Ratels on the Lomba: The Story of Charlie Squadron

Charlie Squadron – the iron fist of the South African Defense Force’s 61 Mechanised Battalion Group – led the way on 3 October 1987 during the climactic battle on the Lomba River in Southern Angola.

Not only were they up against a vastly superior force in terms of numbers and weaponry, but they also had to deal with a terrain so dense that both their movement and sight were severely impaired. Despite this, the squadron nearly wiped out the Angolan forces’ 47 Brigade. In Ratels on the Lomba, the reader is taken to the heart of the action in a dramatic recreation based on interviews, diary entries and Facebook contributions by members of Charlie Squadron. It is an intensely human story of how individuals react in the face of death.

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Ratels on the Lomba: The Story of Charlie Squadron

Charlie Squadron – the iron fist of the South African Defense Force’s 61 Mechanised Battalion Group – led the way on 3 October 1987 during the climactic battle on the Lomba River in Southern Angola.

Not only were they up against a vastly superior force in terms of numbers and weaponry, but they also had to deal with a terrain so dense that both their movement and sight were severely impaired. Despite this, the squadron nearly wiped out the Angolan forces’ 47 Brigade. In Ratels on the Lomba, the reader is taken to the heart of the action in a dramatic recreation based on interviews, diary entries and Facebook contributions by members of Charlie Squadron. It is an intensely human story of how individuals react in the face of death.

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Ratels on the Lomba: The Story of Charlie Squadron

Ratels on the Lomba: The Story of Charlie Squadron

by Leopold Scholtz
Ratels on the Lomba: The Story of Charlie Squadron

Ratels on the Lomba: The Story of Charlie Squadron

by Leopold Scholtz

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$39.95 
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Overview

Charlie Squadron – the iron fist of the South African Defense Force’s 61 Mechanised Battalion Group – led the way on 3 October 1987 during the climactic battle on the Lomba River in Southern Angola.

Not only were they up against a vastly superior force in terms of numbers and weaponry, but they also had to deal with a terrain so dense that both their movement and sight were severely impaired. Despite this, the squadron nearly wiped out the Angolan forces’ 47 Brigade. In Ratels on the Lomba, the reader is taken to the heart of the action in a dramatic recreation based on interviews, diary entries and Facebook contributions by members of Charlie Squadron. It is an intensely human story of how individuals react in the face of death.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781911512875
Publisher: Helion and Company
Publication date: 02/23/2018
Pages: 272
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Leopold Scholtz is a former journalist and military historian. He has published numerous books - including The SADF in the Border War (Helion, 2015) and The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale (Helion, 2016).

Table of Contents

Foreword Roland de Vries ix

Introduction xv

List of abbreviations xxii

Timeline xxiii

1 Death at the door 27

2 How Operation Moduler came about 35

3 The tools of war 45

4 The storm clouds gather 63

5 Baptism of fire 81

6 The road to Armageddon 93

7 To hell and back 107

8 Tragedy strikes 131

9 Aftermath 149

10 Death from the sky 169

11 Punch-drunk forward 191

12 The final phase 205

13 Going home 221

Appendix A 235

Appendix B 238

List of sources 242

Notes 249

Index 267

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