Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of Cassinga

Battle of Cassinga was a battle fought on 4 May 1978 at Cassinga, in what is now Angola. It was part of the South African Border War, which ran from 1966 to 1990. The recorded result: South African victory.

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Canberra T.4 no. 458 at AFB Ysterplaat, during the SAAF anniversary air show
Canberra T.4 no. 458 at AFB Ysterplaat, during the SAAF anniversary air show. Col André Kritzinger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought4 May 1978
WhereCassinga, Angola15.117S, 16.086E
OutcomeSouth African victory
BelligerentsSouth AfricaagainstSWAPO; Cuba; Angola
Part ofSouth African Border War1966 to 1990

Where it sits in the South African Border War

Operation Seiljag, 1976Battle of Cassinga, 1978Operation Reindeer, 1978Operation Klipklop, 198019761980Battle of Cassinga, 1978
4 placed engagements of the South African Border War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date4 May 1978
PlaceCassinga, Angola
15.117S, 16.086E
KindBattle, Cold War
Strength370 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 helicoptersSWAPO: 300–600 guerrillas; 2 ZPU-4 AA guns; 1 ZU-23-2 AA gun; 1–2 ZSU AA guns; 3,000–4,000 refugees; Cuba: 144–400 soldiers; 4 T-34 tanks; 17 BTR-152 APCs; 7 trucks; 4 AA guns
Casualties and losses3 killed; 11 wounded; 1 missingCuba: 150 soldiers killed; 3 T-34 destroyed; 17 BTR-152 destroyed; SWAPO: unknown; 40 captured; 624 dead and 611 wounded in total (Angolan government claim); 582 dead and 400 wounded in total (SWAPO claim)
Commanders
  • Constand Viljoen
  • Ian Gleeson
  • Jan Breytenbach
  • Dimo Hamaambo
Battle of CassingaBattle of CassingaBattle of OngulumbasheBattle of OngulumbasheMenongueQuipungo100 km15.117S, 16.086E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.
Menongue and Cassinga in Angola
Menongue and Cassinga in Angola. Ceresnet, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1978

Battle of Cassinga is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 29 in present-day Angola.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q543072, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cassinga, revision 1371888274, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.