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44 Parachute Brigade (South Africa)

44 Parachute Brigade was an all-arms formation of the South African Defence Force (SADF) founded on the 20th of April 1978 following the disbandment of 1 SA Corps. Initially within its formation included 2 and 3 Parachute Battalions which were Citizen Force Units (2 and 3 Parachute Battalions comprised of Paratroopers [[1]] who had completed their initial national service at 1 Parachute Battalion)

Leadership tasked with it's establishment were Brigadier M. J. du Plessis and to assist him in the Role of Parachute Staff Officer, Colonel J.D. Breytenbach.

Brigadier du Plessis, SM, at the time was the Commanding Officer of the Orange Free State (OFS) Command and a former Officer Commanding of 1 Parachute Battalion. Colonel Breytenbach, DVR, SD, SM was a founder-member of 1 Parachute Battalion as well as South Africa’s Special Forces and 32 Battalion.

The chosen location was in the lines of the OFS Command Headquarters, next to the old Tempe Airfield in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Tempe being the Military Zone within the City of Bloemfontein)

Initially it was agreed that these two Battalions as infantry units were not capable of providing a balanced effective force for conventional operations. This was one of the main drivers for an all-arms formation, with an airborne capability, and later on other units were added including amongst others Engineering, Artillery, Signals, Anti-Air Craft, Workshop and Maintenance and Anti-Tank

Early development of the Brigade – 1979 - 1980

Together with the announcement of the proposed establishment of the Brigade by the then Minister of Defense, Mr. P. W. Botha, in April 1978, approval was also given for the establishment of 44 Parachute Brigade, 44 Field Engineer Squadron and 44 Parachute Brigade Signal Squadron with effect from 1 January 1979. 2 and 3 Parachute Battalions were officially placed under command of 44 Parachute Brigade on the 4th of January 1979, and in May 1979, the Brigade became self-accounting.

In 1980 the Brigade moved its headquarters and constituent units to Pretoria For administrative and accommodation reasons. The Brigade HQ, however, was temporarily de-activated, and the post of SSO Parachute Operations was established under Director Operations at Army HQ. Colonel Breytenbach occupied this post, and was also responsible for the continued administration of the Brigade. On 24 September 1980 the Brigade HQ was re-activated with Breytenbach as un-appointed Officer Commanding and moved to the farm Haakdoringfontein at Murrayhill near Wallmansthal, some 35 kilometers north of Pretoria. This farm once belonged to Commandant General Piet Joubert of the old Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, and the original stone farmhouse and outbuildings have been incorporated into the Brigade Headquarters.

Murrayhill would serve as the home of 44 Parachute Brigade until the commencement of scaling down of operations and in 1991 Tempe (Bloemfontein) again became its Headquarters

Formalizing of 44 Parachute Brigade - 1981

Since its move to Murrayhill in 1980 the Brigade had experienced relatively little organizational development even though the individual units within 44 Parachute Brigade remained operationally active.

18 Light Regiment (An Artillery Unit) equipped with heavy mortars (120mm), was transferred to the Brigade, and in 1980 a Light Artillery Battery executed a drop together with 2 Parachute Battalion on the Zimbabwean border in the then Northern Transvaal as part of an Exercise called ‘Crossbow’. This further illustrated the need to develop an all-arms approach to the airborne doctrine, training and organization.

One of the key objectives of Lieutenant General J.J. Geldenhuys, SSA, SD, SM, the new Chief of the Army, in 1981 was the formalising of 44 Parachute Brigade. Following this Colonel F. J. Bestbier took up his post on 1 January 1982 as first formally appointed Commanding Officer of 44 Parachute Brigade. Colonel Bestbier had previously commanded a mechanized infantry battalion however had served with 1 Parachute Battalion for 10 years prior to that.

In 1998 the decision was taken to reduce the brigade to the status of a regiment, and in 2000 the decision was implemented when the formation was reduced to 44 Parachute Regiment (South Africa).

