Battle of Quifangondo

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Angolan War of Independence

Sempreatentos...aoperigo!.jpg
Portuguese troops on patrol in Angola

Date	February 4, 1961 - 1974^[1]
Location	Angola
Result	Decisive MPLA-Cuban Victory, virtual destruction of FNLA

Belligerents

National Liberation Front of Angola

Cuba

Commanders

Holden Roberto
Jonas Savimbi
Agostinho Neto
Mário Pinto de Andrade
Daniel Chipenda

Strength

2,000 FNLA troops
1,200 Zairian troops
120 Portuguese mercenaries
52 SADF troops

1,000 MPLA and Cuban troops

Casualties and losses

hundreds killed and wounded

Cuba: 2 wounded
1 dead, 3 wounded

[edit] Background

Main article: Angolan war of independence

The Battle of Quifangondo, the final battle of the Angolan War of Independence (1961-1975), occurred on November 10, 1975, the day before nationalists declared independence and the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002) began.^{[citation needed]}

The coalition of rebels under Holden Roberto defeated the MPLA and its allies at Porto Quipiri before marching to Quifangondo on their way to Luanda.^[2]

Less than 24 hours before independence, Roberto, ignoring advice that a frontal assault would not work, decided to launch an attack against the capital, Luanda^[3].

[edit] Battle

An anti-Communist force made up of 1,000 FNLA fighters, 100 Portuguese Angolan soldiers, and two battalions of the Zairian army passed near the city of Quifangondo, only 30km north of Luanda, at dawn on November 10.^[4]

At Roberto's request, the SADF provided three 140mm howitzers to support the attack, located on high ground at Morro do Cal, as well as an opening air strike by Canberra bombers.^[3] Two North Korean guns would also be brought to bear.

Recently-arrived Cuban special forces had been assembling in the area, and notably included the first six BM-21 multiple rocket launchers to arrive in Angola, which were brought into position at the last minute. (The launchers delay had been caused by logistical problems in obtaining fuses for the weapons - in any event their late deployment prevented their detection and ensured complete surprise.)

The SAAF air strike went ahead as planned, and the artillery pounded the area overnight. However the ground attack was not pressed in immediately afterwards.^[3] The attacking force marched in a single line along the Bengo River and faced a force of 1000 Cuban and FAPLA troops across the river. The Cubans and MPLA defenders waited until the entire attacking force was boxed in the killing zone between the coast and the lagoon, before bombarding the them with mortars and 122mm rockets, destroying most of the FNLA's armored cars and six Jeeps carrying recoiless rifles in the first hour of fighting. Witnesses estimated the Cuban-led force shot 2000 rockets at the FNLA. Cubans then drove forward, launching RPG-7 rocket grenades, shooting with anti-aircraft guns, killing hundreds. The SADF gunners were powerless to help, as their World War II era guns were significantly outranged by the Cuban rockets. Furthermore, both North Korean guns had malfunctioned, rendering them useless.

The defeat at Quifangondo became known amongst the FNLA as "Nshila wa Lufu" (English: "Battle of Dead Road").^[3]

The South African gunners eventually withdrew via Ambrizette to SAS President Steyn, a South African Navy frigate, thereby ending Operation Savannah^[5]. The Cuba-MPLA victory in Quifangondo, largely ended the FNLA's importance.^[4]