It's not my intention to rain on your parade, BUT.... I am one of the pilots who took part in this little caper and I must point out that the facts, as depicted in the video, have not been thoroughly researched. For instance, there was never a shot fired by a Mi-25 at any of our Impalas, as they never saw us coming. By the time that they'd realised what was happening, they were already on their way down. The Angolan government also never knew, as UNITA immediately claimed the kills - this was pre-arranged as the SAAF didn't want to let on that they were involved, to counter any possible escalation by the Angolans. I know this as I had many discussions long after the war with Angolan counterparts who were still under the impression that the choppers were lost to ground fire. Until they were told the real truth, that is.... There are quite a few other details that are incorrect but, as mentioned before, I don't want to be a party-pooper. If you want to know the real story of that first chopper kill, I strongly suggest that you try to obtain a copy of the book 'Bloodsong!', written by the brilliant author Jim Hooper. While you're at it, get a copy of Jim's book 'A Hundred Feet Over Hell' which tells of another war - in Vietnam - you will not be disappointed. Pine Pienaar

The Bush wars of Africa is a little known or spoken about part of history awesome 👌

Loved the impala and ex ratel gunner from that same war.. peace ✌

Thank you very much for telling one of the stories, from our forgotten war.

I was based at Ondangwa during 1985 and 1986

I like how you're covering some of these lesser known conflicts, its very interesting.

never heard about that air attack before! major success for small training bird 6 kills with no loss! well done as usual great work lovin'it!

When the SADF/SAAF was a powerhouse.

Very interesting New historical line addressed. One of the longest and most international wars on the african continent. And one that is not often talked about... great video!!

@ Showtime112 I cannot imagine the amount of technical expertise you must have to be able to make a video such as this. I truly admire what you have done here. Well done, and thank you for uploading!

Today were doing a training exercise. The Cubans have kindly supplied some of their best attack helicopters as fodder. Have fun and fly low. Remember the braai starts at 3pm.

Cool video on an obscure subject! Thanks for making videos about rare air combat!

This is one of those far more interesting unsung wars of the recent history... actually I find it even more interesting than Falkland conflict TBH...

1123, you did a wonderful job depicting this event. Superb work!

Nice to see a DCS video based on the south African border war. I remember my father telling me stories of how he would be driving home with his uncle and 3 Mirages returning from a patrol flew over them faster than the speed of sound.

Nice to see this. I was in the artillery in Angola in 1987, just before our forces were pulled out for good.

Great video! Always like learning about the South African Border war of the 1980s.

-=SAAF=-South African Air Force.... what an institution it was during this time...

Great video! It's cool that you show free modules too, not just commercial ones. 👍🏻👏 One day I hope to try them all, but until then I enjoy watching channels likr yours. Thank you for your work!

Never knew Cuban forces were involved in these wars. Intresting. Thx for telling.

Cool little plane. I've never heard of it.

Well done on a good video and well done on some of the forgotten wars...

Really love this side of military aviation history which was written in various places in lesser known incidents. Keep up the good work!

Terrific......appreciate the effort. More please

As a military helo pilot during that era, I'm somewhat surprised that the Hinds and MI-17s were flying at that altitude. Starting in the 70s the US Army was training to fly at low altitudes and use terrain to make us difficult to spot from altitude as well as from the ground. I realize, though, that Soviet doctrine was different for the Hind mission than it was for our scouts and gunships.

Very well done. Superb camera angles, solid storytelling.

lol, I made that livery. Nice to see it's still getting some use... But I really wish one of the devs would make an Angolan map already! I've been harping on about it even longer than I've been waiting for that Bucc mod and Aviodev to finish the F-1. Besides the fact that I'm a Saffa and obviously bias, low-intensity conflicts just make way more sense for DCS World, and the border war was a perfect example. And considering our current aircraft and the fact that the F-1 and Flogger are on the way, there really isn't a better choice of theatre if you ask me... I mean, I've got a pretty powerful machine, but trying to run realistic war scenarios in the Middle East or Russia is just a recipe for liquifying your chip. I'd also really like to see some SADF vehicle assets like the G-6, Rooikat and Ratel. I actually almost got my hands on the 3Dmax files for the Armscor Arma mod, but sadly it was not to be. However, I am still hunting like a rabid dog for a Cheetah C manual, which is proving to be even more illusive than Big Foot in a skirt. I know several SAAF pilots and not one of them can manage to conjure it up either... Not even Denel couldn't help me and they built the bloody thing! It is nice to see the enthusiasm for the Border War growing though. That new War Game DLC has definitely drummed up a lot of interest, so I hope ED is paying attention... because I don't want to be scrolling through all the Bush War severs a decade from now, and they're still being run on the goddam Caucuses! My eyes can only bleed so much...

