Operation Koevoet (Crowbar) was started in 1979, and by the mid-1980s had established itself as one of the foremost means of preventing SWAPO infiltration into SWA. As South Africa increased the border forces, SWAPO realized that large groups of a platoon size or greater could no longer be sent into SWA. Groups of that size were spotted while still in Angola as they moved up to the border, and all too often attacked and scattered by a South African "external" operation before they had even reached the border. SWAPO was notable to establish and hold any forward posts along the border, as those points quickly came under attack by the South Africans. Angola's continuing war against UNITA meant that there were no FAPLA units that could be spared to help SWAPO hold a sector that would be of little value to the Angolan government. SWAPO began to send smaller and smaller forces across the border in hopes of moving them through unnoticed, only to have them fall prey to the Koevoet Fighting Groups. The key to the fighting groups was that they were sent out on a two-week patrol to cover a given area. Information and intelligence acquired while on patrol was processed by the Fighting Group, and acted on at once. The supposed solution to the problem of small groups, i. e., send several large groups through in an attempt to ambush a Koevoet Fighting Group and destroy it, failed for the same reason as before. Any force large enough to carry out such a task was spotted long before it reached the border, and dealt with by other elements of the SADF. KOEVOET FIGHTING GROUP, with: 1 command stand 1 tracker infantry stand 1 Casspir APC Notes 1. The Koevot fighting groups were recruited at first from members of the SWA police. "Turned" members of SWAPO were often recruited as well. 2. Tracker infantry stands function as recon stands with an additional +3 modifier to their spotting rolls, and they suffer no penalty for spotting while moving. They can be broken into two tracker patrols. 3. The Koevoet Fighting Groups operated with the tracker infantry stand broken into two patrols, and while one patrol ran on foot following the trail, the command stand and other patrol rode in the APC. After an hour, the two patrols switched. If the SWAPO stand they were following was located, the APC would close and attack the stand. 4. The Koevoet Fighting Groups would pass information on and cooperate with any military units in their areas. They were not under military control and would not be found in a military force carrying out an external operation. More Externals 1980-1989: SW Africa and Angola Introduction: 1915-1979 SADF: South African Defense Forces in South West Africa SWATF: South West Africa Territorial Forces Koevoet: Operation Crowbar SWAPO: South West Africa People's Organization FAPLA: People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola Cuban Forces in Angola UNITA: National Union for the Total Liberation of Angola South Africa Specs: Combined Arms Charts Externals Mini Campaign Game Part I, II, III Part IV, V, VI, VII Appendix 1: South African Forces Appendix 2: Angolan Forces Appendix 3: Terrain Campaign Map Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Quarterly #2 To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com