The Father of South African Special Forces

On Father's Day, The Father of South African Special Forces, Colonel Jan Dirk Breytenbach Passed into Eternity

Legendary South African soldier, Jan Breytenbach fought the good fight, kept the Faith and now has finished his race.
On Father's Day, Sunday,16 June, at the age of 91, the father of South African Special Forces went to be with his Heavenly Father and has been called by his Commander in Chief to Higher Service. 
Jan Breytenbach had a distinguished career in the SADF.
Colonel Breytenbach not only founded the South African Special Forces (the Reconnaissance Commandos, or “Recces”) and 44 Parachute Brigade, but 32 Battalion as well. We praise God for a life well lived, for a courageous Christian soldier who made vital contributions to the development of the South African Defence Force and who played a major role in bringing about the defeat of the Soviet led communist forces in Angola.
In doing so he greatly contributed to the defeat of the Soviet Union and the winning of the Cold War. 
​Colonel Breytenbach was a good friend of the Mission and an energetic and enthusiastic witness for Christ.

A Distinguished Military Career

Jan Dirk Breytenbach DVR SD SM MMM (14 July 1932 - 16 June 2024) was a career South African military officer and author of numerous military history and conservation books.
He is best known as the first Commander of 1 Reconnaissance Commando, South Africa's first special forces unit. In his long career, he served in Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm during the Suez Crisis war of 1956, in the Biafran War (Frederick Forsyth identified Captain Jan Breytenbach as an inspiration for his novel The Dogs of War), the Southwest African Border War, and the Angolan Civil War, and attained the rank of Colonel before his retirement. 
Colonel Jan has been described as South Africa's most combat experienced soldier.
He was involved in more than 50 battles and contacts/skirmishes, including leading the largest airborne assault in Africa’s history, the raid on SWAPO headquarters in Angola, The Battle of Cassinga.
 
Jan Breytenbach attended the Army Gymnasium in 1950, was awarded the Sword of Peace in 1953 and joined the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm after serving in the Armoured Corps.
He served in the Suez Crisis war in 1956.
(The Colonel told me how shocked he had been that the United States Navy consistently interfered and undermined the British Royal Navy operations in the eastern Mediterranean during the Suez crisis. Whenever their aircraft carrier turned into the wind to prepare for launch of their aircraft, a destroyer would cut across its power forcing the aircraft carrier to turn and for the launching of aircraft to be aborted. It was clear to him that Eisenhower’s administration was hostile to British foreign policy objectives in preserving the Suez Canal from nationalization by the radical pro Soviet government in Egypt at that time.) 
He rejoined the South African Defence Force, after South Africa left the British Commonwealth and became a Republic, in 1961 and soon after completed 1 Parachute Battalion's selection and training course. Fritz Loots commissioned him to organise 1 Reconnaissance Commando in 1971. In preparation for this he underwent the Selection and Training for C Squadron, Special Air Service, Rhodesia.
 
During the Biafran war in Nigeria, Captain Jan Breytenbach led a company of South African paratroopers to assist the Christian Biafrans who were facing genocidal warfare from the federal forces in Nigeria.
John Irvin, the director of the film The Dogs of War based the dramatic opening scene of the DC-3 flying out of a besieged airstrip under fire, with explosions all around, on Jan Breytenbach’s 1970 Flight out of Uli, the last airstrip in Biafra, at the end of that tragic war.
 
In 1975 Major Breytenbach led Operation Savannah, the SADF's covert intervention in the Angolan Civil War.
Major Jan Breytenbach not only routed the communist forces, but he returned with thousands of black Angolan soldiers recruited to fight for South Africa as part of the legendary 32 Battalion, or "Buffalo Battalion". 
This incredible story is related in Forged in Battle and They Live by the Sword.
 
Commandant Jan Breytenbach attended Staff College in 1977 and was promoted to colonel. In 1978, he led the SADF air assault on the SWAPO HQ at Cassinga and has continued to contest opposing versions of the event in the press and through his book Eagle Strike.
 
He became senior staff officer for Operations at Northern Transvaal Command and commanded 44 Parachute Brigade from 24 September 1980 to 31 December 1982.
He founded the SADF School of Guerilla Warfare, which he commanded until his retirement in 1987. 
The Colonel described to me one amusing incident when he was training UNITA freedom fighters in Angola.
He was not satisfied with their limp and half-hearted bayonet drill, so he demonstrated to the unit how to yell aggressively while thrusting the bayonet into the sack with force and determination.
Most of the unit responded by fleeing into the Bush!
The Colonel could be very intimidating and the sight and sound of him shouting Yaaagghh! 
While lunging forward with a bayonet must have been a fearful sight to the trainees!
​It took them almost a week to get all the unit back together again to continue training.
 
