed tails of measures being tak- 21. tions for eighteen months in Sector, Devon was killed began allowing Britain to in Action in Southern An- en to build up the Defence • 1984 - Rifleman W.K. Ma- order to upgrade the base’s while travelling in a military receive American weapons, gola after suffering multiple Forces and to make South tende from 202 Battalion main runway. Work is to bus as part of a convoy en machines, raw materials, shrapnel wounds when he Africa self-supporting in SWATF was Killed in Ac- start in July and should last route to Devon. He was 18. training and repair servic- triggered a Soviet POM-Z2 military equipment. tion during a contact with about eighteen months. • 1982 - Rifleman Joao Bap- es. Ships, planes, guns and Anti-Personal Picket Mine. • 1963 - Major Anthony Den- SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. tista from 32 Battalion was shells, along with food, He was 22. nis Michael Lawrenson AFC He was 20. 10 March killed in a military vehicle clothing and metals went to • 1988 - Rifleman Piet- from Air Force Base Wa- • 1985 - Two members from 6 • 1880 - The Salvation Army accident near Rundu. He the embattled British while er Leon Hendrik van Dyk terkloof was killed when his SAI were killed when their was founded in the United was 26. American warships began from Dornier Do-27A, Serial No. Buffel Troop Carrier over- States. The social service or- • 1982 - The trial begins in patrolling the North Atlan- was killed when his Buffel 5431 crashed near Belfast turned in Grahamstown. The ganization was first found- the Natal Supreme Court of tic and U.S troops were sta- Troop Carrier overturned while on a training flight. He casualties were: Rifleman ed in England by William the mercenaries accused of tioned in Greenland and Ice- during anti-crime operations was 43. Shaun Patrick Atkins (21). Booth and operates today in hijacking an airliner to flee land. in Mamelodi Township. He • 1968 - P.W. Botha, the Min- Rifleman Orlando de Portu- 90 countries. from the Seychelles after a • 1942 - Paris: First de- was 18. ister of Defence, reports to gal Goncalves (19). • 1900 - The British under failed coup on 25-26 No- portation train leaves for • 1994 - Three AWB members the Senate on the progress • 1985 - Rifleman Eduardo Lord Roberts defeats the Bo- vember 1981. Auschwitz. shot and killed during the in- of the Arms Industry and de- Jonas from 101 Battalion ers in the battle of Driefon- • 1986 - Rifleman Pinecas • 1945 - 1,000 Allied bomb- vasion of Bophuthatswana. fines the main aims of South was Killed in Action dur- tein. Amupolo from 101 Battal- ers drop over 4,000 tons of Africa’s defence policy. ing a contact with SWAPO/ • 1922 - Angry White work- ion SWATF Died of Wounds bombs on Essen. 12 March • 1975 - Lieutenant Christo- PLAN Insurgents. He was ers, on strike since 28 De- received when his Samil 100 • 1979 - Rifleman Paul Wil- • 1879 - A convoy of the Brit- pher Stuart Franklin from 7 23. cember, storm and occupy Kwevoel vehicle was hit by liam Ernest Carroll from ish 80th Regt. is over-run at Squadron was killed when • 1987 - Corporal Matthew police stations, railway in- a Soviet RPG-7 anti-tank 7 SAI was Killed in Ac- Ntombe River, northern Zu- his AT-6 Harvard crashed William Wallace McGregor stallations and mines on the rocket. He was 25. tion during a contact with luland by a force of 2 000 near Oudtshoorn. He was from 2 Field Engineer Reg- Rand. They also attack the • 1988 - Rifleman Lodewick- SWAPO/PLAN insurgents Zulus. Of the sixty men in 21. iment attached to 25 Field city’s main post office and us Johannes Moolman from near the Cut-Line. He was the camp, only fifteen es- • 1984 - Rifleman L. Dala Squadron was critically power station in a mass pro- Regiment Bloemspruit was 20. cape. from 31 Battalion SWATF wounded in Action during test that has, in a few hours, killed when he was attacked • 1984 - Staff Sergeant David • 1918 - The British subma- was Killed in Action dur- operations in South Western turned into open rebellion and trampled to death by an John Ward from 101 Battal- rine ‘D-3’ is sunk off the ing a contact with SWAPO/ Angola. against the state. Within four elephant during a patrol near ion SWATF was critically French coast, by a French PLAN Insurgents. He was • 1988 - Special Constable days the revolt is crushed. the Nwamedzi Base in the wounded in the hip when airship which mistook her 22. Fransiskus Lukas from the 153 people, including 72 Kruger National Park. He his team was ambushed by for a U-boat. • 1987 - Rifleman J.W.L. Jo- South West Africa Police of the state forces, lie dead, was 29. SWAPO/PLAN and FAPLA • 1938 - Nazis invaded Aus- hannes from 5 Recce Reg- Counter-Insurgency Wing: 534 are injured. • 1997 - South African arms forces in Southern Angola. tria, then absorbed the coun- iment was Killed in Action Ops K Division (Koevoet) • 1944 - Severe restrictions manufacturer Denel an- He died from blood loss be- try into Hitler’s Reich. during a contact with enemy

00 00 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March

