This review has been submitted to The Canadian Army Journal
Title: Mobile Warfare for Africa – On the Successful Conduct of Wars in Africa and Beyond - Lessons Learned from the South African Border War
Author: Roland de Vries, Camille Burger, Willem Steenkamp
ISBN: 978-1-912174-08-9
Publisher: Helion &Company
Year: 2017
Softcover
Pages: 388
Photos/Maps: 73/42
‘Si vis pacem para
bellum – If you want peace, prepare for war’. This was the foundation upon
which the South African Defence Force (SADF) was developed in order to counter
the threats manifesting themselves throughout Southern Africa. The authors of
this work (originally published in 1987 and reproduced in 2018) have all been
involved in the historical analysis and doctrinal development of the SADF; none
more so than Maj-Gen (ret’d) Roland de Vries, widely considered to be the ‘father’
of the SADF’s bush war doctrine. The degree of practical, ‘hands on’ experience
translated in this work and the extent to which additional primary sources were
tapped, ranging from senior German Afrka Korps Officers, African officers from across
the continent and senior British and African Union security officials, affirms
the depth of analysis and breadth of experience that has gone into the research
for this book.
Above all, this is a
teaching and information manual. The SADF was involved with numerous operations
involving actions against both conventional militaries as well as
asymmetric/guerilla style forces. Their experiences, captured in this book,
covered the spectrum from small unit deep penetration operations, brigade level
conventional multi-arms engagements, hearts and minds tasks to multi-element interdiction
involving combinations of land forces and fixed and rotary wing assets.
The narrative
culminates in a series of case studies that provide context and concrete application
of the lessons gleaned from the Bush War. They are all identically structured in
order to facilitate understanding, with detailed maps and photographs. Each case
study is directly tied to a chapter in the main text in order to deliver a real
life example of the concepts being provided; all are stand alone and may be reviewed
independently or in conjunction with the larger narrative.
Throughout the book, and
in addition to the case studies, the Angolan Bush War (also known as the South
African Border War), is referenced by the authors to provide foundational context
to their perspectives. Fought between 1966 and 1989, it extended across modern
day Angola, Zambia and Namibia and involved kinetic and asymmetric elements of
warfare; ranging from low to high intensity clashes. From this laboratory of
African conflict came many of the lessons that were applied in other theatres
and regions. Drawing upon these lessons, the authors explain in depth, not only
the development and application of tactics and doctrine but also how these
lessons were applied to the development of equipment and, more specifically,
vehicles and weapons systems that best suited the varied African environments.
Helion has again produced a book of the highest quality and the addition
of an included but separate ‘atlas’ book enables the reader to follow the case
studies and lessons learned with great ease. This book represents the
culmination of literally decades of hard learned lessons in the harshest of
classrooms, the battlefield. It not only is an engaging and fascinating read
but also serves as an outstanding treatise on methods of combat that will stand
any professional soldier, historian or casual militarist in good stead
regardless of their geographic location, element or experience level.