Expansion of the Brigade – 1982 - 1986

During this period the Brigade went through a real period of expansion with additional staff officers being transferred in to the Brigade Headquarters. With the Headquarters established and staffed domestic administration of the Brigade was possible. This period also saw the following developments within the Citizen Force Units:

Approval in principle for the establishment of 4 Parachute Battalion

Approval for the upgrading of the following Sub-Units to:

• 44 Anti-Aircraft Regiment
• 44 Signal Unit
• 44 Maintenance Unit.
• 37 Field Workshop (Under the Brigade from 1 January 1984)

The following Sub-Units were also activated:

• 44 Anti-Tank Company
• 44 Pathfinder Company
• 44 Dispatcher Platoon
• 44 Provost Platoon

Colonel D. J. Moore took Command of 44 Parachute Brigade on 1 January 1985 having spent 13 years at 1 Parachute Battalion serving 4 of those years as Officer Commanding

In 1985 the Brigade also produced a manual on airborne operations, in which the concept of a Parachute Battalion Group as the basic, balanced airborne assault force is set out, together with its doctrinal employment. Organizations within the Brigade were accordingly amended to conform to this concept, which gave the Brigade the capacity to mobilize three balanced Parachute Battalion Groups.

The Parachute Battalion Group concept - 1988

During 1988 the Chief of the SA Army tasked 44 Parachute Brigade to maintain a full-time Parachute Group Ready for immediate deployment. This was as a result of the changing and uncertain operational situation in Angola at the time. In order to achieve this, several National Servicemen Companies from 1 Parachute Battalion were placed under the operational command of the Brigade. 2 Parachute Battalion and other elements comprised the force from the Brigade side

This combined unit was dubbed ‘14 Parachute Battalion Group’ (The 1 referring to 1 Parachute Battalion and the 4 to 44 Parachute Brigade)

Air Drop Capabilities 1982 - 1986

The Brigade during this period conducted extensive tests on developing a heavy drop capability. The tests first originated at 1 Parachute Battalion in 1982 with stropped-down Land-Rovers dubbed ‘Fireflies’, progressing to successfully dropping light armored reconnaissance vehicles carrying potent anti-tank weapons systems.

Vehicles were dropped by means of both the Platform Extraction System (PLEDS), as well as the Low Altitude Platform Extraction System (LAPES). In 1986 the Brigade also evaluated several proto-types and finally select an Air-droppable Utility Vehicle which was named the ‘Jakkals’ (Jackal)

Exercises and Brigade developments 1987 – 1989

In 1987 the Brigade’s first really large-scale airborne exercise took place with 3 Parachute Battalion Group carrying out Exercise Iron Eagle I in the Batavia area of North West Transvaal, close to the Botswana border. 500 troops, several vehicles and heavy weapons with ammunition were dropped by day from 4 C130 Hercules aircraft, 4 C160 ZZ Transall aircraft and 12 DC3 Dakota aircraft in one lift. Due to various factors, Exercise Iron Eagle II with 4 Parachute Battalion Group, due to take place later in the same year, had to be cancelled.

In March 1988, Exercise Iron Eagle III was carried out by 2 Parachute Battalion Group on the training grounds at Murrayhill. It involved a night drop onto a very rough Drop Zone by 600 men and 34 tonnes of equipment, including 16 vehicles.

The drop was followed by a night march of 12 kilometers and a first light assault on an objective.

In May 1988, Exercise Hornet took place in the Batavia area close to the Botswana Border. This involved a Battalion-sized parachute drop followed by a helicopter deployment which was executed by 3 Parachute Battalion

1988, also saw 101 Air Supply Company come under the command of the Brigade placing the SADF’s complete air supply capability under the umbrella of the Brigade.

Exercise Strandloper which was a large exercise was planned and executed between July and September 1888, 14 Parachute Battalion Group began preparing for this immediately. This exercise was amphibious and was held at Walvis Bay, SWA, and it heralded the start of a new era for the Brigade at the time, one in which this new role would begin to supplement the traditional airborne role.

Following this exercise 14 Parachute Battalion Group was deployed in the Operational Area during April 1889. On returning from SWA, 14 Parachute Battalion Group was a depleted unit with the Citizen Force elements within it having been demobilized.

The depleted Group prepared for and took part in an Exercise known as Sweepslag II/88 together with other conventional forces at the Army Battle School near Lohatlha in the Northern Cape. The Paratroopers travelled 500 kilometres by road from Pretoria only to discover that they would immediately have to participate in a night drop with heavy equipment. The Exercise also involved ‘assaults’ on several objectives and the occupation of a bridgehead.