My dad fought on the ground.

Beautiful history lesson! Keep up the great work.

I still remember the day of the first action vividly. My commandant at Sector 20 Army Intelligence informed me of the downing of the Hinds.

Very good video (nice seeing our old flag)

Great video, congrats, it was great seeing the MB 339, but the SAAF never operated that, the Impala was actually the previous MB 326...anyways, thumbs up and salutes to the professionalism of the SAAF and the other services, in conducting their self defence war on and beyond their borders.

the impalas carriet two(2)-(30-mm). cannons.

82ND AIRBORNE 1985!! I was still putting my Knees in the Breeze!!

excellent video !, and story. In this same line I recommend you look for the actions of the mb339 in the Falklands, such as the pucara, and skyhawk. good job again!

Just found this video. Learned and was entertained too.

Heard you needed help so I came back to super-thanks one one of my fav videos. Your content has inspired me in my scale model endeavors. Thanks again Showtime!

Realmente ¡adoro! Estás recreaciones de combates reales entre aeronaves de distintos tipos y/o épocas, felicitaciones, ¡gran trabajo de nuevo!

Great footage, Dankie Pine, goed gat geskop!!!

Brandon's an awesome pilot!

your videos are very nice, and unique in a way, and your channel has a lot of potential.. it can be given as a suggestion taht you fill more historical background narrative or some facts about how specific planes are used, tactical differences etc, more deeply. Yet i know how difficult and time consuming it is and it may sound spoiled to ask it from ypou :d.. anyways, nice job and i hope you continue like that.

Great video!

Very informative and well presented! I am curious about the cannon size and specifications for the Impala's gun pods. The Hind has a reputation for being able to take some damage but the Impalas seemed to chew them up pretty easily. Is this historically accurate?

Barries I was a armourer in she saaf . The impala had two 30mm cannons in front and no gunpods on the wings

Did I ever love this video?, A mahoosive yes. What I liked most about this video was the triple aspect of the attacks and their conclusions so all in all a fantastic video description of the terrs as we called them in the bush a dead terr

Those Impala pilots were seriously good! We did some training exercises with them in Lohatla, where my unit (10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment) would setup but fully camouflage (we thought so anyway!) our vehicles and they would do simulated attacks on us. Apparently they spotted every single one of us! 😅 Awesome seeing those Imps at tree-top level, flying under high power lines! 😎

Your channel is way way to Underrated!!!

Thanks

Excellent account of this action in a recently published book called The MiG Diaries. Mostly from a Cuban pilots point of view flying Mig 21’s and 23’s but also some SAAF accounts from Mirage pilots. Well balanced book.

That looks like a good flight sim, I have to check that out

Another great vídeo, your work and art are superb.

the mb-339 is a tactical trainer. lead-in-fighter.

Excellent video

First time I heard of Italian made combat aircrafts could shoot down enemy aircrafts out of the sky！ Incredible indeed 😄

All I knew about this war was that Cubans fought against South Africans. there. I know a lot more now 😂

The Impala's took off at Ondangwa air base in South West Africa(now Namibia) and proceed north to Amgola.

My tutors husband was in this war he was ran me the highest medal of honor and he did it by going to everyone and taking them to safety when the where getting ambushed u can still see the Scars on his legs

Mb339 i see, great community mod :)

As always, loving the content - well researched and factually correct. Keep it up 👍🏼

14:10 Of the all 6 Russian Helicopters shot down there was actually one survivor that lives still to this day. I'd imagine he managed to scarper out of there before the Impalas shot the only helicopter that managed to land. One or both of those transport helicopters was full of Russian officers by the way. My friend who flew Pumas in the SAAF, years later met up with the survivor in a civilian setting and they exchanged stories.

