4 Reconnaissance Commando (South Africa)
| 4 Reconnaissance Commando | |
|---|---|
| Active | 17 July 1978 |
| Country | South Africa |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Republic of South Africa |
| Branch |
.svg.png){kind=small} South African Army |
| Type | Special forces |
| Role | Reconnaissance |
| Part of | South African Defence Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Langebaan, Western Cape |
| Motto(s) | Iron Fist From The Sea |
| Disbanded | 31 July 1993 |
The 4 Reconnaissance Commando is a defunct South African Special Forces unit of the South African Defence Force that was formed in July 1978, specialising in amphibious operations.
History
In 1976, during Operation Savannah, a need was identified for more operational special forces units and in particular units with more specialised skills.[1]:Ch2 In March 1976, Major Malcolm Kinghorn formed a sub-unit specialising in amphibious operations for use in Angola during Operation Savannah.[1]:Ch2 It was formed at Salisbury Island, Durban and consisted of a headquarters unit of Kinghorn and a NCO and two units of six men each and was called Charlie (C) Group of 1 Reconnaissance Commando.[1]:Ch2
On 1 May 1976, the Defence Minister approved the formation of 4 Reconnaissance Commando but it would take a further two years before it was formally established.[1]:Ch2 The unit was formed on the 17 July 1978 as 4 Reconnaissance Commando at Langebaan with Major Kinghorn as the first commanding officer and the first RSM was Warrant Officer “Chili” du Plessis.[1]:Ch2 It was initially made up of members of 1 Reconnaissance Commando.[2] On 1 January 1979, Major Kinghorn was given a temporary rank of Commandant. During the 1981 reorganisation, 4 Reconnaissance Commando was renamed 4 Reconnaissance Regiment (4RR).[2] The unit was said to be small with mainly white soldiers who operated in Angola and Mozambique[3]:Chp3
Structure
In 1978, 4 Reconnaissance Commando was initially structured into three groups:[1]:Ch3
- Alpha Group – amphibious operations training,
- Bravo Group – operational,
- Charlie Group – diving,
but when 4 Reconnaissance Commando was renamed 4 Reconnaissance Regiment in 1981 it was structured as:
4.1 Commando – operational component with five teams:[1]:Ch3
- Diving Team – offensive operational attack divers
- Boat Team – maintain and operate the teams boats and work with the naval vessels crews
- Offensive Team – carried out the special forces tasks
- Small Teams – carry out reconnaissance and lead the offensive teams to the targets
- Reconnaissance Team – handle intelligence gathering operations in larger teams
4.2 Commando – training element later called Special Forces Amphibious and Urban School[1]:Ch3
Re-organisation after 1992
The next reorganisation occurred in 1992 when the Special Forces HQ was disbanded and renamed the Directorate Reconnaissance Forces and 4 RR remained but 2RR, the citizen force unit, was disbanded.[2] In 1993, a further reorganisation occurred when the Directorate Reconnaissance Forces was renamed as the 45 Para Brigade and 4 Reconnaissance Commando was renamed the 453 Para Battalion.[2] The last change occurred in 1995, 45 Para Brigade became the Special Forces Brigade and subsequently 453 Para Battalion is now called 4 Special Forces Regiment.[2]
Commanding Officers
Officers commanding were:[4]
- 1978–1982: Cmdt. M. Kinghorn
- 1982–1994: Col. J. Venter
- 1994–n.d.: Col. K. Nel
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Steyn, Douw; Söderlund, Arné (2015). Iron Fist From The Sea: South Africa's Seaborne Raiders 1978-1988. Solihull, West Midlands: Helion and Company. ISBN 978-1909982284.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "4 Reconnaissance Regiment / 4 Special Forces Regiment". South African Special Forces Association. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
- ↑ O'Brien, Kevin A. (2011). The South African Intelligence Services: From Apartheid to Democracy, 1948-2005 (eBook). Studies in Intelligence Series. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-84061-0.
- ↑ "TRC Final Report". SABC. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
Further reading
- Steyn, Douw; Söderlund, Arné (2015). Iron Fist From The Sea: South Africa's Seaborne Raiders 1978-1988 (Kindle ed.). Solihull, West Midlands: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1909982284.