Attack on Katima Mulilo - 23 August 1978

In June 1978 it was learnt that SWAPO was preparing to attack the military bases at Katima Mulilo, Wenela and M''pacha. To meet this attack two combat teams viz Alpha and Bravo were formed.

The attack started on 23 August with a stand-off bom­bardment using 122 mm rockets on Katima Mulilo. One of these penetrated the roof of a barrack killing ten soldiers.

After an artillery and mortar battle the two combat units crossed the border. Combat team Bravo's target was a SWAPO base camp approximately 30 km from the Zambian border but they found it deserted and returned to M''pacha without having accomplished this objective. Combat Unit Alpha managed to catch up with the rear guard of a number of fleeing terrorists but were enticed into an ambush. In the fighting which ensued five terror­ists were killed while about sixty fled. In a later skirmish at a terrorist base seven more terrorists were killed.

On 25 August combat teams Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Papa (consisting of a paratroop support company, a com­pany of 31 Battalion and 140 mm gun troop) again cross the border to Zambia en route to Imusho, Cinzenbela and elsewhere but found them abandoned. The only worth­while incident took place at' Cinzenbela when a local garrison fired at a South African helicopter, with an anti-aircraft gun. This was silenced by Combat Unit Bra­vo's artillery. The combat units crossed the border and returned on 27 August.