Portuguese Commandos

Portuguese Commandos PDF Author: John P. Cann
Publisher: Africa@War
ISBN: 9781911096320
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
During the 13-year insurgency (1961-74) in Portuguese Africa, more than 800,000 men and women served in the Portuguese armed forces. Of this number, about 9,000 served as commandos (or about 1 percent). Yet their combat losses ― 357 dead, 28 missing in action and 771 wounded ― represented 11.5 percent of the total casualties (a percentage 10 times that of normal troops). It is well established that these warriors were responsible for the elimination of more insurgents and capturing more of their weapons than any other force during the war. Great pains were taken to stay abreast of the latest enemy operational methods and maintain the 'warrior edge' in the force. This edge, in essence, was an approach to fighting that pushed the commandos always to think of themselves as the hunter rather than the hunted. Officers returning from contact with the enemy were rigorously debriefed, and commando instructors regularly participated in operations to learn of the latest enemy developments. This information was integrated with intelligence from other sources gathered by the military and national intelligence services, and from this current knowledge, training was constantly revised to remain attuned to the enemy and his behavior. The commandos became a breed apart - and their reputation was such that when insurgents discovered a unit deployed into their area, they would generally withdraw until the killers left. This commando training - and its sympathy with the fighting environment - made the commandos the most effective ground force in the Portuguese Army. The commandos were expert practitioners in the art of counterinsurgency, and their practice of destroying the enemy in great numbers quickly and quietly served as inspiration not only to South Africa and Rhodesia, but to the enemy himself. This is the story of the Portuguese commandos: their beginnings, their unique operations and their legacy and influence in subsequent sister units such as the Buffalo Battalion of South Africa.

Portuguese Commandos

Portuguese Commandos PDF Author: John P. Cann
Publisher: Africa@War
ISBN: 9781911096320
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
During the 13-year insurgency (1961-74) in Portuguese Africa, more than 800,000 men and women served in the Portuguese armed forces. Of this number, about 9,000 served as commandos (or about 1 percent). Yet their combat losses ― 357 dead, 28 missing in action and 771 wounded ― represented 11.5 percent of the total casualties (a percentage 10 times that of normal troops). It is well established that these warriors were responsible for the elimination of more insurgents and capturing more of their weapons than any other force during the war. Great pains were taken to stay abreast of the latest enemy operational methods and maintain the 'warrior edge' in the force. This edge, in essence, was an approach to fighting that pushed the commandos always to think of themselves as the hunter rather than the hunted. Officers returning from contact with the enemy were rigorously debriefed, and commando instructors regularly participated in operations to learn of the latest enemy developments. This information was integrated with intelligence from other sources gathered by the military and national intelligence services, and from this current knowledge, training was constantly revised to remain attuned to the enemy and his behavior. The commandos became a breed apart - and their reputation was such that when insurgents discovered a unit deployed into their area, they would generally withdraw until the killers left. This commando training - and its sympathy with the fighting environment - made the commandos the most effective ground force in the Portuguese Army. The commandos were expert practitioners in the art of counterinsurgency, and their practice of destroying the enemy in great numbers quickly and quietly served as inspiration not only to South Africa and Rhodesia, but to the enemy himself. This is the story of the Portuguese commandos: their beginnings, their unique operations and their legacy and influence in subsequent sister units such as the Buffalo Battalion of South Africa.

The Portuguese Massacre of Wiriyamu in Colonial Mozambique, 1964-2013

The Portuguese Massacre of Wiriyamu in Colonial Mozambique, 1964-2013 PDF Author: Mustafah Dhada
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472512006
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
WINNER OF THE 2017 MARTIN A. KLEIN PRIZE In his in-depth and compelling study of perhaps the most famous of Portuguese colonial massacres, Mustafah Dhada explores why the massacre took place, what Wiriyamu was like prior to the massacre, how events unfolded, how we came to know about it and what the impact of the massacre was, particularly for the Portuguese empire. Spanning the period from 1964 to 2013 and complete with a foreword from Peter Pringle, this chronologically arranged book covers the liberation war in Mozambique and uses fieldwork, interviews and archival sources to place the massacre firmly in its historical context. The Portuguese Massacre of Wiriyamu in Colonial Mozambique, 1964-2013 is an important text for anyone interested in the 20th-century history of Africa, European colonialism and the modern history of war.

Portuguese Dragoons 1966-1974

Portuguese Dragoons 1966-1974 PDF Author: John P. Cann
Publisher: Helion and Company
ISBN: 1915113180
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 70

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Book Description
Between 1961 and 1974 Portugal fought a war to retain its African colonies of Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique. Collectively known as the Campaigns for Africa, the origin of the conflict stems from the post-World War II atmosphere of nationalism and anti-colonial fervor. The Angolan insurgency began in 1961, followed by unrest in Guinea-Bissau in 1963 and Mozambique in 1964. Portugal’s initial actions in Angola were based on foot-slogging by infantry, considered the best method of addressing an insurgency, not only to hunt the enemy but also to keep contact with the population. But in the vast areas of Angola – the majority of which was unsuited to wheeled vehicles – this tactical approach was too painful, and for Portugal the number of troops available was limited. The helicopter was a possible solution, but it was beyond Portugal’s finance resources and it had a tendency to fly over those areas where it was vital to communicate with the population and secure its loyalty. When in 1966 the enemy guerrillas sought a new front in eastern Angola, Portugal needed a force that could combine mobility over rough terrain with the ability to engage insurgents, while maintaining strong links with the population. One of the adaptive solutions to this challenge was found in the past: create horse cavalry units in the form of dragoons that were equally trained for cavalry or infantry service, just as their historical predecessors fought. In this particular case, adaptive tactics involved adjusting existing military methods and means from the traditional and available inventory to craft a solution that would deny eastern Angola to insurgents and support the population there. This story is about imaginative thinking that, instead of a ‘forced abandonment of the old’, led to a ‘resurrection of the old.'

