3. OPERATIONAL USE

By mid-1987 the first three pre-production G6 SPG's were being tested at the SA Artillery School. Urgent calls for reinforcements came from Angola, where a number of G5 artillery pieces had been deployed since early October. The G6's entered Angola on 20 October 1987 and were in action on 9 November. On this day 8 G5's and 3 G6's fired 760 shells, many falling on Cuito Cuanavale Airport. In total only 16 G5's and 3 G6's were deployed and then only in small numbers at any given time. Both types were in daily use, the G6 especially so, till they left Angola on November 28. Observation posts were aggresively infiltrated deep into enemy held territory, thus enabling the artillery to dominate a large area. Due to their mobillity, the G6's were at times deployed as close as 15km from Fapla forces. Fapla ground forces and aircraft tried to locate the artillery positions but none were successful. It is believed that aircraft and helicopters were destroyed on Cuito Cuanavale Airport.

As many as 90 rounds per piece per day were fired, all on charge two or three mostly HE base bleed. Opposing casualties are difficult to access but it is known that almost 300 vehicles were destroyed, at Chambinga Crossing on 17 November 1987. Ammunication levels became critical during heavy fighting and nightly C130 Hercules flights into Angola had to be made. Spares for the weapons were collected directly from ARMSCOR to be delivered to the units in the field, showing how low spares levels were with these new weapons.

At least one G6 was employed with 32 Battalion on Operation Modular in 1988 near Cuito Cuanavale. As late as April 1988 Cuito Cuanavale was still being shelled by SA Artillery. All vehicles were painted dark earth as far as known, though G5's were camouflaged.

4. SERVICE

The G6 is in service with the South African Army and also exported to the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

5. THE FUTURE

This family of weapons seems to have a great number of development possibilities. An ammunition carrier, a heavy mortar carrier and an air defence  missile carrier spring to mind.

All the necessary information to enable someone to model this collosus is available. It is sure to make an impressive model and should be a talking point at any modelling competition.

6. SOURCES

• They Live By the Sword-Col Jan Breytenbach, Lumur , 1990. 
  
• War in Angola, Helmoed-Romar Heitman, Ashanti 1990.
• The War for Africa, Fred Bridgeland, Ashanti, 1990.
• South Africa's Border War, Willem Steenkamp, Ashanti, 1990.
• South African Arms and Armour, Helmoed-Romer Heitman, Struik, 1988.
• Military Modelling, July 1989.
• Paratus, various dates.
• Armed Forces, various dates.
• War Machine 38, Orbis Publications.
• Various Internet Pages.

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