14 Parachute Battalion Group become a permanent unit of 44 Parachute Brigade with effect from 1 January 1989, amalgamating all parachute qualified National Servicemen elements of the Army for operational deployment in their second year of full time National Service

In September 1989 14 Parachute Battalion group carried out a second amphibious exercise, dubbed Exercise Vlakwater, in the Saldanha Bay area. This exercise also saw a full troop with two gun sections of 14.5mm AA Guns, One Jakkals Vehicle with a Mamba double barreled 12.7 mm AA Gun being deployed in an air drop.

The Brigade was at one stage on stand-by with both 14 Parachute Battalion Group and 2 Parachute Battalion in case events leading up to the SWA/Namibian independence turned sour, but it proved unnecessary to deploy.

Rationalization of the SADF commenced at the end of 1989 and both 14 Parachute Battalion Group and 4 Parachute Battalion were de-activated. The Brigade again adopted a programme of training, rather than of conducting operations

Operations

Operation Reindeer (Cassinga) 1978

The Brigade had barely commenced organizing when less than a month later, on 14 May 1978, the operational situation required the execution of South Africa’s first large scale airborne assault, Operation Reindeer. Prior to this, parachute operations by 1 Parachute Battalion had been rare, consisting mostly of platoon, or sometimes company size. This time the operation called for an assault on a SWAPO base some 200 kilometers inside Angola by 320 Paratroopers.

The Brigade mobilized companies from 2 and 3 Parachute Battalions. These were supplemented by mortar, anti-tank elements as well as a rifle platoon from 1 Parachute Battalion. The composite force of a battalion minus, Commanded by Col Breytenbach carried out the first-light parachute assault on a SWAPO base code-name ‘Moscow’, at Cassinga in Angola. The force was closely supported throughout by the South African Air Force, and inflicted heavy losses on enemy, with only four paratroopers being lost in the action during the Operation. Things however went awry during battle and the Battalion was forced to execute a ‘hot extraction’ by helicopter troopships when the Angolans launched a counter attack with their tanks. The initiative and perseverance of the leadership resulted in a successful extraction, minimizing of loss and the objective being achieved.

An analysis of the Operation revealed certain deficiencies and shortcomings, namely the need to have more than just infantry for such an operation, as well as the need for a fully-staffed and experienced headquarters. The importance of forming a parachute brigade had been clearly demonstrated.

Operations on the increase - 1979 - 1982

During the early eighties 1 Parachute Battalion had grown in size to the extent that it had eight full-time rifle companies on strength. A permanent Paratrooper Base had been established alongside the Ondangwa Airfield in Owambo, Northern South West Africa, and a company was always on strength and deployed there. At times Citizen Force Parachute Companies would relieve the 1 Parachute Battalion Company for the purposes of rotation and furlough but usually it was a Company from 1 Parachute Battalion stationed there.

The Force at Ondangwa were used mainly for reaction tasks and internal ‘Fire Force’ (A practice involving troops being deployed in heliborne and or parachute drops in the area immediately after an insurgent presence had been reported or sited) Sometimes Paratroopers would be dropped into contacts up to 3 times per day. During 1979 Companies from 1 Parachute Battalion as a part of Operation Bowler achieved remarkably high success rates with Fire Force actions.

Other Paratrooper Companies were also from time to time deployed further south, in the white farmlands, tracking and destroying insurgents’ who had penetrated that far and were sewing terrorism amongst the local population in that area. The numbers of insurgents caught or killed by the paratroopers was steadily increasing.

May 1980 saw the launch of another major offensive by the SADF into Angola, this was known as Operation Sceptic. During this Operation six companies from 1 Parachute Battalion were simultaneously deployed as ordinary infantry and later that year a company from 1 Parachute Battalion executed a successful heliborne assault on a SWAPO / MPLA headquarters at Chitado in Angola. The latter Operation was known as Klipkop.

During Operations Protea, Carnation and Askari 1 Parachute Battalion again deployed their Companies as Normal Infantry and was noted as being instrumental in originating joint operations with the Police. This would serve as the model on which the ‘Koevoet’ Police Unit was established

A Pathfinder Company of the Brigade were deployed primarily doing ground reconnaissance and comprised mainly of foreign soldiers, serving a one year contract, who had seen service in the Rhodesian Army airborne units which had since been disbanded when the Marxist government of the new state of Zimbabwe had taken office.

