Page 607 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

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exile: Sierra Leone, Gambia and Senegal. Most of these combatants were collected by
Portuguese Navy units in seashores of countries they were, in small covert operations,
previously coordinated with the FNLG leadership.
On the island of Soga, in complete secrecy, these FNLG elements underwent an ad-
equate military training. Ultimately, 150 FNLG elements where declared combat ready
and approximately twenty more militias of the Portuguese Guinea joined them as they
had a fair knowledge of the Guinea-Conakry territory. Because they were not part of
the Portuguese Armed Forces, these combatants were commanded by former French
Colonial Army Officers and NCOs, being the most senior in command Diallo Thierno,
a former Major. Nevertheless, Portuguese officers and non-commissioned officers were
responsible for their training.
Just five days prior to the departure for Conakry, the Portuguese regulars joined the
rest of the force in the island of Soga – native black Marines and Army African Com-
mandos, comprising of one African Commando Company (150 men) and a Detachment
of African Marines (80 men). All the personnel involved in the operation wore uniforms
different from the Portuguese ones and the armament was of Soviet type. Nobody car-
ried anything that could, in case of capture, compromise Portugal. The few Caucasian
personnel that went ashore were ordered to darken the visible parts of their bodies.
The transport of these troops was carried out in six vessels: four “Argos class” Patrol
Boats and two large Landing Craft Utilities. The force, under the command of Alpoim
Calvão, took the name Task Group 27-2 (TG 27-2).

Concept of Operation
Some of the tasks established for the military action were given top priority, from
which success depended the execution of the remaining ones. The priorities were as
follows:

• Destruction of the enemy’s naval assets (PAIGC and Republic of Guinea);
• Neutralization of the Guinean Air Force aircrafts landed at their home base (in-
cluding the Mig-17), key action for the prosecution of the operations;
• Neutralization of the land forces at their barracks.

The successful achievement of this sequence of actions should permit, not only a
victorious coup d’etat, but also the success of the remaining missions being the most
important: the attack to the PAIGC facilities in Conakry, the elimination or capture of
the leaders and the liberation of the Portuguese prisoners.
The forces were organized in various assault teams, each corresponding to the fol-
lowing objectives:
ALFA - Presidential Palace
BRAVO - Minister of Interior
CHARLIE - Gendarmerie HQ
DELTA - Ministers Béavogui and Sayfoulah Djallo residence
ECHO - Gendarmerie
FOXTROT - La Paternelle (Cubans)