The first in a series of overlays I've created for the main project regarding South Africa's Forgotten War

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For the best experience, after opening the overlays, switch off the "Actual Attack" overlay.
You will only have the "Planned Attack" overlay active as you follow the bullet points in the post below.
Switch the "Actual Attack" overlay back on [no need to switch the "Planned" overlay off] to follow the rest of the post.
Also switch off the "Google Community" layers. It will get rid of the placemarks.
Make sure you switch them back on once done.
In Google Earth, goto the "Layers" menu and unselect "Google Earth Community".
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Overlay 1 - The Planned Attack on Cassinga

• Canberras and Buccaneers do a bombing run on the area prior to the ground attack. While the base is in disarray, the attack is planned as follows:
• [YELLOW MARKERS] - ALPHA Coy [3 Rifle Platoons and 2x 60mm Mortars], under command of Capt. Gerrit Steyn, parachutes in and attacks the main area via LZ RAMSAY.
• [GREEN MARKERS] - BRAVO Coy [2 Rifle Platoons and 2x 60mm Mortars], under command of Capt. Hugo Murray; and 44Bn HQ [Intel, Engeneering and Medic rifle platoons], under command of Brig MJ Du Plessis, parachutes in and attacks the main area via LZ HARRIS.
• [RED MARKERS] - DELTA Coy [2 Rifle Platoons with no support weapons], under command of Capt Tommy Lamprecht; and HQ Coy [2 Rifle Platoons, RPG-7 and 60mm Mortars] under command of Lt. Pierre Hough, parachutes in, attacks and captures the engineering complex via LZ SENDELING, and then sets up a perimeter with the anti-tank platoon to guard the southern approach.
• [LIGHT BLUE MARKERS] - CHARLIE Coy [2 Rifle Platoons with no support weapons], under command of Cmdt Monty Brett, parachutes in, secures the area via LZ RENNEX and sets up a stopper group on the eastern perimeter of the town.
• [WHITE MARKERS] - Lt. JOHAN BLAUWW's independant rifle platoon No. 09 parachutes in just north of the marker, attacks and secures the complexes along the road, and then sets up a stopper group on the northern perimeter.
• [DARK BLUE MARKERS] - Lt. PIET BOTES's independant rifle platoon No. 11 parachutes in north of the marker and the SWAPO\FAPLA recruits tent base, attacks and captures the tent base, and then heads towards the main area via LZ CAROLINA.
• Echo Coy, a 120 men in reserve, under command of Capt Wesley de Beer.
• The Heli Admin Area [HAA] under command of Maj James Hills.
• The Mobile Air Operations Team (MAOT) under Cmdt. James Kriel, which consisted of five SAAF personnel to set up and run the HAA.
• The Battalion and tactical commander is Col. Jan Breytenbach, with Cmdt. Lewis Brand 2nd in charge.
• The entire operation under "command" of Maj. Genl. Ian Gleeson.

The actual attack turned out to be a different story...

Overlay 2 - The Actual Attack on Cassinga

3 May 1978

• The Parabats depart from Bloemfontein in South Africa, and arrive at Grootfontein in SWA 4 hours later.

May 4 1978

• 05H19: Four Canberra Bombers take off from Waterkloof AFB in Pretoria, where they fly by Rundu in SWA before turning Noth-West towards Cassinga.
• 05H43: Four Buccaneers take off, also from Waterkloof. One Buccaneer armed with 72 68mm SNEB rockets diverts to Grootfontein, where it would refuel and remain on standby for close support if required.
• 06H00: The task force departs from Grootfontein and heads for Cassinga. The four Hercules C130's and five Transall C160's maintain low altitude in order to avoid enemy radar. Two of the C130's carrying the reserve force peel off and go into a holding pattern just south of the Angolan border.
• 06H30: One DC-4 ELINT\EW and two Puma helicopters [carrying with them the Chief of the South African Army, Lt Gen Constand Viljoen] depart from Omauni in SWA. The DC-4 takes up a holding pattern just south of the Angolan border, intercepting all Angolan, Cuban and SWAPO radio transmissions, before jamming their communications networks as soon as the battle starts. The Puma's are tasked to set up the Heli Admin Area [HAA] code-named "Whiskey Three" approximately 22 kms east of Cassinga. The MAOT set up their radios and navigational beacons at the HAA and signal the all-clear for the rest of the force, consisting of the rest of the Hawk Group protection element (31 paratroopers), 6 medical personnel, 2 more members of the MAOT and 86x 200-litre drums of helicopter fuel, all onboard a fleet of five Super Frelon and ten Puma helicopters. The helicopters remain at the HAA, ready to extract the task force back to safety after the battle.
• 07H00: A Cessna C185 acting as an airborne observation post and radio-relay [Telstar] leaves for Cassinga.
  
