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[02.04.2010 03:13:27] Johan Schoeman
Our sincerest condolences to the families of the people killed in the bomb attacks in Moscow earlier this week.
From the users and members of www.warinangola.com (I am sure I speak for most of them!)

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[26.03.2010 15:58:00] sabushwar
A former Soviet veteran has a video on the fighting in Angola, and has difficulty in getting a copy to me in South Africa, He is Sergej and his email address is: sergej.rimar@rambler.ru Is there anybody in the Russian Federation that can contact him to get the film and them send me a copy? Email me at sa_bushwar@yahoo.co.uk

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[26.03.2010 15:48:17] sa_bushwar
Interesting Blog! I'm busy writing a book on the bushwar, and some of the research can be seen at: **Ссылка »*** If you have any stories of photos to contribute, please visit my website

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[15.03.2010 22:28:23] Johan Schoeman
Max, and all the members of the Veterans of Angola.
I would just like to let you know that I have loaded hundreds of images of the Border War from the 'Grensoorlog' TV series. This series was presented on the SA TV channel called Kyknet in 2008, and was produced by Linda de Jager for MNET. It is now available as a two volume set each of 2 DVDs with all 26 episodes (only in Afrikaans at the moment, but there should be an English version available soon).

The images can be viewed on the www.warinangola.com site under the Gallery Section (or by using the following link: **Ссылка »***

It should give you a REAL taste of the footage the DVDs contains AS WELL as of the war itself.

Regards
Johan
www.warinangola.com

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[19.02.2010 16:42:54] Max Gladkov
Johan,

Sorry, Sergei Kolomnin has separated the English and Portuguese versions from the Russian one, and the icon was left on the Russian page. Find it here: **Ссылка »***

MG

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[19.02.2010 14:59:42] Johan Schoeman
Sorry, Max. I cannot find that icon at the top of the "Pedro Marangoni" page....

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[15.02.2010 15:46:15] Max Gladkov
Attention! The book "Opcao pela Espada" is now available at our website as a downloadable PDF file. To download the book go to "Outlook from the other side" - "Pedro Marangoni", and click on the icon on top of the page.

MG

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[10.02.2010 17:45:01] Johan Schoeman
From Filipe:
Johan, Max, Sergei,
Hi! / Privyet!
The text was so interesting that I took the night to translate it. So, here it goes:
Kak ya skazal c Yoanam, vot moy perevod s portugalskava na angliskii ot Pedro Marangoni tekst:
Take care / Poko
Filipe

P.S.: Max, the translated text was sent on to veteranangola@mail.ru. Let me know that you did receive it, will you? Johan

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[10.02.2010 10:05:46] Max Gladkov
Caro Filipe,

Muito obrigado pela sua vontade de prestar ajuda com a traducao. Este trabalho e mais que importante para nos todos como trata-se da nossa historia comum.

Dear Filipe,

Thank you very much for your will to help us with this translation. This work is most important for us for it is about our common hstory.

MG

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[09.02.2010 22:51:51] Johan Schoeman
Feedback from Filipe:
Well, first of all I must say that Sergei\\\'s command of the Portuguese language is excellent! I had encoutered a Portuguese-speaking Russian during my 3-mounths stay in Moscow but it\\\'s allways surprise to see that there are several among these well educated people who are polyglots.
The text is long so I cannot do it as fast as we would both desire. Nevertheless I\\\'ll do it, in batches though. Thanks for the google translations, it will give me a good up-start.
Best regards
Filipe

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[09.02.2010 21:37:29] Max Gladkov
Johan, thank you so much. I am 100 percent sure that it will be great reading for English-speaking folks too.

Regards,

MG

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[09.02.2010 21:06:05] Johan Schoeman
Max, Pedro, and Serguei. I will ask a Portuguese fellow wargamer, Filipe, if he would mind looking at the English Translation for you...
Regards
Johan

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[09.02.2010 16:03:54] pedro marangoni
Dear Max Gladkov and Serguei Kolomnin:
Thank you for your words, I am always available to help clarify the truth about events that I saw or participated
Cheers,
pedro marangoni

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[09.02.2010 12:10:20] Max Gladkov
Dear Friends,

One more great material is now available in our “Outlook from the other side” section. Sergei Kolomnin has interviewed Pedro Marangoni, a Brazilian veteran of the Battle of Quifangondo. You can read it in Russian and Portuguese at: **Ссылка »***

Just scroll the page down to find the required version. For those, who only read in English the recommendation is to try to use some Internet translator such as Babel Fish with the Portuguese version – it must cope with it better than with the Russian one.

