Operation Wallpaper
Operation Wallpaper was a military operation by the South African Defence Force during the Angolan Civil War and South African Border War.
SADF and National Union for the Total Independence of Angola forces defeated a coalition of Cuban and People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola troops, fighting on behalf of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, in September 1985 around Mavinga. The SADF victory later helped UNITA militants defeat the MPLA troops in the Battle of Lomba River I.
Background
In mid 1985, the Angolan government formulated an offensive called Operation Congresso II. Led by Soviet and Cuban military advisors the plan called for a simultaneous attack on Cazombo in the east and Mavinga in the south-east and to take one or both objectives by 3 September. The objective of the operation was to split UNITA forces, forcing them to fight on two fronts and therefore weakening their defensive capability. The potential loss of Mavinga by UNITA could give FAPLA the opportunity to stage a further attack on UNITA's capital at Jamba. The South Africans believed that if Mavinga was taken, FAPLA would move its air defence network southwards, threatening the South African Air Force ability to protect Jamba from Angolan air attack, making it susceptible to ground attack and opening southern Angola to increased SWAPO activity into Namibia.The offensive started at the end of July, with UNITA initiating spoiling attacks against the FAPLA columns as they moved towards their objectives. By the beginning of September, FAPLA had reached the outskirts of UNITA's defensive positions around the towns of Cazombo and Mavinga. The SADF involvement would take two parts: Operation Wallpaper involved the airborne movement of UNITA troops from Cazombo to Mavinga while Operation Weldmesh concerned the defense of UNITA around Mavinga.
Order of battle
South African forces
Source:32 Battalion
- Three rifle companies
- 81mm mortar group
- Machine gun section
- Assault Pioneer section
- Three reconnaissance teams
- Headquarters
MRL troop
'''61 Mechanised Infantry Battalion held in reserve in Namibia'''
UNITA forces
Source:2,400 men
including 250 men defending Mavinga
Angolan forces
Source:- 7th Brigade
- 8th Brigade
- 13th Brigade
- 25th Brigade
Battle
By 8 September the South African equipment had arrived and by 11 September the SADF units were in position to support UNITA and attack the FAPLA brigades. On the early morning of 12 September the SADF Valkiri multiple rocket launchers began to strike the FAPLA 8 and 13 Brigades which had stopped to resupply. The MRL attack ended at daybreak with the Angolan Air Force searching for their positions during daylight hours, but the MRL attack failed to slow the Angolan brigades and they resumed their advance. By 15 September, all four brigades met south of the Lomba River, 30 km north west of Mavinga. UNITA and the SADF units had failed to slow or stop the advance. Meanwhile, far to the north, UNITA had to retreat south from Cazombo on the 19 September as FAPLA took the town. Over a number of nights, the SAAF evacuated at least a 1000 UNITA soldiers from that region, flying them and their equipment into Mavinga. Having learnt from SADF reconnaissance units around the Cuito Cuanavale airfield that the Angolan brigades were being supplied by helicopter, SAAF Atlas Impalas were sent to intercept these Mil Mi-17 and Mil Mi-25 helicopters when alerted to their movements by those reconnaissance units. Eventually the Angolans lost 10 helicopters and started using smaller Aérospatiale Alouette IIIs to resupply their forces. Ten Soviet advisors were also killed as they landed at Cuito Cuanavale after being intercepted by a SAAF Dassault Mirage F1.
By 2 October, the Angolan brigades were 10 km from Mavinga but had suffered heavy losses from UNITA attacks and the SADF MRLs. At this point FAPLA morale was low and with the evacuation of the Russian advisors the Angolan forces were beginning to desert. Over two days of air attacks by SAAF Impala and Mirage aircraft, ground bombardments from the MRLs and with reduced supply and unit fighting ability, the Angolan brigades were ordered to retreat westwards and then to head for Cuito Cuanavale. By 4 October, 32 Battalion units began to withdraw.