The Cassinga Jump (2) Poem by Gert Strydom

1
I see concern, tension and alertness on the faces
of the paratroopers next to me,
where into Angola we do fly in a Hercules
and next to me a soldier vomits,
while the aircraft goes to jumping height
and after a while the red light starts flashing.

2
Bombers dive down on the enemy base
and in smoke, flame and dust
their bombs do explode,
where they do hit their targets,
while enemy anti-aircraft guns open fire,
some trenches are full of the enemy.

3
The green light comes on
and ready to jump I do wait,
while the sticks in front of us do jump
and then I do step into space,
the wind rushes while like a stone I do fall,
see a RPG-rocket exploding above me,

4
I feel the jerk of the opening parachute,
notice that we are off from the dropping zone,
the deep roar of a soviet anti-aircraft gun
draws my immediate attention,
where it is shooting from below,
we are off by about five hundred metres

5
and we land in a wooded terrain,
while my stick is all over the place,
where from the trees we draw sniper fire,
while we are still coming down
and I try to note from where the fire comes,
while bullets swish past me.

6
As I touch the ground I unclip the parachute
and do immediately return fire with my LMG,
shoot a sniper down out of one of the trees,
the members of my stick act similarly
and the enemy fire becomes sporadic,
as some are killed and others do flee.

7
We are near to an enemy workshop,
do attack the buildings,
draw some friendly fire from our own
Bravo and Charlie companies,
but them and we realise
that we are not the enemy.

8
Some of the enemy fire at us with RPG-7's
where rockets do explode near to us
and in support an enemy B-10 recoilless gun opens fire,
we toss grenades and return fire,
the LMG leaves the B-10 silent
and the enemy that are not killed fall back.

9
Stored ammunition at what is supposed to be a workshop do explode
but this injures only one paratrooper,
while we do take up our stop-line position
blocking escape from Cassinga,
while the anti-tank platoon
do set up ambushes and lay landmines,
for just in case on the road from Techamutete.

10
Some soldiers are left at the stop line
and about twenty of us are ordered
to go to the enemy vehicle compound,
where we find a group of civilians
that is escaping into the nearby bush.
We are ordered to launch an attack,
on the anti-aircraft guns that have been lowered.

11
We fire at the anti-aircraft guns, which are causing havoc
and eventually nobody from the trenches does go to man them,
but we have to enter the trenches to clear them out
while we do receive heavy fire from them
and still it's a matter of killing,
or of being killed.

12
I lob grenades into the next leg of the trench,
fire with the LMG from the hip,
are splattered by a female soldier's blood,
where she is blown right out of the parapet
and she lies in green fatigues
blown to shreds.

13
I have nausea by this time,
are retching uncontrollably
but to survive have got to move on
when the anti-aircraft guns are manned again,
are thundering death and havoc
but like a machine I do fire the LMG.

14
The closed quarter struggle is savage and fierce,
where we are clearing just one leg
of the zigzagging trench at a time,
but do have support fire
from the outside
and mortars coming down.

15
Some women and children are trapped with the enemy
where they are crying loudly
and the din is terrible,
with mortar-bombs exploding,
RPG-7 rockets bringing death
and the anti-aircraft gun firing

16
but then there is deadly silence,
where we are victorious
and here and there
enemy soldiers and enemy officers
are being rounded up,
to be questioned later.

17
After the battle some paratroopers are flown out,
while we others wait at Cassinga for the Puma helicopters to return
but suddenly a lookout does shout:
"Approaching enemy battle-tanks! "
Two Mirage-fighter jets fire their cannons in our support,
as they have already fired missiles somewhere else.

18
The Mirages take out some enemy armoured cars,
but the firing enemy tanks are unscathed
and now for the first time I am really scared,
while the enemy tanks do crunch on
and totally in vain I fire with the LMG,
where I hold it at my hip.

19
The anti-tank platoon takes out one tank with a RPG 7,
and with a anti-tank landmine
but sure death and destruction is coming our way,
where we are facing deadly Cuban armour,
when out of the sun
a Buccaneer bomber comes to our salvation,

20
it drops bombs and rockets on battle tanks,
do leave some shot out and burning,
dive at the tanks and do take some more out
and still do dive down death defying without any ammunition,
while the Cuban anti-aircraft guns do fire at it
and Puma helicopters do pick us up.

[Poet's note: LMG is a Light machine gun. The RPG-7 is a Soviet weapon similar to an American bazooka.]

© Gert Strydom