On behalf of Sergei Kolomnin and Russian Angola Veterans’ Union I would like to thank Pedro Marangoni once again for his immensely valuable input.

MG

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[04.02.2010 15:06:34] Max Gladkov
Dear Friends,

Some time ago we were contacted by a man who introduced himself as Douw Steyn. It did not take us long to recall the name of the former 4 Recce commander.

After some email exchange, Douw kindly agreed to give us an interview. The answers that we have received can hardly be called revelation from the viewpoint of reconstruction of historical events – most of them are described quite in detail in literature. We were more interested in the human aspect – i.e. Douw’s personal attitude towards the topics that we were discussing. We really hope that this discussion with Douw will continue for the sake of the history that we willingly or unwillingly share.

Read the interview with Daniel (Douw) Steyn in “Outlook from the Other Side”. The English version immediately follows the Russian one.

**Ссылка »***

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[27.01.2010 20:58:49] Sergui Kolomnin
Caro Pedro Marangoni
Obrigado pelas suas respostas. Sao claras e complectas. Obrigado pelos comentarios sobre fotos expostos. Para mim ja estao esclarecidos os episodios com ELP (desculpe e o meu erro, a Panhard realmente leva as letras ELNA) e tambem a respeito das pontes “destruidas”. Nunca duvidava, que estas continuaram a funcionar. A proposito, nenhum cubano menciona as pontes como destruidas nos livros dedicados a batalha. Em 1977 muitas vezes atravessara as pontes, viajando de carro a Caxito de ida e volta. Nenhum vestigio dos efeitos dos explosivos!

Mas por exemplo o ex-combatente (FAPLA) Alvaro Antonio na entrevista a TV angolana afirmou: “Nesta altura em que se destruiu a ponte estavam a atravessar tres viaturas, entre as quais um tanque que ainda não tinha passado, tendo as outras duas caído com a ponte, morrendo os seus ocupantes”.
**Ссылка »***

O que poderia dizer acerca palavras de Alvaro Antonio?

Mais duas perguntas, se permitir.
Maioria das fontes (livros, recordacoes) mencionam os tres avioes da FA SA “Buccanir” a bombardear as posicoes FAPLA/cubanos na manha do dia 10 de Novembro.
De outro lado, Xavier (Jornal de Angola, 13 de Janeiro 2010 General Xavier: História vivida em Kifangondo) diz o seguinte: “as FAPLA estavam a espera de uma investida maior no dia 10 de Novembro de 1975. O relogio indicava 05H00, quando dois avioes se fizeram aos ceus flagelando as posicoes das FAPLA, no Morro de Kifangondo. “A primeira impressao e que fomos bombardeados pela aviacao, mas nao. Eram voos de reconhecimento que iam verificar os acessos, principalmente o estado das pontes…” E acrescenta: “eram avionetas de reconhecimento, que partiam da pista do Ambriz ou de pequenas pistas em fazendas como a Martins de Almeida”
Como poderia comentar estas palavras do veterano?

Eram bombardeiros da Africa do Sul ou avionetas de reconhecimento FNLA? Se havia realmente aviacao sulafricana envolvida nessa batalha?

No seu livro “А Opcao Pela Espada” ha um mapa bastante pormenorizada e bem clara das posicoes FNLA/zairences - FAPLA/cubanos no Quifangondo. Mesmo com o numero exato das pecas e obuses (1 canhao 130mm, Africa do Sul 3 obuses 140, FNLA etc.)
Voce indicou os quarto BM-21 nas posicoes FAPLA/cubanos por acaso ou tinha informacao mais ou menos exata?

Muitas fontes dizem, que eram seis. Conforme minha opinhao baseada nas recordacoes dos pilotos de jatos de transporte sovieticos, eram quarto BM-21, que chegaram nas vesperas do dia 10 de Novembro. Como poderia comentar isso?