Col Breytenbach retired from the military in 1987 and  wrote a number of important books, including: Forged in Battle; They Live by the Sword, Buffalo Soldiers,  the Story of South Africa's 32-Battalion, 1975–1993; Eagle Strike: The Story of the controversial airborne assault on Cassinga 1978; the Plunderers; Eden’s Exiles, one soldier's fight for paradise, The Tempered Sword: Forged in battle revisited, Operation Savannah and the birth of 32Bn.

When The Legendary Colonel Breytenbach joined Frontline Fellowship

I still remember the shock I experienced upon receiving a handwritten letter from the
Colonel Jan Breytenbach. 
He had read my publication: the Christian at War and wanted to join our mission.
I fell on my knees to pray for wisdom.
How could a small mission like ours respond to such a legendary military leader wanting to join our humble ministry?
I drove to Wilderness to meet with the Colonel and his delightful wife, Rosalind, in their home.
It quickly became apparent that we had much in common as animal lovers.
The Colonel was outraged by the ivory poaching carrying on in both Caprivi province of Southwest Africa and in Angola.
Some high-ranking elements within the military were involved in this scandalous crime syndicate and they were using military aircraft and the Official Secrets Act to carry out their plundering of God's magnificent creatures.
In Caprivi, the Colonel had adopted two Lions and a Leopard as his pets.
Even at wilderness he had two Wildcats as pets.
Later, when travelling with the Colonel in the field, I saw numerous battle scars on his body, along with numerous claw marks from his large feline pets!
 
For Love of Wildlife

We discussed the best way to expose the illegal hunting of elephants for ivory poaching by elements within military intelligence, without violating the Official Secrets Act and all the negative legal complications this could cause.
 
Bushcraft, Tracking and Anti tracking

We also planned for the Colonel to attend our next Frontline Fellowship Selection and Training Course which should be held in early January 1989, at Noordhoek.
He would train our people in bushcraft, tracking and anti-tracking behind enemy lines infiltration and exfiltration procedures and tactics.
Thereafter the Colonel would join us for a mission to Southwest Africa, Frontline fellowship had been invited to conduct chaplain's services and special outreaches to every unit in the Southwest African Operational Areas, including Sector seven zero, sector 20 and sector 10.
All the soldiers listened to the most combat decorated soldier in South African history with great respect and awe as he testified of how he had come to realise his need of God’s love and mercy, how he had turned to Christ in repentance and faith and how each one of us needs to turn away from sin and turn to God.
 
Southwest Africa

At Chaplains services in Southwest Africa, The Colonel unleashed verbal warfare, he named names, exposed sins and crimes, such as Rhino and Ivory poaching which some individuals in CSI had been complicit in.
Col. Breytenbach’s withering sermons made many wince in guilt as conviction overwhelmed countless men in uniform, most impressively at Big Tea at the Bastion (SWATF HQ), where even General Meiring was present.
The Colonel preached as he fought, relentless and boldly.
He hit his targets.
 
Confronting Communists in Angola

One morning, the Colonel rolled over in his sleeping bag and said to me: “Peter, let's go into Angola and preach to the communists!” 
As the Colonel was held in such high respect throughout the Operational Area, he had no problem convincing the local commandant to lend us a helicopter and a 32Bn soldier to act as interpreter so that we could communicate with the Portuguese speaking Angolan forces across the border.
Throughout that memorable day, we flew to three separate locations along the border where the JMMC (Joint Military Monitoring Commission) had stations.
 
Challenging Communist Cowards

At each location we gathered the South African forces which normally included 32Bn men as they were bilingual, also understanding Portuguese.
After opening in prayer and with Scripture reading, the Colonel would then turn to indicate the interested Angolan FAPLA and Cuban troops who had gathered around within hearing distance, leaning against Soviet vehicles and fingering their AK, PKM, RPD & RPG Soviet weapons, Colonel Breytenbach declared:
​“You see these communists over there. They are cowards. I have fought these miserable specimens many times since 1975 and every time they ran away. Not once did they beat us. We won all our battles against them. We never had any trouble killing them, the problem was finding and catching them, because they always ran away! Now why do these FAPLA run away? It is because they are cowards. They don’t know how to fight against real soldiers like 32 Battalion. The communists are only brave when they’re burning churches, bayonetting defenceless civilians and shooting ministers in the back of the head. But when faced with South African soldiers they run away like the pathetic cowards they are. We’ve killed thousands of these communists in Angola, these Bible-burners, these murderers and persecutors of the Church. Now, why are these communists such cowards? It is because they are afraid of dying. They know that when we fight, they lose. Because they do not worship God, they are afraid of death, because those who reject Christ will face God’s Judgment and they will all be eternally condemned. Yes, look at them,” Colonel Breytenbach pointed at the uncomfortable and self-conscious FAPLA troops. “They are all going to hell! They are the army of satan. Their commissars are the priests of the devil. Their god is Karl Marx. Their religion is Atheism. They are all going to hell!”

