National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

244 ai r p o w e r in 20 t H Ce n t u ry do C t r i n e s a n d em p l o y m e n t - nat i o n a l ex p e r i e n C e s
- The AM 61 in Vila Cabral;
- The AM 62 in Marrupa;
- The AM 71in Furancungo;
- The AM 73 in Mutarara.
In 1963 there were 6 C47, 4 Nord and 4 PV2 in BA10; 9 T6, 8 DO-27 and 2
Auster in AB5.
In 1965 there were 4 Nord, 5 PV2, 2 DO-27 and 4 Auster in BA10; 5 C47, 2 DO-
27 and 2 Auster in AB 8; and 21 T6, 14 DO-27 and 15 Auster in AB 5.
In the following years the AB6 was equipped with 9 DO-27, 4 Auster, 8 Fiat G91
and 8 T6; the AB 7 with 7 DO-27, 4 Auster, 8 Fiat G91 and 8 T6.
In 1967, 9 Nord, 6 C-47, 6 PV2, 24 DO-27, 16 Auster, 45 T - 6G, and 6 AL III
were assigned to the 3 rd Air Region, having been performed in the following year
16,368 flight hours and about 8,000 missions.
In 1970 the fleet was as follows: 35 DO, 36 T6, 25 AL III, 16 G91, 5-C 47, 8
Nord, 13 Auster, 4 Cherokee and 6 Cessna, with 102 pilots assigned. That same year
15,736 hours of flight in compliance of 10, 969 air missions were made. In 1972,
29,944 hours of flight and in 1973, 37,324 flight hours were carried out.
In 1974 there were around the theatre 5 SA-330, 27 DO, 26 T6, 31 ALL III, 16
Fiat G-91, 9 Nord, 8 C47, 10 Auster, 4 Cherokee and 6 Cessna. The total number of
pilots was 122, who flew a total of 25,090 hours.
These figures clearly show the trend in the allocation of resources and the progressive
increment of flight effort, i.e., the intensification of the war. The allocation
of aircrafts in the different bases gives also an idea about the focus of activity in all
the theatre of operations.
After the start of the Cahora Bassa dam, the guerrilla crossed the Zambezi River,
and established in the area of Tete, performing a series of actions which were intended
to show presence, attack ground units and stops the development of the dam
construction. The order of battle was thus changed and the war spread to the Western
Province.
Fiat airplanes began operations in late 1968 in AB 5; a second squadron was constituted
in 1970 in AB 7; detachments were deployed in AM 52, Port Amelia and AM
51on a regular basis and they also operated in AB 6, AM 61 and BA 10.
The AL III came to achieve the total quantity of 31, which operated from AM
52, AM 51, AM 61 and BA 10, and it was the fleet that flew more in mission types
identical to those of other theatres.
The Regional Air Command was based in Lourenço Marques, and subsequently
the Advanced Command of Nampula was formed. There were in Mozambique 10
major civil and military airport infrastructures, (Beira-3 runways, 2400 m; Marrupa
1560 m; Mueda two runways, 2350 m; Nacala 2500 m; Nampula 2000 m; Nova