Commandant Mike Muller put together a special unit to clear out Highpoint 1251. Before dawn on Saturday 20 February 1988 Muller’s combat team, consisting of an Olifant squadron, a Ratel squadron, a UNITA infantry battalion and a mortar platoon, was ready in the assembly area about six kilometres east of Fapla’s 21 Brigade battalion and its three tanks.
‘We moved off just before dawn with very good guidance from UNITA who knew the area well’, said Muller. ‘As soon as the enemy heard the roar of our engines we began to draw very heavy enemy artillery fire. Then we ran into an anti-tank minefield and one of the Ratels lost its front axle.
‘On UNITA’s advice I retreated two kilometres and readjusted the line of advance further to the south, but we were held up again by bombing runs by Mig-23s which forced us to take cover in the bush. They made several raids and progress was slow. When we were able to move, the UNITA infantry, riding on top of the tanks, took several casualties in the Fapla artillery bombardments.
‘We got held up yet again when an Olifant hit an anti-tank mine and lost a track which had to be replaced. There were more air attacks and it was only by about 4 pm that we began approaching the enemy’s half-prepared hillside positions. When we had advanced to within about 1,000 m of the battalion’s outer trenches they suddenly began to run and cross the Dala and Cuanavale Rivers. We brought in G-5 fire as they ran across the open anhara and many of the Fapla guys were killed and wounded. When we moved through the 21 Brigade positions we discovered that all the enemy tanks and vehicles had gone.’ Muller took his force down to the north bank of the Dala, from where the Olifants wiped out an enemy mortar position to the south of the river.
Muller’s men had taken Highpoint 1251 without any real fight. They were then ordered to pull back to 61 Mech’s laager position to the east of the Chambinga High Ground. During the retreat they again came under heavy bombardment from Fapla artillery on the western bank of the Cuito River and Mig-23s dropped bombs within 50 m of some of the tanks and Ratels. Muller’s men came through without injuries and the SADF was now ready for the first vital attack into the Tumpo Triangle.