Outro momento. Nos preferiamos, se possivel, expor alguns fotos do seu livro (o mapa tambem) referentes a Quifangondo na pagina dedicada ao Quifangondo junto com aqueles, que tinha comentado .

Claro com indicacao da fonte (seu livro, seu endereco, etc, o que prefere). Se aceita tal pedido, poderia enviar-nos os fotos, que escolharia. Nos nao temos nenhum motivo comercial.
Obrigado.
Sergui Kolomnin

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[26.01.2010 01:56:17] pedro marangoni
Caro Serguei Kolomnim:
Tentarei responder o mais preciso possivel,embora os numeros sejam aproximados.Fique a vontade para voltar a perguntar caso surjam duvidas!

O ELP so seria mencionado de forma politica,tentando comprometer a FNLA e tambem porque dizia-se que o Coronel Santos e Castro era ligado a este "exercito"que considero apenas teorico,nunca chegou a existir como forca real,coesa,organizada e pronta para combate.Apenas uma organizacao politica. Nunca ajudou nossas tropas,que foram recrutadas entre portugueses refugiados na Rhodesia pelo comandante dos Flechas,Alves Cardoso,da DGS/PIDE.O unico militar que poderia se chamar de "estrangeiro"era eu,brasileiro,mas com dupla nacionalidade portuguesa.O Coronel Santos e Castro apareceria em Ambriz,como adviser militar de Holden Roberto e ligação com o nosso grupo. Depois passara a participar dos combates,fardado mas sem armas.Depois de Quifangondo volta a Europa.Tínhamos pouco apoio e se os EUA ajudava mais,provavelmente a ajuda era desviada por Mobutu.Em "A opcao pela espada"a Panhard leva as letras ELNA (e nao ELP),Exercito de Libertação Nacional de Angola,o equivalente da FNLA as FAPLAS do MPLA
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Nenhuma das duas pontes estavam destruidas e nao entendo porque os angolanos insistem em mentir sobre um facto que daria ate mais valor a luta deles...E como posteriormente as Faplas/cubanos avancaram contra o Morro da Cal e Caxito?Pelas pontes...A preocupacao da FNLA era que as duas pontes fossem destruidas quando avancassemos e a engenharia zairense so tinha uma ponte disponível para construir.Um grupo de comandos com o capitao Valdemar precedeu o grande ataque,infiltrando-se pela madrugada e tomando a primeira ponte,do Panguila.Apenas cordoes detonantes foram encontrados,sem explosivos.Eu proprio passei por ela,intacta.A segunda ponte tambem,no primeiro ataque foi avistada inteira pelos blindados e tambem pelos avioes de reconhecimento.
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(Numeros aproximados)
Artilharia:Zaire,1 canhao 130mm,Africa do Sul 3 obuses 140,FNLA alguns morteiros 120.
Cavalaria:
Comandos Especiais:1 Panhard 90(destruida)2 Panhards 60(uma destruida e uma avariada)1 VTT Panhard com um grupo de combate,retornou ileso sem lancar a tropa,um jeep com canhao 106 sem recuo(nao participou).
Zaire:cerca de 10 jeeps com canhao 106 sem recuo(nao participaram), umas 15 Panhards diversas,nenhuma participou do combate, assim que transpuseram a ponte do Panguila descarregaram toda a municao e recuaram,varios canhoes antiaereos 20mm monatdos em jeeps(nao participaram)
Infantaria:
Comandos-dos 154,cerca de 80 participaram do combate,apenas uns 10 cruzaram a ponte e restaram no Morro da Cal,na noite de 11 de Novembro 1975, juntamente com o Coronel Santos e Castro,23 homens.
FNLA:cerca de 800 homens(nao tenho certeza,número aproximado),nenhum cruzou a ponte do Panguila.
Zaire:um batalhao de infantaria(dizem dois,nao sei),uma equipe de engenharia;dois caminhoes Mercedes,carregados de soldados zairenses cruzaram a ponte do Panguila e começaram a morrer sem chance de defesa na primeira curva depois da ponte.Poucos voltaram,quase todos feridos.Um dos caminhoes retornou à noite,após o combate,com alguns homens.
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Foto 1:aparentemente eram estas as posicoes,o mapa esta um pouco ilegivel.Mas nao ha merito nenhum na escolha das posicoes defensivas,sao elas obvias.Existe sim o demerito da FNLA em realizar um avanco "a viva força"sem contar com equipamento adequado.
foto 3:Em primeiro plano nao sei identificar;atras,ao lado de Holden,e o jornalista brasileiro e assessor do Presidente,Fernando Luis da Camara Cascudo.
foto 4:esta foto me parece ser dos tempos mais fortes da FNLA,antes da guerra civil e mesmo do 25 de abril de 1974 e foi feita no Zaire,provavelmente na base de Quinkuzo.Nunca mais se viu tal concentracao de tropas.
foto 9 e 11:nao da para identificar;mas em toda a guerra civil os comandos perderam apenas uma Panhard 90,a do Tenente Paes em Quifangondo.(o municiador, Remedios,ferido e capturado,esta vivo e hoje mora em Portugal)
Foto 12: Sao os primeiros comandos especiais capturados na batalha de Caxito,onde participaram de improviso e com armamento obsoleto,sendo envolvidos devido a enorme inferioridade numerica;bateram-se bem;da esquerda para a direita,(brancos)Quintino,pelotao G3;Fernandes,paraquedista,pelotao Mag;Pereira,motorista caminhao Mercedez.
Pedro marangoni