The Challenge

Then the Colonel looked directly at the South African troops and challenged them: “God has placed you here so that you can be His soldiers in the spiritual battle of bringing these communists to Repent of their sins and be converted to Christ.
You should actually feel sorry for them because they do not have the religious freedom which we enjoy. They are deceived.
Pray for them to be converted and use your time up here to serve God.”
 
War Against the Church

I also presented to the 32 Bn and FAPLA troops a testimony of what God had done in my life.
Standing amidst the bullet-scarred wreckage of a destroyed Angolan town, I spoke of the persecuted Church.
Pointing at the communist troops, I related what their “comrades” had done in desecrating churches, tearing up Bibles, burning villages and crucifying pastors.
 
Confronting Atheists

Then I posed the question:
“These communists, they call themselves atheists. They say they do not believe in God. They teach children that God does not exist. Why then do they spend so much time and effort fighting against God?”
 
War Against God

“Why do they forbid Evangelism? Why do they destroy churches? Why do they burn Bibles? Could it be that they know in their hearts that God exists? They see it in Creation. They see God in the eyes of the pastors they have shot. They have seen the evidence of God in the faith of those believers who they’ve tortured. Surely these Marxists know that there is a God? They are not atheists. They know there is a God. But they hate Him.”
 
From Communism to Christ

“You who are Christians must thank God for the privilege He has blessed you with. God has given you the opportunity to so live and work in the sight of these heathen that they may daily be confronted with the reality of God. Sing Gospel songs and Hymns. Have regular prayer meetings and Bible studies. Speak often of your Faith. Share with them the Gospel literature and Bibles which we have brought for you. You could be the channel that God uses to save some of these Marxists away from the lies of the devil to the truth of God’s Word.”

“Jesus said:
‘Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.’” 
Matthew 4:19. 
“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” 
Psalm 126:5. 
“Go, therefore and make disciples.” 
Matthew 28:19

At each of the JMMC posts we were well received by the 32 Bn troops and listened to with great interest by the Marxist troops.
 
Reaction

After a day of several such outreaches to the communist forces across the border at three locations in Angola, we returned to base at Ruacana.
The Commandant walked over the airstrip to greet us as we deplaned from the Puma helicopter. 
“Colonel, the lines have been humming today! Pik Botha (The Minister of Foreign Affairs) is hopping mad! He says you are trying to restart the war!
Voortrekkerhoogte has contacted the Bastion (SWATF HQ in Windhoek). 
The Bastion radioed Section 10 (Ondangwa). 
Sector 10 has radioed me.
You and Hammond are to be out of the Operational Area first thing tomorrow!”
 
Irony

Colonel Breytenbach chuckled, 
“I fired the first shots of this war back in 1966.
Now, I am expelled from the country I devoted 24 years to defending, for preaching the Gospel and telling the truth to our communist enemies! There is some irony here”
 
We Fear Naught but God

The next day at the 21C SWATF at the Bastion, Brigadier Gert Nel, commented to me: 
“We never could control Col. Breytenbach when he was in the Army. Just when we had thought we were rid of him; he resurfaces under Frontline Fellowship!”
 
Decisive Victories in Angola

At the height of the Cold War, from 1985 – 1988, the South African Defence Force faced increased confrontations with Soviet MiG fighter bomber jets and Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunships and massive ground offensives by Cuban-mechanised divisions in Angola.
On every occasion the SADF decisively defeated the Soviet and Cuban communist forces
 
Defeating the Soviet Union

General Jannie Geldenhuys in his book “We Were There – Winning the War for Southern Africa”, documented the enormous Soviet mobilisation in Angola and the staggering losses they endured at the hands of the SADF.
He quoted from Lt Col Igor Zhdarkin, who was a participant in the Angolan war. Zhardkin’s book: “We Did Not See It, even in Afghanistan!” published by the Russian Academy of Science Institute for Africa Studies. It attributed the Fall of the Soviet Union to the ripple effects of the disastrous defeats suffered by the Russians and their Cuban allies in Angola at the hands of the SADF.