forces. He was 24. Goebbels Minister of Infor- overturned near Buffalo. He Owen John Doyle (21). forces in Southern Angola. hold at Fordsburg Square • 1987 - Rifleman Faustino mation. was 18. • 1980 - 2nd Lieutenant Philli- He was 20. during the Rand Revolt and Sikote from 32 Battalion • 1942 - Julia Flikke, of the • 1988 - Lieutenant (Doctor) pus Jacob Rudolph Oosthu- • 1985 - Special Constable it falls to the government. was Killed in Action during Nurse Corps, becomes the Herman Jan Roelof Gerding izen from 5 SAI was Killed Joans Andungi from the Before presumably commit- a contact with FAPLA forc- first woman colonel in the from the SA Medical Corps in Action after suffering South West Africa Police ting suicide in this building, es near Evale in Southern US Army. Headquarters was killed multiple shrapnel wounds Counter-Insurgency Wing: the two communist leaders, Angola during Operation • 1942 - The U.S. Army K9 while travelling as a passen- during an ambush on the Ops K Division (Koevoet) Fisher and Spendiff, left a Kakebeen. He was 27. Corps is established. ger in a military ambulance. Chandelier Road, about was Killed in Action dur- joint note: ‘We died for what • 1987 - Special Constable • 1943 - A plot to kill Hitler by He was 35. 10km from Nkongo Base ing a contact with SWAPO/ we believed in the Cause’. Simon Venusiu from the German army officers failed • 2002 - The Angolan govern- when a Soviet 82mm High PLAN insurgents in North- • 1943 - Third Battle of South West Africa Police as a bomb planted aboard ment announces a unilateral Explosive mortar bomb ex- ern Owamboland. He was Kharkov: Germans under Counter-Insurgency Wing: his plane failed to explode ceasefire in its 27-year civil ploded next to him. He was 23. Manstein retake the city Ops K Division (Koevoet) due to a faulty detonator. war against Unita, to begin 20. • 1987 - Special Constable from the Soviets. was Killed in Action dur- • 1954 - General Giap’s Viet the next day. • 1984 - Lieutenant Stan- Ndjendjela Vilho from the • 1944 - The ancient Abbey of ing a contact with SWAPO/ Minh attack That Bien Phu. ley Saillard Ponder from South West Africa Police Monte Cassino is destroyed PLAN insurgents in North- • 1977 - Rifleman Jacobus 14 March the South African Medical Counter-Insurgency Wing: by Allied bombing and ern Owamboland. He was Frederick Steyn from 5 SAI • 1915 - German cruiser Corps, a Dental Practition- Ops K Division (Koevoet) shelling. 24. was killed in a military vehi- ‘Dresden’ scuttled off . er attached to 2 Field Engi- was Killed in Action dur- • 1957 - Britain becomes the • 1988 - Rifleman Stephen cle accident at the Kongola • 1933 - Winston Churchill neer Regiment, was killed at ing a contact with SWAPO/ third nation to detonate a nu- Ebenezer Futcher from 32 Bridge. He was 19. calls for better air defensive Grootfontein when his vehi- PLAN insurgents in North- clear bomb. Battalion was Reported • 1982 - Three members of of Britain. cle was involved in a head- ern Owamboland. He was • 1972 - Rifleman Werner Al- Missing after he disappeared 32 Battalion were Killed in • 1941 - German Air Raid on on collision with a police 26. brecht from the Technical in the Okavango River one Action during Operation Clydbank: After two night of vehicle while he was trav- • 1988 - Rifleman Zwelithini Service Corps attached to 1 night while swimming be- Super in Southern Angola. bombing nearly every build- eling to a nearby clinic. He Andrias Lukhelo from 121 Field Ambulance Unit was hind the Pont near Buffalo The casualties were: 2nd ing the town is damaged or was 25. Battalion was killed while accidentally killed when a Base. It is suspected that he Lieutenant Petrus Johannes destroyed, more than 500 • 1985 - 2nd Lieutenant Guy on patrol in the Tembe El- steam pressure cooker ex- was either taken by a croc- Stephanus Nel (HC Posthu- are dead, and over 50,000 Claude Udo Winsto Mogens ephant Park when he was ploded at Elandsfontein. He odile or a hippo. His body mous) (19). Corporal Phillip homeless. De Beurges from 121 Bat- trampled to death by an en- was 19. was never located despite an Thomas Stewart (23). Cor- • 1961 - Two members from talion was Killed in Action raged elephant. He was 32. • 1982 - Rifleman Johannes intensive search. He remains poral Yombi João (32). Air Force Base Zwartkop during a contact with enemy • 1992 - Rifleman Mari- Jasva from Northern Trans- unaccounted for. He was 20. • 1983 - Rifleman Andrew were killed when their Fer- us Gottfreidt Uitenweerde vaal Command was killed in • 1989 - Rifleman Thulani Matthews Smit from 5 ret overturned from 1 Parachute Battalion a military vehicle accident. Maxwei Khuluse from 121 SAI was Killed in Action while on a night Base Perim- was killed in a private motor He was 18. Battalion was killed in a in a landmine explosion in eter Patrol. The casualties vehicle accident near Beno- • 1986 - Special Constable shooting incident in the Southern Angola. He was were: Air Sergeant James ni. He was 26. Ernesto Hishidivali from the Community Hall at Veru- 18. George McKelvey (30). Air South West Africa Police lam. He was 25. • 1986 - Corporal Victor Rod- Sergeant Nicolaas Jacobus 15 March Counter-Insurgency Wing: • 1999 - Poland, Hungary, riques Pedro from 1 Recon- Neveling (23). • 1900 - Lord Roberts issues Ops K Division (Koevoet) & the join naissance Regiment acci- • 1979 - Two members of his first proclamation, offer- was Killed In Action dur- NATO. dentally drowned in Durban 12 Squadron deployed to ing amnesty to burghers, ex- ing a contact with SWAPO/ during a training exercise. Grootfontein for Opera- cept for the leaders. PLAN insurgents in North- 13 March He was 31. tion Rekstok and Safraan • 1922 - The artillery bom- ern Owamboland. He was • 1900 - British forces under • 1988 - Private Carel Jo- were killed in action. They bards the strikers’ strong- 28. Lord Roberts take Bloem- hannes Beneke from 1 were: Lieutenant (Pilot) • 1988 - Angola releases the fontein. Maintenance Unit was killed Dewald Wally Marais (24). Josef bodies of two SA Defence • 1933 - Hitler makes Josef when his military vehicle 2nd Lieutenant (Navigator) Goebbels Force commandos killed in