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[23.01.2010 20:34:56] Serguei Kolomnin
Estimado Pedro Marangoni!

Fico-lhe muito grato por suas mensаgens relativos a Batalha de Quifangondo, em particular por artigo “Quatro MLRS BM-21 Grad deteram os inimigos que avancavam sobre Luanda e mudaram o rumo da guerra?”, que ja foi publicado no nosso website em russo e portugues.

Encontrei nas suas mensаgens alguns elementos muito interessantes para mim, em particular, em relacao ao efeito provocado pelas metralhadoras anti-aereas ZPU-4 de calibre 14,5 mm (os angolanos e cubanos os chamavam “cuatro bocas”), ao efeito moral, produzido por salvos de BM-21 e tambem acerca do numero exacto de comandos especiais ao lado da FNLA e ELP.

A proposito, o ELP – foi simplismente o slogan, ou forca real com a estrutura, programa e o comando formados? Eu vi no seu livro “А Opсао Pela Espada” a Panhard com letras “ELP”, escritas na frente do carro. Era a serio?

E mais algumas perguntas, se permitir.
Os angolanos-participantes da Batalha de Quifangondo (FAPLA), iciuindo General Xavier
(**Ссылка »***),
insistem no facto, que as pontes sobre rio Bengo (e Panguila tambem) tinham sido demolidas e destruidas pelos seus sapadores para impedir o avanco das Panhards e da tropa.
Se isso e verdade, os Panhards da FNLA avancaram em vao? Mesmo como outro pessoal?
De que maneira a tropa da FNLA tencionara e conseguiria atravesar o rio? A nado? Ou a ponte sobre rio Bengo continuava a funcionar, tendo so alguns danos nao significativos? Conforme a minha experiencia militar explodir e destruir a ponte solida, construida em betao e uma coisa nao facil… Os angolanos tem razao? Ou nao?

Outra pergunta. Mesmo pedido. Poderia pormenorizar o despositivo de combate e a composicao da forca da FNLA e zairenses? Quantos carros Panhard, soldados (FNLA e zairenses), pecas de artilharia haviam no palco de combate no dia 10 de Novembro perante o ultimo ataque contra Quifangondo? Aquilo, que lembra. Se possivel…

Talvez para voce seja interessante a nova nossa pagina com fotos, dedicados a este tema. Olhe **Ссылка »***
Se poderia fazer uns comentarios acerca dos fotos №1, №3, №4, №12 e tambem sobre restantes, ficaria-lhe muito agradecido. A proposito, os fotos №№9 e11 com Panhards destruidas sao originais de Angola. Quem esta junto com Holden Roberto no foto №3? Foto №4 - соmo pensa, sao soldados da FNLA ou zairenses? Conhecе alguem no foto №12?
Talvez possa nos fornecer mais elementos interessantes. Obrigado.
Serguei Kolomnin

