- Operation Reindeer
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This article is about the South African military operation. For other uses of the term, see Operation Reindeer (disambiguation).
Operation Reindeer, which took place on 4 May 1978, was South Africa's second major military operation in Angola, the first being Operation Savannah.
The South African operation consisted of an assault by 2 South African Infantry Battalion on two South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) base complexes, Chetequera and Dombondola, near to the then-South-West Africa/Angola border; a heliborne assault by the elite 32 Battalion on SWAPO's Omepepa-Namuidi-Henhombe base complex around 20 km east of Chetequera; and finally, the attack the operation is most known for — a controversial airborne assault by paratroopers on Cassinga, a refugee camp and SWAPO's regional headquarters, 260 km inside Angola.
Order of battle
Chetequera and Dombondola
2 South African Infantry Battalion
- Combat Group Juliet (assault on Chetequera)
- Combat Group Joubert (assault on Dombondola)
- Combat Group Serfontein (assault on Dombondola)
Cassinga
Composite Parachute Battalion
- Made up of elements from 1, 2 and 3 Parachute Battalions
9 Rifle Platoon
11 Rifle Platoon
2 Hawk Groups from 1 Parachute BattalionOmepepa-Namuidi-Henhombe
32 Battalion
See also
- Operation Protea
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 428
Categories:- Angola stubs
- Namibia stubs
- South African military stubs
- Battles and operations of the South African Border War
- Conflicts in 1978
- 1978 in Angola
- 1978 in Namibia
- 1978 in South Africa
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