00 00 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March

a raid on Cabinda oil depots plosion at Ruacana. They manders of the Boer forces, Wetton (19). Rifleman M. ZANU leader, is killed in installations at Baixa Longa in 1985, and the SADF re- were: Corporal Theo Chris- during which far-reaching Moses (20). Lusaka when his car blows in Angola with radio silence patriates twelve captured topeus Noel Maseti (Army tactical decisions are taken • 1997 - Denel says no deal up in an explosion. being enforced. After an in- MPLA soldiers. Catering Corps) (21). Rifle- about the future conduct of has been reached over the • 1986 - Warrant Officer tensive search, the wreckage man Charles Johannes Co- the war. sale of arms to Syria. Class 1 Frederick Petrus of the aircraft together with 16 March ram (19). Rifleman Willem • 1916 - The Imperial Japa- Johannes Cornelius from 5 the body of the pilot were • 1802 - The U.S. Military Swartz (22). nese Naval Air Service is 18 March Maintenance Unit was crit- located inside Angola, not Academy at West Point • 1984 - Rifleman P.Haupindi established. • 1915 - British & French lose ically wounded in Northern far from the Cut Line. He opens its doors on this day. from 202 Battalion SWATF • 1942 - Belzec Concentration six ships attempting to force Owamboland when his ve- was 33. • 1916 - The new Dutch pas- was Killed in Action dur- Camp opens. the Dardanelles. hicle detonated a landmine. • 1989 - Maiden flight of the senger liner ‘Tubatina’ is tor- ing a contact with SWAPO/ • 1966 - US mini-sub locates • 1917 - French battleship Evacuated back to the RSA, Boeing V-22 Osprey VTOL pedoed off the Netherlands, PLAN insurgents. He was a missing H-bomb in the ‘Danton’ is sunk off Sardin- he succumbed to his wounds aircraft. Germany denies responsi- 20. Mediterranean off Palo- ia by a German u-boat, 296 in 1 Military Hospital later • 1994 - Rifleman Phethiso bility despite recovery of • 1984 - Prime Minister P.W. mares, . die. that evening. He was 31. Simeon Makhatha from 115 portions of the torpedo. Botha and President Samo- • 1977 - Sapper Christo Kemp • 1922 - The strike by mine- • 1987 - freezes mili- Battalion was killed after • 1935 - Hitler announces ra Machel of Mozambique from 14 Field Regiment was workers on the Witwaters- tary contracts and imposes suffering multiple head in- German rearmament, after sign the Nkomati Accord at Killed in Action during mine rand, also known as the cultural and tourism sanc- juries when his Buffel Troop years of covert efforts under the common border on the clearing operations. He was Rand Revolt, ends. More tions on South Africa. Carrier overturned while on the Weimar Republic, in vi- banks of the Komati River a 23. than 200 people were killed Township Patrol. He was 27. olation of the Treaty of Ver- step hailed as a major move • 1977 - Angolan troops in- during the strike, which put 19 March • 2003 - The United States sailles. towards peace, stability and vading Zaire take important thousands out of work and • 1858 - War against the Basu- launched an attack against • 1968 - During the Vietnam international co-operation in copper-mining centre of caused a devastating loss in to is declared in Bloemfon- Iraq to topple dictator Sadd- War, the My Lai Massacre Southern Africa. Kolwezi. coal and gold production. tein. am Hussein from power. occurred as American sol- • 1987 - Two members from 5 • 1981 - Rifleman Petrus • 1940 - Adolf Hitler and Ben- • 1945 - Adolf Hitler orders The attack commenced with diers of Charlie Company SAI were killed when their Jacobus Viljoen from the Pi- ito Mussolini hold a meeting total destruction of German aerial strikes against mili- murdered 504 Vietnamese Samil 50 vehicle overturned etermaritzburg Commando at the Brenner Pass during infrastructure. tary sites, followed the next men, women, and children. 10km east of Colenso while was Killed in Action during which the Italian dictator • 1979 - Private Louis Ger- day by an invasion of south- Twenty-five U.S. Army of- ferrying troops from Durban a skirmish with FRELIMO agrees to join in Germany’s hard Nel was critically in- ern Iraq by U.S. and British ficers were later charged Airport to the 5 SAI Base troops near Ponta do Ouro. war against France and Brit- jured in an aircraft ejection ground troops. with complicity in the mas- at Ladysmith. They were: He was 23. ain. seat accident on the Squad- sacre and subsequent cov- Rifleman Gavin Gainsford • 1984 - A Defence Force • 1944 - German troops seize ron and succumbed to his in- 20 March er-up, but only one was con- (18). Rifleman John Adriaan spokesman confirms in Cape control of Hungary. juries in 1 Military Hospital. • 1896 - The second Matabele victed, and later pardoned Marlow (18). Town that South Africa is to • 1949 - The North Atlan- He was 20. war breaks out. by President Richard Nixon. stop supplying the United tic Treaty Organisation • 1981 - Gunner Cornelius Jo- • 1902 - In the British House • 1983 - Chief Petty Officer 17 March (St Patrick’s Day) States and Britain with intel- (NATO) is founded. hannes Janse van Rensburg of Commons David Lloyd Nadiem Mooi from the • 1900 - President Kruger ligence reports on the move- • 1952 - Communist offensive from 14 Field Regiment George suggests that there South