  As the Canberra's and Buccaneer's fly well east of the target, the Hercules C130's and Transall C160's carrying the Paratroopers go into a holding pattern over the Cubango river, North of Cassinga.
• 07H50: Two Mirage III CZ fighters take off from Ondangwa AFB and scream towards Cassinga. The Mirage attack was initially not part of the operation, but brought into the attack when a recruit camp is identified north-west of the target.
• 08H00: Back at Cassinga, the inhabitants of the base are all gathered on the parade ground for the daily roll-call, unaware of the hell that is about to be unleashed on the camp.
• 08H02: The Canberra's get the all clear, turn, and head towards their target. Flying at an altitude of only 150 meters, they cross the town from the north and deliver their deadly payload - Alpha AP bombs...
  Each of the four Canberras drop 300 Alpha anti-personnel bombs, which are small rubber-coated fragmentation bombs, designed to bounce 10m into the air before detonating.
  Directly following the Canberra's, the Buc's come barreling in from the West at low altitude and each deliver their eight 450Kg HE Bombs into the mayhem below. Of the total of thirty-two 1000 pounders bombs dropped by the four Buccaneers, 24 score direct hits, causing an immense amount of damage.
  Immediately behind the Buccaneers, the two Mirage III CZ's strafe the camp with 30mm HE fragmentation shells.
  
  Cassinga becomes an inferno as the aircraft head back to base to refuel and re-arm for a strike on Chetequera [Target Bravo].
• 08H00 - 08H10 By now the Hercules and Transall carrying the paratroopers had commenced their low altitude formation run towards Cassinga. Inside, the men are given the command: "ACTION STATIONS!". At the last moment, the transports suddenly climb to drop-height [600-800 meters] and dispatch the ParaBats...
  
  The smoke from the bombing run that had taken place earlier, obscures the transport pilots view of the ground below. Because of this, the pilot in the lead plane misses the pre-determined marker and the drop is late by several seconds.
  From the moment the first men leave the plane, they realise that something is wrong.
  They were meant to be landing between the town and the river, but soon find themselves drifting down above and even beyond the river. To make matters worse, the paratroopers almost immediately draw fire from down below, including fire from an anti-aircraft gun.
  
  Alpha and Bravo Companies land at least 2 kilometers south of their intended DZ. Most of the men land on the wrong side of the river.
  To the east, Charlie Coy suffers the same misfortune. They land 3 kilometers south of the target. Although confused and disorientated, Cmdt Brett leads his men towards the sights and sounds of war. They encounter sporadic fire-fights along the way.
  To the north, platoons No. 09 and 11 land quite accurately. No. 11 lands almost right onto of the recruit camp. Both platoons are immediately involved in the action, but soon gain the upper hand as they start moving through their objectives and towards the main camp.
  To the South, Delta Coy lands the best of the four Parabat Coy's, but still 500 meters too far south. The trees and thick undergrowth adds to the disorientation of the men, but they soon group back together and attack their intermediate objectives. In the chaos and confusion, elements of Bravo and Delta Coy run into each other and for a brief moment they fire upon each other.
  After completing the assault of the engineer complex, Delta set up the defence perimeter [stopper group] as planned. It also despatches the anti-tank platoon to lay a tank ambush on the road that runs south out of Cassinga to Techamutete.
• 08H30 The close air support Buccaneer armed with seventy-two 68mm SNEB rockets arrives over Cassinga from Grootfontein. Without first consulting the Battalion commander, the Forward Air Control [FAC] clears the Buc to strike the buildings north of Cassinga. Unbeknownst to the FAC and the pilot, platoon no. 9 had progressed at a rapid pace and had already started clearing the buildings. The Buccaneer screams into action and despatches 39 rockets into the buildings below. Although some soldiers from No. 9 are wounded, there are no "friendly" fatalities. The Buc is called off immediately.
• 09H00: By now, the bulk of Alpha and Bravo Coy's had made their long journey through the Angolan bush and had reached the outer perimeter of the main camp. As part of the original attack plan, a road that runs east-west into the main camp was identified as the axis of attack for the assualt group, but they were dropped so far off target that they mistake as their axis of attack, a road about 500 meters south of the correct road. Col. Breytenbach soon realises their mistake and orders the assualt group to change their axis of attack, along the road that runs north-south through the camp.
• 09H30: The main assualt of Cassinga begins. Alpha and Bravo Coy's had now reached the main camp. As they move in and start clearing the camp, a number of 14.5mm anti-aircraft guns start firing at the assualt group. They are pinned down and are unable to commence any further.

to be continued...

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For a gripping account of the Cassinga attack, click HERE. [color:"red"][Please be aware that the site contains content that may upset sensitive viewers!][/color]