8 South African Infantry Battalion Explained

Unit Name:8 South African Infantry Battalion (8 SAI)
Dates:October 1973present
Allegiance: South Africa
Type:Infantry
Role:Mechanised infantry
Size:Battalion
Command Structure:South African Infantry Formation
Garrison:Upington Northern Cape Province
Motto:'Latin: Perservate et Superate[1] (Conquer through perseverance)
Mascot:Gemsbok
Equipment:Ratel IFV, Ratel 90, Ratel 81, Ratel 60
Battles:
Identification Symbol Label:Company level Insignia
Identification Symbol 2 Label:SA Mechanised Infantry beret bar circa 1992

8 South African Infantry Battalion is a mechanized infantry unit of the South African Army.[2] The battalion is equipped with Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) used for fast transport and combat mobility across rough ground. Support weapons for mechanized infantry are also provided with motorized transport, or are built directly into these IFVs, in order to keep pace with the IFVs in combat. The battalion was raised at Upington in the Northern Cape in 1973 as part of the South African Infantry Corps, and since the change in structure, has been assigned to the Infantry Formation.

8 SAI continues to train for conventional warfare and forms part of the annual brigade-level Lohatla Army Battle School exercise.[3] Training includes IFV-mounted and dismounted fire-and-move drills, and integration with Engineers, Armour, Artillery and Air Force elements.[4]

History

Activation

The unit was established at Upington in the Northern Cape in October 1973 and received its first batch of national service trainees the next January. They could, however, not cope with the Gordonia heat and the unit afterwards received trainees in July.(1986 Intake was in January. 1987 Intake was in February) The base for its first decade consisted mainly of tents, in 1979 the harsh conditions of extreme desert heat and dust storms coupled with limited facilities led to 111 national servicemen from Alpha Company going on AWOL. A resultant Board of Inquiry led to the Base being vastly upgraded in the following years.

Motorised Infantry

In its first decade 8 SAI was a motorised Infantry battalion. The Battalion primarily deployed with Buffel APCs at that stage.

Battalion Storm Pioneer Platoon

8 SAI had a storm/assault pioneer capability in the 1980s, usually designated Oscar Company. Assault pioneers were the integral combat engineering component of the battalion. Assault pioneers were trained in tasks such as:

The Pioneer Platoon provided small tasks and close support capabilities to the battalion ensuring immediacy of response and decreasing the workload of the engineer squadrons. By the 1990s this function was retired to the Engineering Corps however.

Battalion Tactical Reconnaissance Platoon

8 SAI experimented with the tactical reconnaissance platoon concept for infantry units around 1981-1982 at Riemvasmaak. These abbreviated pathfinder/reconnaissance courses were given by the SA Special Forces to certain SADF units. A nickname given for this training was the "junior recce" course.

Mechanised infantry

By 1976 infantry operations were being transformed drastically when the Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) was introduced for the first time and in November the first Ratel course was presented at 1 SAI. Similar to 1 SAI, 8 SAI was transformed into a mechanised unit by the mid 1980s and mechanised leaders followed a similar training route.

All students attended the course until the Section Leaders Phase had been completed. Section Leaders were then awarded their Lance Corporal stripes and then placed with regular rifle companies. The rest of the future NCOs also received their stripes and future Officers received their white Candidate Officer's tabs. These students were then evaluated and split into the Mechanised Platoon Commanders Course and Specialist Instructors Course.These platoon commanders were destined to either become future leaders of 8 SAIs rifle companies or instructors at the Training Wing, while the Specialist Instructors would become Officers and NCO's responsible for training of Ratel gunners and drivers.

The Border War/Angolan Civil War

See main article: South African Border War. Between 1979 and 1989, 8 SAI participated in the Border War. 8 SAI directly contributed troops to the following operations:

Bases in South West Africa

Elements of 8 SAI was seconded to routine operations during this period to the following bases:

Battle surrounding Cuito Cuanavale

See main article: Battle of Cuito Cuanavale.