The Complex of United States-Portuguese Relations

The Complex of United States-Portuguese Relations PDF Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs. Subcommittee on Africa
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Government publications
Languages : en
Pages : 590

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Book Description
Hearings held before and after the Apr. 25, 1974 coup, known as the Carnation Revolution, to consider the Azores agreement; U.S. military assistance to Portugal and its implications for U.S. relations with African; and developments in Mozambique, Angola, and the new Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Also considers present view in Portugal on the so-called territories in Africa, particularly those of General Antonio de Spinola, former commanding officer of Guinea-Bissau, and the question of Brazil's relationship with Portugal in Africa.

The G3 Battle Rifle

The G3 Battle Rifle PDF Author: Leroy Thompson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147282864X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81

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Book Description
During the Cold War, the G3 was one of the world's pre-eminent battle rifles. Developed in France and Spain after 1945, the rifle was produced by the German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. Adopted by more than 40 countries and produced on licence by many more, it was widely employed during colonial wars in Africa, insurgencies in Latin America and conflicts in the Middle East, but perhaps its widest use was in the Iran–Iraq War. Variants of the G3 have also seen substantial usage among Special Forces including Britain's Special Boat Service and the US Navy SEALs. Semi-automatic versions, especially the HK91 and HK93, remain popular in the United States, and the G3-derived HK11 and HK21 family of light machine guns have also been widely adopted by military and law-enforcement units across the world. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this study examines one of the iconic weapons of the Cold War era.

The Wiriyamu Massacre

The Wiriyamu Massacre PDF Author: Mustafah Dhada
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1350120006
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
Using interviews as primary sources this book shines a light on the infamous Portuguese massacre of Wiriyamu in colonial Mozambique in 1972. Twenty-four carefully curated testimonies are presented, covering Portugal's last colonial war in Mozambique, and the nationalist response that led to the massacre. Survivors share with you their escape from Wiriyamu, while data collectors, priests and journalists tell of their struggle to collect evidence and defend the truth about the killings in the international press. The Wiriyamu Massacre contextualizes the unique importance of the oral evidence it contains and reveals the in-depth interview methods used to gather the oral testimonies, and subsequently curate the transcript into readable texts. This is the horrific story of Wiriyamu, and what it can tell you about European colonialism, genocide and the darkness in humanity, spoken by the people who were there and who tried to tell the world.

The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Southern Africa

The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Southern Africa PDF Author: Gwyneth Williams
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317270819
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
First published in 1988, The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Southern Africa provides a guide to the often confusing politics of Southern Africa. The book identifies and explains political figures, organisations, systems and terminology from the region in a clear and practical way. It covers eleven countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Although first published in 1988, this book will be a valuable resource for journalists, students, diplomats, business people, and anyone else who is interested in the politics of this richly diverse continent.

Dictionaries of Contemporary Politics

Dictionaries of Contemporary Politics PDF Author: Various
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317269977
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1092

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Book Description
First published between 1988 and 1991, these dictionaries provide guides to the most important organizations, figures, events and themes in the contemporary politics of South America, Southern Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. The titles in this series will be valuable resources for journalists, students, diplomats, business people, and anyone else who is interested in the politics of these richly diverse areas.

Dirty Combat

Dirty Combat PDF Author: David Tomkins
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1780570775
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
From the bloody plains of Angola to the jungles of Colombia, David Tomkins' career as a safe-breaker, arms dealer and mercenary spans five decades. A permanent fixture on the watch lists of intelligence agencies across the world, including the CIA and Interpol, he has served prison sentences on both sides of the Atlantic, most recently for conspiring to kill Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar. Dirty Combat is a no-holds-barred account of Tomkins' life, candidly told in his own words. Born in London during the Second World War, he was hospitalised for a time in a psychiatric ward and sent to reform school after he was deemed 'beyond parental control'. Later, following a spell in the Merchant Navy, he graduated from safe-blower to demolitions expert with a notorious mercenary army in Angola. From intrigue in Mayfair offices to the wild Tribal Areas of Pakistan, from guerrilla training camps in South America to solitary confinement in a US jail, Tomkins lets us in on the secrets of his life as a soldier of fortune. Tomkins' story reads like a real-life version of a Tom Clancy thriller. It is a shocking account of crime and corruption, and the scope of his activities will amaze and intrigue.

Ryszard Kapuscinski

Ryszard Kapuscinski PDF Author: Artur Domoslawski
Publisher: Verso Books
ISBN: 1781684065
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 478

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Book Description
The life and work of Ryszard Kapu?ci?ski was dangerously bold and deeply enigmatic. This controversial biography opens up the secrets and contradictions of this globally renowned Polish journalist and writer. Artur Domos?awski travels the globe, following in Kapu?ci?ski's footsteps, delving into his private conflicts and anxieties and discovering the relationships that were the catalyst for his unique style of 'literary reportage'. The result is a compelling and uncompromising portrait of a conflicted and brilliant individual.