Episode 17 – The SAS Steyn’s role in the remarkable evacuation from the beach at Ambrizette

This is episode 17 and we’re approaching the end of Operation Savannah which had started out so well but was rapidly turning into a strategic nightmare for the South Africans. One of the fastest mechanised invasions since World War Two had resulted in the SADF now deep into Angola – and in the case of Brigadier Roos who was a liaison officer based in Ambriz with the FNLA – he was cut off on the coast to the north of the capital Luanda. IT was mid-November 1975 and the MPLA and Cubans were starting to move determined to rid the country of the FNLA. Meanwhile to the south, Unita was holding onto its main gains which now extended from the South West African border to the main railway linking the coastal ports of Benguela and Lobito – and the resource rich Katanga region of neighbouring Zaire. The political strategy was about to come under intense pressure – although the US, France Unita and the FNLA had all requested the South Africans to remain inside Angola and support Jonas Savimbi. Remember the Holden Roberto had decided to attack the capital with SADF support – an attack that ended in dismal failure along Luanda’s Death Road. Brigadier Roos who was the SADF Liaison officer based in Ambriz now faced possible capture – along with South Africa’s three 5.5inch guns they’d flown into northern Angola to assist the FNLA in their hapless assault on Luanda on 10th November. IT was decided that the an anti-submarine frigate SAS Steyn would steam to Northern Angola to extract the SADF. This was not going to be easy with Russian and Cuban ships and planes on the lookout...