Mobile Warfare for Africa – On the Successful Conduct of Wars in Africa and Beyond - Lessons Learned from the South African Border War - Roland de Vries, Camille Burger, Willem Steenkamp

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.