An operational night drop within Angola also took place as part of Operation Daisy in 1981 by Several Companies from 3 Parachute Battalion

For Paratroopers the 1980’s were characterized by continual operational involvement in Angola. Citizen Force Companies from 2 and 3 Parachute Battalion were initially also involved, often in heavy fighting as at Evale in Angola in 1981. A Helicopter Operation involving a 2 Parachute Battalion Company together with a Company of Bushmen resulted in the death of one paratrooper and the wounding of several others.

1 Parachute Battalion also continued to re-enforce mechanized and motorized battle groups during operations into Angola with the support of its Paratroopers, often using Heliborne Tactics. In 1982 the unit experienced a major setback when a Puma Helicopter was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire and 12 Paratoopers perished.

During 1984 to 1986 when Citizen Force units of 44 Parachute Brigade were called up and became increasingly embroiled in the internal unrest situation in South Africa, 1 Parachute Battalion remained virtually the only parachute unit to carry on with operations in South West Africa and Angola. The refinement of the old “Fire Force” technique into the night-time Lunar Operations saw curfews being enforced as a result of night time parachute drops during this period.

Urban and Rural COINOPS – 1984 to 1986

The period 1984 to 1986 saw intense internal unrest within South Africa and most elements of the Brigade as well as the companies of 1 Parachute Battalion were called up to do urban COINOPS. (Counter Insurgency Operations)

Unrest in Black Townships in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Witwatersrand and Pretoria saw Infantry Companies of 44 Parachute Brigade, and later complete battalions being used to assist with the maintenance of law and order. These Operations were dubbed Poncho and Zenon.

The gunners of 18 Light Regiment on the other hand found themselves deployed as an infantry battalion to prevent unrest within the homeland of Kwa Ndebele, in an Operation dubbed Windmeul

This period even saw a Battalion of Technical, Maintenance, Signals and other supporting elements of the Brigade being deployed in Soweto as part of an Operation dubbed Xenon

The Brigade’s operational focus again shifted back to rural COINOPS in 1986 and members of the Brigade were deployed along the borders of Zimbabwe and Botswana in an Operation known as Operation Pebble. Battalions who were called up during this period were called up for 60 days at a time for border protection duties

Climax to the War in Angola – 1987 - 1988

In October 1987, A company of Paratroopers from 1 Parachute Battalion formed part of a battle Group (101 Battalion) involving a rare engagement with between the SADF and Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in an Operation called Firewood. The fighting took place at Indungo and the enemy force comprised a Cuban tank and artillery element with an MK motorized infantry unit.

1987 also was the year when the very last operational parachute drop was executed in Angola as a part of Operation Pineapple, where two companies from 1 Parachute Battalion performed a cordon and sweep maneuvers

Finally, 1987 and 1988 saw the climax of the war in Angola with the battles taking place at Cuito Cuanavale and the Lomba River. Here Pathfinders from 1 Parachute Battalion were heavily deployed in the action and during Operations Modular, Hooper and Packer they assisted liaison teams working between UNITA and the mechanized SADF forces by conducting reconnaissance missions within enemy-held territory in 1987. A Battery from 18 Light Regiment was also deployed in January 1988 to take part in Operation Hooper which included heavy fighting against Cuban and FAPLA (Forças Armadas Populares de Libertação de Angola or People's Armed Forces for Liberation of Angola)

The end in South West Africa - 1989

Colonel McGill Alexander took command of the Brigade on 1 April 1989. He had already been Acting Brigade Commander in his previous post as SO1 for several months prior to this performing detached duties with the Joint Military Monitoring Commission on the Angolan / SWA Border. He had also served with 1 Parachute Battalion, 2 Parachute Battalion and 44 Parachute Brigade Headquarters amongst other postings

Shortly after assuming command of the Brigade Colonel Alexander to tasked to 14 Parachute Battalion Group (14 Parachute Group is described elsewhere under the heading “The Parachute Battalion Group Concept”) to assist warding off a final infiltration by SWAPO insurgents into northern SWA. The Battalion Group deployed with all its personnel and equipment in an air-landed operation within 14 hours of being told to deploy. The Operation called Merlyn, involved spending several weeks hunting insurgents, chiefly in the mountains of the Kaokoveld. As a result of this effort some 20 insurgents were killed during the operation.