Operation Wishbone

Operation Wishbone
Part of the South African Border War
Location	Ongiva Xangongo Operation Wishbone (Angola)
Planned by	SAAF
Objective	Air attack by the SAAF against a PLAN bases inside southern Angola.
Date	19 December 1980

Operation Wishbone was a military operation in Angola during December 1980 by the South African Defence Force (SADF) and South African Air Force (SAAF) during the Angolan Civil War and South African Border War.

Background

The mission called for mid-level bombing attacks by the South African Air Force (SAAF) against SWAPO's PLAN bases in Angola at Oshiheng near Ongiva and Palele close to Xangongo.^[1]: Chp6 Four formations of aircraft were assembled at either airbases at Grootfontein or Ondangwa in Namibia/South West Africa.^[1]: Chp6 The aircraft formations consisted of either four Buccaneers or Mirage F1's and one lead aircraft, a Canberra bomber.^[1]: Chp6 The Canberra bomber would signal when the bombs would be dropped on the target.^[1]: Chp6 The operation took place 19 December 1980.^[1]: Chp6

Aftermath

Intelligence gathered after the attack proved that the bombing at the height chosen had been inaccurate and that the PLAN bases were unoccupied during the attack..^[1]: Chp6

References

1. Lord, Dick (2012). From Fledgling to Eagle. The South African Airforce during the Border War. Solihull, England: Helion & Company. ISBN 9781908916624.

Further reading

• Lord, Dick (2012). From Fledgling to Eagle. The South African Airforce during the Border War (e-book). Solihull, England: Helion & Company. ISBN 9781908916624.
• Louw, Martin; Bouwer, Stefaan (1989). The South African Air Force at War. Melville: Chris van Rensburg. ISBN 0868460842.
• Steenkamp, Willem (1989). South Africa's border war, 1966-1989. Gibraltar: Ashanti Pub. ISBN 0620139676.