Battle of Cassinga

Battle of Cassinga
Part of the South African Border War
Date4 May 1978
Location
Cassinga, Angola
Battle of Cassinga is located in Angola
Cassinga
Cassinga
Battle of Cassinga (Angola)
15°7′3″S 16°5′11″E / 15.11750°S 16.08639°E / -15.11750; 16.08639 (SWAPO Base at Cassinga)
Result South African victory
Belligerents
 South Africa SWAPO
 Cuba
Commanders and leaders
South Africa Constand Viljoen
South Africa Ian Gleeson
Dimo Hamaambo
Units involved
SADF SWAPO:
Unknown
Strength
370 soldiers
4 Canberra B-12 bombers
5 Buccaneer fighters
4 Mirage III fighters
4 C-130 Hercules transport planes
5 Transall C-160 transport planes
13 Aerospatiale Puma helicopters
6 Super Frelon helicopters
SWAPO:
300–600 guerrillas[1]
2 ZPU-4 AA guns
1 ZU-23-2 AA gun
1–2 ZSU AA guns
3,000–4,000 refugees [1][2]
Cuba:
144–400 soldiers
4 T-34 tanks
17 BTR-152 APCs
7 trucks
4 AA guns
Casualties and losses
3 killed
11 wounded
1 missing
Cuba:
150 soldiers killed[2]
3 T-34 destroyed
17 BTR-152 destroyed
SWAPO:
unknown
40 captured

624 dead and 611 wounded in total (Angolan government claim)[2]

582 dead and 400 wounded in total (SWAPO claim)[1]

The Battle of Cassinga also known as the Cassinga Raid or Kassinga Massacre was a controversial[3] South African airborne attack on a South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) military camp at the town of Cassinga, Angola on 4 May 1978. Conducted as one of the three major actions of Operation Reindeer during the South African Border War, it was the South African Army's first major air assault operation.