African Navy Provost and President Steyn appoint ments of Soviet warships in Korea begins. died in 1 Military Hospital are as many as 30 000 armed Unit was accidentally killed Count Georges de Ville- around the Cape by the end • 1963 - War of independence after being diagnosed with a Blacks in British military while attached to 102 Bat- bois-Mareuil as general in of the year. is launched against Portugal brain tumor. He was 19. employ in South Africa. talion SWATF. He was 34. Kroonstad during the South • 1987 - Two members from in Guinea-Bissau. • 1988 - Major Jan Willem • 1933 - The Nazis open their • 1984 - Two members of the African War. He is killed 101 Battalion SWATF were • 1969 - Minister of Defence, van Coppenhagen from 1 first concentration camp, at South African Cape Corps three weeks later in combat Killed in Action during a P.W. Botha, attends the Squadron was Reported Dachau, near Munich. and one from the Army Ca- in Boshof, Free State. contact with SWAPO/PLAN launching in France of the Missing in Action in South- • 1942 - General Douglas tering Corps were killed • 1900 - A Great combined Re- Insurgents in Southern An- first of three Daphne class ern Angola when his Das- MacArthur vows “I shall re- after suffering multiple publican Council of War is gola just north of the Cut- submarines being built for sault Mirage F1AZ failed to turn”. shrapnel wounds in an ac- held at Kroonstad, attended line. The Casualties were: the South African Navy. return from a low level night • 1981 - Seaman Derek Je- cidental mortar bomb ex- by both presidents and com- Rifleman Craig Douglas • 1975 - Herbert Chitepo, 52, diversion strike on enemy rome Meyer of the 1st Ma- 00 00 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March rine Brigade, South African and his body was located an (19). • 1981 - Major Carel Arnold • 1990 - Authorities ordered Nicholas Alkemade survives Marine Corps, was killed hour later and recovered. He • 1975 - Two members from Briers from 101 Battalion an inquiry into the funding a 5,500 m fall without a par- instantly in a shooting in- was 20. 17 Squadron were killed Romeo Mike was acciden- of the Civil Co-operation achute after his Lancaster is cident while participating • 1989 - Lance Corporal Phil- when their Alouette III, tally electrocuted at the Mi- Bureau, a secret military hit near Berlin. in military exercises being lip Swartz from 52 Battalion Serial Number 23 struck ershoop training base just unit, accused of political as- • 1962 - French government held near Vryburg. He was was killed in a motor cycle power lines 7km North of south of Okatope. He was sassinations. uses fighter planes and tanks 19. accident at Oshakati. He Windhoek and caught fire. 27. • 1997 - South African mer- in attempt to end insurrec- • 1982 - Rifleman Dumba was 28. The Crew and civilian pas- • 1984 - Rifleman Eugene cenaries, hired by the Papua tion by European rightists in Katibelo from 201 Battalion • 1999 - The African People’s sengers were killed during Cedric Terblanche from 6 New Guinea government to Algeria. SWATF was Killed in Ac- Liberation Army (APLA), the subsequent emergency SAI contracted malaria and help crush a separatist re- • 1965 - Two SAAF members, tion near the Cut-Line dur- armed section of the PAC, landing. The Crew were: was admitted to the Gra- bellion, arrive back in South one from 7 Squadron and ing a contact with SWAPO/ is disbanded in the Umtata Lieutenant (Pilot) Geoffrey hamstown Provincial Hos- Africa. Executive Outcomes one from 8 Squadron were PLAN Insurgents. He was stadium by Dr Stanley Mog- Herbert Clark (28). Sergeant pital where he died on 21 say that the men should not killed when their AT-6 Har- 23. oba. (Flight Engineer) Christiaan March 1984. He was 19. be seen as mercenaries, but vard crashed near Bloem- • 1983 - Special Sergeant Hermanus Pretorius (29). • 1984 - Soviet sub collides as consultants. fontein during a night cross Atytale Amalua from the 21 March • 1976 - Warrant Officer Class with USS ‘Kitty Hawk’ country exercise. It appears South West Africa Police • 1918 - During World War II Keith Hugh Hamilton (CV-63) off Japan. 23 March that the crew may have be- Counter-Insurgency Wing: I, the Second Battle of the from 250 Air Defence Ar- • 1881 - During the First An- come disorientated as the Ops K Division (Koevoet) Somme began as German tillery Group, South African 22 March glo-Boer War a peace agree- aircraft flew vertically into was Killed in Action dur- General Erich von Luden- Air Force died in 1 Military • 1900 - During the Second ment between the Transvaal the ground while still under ing a contact with SWAPO/ dorff launched an all-out Hospital after developing Anglo-Boer War the Portu- Republic and England is rat- full power. The crew were: PLAN Insurgents in North- drive to win the war. blood clots on the lungs. He guese government sanctions ified and the final agreement 2nd Lieutenant (Pilot In- ern Owamboland. He was • 1943 - A suicide/assassina- was 30. the passage of British troops is incorporated into the Pre- structor) Jacobus Johannes 32. tion plot by German Army • 1979 - Lance Corporal Jo- and stores via Beira, Mo- toria Convention, which was le Roux (22). Candidate • 1984 - Gunner Joachim officers against Hitler failed hannes Gerhardus Olivi- zambique, thereby violating signed on 3 August 1881. Officer (Pupil Pilot) Robin Jacobus Badenhorst from 61 as the conspirators were un- er from 1 Reconnaissance their previous policy of neu- • 1881 - The 3-months siege