Attack on Calueque Dam

The Cubans opened a second front on 27 June 1988 against the South Africans and launched a ground offensive in the direction of Calueque Dam in Southern Angola. The area to the north of the dam became the scene of fighting. MiG-23 aircraft attacked the facilities, bombing a bridge, sluice gates, a pump, a generator, and a pipeline to Ovamboland in three waves.[7] 7 soldiers from 8 SAI and 4 from 1 SSB/10 Armoured Squadron lost their lives in this engagement.[8]

8 SAI and 63 Mech

By 1989, 8 SAI had also become a feeder unit for 63 Mechanised Battalion Group, part of 60 Brigade.

Citizen Force secondment

After a national serviceman's time had ended with 8 SAI, the vast majority were eventually assigned to Citizen Force Mech Regiments such as Regiment de la Rey, Regiment Northern Transvaal and the Cape Town Highlanders.

South Africa internal operations

From 1990, the unit deployed internally in South Africa. Its main tasks at this time included counter insurgency in urban and rural areas.[9] In late 2019 the unit was reportedly deployed in a number of communities in Cape Town to combat gang violence[10] by supporting police operations.[11]

Since 1994

In June 1994, the unit received its SANDF Colours, the first presented to a unit in the new South African National Defence Force.[12]

Amalgamation with 61 Mech

In 2006, 61 Mechanised Infantry Battalion Group was disbanded and most of its members and mechanised equipment were transferred to 8 SAI.

8 SAI's main training area, at Riemvasmaak, north of Upington, was transferred to a civilian community. Since then 8 SAI uses the SA Army Combat Training Centre at Lohatla as its main training area.[13] [14]

Peacekeeping

8 SAI was again redeployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of Operation Mistral under the auspices of MONUSCO from December 2009 to May 2010 and from November 2011 to June 2012.

8 SAI Mechanised Fleet early 1990s

Alpha or attack vehicles

1 Ratel 20 per section, 3 sections per platoon, 3 platoons per company.1 Ratel command per platoon, 4 per company.

Charlie or support vehicles

Ordnance

Current

Vehicle mounted weapons

8 SAI is equipped with Ratel 20 Infantry Fighting Vehicles,[18] Ratel 60mm Mortar Platform Vehicles, Ratel Command Vehicles with mounted 12.7mm machine guns, Ratel 90s and Ratel 81s, Kwevoel 100 Armoured Trucks for IFV Recovery, field maintenance, fuel bunkers and water provision,[19] Samil 50 and 100 logistics trucks, Samil 20 trucks for its organic field workshops, Casspir APCs for its forward artillery observation party, and Rinkhals Field Ambulances.[20] 8 SAI has also used Buffel IFVs and Mambas at various stages in its history. Ratel mounted weapons include the Denel Land Systems GI-2 20mm Quick Firing Cannon (QFC) (Ratel mounted), 60mm breech-loading mortar (Ratel mounted), Browning M1919[21] Machine gun and the Browning M2 12.7mm Machine gun.[21]

Small-arms

8 SAI is equipped with the:

Future

Under Project Hoefyster, the SANDF will eventually replace the Ratel family of vehicles with the Badger system.[24] [25] [26]

Nine versions are contemplated of which three are earmarked for mechanized infantry battalions such as 8 SAI:[27] [28] [29]

Insignia

Current Dress Insignia

Unit song

Ou Kalahari WysieVer in die Noord-Kaapse duineveld waar gemsbokke nog baljaar,Daar word 'n seun tot 'n vegter wat leer om sy land te bewaarSelfs deur die snikhete somer en deur die winter kou,Leer ons en werk ons en veg ons want ons land is ons hoogste trou.

Ver in die Noord-Kaapse duineveld weg van die stad se gewoel,Daar leer die manne van 8 SAI te streef na die hoogste doel,Onder die vry-bloue hemel en ongerepte natuur,Toon ons ons ware karakter, wys ons ons krag en vuur.

Battle honours

See also: List of South African Battle Honours.