The Beginning of the End of the Soviet Union

He also quoted from Josc Milhaze book: “Angola – the Beginning of the End of the Soviet Union.” Josc Milhaze is of Portuguese origin and was based in Russia.
 
The Soviet Union Strategy to Seize South Africa

Carlos Pacheco, a Brazilian historian, wrote the preface to Milhaze’s book: “The Fracas of Soviet Expansionism”, concluded: “The first priority of the Russian expansionism in Southern Africa was not so much important in terms of materials, but above all, about politics.” 
Pacheco emphasised that it was the Republic of South Africa that the Soviet had their sights on.
Angola was only the stepping stone towards the mineral rich and strategic South Africa.
The Battle of Lomba River in October 1987 the Soviet-FAPLA offensive was smashed at the Lomba River near Mavinga.
It turned into a headlong retreat over the 120 miles back to the primary launching point at Cuito Cuanvale. In some of the bloodiest battles of the Angolan War, a combined force of some 4000 SADF troops destroyed a FAPLA brigade and devastated several others out of a total Angolan FAPLA force of over
18 000 men.
The communists lost more than 4000 in this decisive battle.
 
A Decisive Defeat for Soviet Expansionism

The Lomba River offensive had been a Soviet planned operation from the beginning. More than 1000 Soviet “advisors” from the Red Army were assigned to Angola in 1987 to help with their largest logistical effort to date in the country.
Over US Dollar 1.5 billion in military hardware was delivered that year.
Much of this equipment was destroyed or fell into the hands of the SADF and UNITA forces when the Cuban and FAPLA forces broke into headlong retreat.
The 1987 Lomba River disaster was a stunning humiliation for the Soviet Union, its weaponry and its strategy.
 
The Cost of Victory

At one hostile press conference in Windhoek, 32Bn’s Colonel Deon Ferreira, the Operational Commander of Operations Modular, Hooper and Packer, was challenged to respond to accusations that the South Africans had been beaten in the battles in Angola.
Colonel Ferreira responded, tongue in cheek: “if defeat for South Africa meant the loss of 31 men, 3 tanks, 5 armoured vehicles and 3 aircraft, then we lost.
If victory for FAPLA and the Cubans meant the loss of 4 600 men, 94 tanks, 100 armoured vehicles, 9 aircraft and other Soviet equipment totalled at more than a Billion dollars, then they won!”
 
Victors are Not Executed by Their Own Side

Facts are stubborn things.
Such as the fact that the supreme communist commander for Angola, Cuban General Aranaldo Ochoa Sanchez, was executed by a firing squad, less than a year later, in Havana, Cuba.
Victors are not executed by the winning side
 
A British Perspective of the South African Army was given by General Sir Walter Walker, once NATO Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces, Northern Europe.
General Sir Walter Walker declared that the South African Army was the best trained and had the most formidable Infantry in the world.
To illustrate his point, General Walker quoted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his book, “The Great Boer War”: 
“Take a community of Dutchmen of the type of those who defended themselves for fifty years against all the power of Spain, at a time when Spain was the greatest power in the world. Intermix with them a strain of those inflexible French Huguenots who gave up home and fortune and left their country forever at the time of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The product must obviously be one of the most rugged, virile, unconquerable races ever seen upon earth. Take this formidable people and train them for seven generations in constant warfare against savage men and ferocious beasts, in circumstances under which no weakling could survive, place them so that they acquire exceptional skill with weapons and in horsemanship, give them a country which is eminently suited to the tactics of the huntsman, the marksman, and the rider. Then, finally, put a finer temper upon their military qualities by a dour fatalistic Old Testament religion and an ardent and consuming patriotism. Combine all these qualities and all these impulses in one individual, and you have the modern Boer —the most formidable antagonist who ever crossed the path of Imperial Britain. Our military history has largely consisted in our conflicts with France, but Napoleon and all his veterans have never treated us so roughly as these hard-bitten farmers with their ancient Theology and their inconveniently modern rifles.”

Colonel Breytenbach played a Key Role in Winning the Cold War

We praise God for a life well lived, for a courageous Christian soldier who made vital contributions to the development of the South African Defence Force and who played a major role in bringing about the defeat of the Soviet led communist forces in Angola.
In doing so he greatly contributed to the defeat of the Soviet Union and the winning of the Cold War. 
Colonel Breytenbach was a good friend of the Mission and an energetic and enthusiastic witness for Christ.

Colonel Jan Breytenbach can now declare: 
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith.” 
2 Timothy 4:7

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