Leslie Jarmain (21). Mechanised Battalion was able to locate a short fuse Regiment was Killed in Ac- trality. of British soldiers in the Old • 1965 - Gunner Leonard Ed- killed when his Buffel Troop for the bomb which was to tion during a contact with • 1945 - Patton’s Third Army Fort in Potchefstroom ends ward Parsons from Eastern Carrier overturned on a wet be carried in the coat pock- SWAPO/PLAN insurgents crosses the Rhine. amicably with Boer leader Province Command was ac- road at Tsumeb. He was 19. et of General von Gersdorff in South Eastern Angola Piet Cronje inviting the Brit- cidentally electrocuted. He • 1985 - Rifleman Jan Andries to ceremonies Hitler was at- near the Kavangoland Bor- ish officers to dinner at the was 18. Coetzee from 7 SAI was tending. der. He was 22. Royal Hotel. Twenty-five • 1980 - Corporal Reni- killed in a Military Vehicle • 1945 - Okinawa: Japa- • 1979 - Rifleman John Henry British soldiers and six Boer er Stephanus van Zyl Accident on the Witbank nese use Okha suicide planes van Drutten from the Lyden- soldiers died during the from Regiment Namutoni Highway. He was 20. for the first time. burg Commando collapsed siege. SWATF was Killed in Ac- • 1988 - Corporal Gregory • 1946 - The US Strategic Air and died from heat exhaus- • 1918 - Paris is shelled by tion during a contact with MacKenzie Steward from Command is established. tion during a Route March at German very-long range ar- SWAPO/PLAN insurgents 44 Parachute Pathfinder • 1966 - Two members from Phalaborwa. He was 23. tillery. in Northern Owamboland. Company was called up Central Flying School Dun- • 1980 - Rifleman Carlos Con- • 1944 - RAF Flight Sergeant He was 24. for a three-month camp in nottar were killed when their ceicao Da Trinidade from 32 • 1980 - Rifleman Robert March 1988. He was of- AT-6 Harvard crashed near Battalion Died of Wounds in Frederick McShane from ficially Reported Missing Eendrag during a routine the Grootfontein Hospital the Army Gymnasium in after participating in a Sun- training flight. They were: after being critically wound- Heidelberg was critically day night practice parachute Lieutenant (Pilot Instructor) ed on 13 March 1980 dur- George S injured in a hit-and-run ac- jump at Murray Hill just Johannes Nicolaas Taljaard ing Operation Makalani in Patton cident just outside Hoopstad north of Pretoria. An inten- (22). Candidate Officer (Pu- Southern Angola. He was on 18 November 1979 while sive search was launched pil Pilot) Ian Ashton Fraser 20. hitch-hiking home to Cape 00 00 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March

Town on weekend pass. He cautiously into central Afri- they were traveling as pas- 25 March Wilhelm Hugo (26). Rifle- that the government’s high- succumbed to his injuries in ca, preparing for a possible sengers, overturned at Voor- • 1858 - The battle of Ko- man Hermanus Johannes est priority remains that of hospital on 23 March 1980. evacuation of Americans trekkerhoogte. They were: ranaberg takes place during Uys (25). Rifleman Paul giving South Africa an ef- He was 19. from Zaire. Private Jacobus Gerhardus the Orange Free State-Basu- Kady Donavan van Zyl (24). fective defence capability • 1982 - Rifleman Johannes • 2006 - Desmond Doss, con- Roos Runkel (18). Signaller to War. • 1978 - Rifleman R. Desenga and a self-sufficient arms Dimbo from 201 Battalion scientious objector who had Ivan Leslie Taylor (19). Sig- • 1915 - First USN submarine from 31 Battalion was acci- industry. SWATF was Killed in Ac- earned a Medal of Honour naller Ulrich Andre Mulder disaster: USS ‘F-4’ sinks off dentally shot and killed by • 1985 - Rifleman Colin Gra- tion after suffering multi- as a medic on Okinawa, dies from 2 Signal Regiment Hawaii, 21 die. a fellow soldier in Northern ham Dockerill from 6 SAI, ple shrapnel wounds from a at the age of 87. (18). Signaller Jacobus Jo- • 1945 - US First Army breaks Owamboland. He was 20. detached to the Equestrian Soviet 60mm mortar bomb hannes Helberg (17). Sig- out of the Remagen bridge- • 1980 - Two members from Centre, was killed instantly explosion during a SWAPO/ 24 March naller Abraham Lodewicus head. 42 Squadron were killed in Northern Owamboland PLAN insurgent attack near • 1900 - Newly appoint- Botha (20). • 1966 - Lieutenant Francois when their AM-3C Bosbok, while returning from a wa- Nkongo. He was 22. ed Combat General • 1972 - Private Leon George Theron Mentz from Central Serial No. 923 crashed near terhole when he fell off his • 1982 - South Africa is to ex- Count Georges de Ville- Muller from the Air Force Flying School Dunnottar Potchefstroom while carry- galloping horse and hit a tree pand its military call-up to bois-Mareuil leaves Kroon- Gymnasium died from heat was killed when his AT-6 ing out low level flying. The trunk, breaking his neck. He include all White men aged stad with a ‘flying column’ exhaustion in 1 Military Harvard crashed after flying crew were: Lieutenant Ed- was 20. between seventeen and six- consisting of fifty Dutch- Hospital. He was 19. into rising ground during win Johannes le Roux (20). • 1988 - Rifleman Nicolaas ty-five, almost doubling the men, twenty-five French- • 1974 - crushes a low level flying near Mid- Lieutenant Pieter Frederick Jacobus Vermeulen from size of its forces. Comman- men and eleven Afrikaners, coup attempt against Presi- delburg. He was 22. Smit (22). 