South African 32 Battalion
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32 Battalion (sometimes nicknamed Buffalo Battalion or Os Terríveis - Portuguese for The Terrible Ones) was a highly decorated special infantry battalion of the South African Army, composed of black and white officers and NCO's. It was disbanded in 1993 on the request of the African National Congress prior to the elections of 1994.
Founded in 1975 by Colonel Jan Breytenbach of the South African Special Forces Brigade, it was forged into the formidable combat machine that it became under the inspired leadership and command of Colonels Gert Nel, Deon Ferreira (nickname Falcon) and Eddie Viljoen, known within the battalion by the nickname of "Big Daddy".
The battalion was considered to be one of the premier units of the old South African Defence Force (SADF) and one of the best Counter Insurgency (COIN) units the world has seen. It was also one of the most decorated units during the South African Border War, with a total of fourteen Honoris Crux medals for bravery awarded to its members. The only unit which superseded this total was the South African Special Forces, whose Operators were awarded forty-six Honoris Crux medals during the South African Border War.
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[edit] History
After the victory of the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA) in the Angolan Civil War in 1975, many troops of its main rival, the Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola (FNLA), found refuge in the then South African-controlled South-West Africa.
From these troops, Colonel Jan Breytenbach together with Commandant Sybie van der Spuy formed a unit that was initially known as Bravo Group but later renamed 32 Battalion. Initially, Bravo Group consisted of two infantry companies, a mortar platoon, an anti-tank section and a machine gun platoon, but 32 Battalion was expanded to 6 infantry companies, a recce wing, and a support company consisting of a 81mm mortars, anti-tank and machine gun sections.
Unlike other SADF units, 32 Battalion was mainly deployed in southern Angola, acting as a buffer between the SADF's regular forces and its enemies. The unit was also used to assist the anti-communist movement of UNITA. Although it was mainly used as a counter-insurgency force it was eventually also used as a semi-conventional force, especially during the later phases of the war - particularly at the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. As such, its involvement in the Angolan/Namibian border war was greater than that of any other unit of the SADF and it is claimed that they caused more enemy casualties than any other SADF unit.
The battalion primarily consisted of black Angolan soldiers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) led by white South African officers and NCOs, although there was also a number of officers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Rhodesia, Portugal and the United States in the unit, especially in its early stages.
After Namibian independence in 1989, the unit was withdrawn to South Africa where it was used in the counter-insurgency role and later also in the South African townships. At the end of its era in Namibia, the unit had developed into a Battle Group equipped with Ratel 90 anti tank, 127mm Valkiri multiple rocket launchers and 20mm AA weapons.
As one of the results of the negotiations between the National Party and the African National Congress, the unit was disbanded in March 1993 and were retired to the squalid town of Pomfret, South Africa.[1] After the independence of Namibia 1989, the battalion to South Africa, where it again in the fight against insurgency. As a result of negotiations between South African apartheid government and the ANC led the army unit in 1993. Many members of the Bataljons later found a livelihood as a private military consultant with the firm Executive Outcomes and Sandline International, which ironically on the side of the Angolan government against UNITA fought.
Some of the participants in the alleged 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt were former members of 32 Battalion. Because they were arrested on Zimbabwe, it is not clear whether any of those arrested had full knowledge of their final destination or the alleged coup d'état.
[edit] In fiction
In the film Blood Diamond, Leonardo DiCaprio's character "Danny Archer" was a former member of 32 Battalion.
[edit] See also
- South African Special Forces Brigade ("Recces")
- List of operations of the South African Border War
- Operation Savannah
- 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt
[edit] References
- ^ South Africa - Pomfret. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