Thanks for this excellent video. Which flight simulator did you use and where did you get the Impalas?

Its going to be even more fun after we get our Mirage F-1CZ and AZ sometime later this year - but I too am hugely enjoying my Impala Mk. III !

You are obviously South African. Only we called them Impalas! 🇿🇦

wow flight sims have gotten so realistic

Ahem ... Our fight was never in vein... We did a man's job....as the fight still goes on... Like a good Olde Rhodie... We never die, we may just fade a little...hah ... We just mellow...a little. Lika good Olde Brandy... Hahaa...

You should read the book Gunship Ace by Neal Ellis. Its about a mercenary gunship pilot who flew in several wars, mostly in Hinds.

About the Mi-25.......the Mi-25 Vs AH-1J in the Iran-Iraq war will be superb!!!

Its wild how many people dont know about Cuba's role in the African conflicts and bush wars... super cool topic to simulate

Amazing edition and information! Thanks for cover other conflicts too. Please did u use the DCS track replay system for record the video? Always when I try to use it is very buggy and have super weird unit behaviours. Thanks again

Excellent video and well researched! 👍👍👍

Lead this 2, "our escorts gone" 2 this is Lead "BUGGA" . 2 this is Lead "EJECT - EJECT" Love this video......

Very cool video format.

Great vid, keep up the good work guys

Seguo con grande interesse questo canale per l'ottimo lavoro di narrazione degli eventi esposti nel filmato! 😘👍🍀🤩😊☺️🤗

Awesome work

@Showtime112 Did you have any trouble using MB-339 with the DCS replay? I once tried to record a video with the MB-339 but the replay was corrupted.

Glory and honor to the SAAF SADF who kicked comunist asses all the way long with inferior weaponry but superior training and smart unconventional military tactical high command leadership 🇿🇦🤝🇪🇨

They caled them 'imps' when i did my service in 1980/81 but i know it was an Italian Macchi a trainer by drsign as far as i know,but could be put to good use in the bush war!

Nice work

The then SAAF A10 intruder done its job👊💪😁

It's an Aermacchi, but wrong Aermacchi 😕. Still very nice to watch. Thanx.

Isn't the hind a MI-24? You call it MI-25, is that a different model of the hind or a mistake?? Great video tho 👌

Bad day to be a Hind pilot...... Fish, meet barrel.

Nice shoot

I think that Angolan helicopter pilots were flying so high because air to air threat was very unlikely, and because UNITA wasn't yet equipped with stinger missiles at this stage of the war, it was then a safer way to stay away from small weapon fires. About this paticular episode, I've been told that this helicopter supply mission had been revealed to South African Forces by an Angolan informer... At least, one of the Angolan pilots ( this one who force landed) survived from this dreadfull attack. Incidently, about what we can see about the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian air force helicopters also seem to fly relatively high in combat areas. ( but not as high as these Angolan helicopters in any case)

cool video

Nice great vid

Would like to see a dogfight between Mig 23 (Floggerg) and the Mirage F1AZ's from the SAAF. Mixed reports coming in from all over so no one really knows which was the better dogfighting aircraft.

The reason the Angolan pilots followed land mark was as a result of them being unable to fly using instramentation in there Russia aircraft, they where assisted by Russian pilots who could not train them to fly with instraments.

Such a obscure subject

It was puzzling to me why only 1 helicopter attempted to return fire. At least one other seemed to be maneuvering to do so, but was unsuccessful. Were the pilots so surprised, or unaware they were under attack?

Ons vir jou Zuid Afrika

Nice video, but the simulator terrain is decidedly off target. Angolsh is grass and bushes.

Wells done

Weird looking Impala, never seen one like that. Must be an advanced Mk.22

The Hind Shooting back had me laughing 🤣. Definitely a Fighter pilot in that Helicopter 😂

nice topic, nice production ... but those are not Impalas (MB-326M/K), they are MB-339, never operated by SAAF.

SA EQUIVALENT OF THE A10

A jet shooting down a helicopter is like a high-school student picking on a second grader

I know you probably won't reply but can you do a video on the Cuban MIG 23 bombings of the Caleque Dam in June of 1988? That was a turning point against SADF the mirage f1s were too slow to react properly