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[21.01.2010 11:17:27] Max Gladkov
Hi Johan,

Getting back to our discussion, I do not think that the definition of a foreign volunteer can apply either to us, the Soviets, or the Germans or even the Cubans. And the primary reason for this is that we all were in Angola under agreements signed between the government of Angola and our respective governments – not under individual contracts (although I heard about such contracts made long after my time). We have never been part of any FAPLA structure. We only reported to the Defense Ministry of the USSR through our Chief Military Advisor or even bypassing him like in the case of some of our pilots. In other words, in Angola we continued being officers, warrant officers and soldiers of the Soviet Army invited by the Angolan government to provide help. We all stayed on the payroll of the Soviet Defense Ministry, and back home my family continued receiving the part of my salary which was in Soviet rubles.

Yes, there was some formal difference between “advisors” and “specialists” – that is why we normally distinguish between these two terms. Advisors got the main part of their salary in US dollars from the government of the USSR, while specialists got it from the government of Angola. Because of that, for example, advisors always flew to Angola by Aeroflot, while specialists sometimes used TAAG and flew via Paris which made many people really happy – as you may know, in the Soviet days international travelling, especially to “capitalist countries”, was not for everybody. LOL.

However, even this existed on paper only. In practice, neither advisors, nor specialists ever saw those dollars in cash. In my days they were converted into so called “Convertible Rubles” which, unlike regular Soviet rubles, could be used in the USSR in “Beriozka” (birch tree) stores where we could buy goods unavailable to other Soviet people, like foreign-made VCR’s, audio systems, clothes, etc. They could also be used to buy high-ticket items, such as cars and apartments, without having to wait in a queue for several years. You must have heard about the shortage of such things in the Soviet Union. Those convertible rubles were only given in cash to advisors or specialists returning to the USSR – on leave or for good – after the deduction of the amount spent in Angola (in the cashless mode) on food and some minor things.

Unfortunately, “Beriozka” stores were not too many and only existed in Moscow, Leningrad and some other major cities. Advisors from smaller cities and towns just could not spend their pay anywhere else.

Later in 1988 this system was changed – the financial dept of the Defense ministry started transferring our money to our accounts in the Soviet Vnesheconombank (Foreign Trade Bank) – after proper deductions, of course. And here real problems began. You could not cash your dollars – you could only get cash (no more than USD500 at a time) if you were going on a business trip abroad against your air ticket and international passport – and those were normally issued in the very last minute while to get cash from the bank you had to stand in the line to the teller for a couple of days (you can imagine how happy people from cities other than Moscow were about it). You could also perform cashless transactions in “Beriozka” stores – the procedure was as follows: let’s assume I want to buy a handkerchief! I go to a “Beriozka” store to choose one. I make my choice and wait in a queue to get an invoice for it. If I am lucky enough, I get it fast to return to the bank on the same day in order to wait in the bank’s queue to give the invoice to the teller who will debit my US dollar account and transfer the money to the store’s account. Then I will be given a receipt with which I will have to return to the store to get my handkerchief! That is how Perestroika started!

I do not think any sound-minded person inclined to become a mercenary or a foreign volunteer would agree to do so on such terms!

Regards,

MG

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[21.01.2010 07:02:19] Johan Schoeman
Max and Koos, thank you for the feedback on the mercenaries. Does this mean that the Soviet advisors and other foreign participants like the East Germans, Romanians, Yugoslavs, etc. were \'Foreign Volunteers\' for the MPLA cause? And the Cubans, practically operating within their own formal unit structures?

Talking about unit structures, I have been labouring over the typical Fapla Brigade Organiations and TO&Es. Based on Western impressions and publications on the composition and equipment in a \"typical\" Soviet infantry brigade, as well as what I deducted from the books on the Bush War I studied in great detail, combined with the training I received those eons ago about \"Knowing Your Enemy\", I managed to come up with what I consider to be a reasonably accurate (or at least workable) structure for some of the Fapla brigades engaged in 1987/88. I would appreciate your members thoughts and feedback on these.
For my TO&E of 47 Brigade, see **Ссылка »***
and for 59 Brigade, see **Ссылка »***

I am really just thowing a couple of stones into the bush and hops I am not hitting a tank!

