Externals 1980-1989

Guide to Forces of
South West Africa and Angola

SWAPO: South West Africa People's Organization

by Greg Novak

The South West Africa People's Organization had been in existence since 1960, while the first elements of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) were formed in 1962. It was only in 1975 however, after the Portuguese left Angola, that the the forces of SWAPO and PLAN were able to organize any military units at higher than company level. Units sent into SWA were usually patrol-sized units, though an occasional night raid by a reinforced detachment was carried out on an SDAF border post. Most of the large-scale combat between SWAPO and the SADF forces occurred in Angola as the SADF carried out the "external" operations of varying size.

PLAN had hoped to form a number of infantry brigades which would form the core of the army, and be used to screen the SWAPO camps in southern Angola. These were based on the FAPLA's own brigade organization, which was in turn a cut-down model of the Soviet Rifle Regiment. The paper organization of these units called for the following:

SWAPO INFANTRY BRIGADE
Trained; Morale: 7

Brigade Headquarters, with:

    1 command stand
    1 UAZ-469
    1 staff radio van
    1 support stand
    1 medium truck

Brigade Recon Company, with:

    1 command stand
    2 recon infantry stands

Brigade Tank Company, with 1 command T-34/85 and 2 T- 34/85s
Brigade Engineer Company, with 1 command engineer stand and 1 medium truck
Brigade AT Company, with:

    1 command stand
    2 107mm RRs on UAZ-469s
    1 UAZ-469

Brigade AA Company, with:

    1 command stand
    2 SA-7 teams
    2 ZPU
    2 AAMGs
    1 ZU-23-2 AA
    3 gun crew stands
    4 light trucks

Brigade Transport Company, with:

    1 command stand
    2 support stands
    1 UAZ-469
    8 medium trucks

3 Infantry Battalions, each with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 command infantry stand
      1 SA-7 team

    3 Infantry Companies, each with 3 infantry stands
    Mortar Battery, with 1 82mm mortar stand
    AT Platoon, with: 1 82mm RR stand

Brigade Artillery Battalion, with:

    1 command stand
    1 FO stand
    2 UAZ-469s
    3 120mm mortars
    3 gun crew stands
    3 medium trucks

Notes

1. No complete brigade was ever formed by SWAPO prior to the end of the war. Elements of the three brigades that had some of their elements formed were assigned to FAPLA, and committed to action against UNITA. They were never used to screen the SWAPO camps as intended.

2. Future plans for the SWAPO/PLAN brigades included additional motorization and mechanization when the vehicles became available from FAPLA. As long as the war against UNITA continued however, the vehicles sentto Angolaby the Soviet Union were used to replace losses in FAPLA and not turned over to SWAPO.

Specialist Units

Due to the fact that the infantry brigades were not available for their planned tasks, additional units had to be raised to control and cover the many SWAPO/PLAN camps and supply depots. These units were called Specialist Units, and were an interesting mixture of administrative and defensive sub-units.

SPECIALIST UNIT
Trained; Morale: 7

Unit Headquarters, with:

    1 command stand
    1 command infantry stand
    2 support stands
    2 medium trucks

2 Infantry Companies, each with 2 infantry stands
Mortar Battery, with 1 82mm mortar stand (ds)
AA Platoon, with:

    1 SA-7 team
    1 ZPU
    2 AAMG
    1 gun crew stand

Notes

1. The MAW was the RPG-7.

Fronts

To carry the war into SWA, the forward elements of SWAPO/ PLAN were organized into Fronts, which in turn commanded "detachments." The existing Fronts along the border were Northeast, North, and Northwest. Central Front operated to the north of the other three and controlled the SWAPO forces in action against UNITA, while an additional Front was to have operated from Zambia. The Zambia Front had little encouragement or aid from the Zambian government, and had few of the Front units that were to be assigned to it.

The usual forces assigned to a Front were as follows:

FRONT
Trained; Morale: 7

Front Headquarters, with:

    1 command stand
    1 command infantry stand
    1 support stand
    1 UAZ-469
    1 medium truck

Front Recon Company, with:

    1 command stand
    2-4 recon infantry stands

Front Tank Company, with 0-1 T-34/85
Front Engineer Company, with:

    1 command engineer stand
    1 engineer stand

Front Artillery Battalion, with:

    1 command infantry stand
    1-2 82mm mortar stands (ds)
    1 82mm RR stand
    1-2 gun crew stands (ds)
    1-2 122mm rocket launchers

Front AA Company, with

    2 SA-7 teams
    1 ZPU
    2 AAMG
    1 gun crew stand
    1 light truck

3-5 Front Detachments, each with:

    1 command infantry stand
    3-5 infantry stands

Notes

1. The Front troops were attached to the Front Detachments as needed. Those elements not assigned were held in the rear with the Front headquarters.

2. The 122mm rocket launchers were the single tube model and were used for harassing SDAF bases and similar targets. Pinpoint fire was not possible for these weapons. If used in a game, they always deviate a D10x2 from their intended target point.

3. The Front Tank Companies (when they existed) were used for defense of the Front headquarters.

More Externals 1980-1989: SW Africa and Angola

Externals Mini Campaign Game

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© Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak.
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