Leadership

Operational Battalion

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 8 SAI Infantry Battalion /Infanterie Bataljon. sadf.info. 6 November 2014.
  2. Web site: SA Army Infantry Formation: Contact Us. army.mil.za. RSA Department of Defence. 6 November 2014. 4 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104215401/http://www.army.mil.za/hq_units/infantry_fmn/contactus.htm. dead.
  3. Web site: Exercise Seboka ... an apt tribute to members who lost their lives during the exercise. Maj Merle. Meyer. 12 January 2015 . 25 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110525022258/http://www.dod.mil.za/news/news2007/nov2007/pages14_15.pdf . dead .
  4. Monick. S.. The forging of a strike force. Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies. 1992. 22. 3. 10.5787/22-3-324. 26 February 2015. 2224-0020. free.
  5. Web site: South Africa. www.themukiwa.com. 28 November 2017. 31 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170131050434/http://www.themukiwa.com/rhodesianwar/southafrica.htm. dead.
  6. Web site: Operation Carrot (1981). 61 Mech Battalion Group Veterans Association. 8 January 2015.
  7. Web site: Sentinel Projects: 27th June 1988 Calueque Dam Bomb Damage . Sadf.sentinelprojects.com . 2017-06-19.
  8. News: Bernard E. Trainor . Pretoria Says Angola Raid Is Threat to Talks on Peace . . 1988-06-30 . 2017-06-19.
  9. Book: Baker. Deane-Peter. Jordaan. Evert. 2010. International Publishers Marketing. Claremont. 978-1-919895-33-8. South Africa and Contemporary Counterinsurgency: Roots, Practices, Prospects..
  10. Web site: Full details of Western Cape army deployment still sought. 2019-07-15. defenceWeb. en-ZA. 2019-10-21.
  11. Web site: The Army has landed. 14 July 2019. CapeTalk. 2019-10-30.
  12. Web site: Engelbrecht. Leon. Fact file: 8 SA Infantry Battalion. defenceweb.co.za. DefenceWeb. 6 November 2014. 2 March 2010.
  13. Web site: Riemvasmaak . SADF.info . 2017-06-19.
  14. News: Leon Engelbrecht . Exercise Seboka in home stretch . defenceWeb . 2008-10-09 . 2017-06-19.
  15. Web site: Operation Curriculum – Burundi . Dod.mil.za . 2017-06-19 . 9 January 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150109133913/http://www.dod.mil.za/operations/international/op_curriculum.htm . dead .
  16. News: SABC News - SANDF gives details of Sudan casualties:Sunday 13 March 2016 . Sabc.co.za . 2016-03-13 . 2017-06-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160810222041/http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/e85614004c0323e2857b8ff0bca466af/SANDF-gives-details-of-Sudan-casualties-20160313 . 10 August 2016 . dead .
  17. News: SA soldier killed in Sudan ambush . defenceWeb . 2016-03-10 . 2017-06-19.
  18. Book: IDRC. Cock. Jacklyn. Mckenzie. Penny. From defence to development : redirecting military resources in South Africa. 1998. David Philip, International Development Research Centre. Cape Town, South Africa & Ottawa, Canada. 10625/14245. 0-88936-853-8.
  19. Web site: Samil 100 Kwevoel Armoured Truck. Tips Transport. 13 January 2015. 5 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150805225201/http://www.armouredvehicles.co.za/samil100Kwevoel.htm. dead.
  20. Web site: Vehicles:Denel Mechem. Denel.
  21. Web site: Ratel. GlobalSecurity.org.
  22. News: Leon Engelbrecht . Fact file: M26 fragmentation hand grenade . defenceWeb . 2010-02-17 . 2017-06-19.
  23. News: Leon Engelbrecht . Work underway on RPG replacement . defenceWeb . 2010-11-08 . 2017-06-19.
  24. News: Leon Engelbrecht . SA Army horse shod by December? . defenceWeb . 2009-03-05 . 2017-06-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150224181423/http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1244&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=418 . 24 February 2015 . dead . dmy-all .
  25. News: Natalie Greve . Land Systems SA secures sights contract for Denel's Badger . Engineeringnews.co.za . 2017-06-19.
  26. Web site: Badger - the modern African bush fighter. Dewald. Venter. Tanks Encyclopedia. 22 May 2018.
  27. News: South Africa's Next IFV: Honey Badger Doesn't Care . Defenseindustrydaily.com . 2014-06-24 . 2017-06-19.
  28. News: Badger reaches Product Baseline One milestone . defenceWeb . 2016-02-29 . 2017-06-19.
  29. News: Guy Martin . SANDF projects . defenceWeb . 2016-08-11 . 2017-06-19.

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