Ebook: Battle on the Lomba 1987: the day a South African armoured battalion shattered Angola's last offensive: a crew commander's account

"Let us go into action with Charlie Squadron living on the edge; Ratel 90s against Russian T55 tanks; few against many! A captivating read with beautiful twists and turns, without once losing the thread. A story most profound of life in the military as told by a young South African national serviceman who served during the South African Border War. David Mannal gives a vivid account of one of the fiercest mechanised battles of contemporary warfare in Africa, which was fought in southeast Angola--the Battle of the Lomba River on 3 October 1987. This was the battle which turned the deliberate onslaught of an overwhelming Angolan-Cuban conventional coalition force at the height of the Cold War and sent the enemy reeling. Our young national servicemen were warriors! For dauntless service rendered by men such as 19-years old David Mannall one can only feel and express gratefulness. Their combined best proved good enough."--Major General (Retired) Roland de Vries - former commander of 61 Mechanised Battalion Group (1981-1982) and former deputy chief of the South African Army; back cover.;Front matter: List of photographs, plates, maps, author's note; introduction -- the beginning -- Basic training -- Phase 2, Junior leaders' officer training -- Junior leaders' LNCO training -- 61 Mechanised Battalion Group, Omuthiya -- The Omuthiya special -- Infantry kill -- Communication operations -- Don't fly Virgin -- Bittersweet -- Operation Moduler (Modular) -- Midnight in Mavinga -- Battle Group Alpha and the 21st Brigade -- Skeletons in the closet -- BG Alpha and the 47th Brigade -- Bootlaces -- The Battle on the Lomba -- Mission accomplished -- Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bomb -- The rumble in the jungle and the 16th Brigade -- The day of the elephant -- Appendices: Charlie Squadron 1987 -- 61 Mechanised Battalion Group; History of 61 Mechanised Battalion.