54 Battalion SWATF was do units are to be strength- aiming to blow up the rail- dent Idi Amin. • 1976 - Trooper Reginald • 1980 - Two crewmembers Killed in Action during a ened. way line south of Kimberley • 1975 - Rifleman Peter John Edward Smith from the Na- from 44 Squadron and a contact with enemy forces • 1985 - 2nd Lieutenant Delar- to disrupt British lines of van der Walt from 4 SAI tal Mounted Rifles died in SAAF female Personnel in Southern Angola. He was ey Matthee from 3 SAI was communications. died from a gunshot wound Northern Owamboland from Officer (passenger), were 23. accidentally shot and killed • 1941 - Donald Duck entlists as a result of the accidental a gunshot wound as a result killed when their C-47 Da- • 1988 - Rifleman Simon by own forces in his own in the US Army, for the first discharge of a fellow sol- of an accidental discharge kota, based at Air Force Haindula from 101 Battal- ambush at Kamanjab. He of six war cartoons. diers rifle while stationed in of a fellow soldiers rifle. He Base Grootfontein, crashed ion SWATF was Killed in was 24. • 1944 - The Great Escape: the Caprivi Strip. He was 18. was 23. between Tsumeb and Groot- Action during a contact with • 1988 - Constable Jacobus 76 Allied officers flee Stalag • 1976 - Viscount Montgom- • 1976 - Lance Corporal Wil- fontein while carrying out enemy forces in Southern Ignatius van Zyl from the Luft 3. ery of Alamein, British field lem Christoffel Swanepoel unauthorised low level Angola. He was 22. SWA Police Counter-Insur- • 1945 - Operation Varsity: marshal during World War from 2 Parachute Battalion flight. The casualties were: • 1994 - Lance Corporal Phi- gency Wing: Ops K Division Allied airborne crossing of 2 and commander of the was Killed in Action during Lieutenant Johan Heinrich ti Joel Mokgolo from 7 SAI (Koevoet) was Killed in Ac- the Rhine. Eighth Army in North Afri- a contact with PLAN insur- Leeuw (22). Lieutenant Cor- was killed in a motor vehicle tion when his Z4S Casspir • 1951 - Two pilots of SA Air ca, dies at the age of 88. gents north of Oshikango. nelis Johannes Wessels (21). accident near Rustenburg. was hit by a Soviet RPG-7 Force’s No 2 (Flying Chee- • 1982 - Rifleman Gringo He was 30. Candidate Officer (Miss) He was 27. Anti-Tank Rocket during tah) Squadron, assisting the Jose’ Manuel from 32 Bat- • 1977 - Five members from Elna Susan Swart (23). • 1994 - American troops a contact with SWAPO/ United Nations in the Ko- talion was killed in a mili- Regiment Westelike Provin- • 1982 - Two members of withdraw from Somalia af- PLAN insurgents in North- rean War, blast a convoy of tary vehicle accident at Buf- sie were killed and 71 in- ter a 16-month humanitarian ern Owamboland. He was twelve stationary and cam- falo. He was 23. jured on when a goods train Headquarters were killed in mission marred by fighting 22. ouflaged trucks with rock- • 1986 - Commandant Charles loaded with iron ore collided a Military Vehicle Accident with the Somalis. • 1990 - Commandant Henry et-fire and destroy ten. In Vernon Hochapfel from the with their stationary troop in Houghton. They were: Walter Venter from 4 Vehi- another operation, two “Fly- South West Africa Gymna- train at the Keetmanshoop Rifleman Johannes Theo- 26 March cle Reserve Park was killed ing Cheetahs” wipe out nine sium attached to 101 Battal- station. The Casualties dorus Lombard (21). Rifle- • 1917 - First Battle of Gaza: in a military vehicle accident trucks. ion SWATF, died in 1 Mil- were: Rifleman Gary Albert man Ivan John van Heerden The Turks hold the British. on the Old Warmbaths Road • 1963 - Five members of itary Hospital from Wounds Bricknell (22). Rifleman (20). • 1945 - Seventh Army at- near Pretoria. He was 40. the South African Defence received during a contact Petrus Johannes Jacobus • 1982 - In announcing the tacks Worms on the Rhine. • 1997 - The first wave of a US Force were killed when the with SWAPO/PLAN insur- Holtzhausen (27). Rifleman 1982 Defence Budget, • 1957 - Two members from military task force moves military vehicle in which gents. He was 44. Owen Horwood reaffirms Central Flying School Dun- 00 00 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March

nottar were killed when treaty is signed, ending 30 • 1968 - Captain Andries Jaco- • 1987 - Rifleman Manuel • 1978 - Sapper Michael An- nel wounds in an accidental their Harvard flew into ris- years of war between Egypt bus Mouton from Air Op- Maundu from 102 Battalion dries Stephanus Nel from hand grenade explosion at ing ground near Trichardt and Israel. erations School was killed SWATF was Killed in Ac- 101 Field Engineer Regi- the General De Wet Training during a night cross country • 1980 - Rifleman John Ste- when his De Havilland tion during a contact with ment was Reported Missing Area. He was 18. flight. The aircraft disinte- phen Botha from 32 Battal- Vampire T-55 Mk II was in- SWAPO/PLAN insurgents while swimming in the Oka- • 1981 - Three members of 1 grated on impact and burnt ion died at Buffalo Base from volved in a mid-air collision near the Cut-Line. He was vango River after he was Parachute Battalion died of out. The crew were: Lieu- a gunshot wound apparently with a Canadair C13L 22. attacked by a crocodile. He multiple shrapnel wounds at tenant Andre Dewald de accidentally self-inflicted. piloted by Lt Liebenberg has no known grave and re- the Barracks in Bloemfon- Klerk (25). 2nd Lieutenant No foul play was suspected. of 1 Squadron near Pieters- 28 March mains unaccounted for. He tein. The casualties were: Neil Rhodes Edward Ken- He was 19. burg. He was 29. • 1879 - Nearly one hundred was 19. Rifleman Petrus Jacobus naugh (23). • 1984 - Lieutenant Hendrik • 1975 - Minister of Defence officers and men of Wood’s • 1979 - The World Cam- Pieterse (18). Rifleman Jo- • 1965 - Rifleman Andrew Hans Jacob Maree from P.W. Botha presents a White column are killed in a des- paign against Military and hannes Daniel van der Wes- Mark Newton-Thompson the South African Medical Paper outlining defence pol- perate fight against a Zulu Nuclear Collaboration with thuizen (19). Rifleman Elias from 1 SAI collapsed from Corps attached to 202 Bat- icy and justifying the in- impi on Hlobane Mountain South Africa is launched in Jacobus Nicolaas Beukes heat exhaustion while on a talion SWATF was killed in creased expenditure which during the Anglo-Zulu War. London, with the support of (18). cross country run and died a motor vehicle accident at now accounts for one-fifth • 1915 - German submarine the UN Special Committee • 1982 - ARMSCOR’s Chair- in the Groote Schuur Hospi- Rundu. He was 23. of the country’s revenue ‘U-28’ torpedoes the British against Apartheid. Several man announces that South tal. He was 21. • 1991 - Soldiers overthrow budget. liner ‘Falaba’ in St. George’s Heads of State and Govern- Africa has produced a • 1965 - Rifleman Johannes Mali’s military dictator after • 1979 - Rifleman Dixon Channel, 104 die. ment are its patrons and Ab- world-beating 155-millimetre Rudolf Fourie from 5 SAI days of rioting and protests Njunge from 201 Battalion • 1942 - Operation Chariot: dul S. Minty its Director. artillery system the G5 gun. died from a gunshot wound that leave dozens dead. SWATF was accidentally Nocturnal Royal Navy/Roy- • 1979 - Sergeant Robert • 1983 - Special Constable Ng- resulting from an accidental shot dead by a fellow sol- al Marine commando raid Daniel Burt from Sector 70 hiwaniva Nghiyayela from discharge of a fellow sol- 27 March dier during a contact with blocks the ‘Normandie’ dock Headquarters SWATF was the South West Africa Police diers rifle during a training • 1881 - A Boer force of 150 SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Nazi-occupied St Naz- killed in a private motor ve- Counter-Insurgency Wing: exercise at Ladysmith. He men storms Majuba and in Northern Owamboland. aire. Five VCs are awarded hicle accident. He was 26. Ops K Division (Koevoet) was 18. drives out 400 British troops He was 22. as a result of the raid. • 1979 - Rifleman Dennis Col- was Killed in Action dur- • 1976 - Rifleman Hermanus in the decisive battle of the • 1981 - Rifleman Daniel Jo- • 1945 - Last V-1 buzz bomb in Golden from 1 Parachute ing a contact with SWAPO/ Stephanus Lombard Moss Anglo-Transvaal War. hannes Louw from the South attack on London. Battalion was accidentally PLAN insurgents in North- from the Kaffrarian Rifles • 1900 - General Piet Joubert, African Cape Corps killed • 1969 - Dwight D. Eisen- killed by own forces near ern Owamboland. He was was Killed in Action when commandant-general of the at M’pacha after suffering hower, US President, 5-star Otavi. He was 19. 26. his Unimog detonated a Boer forces and vice-pres- a fatal gunshot wound as a general and Supreme Com- • 1979 - Rifleman Nikos Pav- • 1985 - Rifleman Kleopas landmine just north of On- ident of the Zuid-Afrikaan- result of an accidental dis- mander of the Allied Expe- lakis from Infantry School Mbango from 101 Battalion dangwa in Northern Owam- sche Republiek, dies of gas- charge of a fellow soldiers ditionary Forces in Europe, Died of Wounds when his SWATF was Killed in Ac- boland. He was 23. tritis in Pretoria. rifle. He was 20. dies at the age of 78. patrol, while moving along tion during a contact with • 1977 - Rifleman Joao Anto- • 1933 - Japan leaves the • 1983 - Three members from the Cut-line, was SWAPO/PLAN insurgents nio from 32 Battalion was League of Nations. the South West Africa Police ambushed by a nu- near the Cut Line. He was killed in a military vehicle • 1941 - Himmler orders Counter-Insurgency Wing: merically superior 23. accident at Buffalo while building of the Auschwitz Ops K Division (Koevoet) force of SWAPO/ • 1987 - Special Sergeant delivering supplies to the concentration camp. were Killed in Action dur- PLAN insurgents Martin Lukas from the Base. He was 27. • 1945 - The last German V-2 ing a contact with SWAPO/ between Beacon 11 South West Africa Police • 1978 - Corporal Nicolaas rocket attack on Britain: 134 PLAN insurgents in North- and Beacon 12. He Counter-Insurgency Wing: Johannes Koekemoer from people, many of them Jew- ern Owamboland. They was 20. Ops K Division (Koevoet) the ish, are killed Whitechapel, were: Special Sergeant Ed- • 1980 - Trooper was Killed in Action dur- was Killed in Action during London. ward Mutuku (29). Special Leon Oosthuizen ing a contact with SWAPO/ a contact with enemy forces • 1964 - UN peacekeeping Constable Matheus Funet V1 from 1 Special Ser- PLAN insurgents in North- in . He was 24. troops arrive on Cyprus. (24). Special Constable Jo- vice Battalion was killed af- ern Owamboland. He was • 1979 - Camp David peace hannes Muyongo (25). ‘Buzzbomb’ ter suffering multiple shrap- 32. 