Concerned about the larger numbers in insurgent groups the SADF planned a series of operations to once again cross into Angola in a major way to eliminate SWAPO bases etc. now housed and thriving on Angolan Soil.
By NordNordWest - , usingUnited States National Imagery and Mapping Agency dataWorld Data Base II data, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Operation Reindeer was split into 3 separate areas of simultaneous operations against SWAPO base complexes and its headquarters.
2 attacks would be relatively close by, under 25 km from the Angolan border. The other was an airborne assault on SWAPO headquarters at Cassinga 260 km deep inside Angola.
The attacks close to the borders were the debut for the Ratel and some started late due to problems dealing with the thick Angolan bush.
All of the attacks on the nearby bases did not proceed exactly as planned due to miss-timings of some sort or another.
A calibration error on artillery pieces led to the shelling of own troops and subsequently significant delays.
Ultimately much of the bases ware destroyed, with significant insurgent losses but also many escaped into the bush due to delays or mistimed attacks.
Many weapons were captured.
Further north at Cassinga much more was happening and the results would be catastrophic in many respects.
Previous posts in this series can be found at the bottom of this post:
The South African Border War - 1976, The end of a chapter and the beginning of a new phase.
The South African Border War - Mines, Mines did I say mines?
The South African Border War - Enter the Ratel
The South African Border War - The United Nations Security Council Resolutions