Battle of Cuito Cuanavale - Battle of The Lomba River

Battle of The Lomba River

In August the FAPLA 21st, 25th (both light infantry), 47th (armoured) and the 59th (mechanized) brigades (some sources also include the 16th brigade) of FAPLA, departed from the Cuito Cuanavale. They received air support from the airbase at Menongue, including MiG 23s deployed in a ground-attack role. Facing them were the UNITA forces composed of the 3rd Regular, 5th Regular, 13th Semi-Regular and 275th Special Forces Battalions On 28 August they reached the northern banks of the Lomba River near Mavinga, where they were expected by the SADF.

In a series of bitter fights (Battle of the Lomba River II) between 9 September and 7 October, SADF and UNITA prevented the FAPLA, which suffered heavy losses, from crossing the river. The Soviets withdrew their advisors and left the FAPLA without senior leadership. On 29 September, South African and UNITA forces, having gained the upper-hand, launched an offensive (Operation Hooper). On 3 October they attacked and annihilated a FAPLA-battalion on the southern banks of the Lomba River near Mavinga and two days later the Angolan army headed into a retreat over 190 km back to Cuito Cuanavale, which it desperately held on to. If Cuito Cuanavale was lost by FAPLA, the next closest comparable outpost would be Menongue, 300 km from Mavinga and 500 km from UNITA's headquarters at Jamba. In pursuit of the retreating FAPLA units the SADF and UNITA started the siege of Cuito Cuanavale on 14 October with long-range shelling by 155 mm artillery from a distance of 30 to 40 km.