Operation Super Operation Super was a military confrontation during the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War in March 1982 to prevent SWAPO guerrillas infiltrating into South West Africa through the Kaokoveld from a location near the abandoned Portuguese town of Iona in the Angolan province of Namibe . Battles . Initial contact . On 9 March 1982 , ten SADF South African Special Forces Brigade soldiers ( " Recces " ) dressed in PLAN uniforms launched a reconnaissance mission near Iona , based on intelligence they had gathered about SWAPO operations in the area . A standby force consisting of a platoon from 32 Battalion and two Alouette gunships ready to react when required . The Recces , who were inserted by helicopter , quickly determined that there was considerable PLAN vehicle traffic in the area . After planting a TM 62 anti - tank landmine in the road , they withdrew to high ground to observe what unfolded . Later in the day , 10 March , six PLAN trucks entered the valley , with one of them detonating the mine . The mine left the vehicle stranded , whose occupants simply transferred to the other vehicles before driving off , two heading south and three returned northward . A while later a patrol of 28 PLAN soldiers arrived on the scene on foot and started looking for evidence of the attackers . They eventually found the tracks of the Recces , and started following them . The Recces , realizing that their position was now compromised , immediately called for re - enforcements from 32 Battalion who were assigned to cover them . Meanwhile , the Recces were running out of time while they waited for the re - enforcements to arrive . In a desperate attempt to stall for time , they tried to pass themselves off as PLAN soldiers as soon as the PLAN patrol was within earshot , accusing the PLAN patrol of being members of UNITA . A fierce argument between the parties ensued , but ended abruptly when the Recce commander shot the PLAN commander . A heated firefight erupted , that was joined at this time by 32 Battalion and an Alouette helicopter gunship fitted with 20 mm cannon . When the fighting finally stopped , 21 PLAN soldiers had been killed , seven captured and one escaped . Interrogation of the PLAN prisoners captured during this action revealed the presence of a previously unknown camp nearby in the Cambêno Valley at , so a plan was immediately formulated to attack it . Camp assault . A helicopter - borne assault involving 40 members of 32 Battalion was launched on the 12 March , however the attack had to be aborted at the last minute to due thunderstorm activity that limited visibility . It was feared that any further attempt to attack the camp would be futile , as the helicopters had been close enough to be heard . However scouts positioned around the area reported no movement out the valley , so a second attack was launched at dawn the following day , 13 March . The helicopters initially struggled to find the well - camouflaged camp , until they were virtually on top of it . At this point the enemy , realizing they had been spotted , started firing at the helicopters with everything they had . The 32 Battalion assault force was immediately dropped , only 50m from the camp where the intense fire was coming from . The assault force consisted of two platoons and a 81mm mortar section . The guerrillas had built their camp in the bottom of the valley flanked by high ground on either side . , a factor that played strongly against them in the ensuing 18 hour battle . Alouette helicopter gunships used their 20mm cannon to great effect , but were fired upon in turn with RPG rockets and at least 4 SAM - 7 missiles ( the latter not arming due to helicopters being too close ) . The battle was fought throughout the rocky ravine supported by mortar fire . The battle lasted over seven hours by which time the soldiers of 32 Battalion resorted to using enemy weapons as they begun to run out of ammunition . As evening fell the 32 Battalion company readied itself for a PLAN counterattack . Aftermath . By the next morning , 14 March , a further 24 SADF soldiers were flown in but no counterattack by PLAN occurred . and battlefield was found to be littered with dead . 197 insurgents and 3 members of 32 Battalion died , with seven to eight prisoners captured . Significant quantities of food , weapons and logistical equipment were captured by the South Africans . From information gathered from interrogation of the prisoners , a search over three weeks was made for a further PLAN base consisting of 50 soldiers . This search , carried out by a company from 32 Battalion , failed to find the base which was supposedly south of Iona .