Great Lakes Conflagration by Tom Cooper

Great Lakes Conflagration by Tom Cooper

Great Lakes Conflagration' is the second in two volumes covering military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the turn from the 21st century. This volume explores developments in the DRC that led to the outbreak of violence in August 1998, and systematically details the continued build-up and status of the Congolese, Rwandan and Ugandan armies, as well as the forces of Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and other African countries that were sucked into the conflict. Recounted is the Rwandan attempt to topple the government of Laurent Kabila through an operation that saw a redeployment of some of best Rwandan units from Kigali and Goma to the western DRC, resulting in a series of fierce air-land clashes with Zimbabwean and Angolan forces and culminating in the Battle of Kinshasa. Also described is the fighting along what became the 'Eastern Front' in the DRC, as Zimbabwean and allied troops attempted to stop Rwandan, Ugandan and rebel advances out of Kivu Province in the direction of the Congo River through 1998 and 1999. These early phases of the war, or 'The First African War' as it has come to be known, were characterized by surprising outflanking and infiltration maneuvers; foreign mercenaries; Zimbabwean Hawk and Lynx light strikers flying intensive combat operations from N'Djili airport, half of which was occupied by Rwandans, Ugandans and Congolese rebels; interdiction strikes guided by special forces deployed deep behind enemy lines; operations of helicopter gunships and transport aircraft under intense ground attack in support of troops cut off by advancing opponents; use of transport aircraft as makeshift bombers in bad weather and by night and clashes of armored forces and many other elements of 'high-technology' warfare. All the protagonists deployed their best military units, their best equipment and some of their best military commanders, yet despite their best efforts, and hampered by in-fighting, the conflict ultimately resulted in a stalemate which dragged on for a further three years while negotiations bogged down. This book is illustrated with an extensive selection of exclusive photography, color profiles and markings, making it of special interest to enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Tom Cooper was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1970. His travels in Europe and the Middle East have allowed him to create outstanding relationships with a number of knowledgeable sources in Iran, whose stories may be found in his books and articles. During World War II, his interest in military aviation shifted to smaller air forces and battles, particularly the Arab and Iranian air forces, as well as the Iraq-Iran war, which he researched in the late 1980s.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781909384668
ISBN 10	1909384666
Title	Great Lakes Conflagration
Author	Tom Cooper
Series	Africa@War
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Helion & Company
Year published	2013-10-15
Number of pages	72
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable