This is episode 46 and its June 10th 1980 and Commandant Dippenaar’s Combat Group 61, that huge convoy of 151 vehicles, had drawn up to the East of the main target of Operation Sceptic. That was a group of more than a dozen facilities grouped together and the codenamed Smokeshell. Last episode we heard how Dippenaar had broken up his assault force into six combined armed combat teams for the coming attack. 1,2 and 3 were to launch directly from the east to the west, while teams 4 and 5 were deployed as stopper groups on the Western Side. Teams 1 and 3 moved in first just after 13h00 hours and they found that the defenders in the north had disappeared. They came to the erroneous conclusion that SWAPO had fled instead of wanting to fight. In a moment Team 2 were going to find the assault a different kettle of fish entirely. OR perhaps a can of worms is the better analogy. Team 1 wondered off track and ended up north of their target – 800m to be exact, whereas Team 3 were right on their selected facility but it was empty of PLAN troops who had withdrawn so quickly, they left several anti-aircraft guns behind. This further reinforced the perception that SWAPO had run away. Team 1 eventually located their target which was deserted and made sure the trenches and bunkers to the north were empty, then regrouped. Some of the fleeing SWAPO fighters were spotted and a firefight broke out, six SWAPO were killed. Meanwhile Team 2 which was led by Captain Louis Harmse and comprised of B Company of mechanized infantry, supported by Ratel 90s and mortars were heading directly towards the main southern end of this network of bases at Smokeshell. We’ll hear a lot more about Captain Harmse in coming episodes – unfortunately he was to join his father in the pantheon of those who were to give their lives fighting for their beliefs.

Desmond Latham

Much has been written about the South African Border war which is also known as the Namibian War of Independence. While the fighting was ostensibly about Namibia, most of the significant battles were fought inside Namibia’s northern neighbour, Angola. South Africa’s 23 year border war has been almost forgotten as the Cold War ebbed away and bygones were swept under the political carpet. South African politicians, particularly the ANC and the National Party, decided during negotiations to end years of conflict that the Truth and Reconciliation commission would focus on the internal struggle inside South Africa. For most conscripts in the South African Defence Force, the SADF, they completed matric and then were drafted into the military. For SWAPO or UNITA or the MPLA army FAPLA it was a similar experience but defined largely by a political awakening and usually linked to information spread through villages and in towns. This was a young person’s war which most wars are – after all the most disposable members of society are its young men. Nor was it simply a war between white and black. IT was more a conflict on the ground between red and green. Communism and Capitalism. The other reality was despite being a low-key war, it was high intensity and at times featured by unconventional warfare as well as conventional. At times SADF soldiers would be on foot, walking patrols or SWAPO on foot, launching attacks across the border. But there were motorised heavy vehicles, tanks, artillery, air bombardments and mechanised units rolling into attack each other. For some that was a nightmare, for others, freedom. At times youngsters from the suburbs of Pretoria or Durban were fighting experienced soldiers from Russia and Cuba. For veterans the territory would come to be known as “Nam” as the experience replicated the American experience in Vietnam to some extent.

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