You may also be interested to see the typical SADF TO&Es for 32 Bn, 61 Mech Bn and 4 SAI, at **Ссылка »***
These are based on the theoretical strengths of the units and may not have been the actuals present during the fighting of 1987/88. I did use official sources and references that were used during some training I underwent as late at 1993.
Regards
Johan
www.warinangola.com

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[19.01.2010 21:15:59] Max Gladkov
Regarding definition of the term "mercenary"

A mercenary is a professional soldier hired by a foreign army, as opposed to a soldier enlisted in the armed forces of the sovereign state of which he is a citizen. He takes part in armed conflict on many different scales, and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party" (Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Convention of August 1949).[1][2] A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he gets remuneration for his service.

As a result of the assumption that a mercenary is essentially motivated by money, the term "mercenary" usually carries negative connotations, though that can be a compliment in some contexts. There is a blur in the distinction between a "mercenary" and a "foreign volunteer", when the primary motive of a soldier in a foreign army is uncertain. For instance, the French Foreign Legion and the Gurkhas are not mercenaries under the laws of war, since although they may meet many of the requirements of Article 47 of the 1949 Additional Protocol I, they are exempt under clauses 47(a)(c)(d)(e)&(f); some journalists describe them as mercenaries regardless.[3][4]

For more details, please, see: **Ссылка »***

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[18.01.2010 22:40:36] Koos van Dyke
To Johan Schoeman

Dear Johan

You write - \"So here is the question, then: Were there ANY mercenaries involved in the Angolan conflict after 1975/76?\"

It seems to me, first of all, you have to define the term \"mercenary\". What is the CORRECT definition if this word (in sense of Grensoorlog)? Were 32Bn soldiers (at least prior to 1981 when Cpl Edwards deserted and told the world press about the unit) mercenaries? Who is the mercenary - one who fights for money or for the idea as well? If we look at Rhodesian Bushwar - most of the foreign personnel who served in RDF were not \"mercs\" - they serve on the same basis. The same - I believe - believe applies to most of the foreigners in SADF.

\"The Frenchman who joined the Recces that I met in 1981 MUST surely have been a mercenary?? - Well, to my knowledge this oke had to sign a certain form of contract with SADF (at least for one year). And he had to serve on the same basis as other Recce operators.

There\'s a pretty good book by Peter Mcaleese \"No Mean Soldier\". Mcaleese was in Angola with \"Colonel\" Callan - but he was lucky enough to escape to Zaire in time. After that he served in Rhodesian SAS and after 1980 he was sergeant in \"Pathfinders\" (SADF Parabat recon company, disbanded in 1982). \"Pathfinders\" (they were spearhead unit in Op Protea in 1981) consisted mostly of foreigners - Rhodies, Englishmen, Newzealanders, Australians etc. (There was even Russian, SA Russian - Michael Lenskov). Were they mercs or not?

Regards
Koos

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[18.01.2010 15:36:03] Max Gladkov
Hi Pedro,

Thank you for this link - the Cuban footage is really worth watching.

I have translated your comments on Sergei's article into Russian and posted them on our "Outlook from the other side" page. Your insight is very valuable - thank you again. Looking forward to getting more feedback from you.

Kind regards,

MG

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[17.01.2010 14:18:52] pedro marangoni
Hi Max:
On Net,this week, a series of videos from the Cuban offensive, very interesting, this is the link that shows the progress in the north, and the death and capture of the British mercenaries two days after my group have ended the war, and crossed the border of Zaire.
**Ссылка »***
"Até logo"
pedro marangoni

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[16.01.2010 10:53:26] Max Gladkov
Hi Pedro,

Sorry for being away for quite long, and thank you very much for your comments. They are really very important for our work. Please be careful with automatic translators. They may distort the point dramatically sometimes transforming it into its opposite.

Now that I am back to Moscow and to work, I will for sure translate your message into Russian and post it on our Russian page. We are also preparing the English version of Sergei’s article, so I hope that you will get back to it to give us more detailed comments. So please stay in touch and don’t hesitate to use my personal email maximgladkov@hotmail.com

Ate logo,

MG

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