00 00 This month in military history ... March This month in military history ... March • 1988 - Special Constable • 1977 - Staff Sergeant Gert ters was killed in a military • 1984 - Four members from SWAPO/PLAN insurgents of the Citizens’ Force are Manuel Sevelenu from the Jacobus Voges from 29 vehicle accident in Durban. the Congella Regiment and in Northern Owamboland. mobilised. Legal authori- South West Africa Police Field Workshops died from He was 18. one member from Group He was 24. ties in Johannesburg state Counter-Insurgency Wing: injuries sustained in a mili- • 1977 - Sergeant Daniel 10 attached to the Regiment • 1987 - Sergeant (Flight En- the emergency regulations Ops K Division (Koevoet) tary vehicle accident at the Petrus Theron from the Mil- were killed and one critical- gineer) Daniel Lan from 16 create a situation of virtual was Killed in Action dur- Otavi-Tsumeb crossroads. itary Headquarters, Groot- ly injured when their Mili- Squadron was Killed in Ac- martial law. ing a contact with SWAPO/ He was 39. fontein, died from injuries tary Landrover Vehicle was tion after being hit by enemy • 1970 - Marshal of the Soviet PLAN insurgents in North- • 1988 - Gunner Hendrik Jaco- sustained in a military vehi- struck and flattened by an ar- small arms fire while acting Union Semion Timoshenko ern Owamboland. He was bus van der Westhuizen from cle accident which occurred ticulated vehicle loaded with as in Alouette dies at the age of 75. 25. Regiment Potchefstroom on 29 March at the Ota- logs that jack-knifed across III 624 during a close-air • 1977 - A Defence White Pa- • 1990 - Commandant John University was killed when vi-Tsumeb crossroads near the road approximately 9 support operation against per analyses South Africa’s Orr, Officer Commanding he accidentally shot himself Grootfontein. He was 35. km outside Richmond. The SWAPO/PLAN insurgents defence requirements in the 2 Squadron returned from a in Southern Angola during • 1979 - Private Douw Te- casualties were: Staff Ser- in the Oshivello area. He context of the Soviet and training sortie in his Mirage operations against FAPLA uns Gerbrand De Beer from geant Kevin Ernest Parker was 27. Cuban intervention in An- IIICZ and while debriefing Forces near Cuito Cuanav- (37). Lance Corporal Rod- gola. South Africa is to be at the Squadron, he sudden- ale. He was 33. Headquarters was killed in erick William Bekker (28). 31 March placed on a war footing. ly collapsed. He was evacu- • 1994 - Cease-fire ends Ser- a military motorcycle acci- Rifleman Winston Churchill • 1900 - General Christiaan • 1977 - Private Wilhelm ated to 1 Military Hospital bo-Croat War. dent at Groote Schuur. He (25). Rifleman Stefan Hen- de Wet and his men, in a bat- Jacobus Johannes van Nie- in Pretoria where he suc- was 19. ry Conrad (27). Rifleman tle that marks the first of the wenhuizen from 32 Field cumbed. He was 37. 30 March • 1980 - Sergeant Barend Grant Edward Brierley (27) guerrilla phase of the Second Workshop Squadron was • 1945 - Soviet troops enter Zacharias Gericke from 32 died from his injuries on 31 Anglo-Boer War, clash with killed in a military vehicle 29 March . Battalion was Killed in ac- March 1984. British forces under General accident. He was 28. • 1879 - The battle of Kam- • 1945 - The Red Army cap- tion in Southern Angola. He • 1984 - Corporal Daniel R Broadwood and capture • 1989 - Johan Papenfus, a bula during the Anglo-Zulu tures Danzig. was 21. Matsetse from 201 Battal- 421 men, seven guns and 83 SA Defence Force rifleman War, takes place. • 1972 - Private Sydney Eric • 1980 - Rifleman Johannes ion SWATF was Killed in wagons. The battle is fought captured in Angola nearly a • 1911 - The U.S. Army adopts Wienand from the Air Force Oarum from 41 Battalion Action during a contact with at Sannaspost (Sannahs year previously, returns to the M1911 .45 ACP pistol as Gymnasium was killed in a SWATF was killed in North- Post), east of Bloemfontein. South Africa from Cuba. His its official sidearm. military vehicle accident in ern Owamboland when he • 1921 - The Royal Australian return is part of an exchange • 1962 - The minister of de- Pretoria. He was 19. was struck by a bullet result- Air Force is established. for prisoners held by Unita. fence, J.J. Fouché, discloses • 1973 - Private Andrew ing from an accidental dis- • 1941 - Germans launch a • 1992 - UN Security Council that South Africa is buying James MacPherson from charge of a fellow soldier’s counter-offensive in North votes to ban flights and arms supersonic Mirage III jet Headquar- rifle. He was 18. Africa in World War II. sales to Libya, branding it a fighters from France, and • 1943 - USAAF acciden- terrorist state for shielding that South African forces are tally bombs a residential six men accused of blowing being equipped with French area of Rotterdam, 326 die. up Pan Am Flight 103 and a alouette helicopters. • 1954 - USSR offers to join French airliner. • 1971 - 1st Lt William L Cal- NATO. • 1994 - South African Presi- ley Jr found guilty in the My • 1960 - Four more regiments dent F.W. de Klerk declares Lai massacre. a state of emergency in Na- • 1973 - Private Johan Marthi- tal and orders the army into nus Kruger from 2 Mobili- the Zulu stronghold. sation Centre was killed in a military vehicle accident at Petrusburg. He was 18. Semion • 1973 - Last US troops leave M1911 Timoshenko Vietnam, nine years after the .45 ACP Tonkin Gulf Resolution. Pistol 00 00 quiz Military Weapons of the ‘Nam Despatches 1. - USA 2. MiG-17 - USSR 2 3. SKS carbine- USSR Website 4. M14 rifle - USA 5. MAS-36 - French 6. AK47 - USSR 7. Douglas A-1 Skyraider - 11 USA “Things don’t have to 8. Sterling - change the world to be Australia important.” 9. RPD - USSR Steve Jobs 10. Stoner 63 - USA 11. M48 Patton tank - USA 15 12. M79 Grenade Launcher - USA 13. M18/M18A1 Claymore - USA 14. M16 - USA 15. SA2 missile - USSR

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