ep 2/18 part 7/7

The prevailing atmosphere of lawlessness is illustrated by the deaths of the force commander, near a bridge that had been destroyed by UPA. During a patrol, two days after the killings of dozens of blacks who the whites distrusted, an ensign and a civilian militiamen are killed. [Abel Fialho Rico - Professional Hunter in 1961] Carrying the corpses took us more than 3 hours, to walk 500 meters. As soon as we lifted the corpses to carry them, they would start shooting us: "pum" "pum" "pum"... stop! ... and defend. As soon as the fire ceased a bit, we would walk another 100 meters, then more 50 meters, more 20 meters... And that was how it was. And it's in that time that Sergeant Santiago takes command. [Captain Joaquim Santiago - Sergeant in 1961] They were shooting at us while we were heading to the bridge. We managed to pass the bridge carrying the corpses, then we got in the vehicles and went to Bungo. It was already 3 pm, therefore, since 8:30 in the morning until 3 pm, it was as it is custom to say: a pounding of the heart, in which... may God protect us! The God that both sides believed in was, afterall, the same one. The portuguese acted with religious faith and physical courage, but also with fear that could turn cruel and which they tempered with therapeutical humor. While they adapted themselves, UPA was also evolving and using more and more automatics weapons, in part captured to the soldiers, and launching new operations, attacking with large or small groups, farms and military convoys. [José Mateus Lelo - UPA militant in 1961] We had already moved on to guerrilla warfare, which was already a more serious thing. And since we had captured material from the portuguese, that was already possible. [Captain Joaquim Santiago - Sergeant in 1961] They started to operate with fewer people ... and shooting from a far distance or a close one, but already showing, how can I put it ... some sort of guerrilla warfare operating principle. Little by little that started to evolve. And then it was no longer "few little gunshots", it was already a lot of gunshots". And it was already groups of 20 or 30 men with a degree of instruction that you could already see there the hand of good instructors. [Cosmo Manuel - UPA militant in 1961] Sometimes we attacked with 50 men, others with 150. And in the day after we would send other groups and so on. The portuguese attacked a lot with airplanes. I have here a scar from a bullet that was shot from an airplane. [José Vilhena - Sergeant in the 6th Special Riflemen Company] PV-2 (Harpoon) bombers, it was what there was at that time, dropping bombs, ... that the Air Force itself advised us not to stand up, because when they dropped the bombs in the woods there were shockwaves. And if you heard the noise that came from the woods, the screams that came from the woods during the bombings... Dreadful! [José Mateus Lelo - UPA militant in 1961] Many times the bombings of the woods were 24 hours non-stop. Certainly, those bombs didn't kill only the men. (They also killed) women and children. [José Vilhena - Sergeant in the 6th Special Riflemen Company] Someone told us that an airplane from the portuguese air force had dropped a wheel. In fact, there was a hole in the middle of the sanzala, and apparently there were more holes close to it, but that one was the main one... and the shrapnel killed (everyone?). Therefore, our air force bombed that place. [Luanda Airport - May 1961] The forces of Kaúlza de Arriaga continued to be the main weapon in repressing the rebels and in defending the settlers. [General Kaúlza de Arriaga - Subsecretary/Secretary of State of the Air Force 1955/62] Something has already been made by the air force and the paratroopers, but because it is needed, more will be done. Their method of operation will be improved and new means will be used. The promises made by Kaúlza de Arriaga please the portuguese, but it is in the politics of Adriano Moreira, the trump card of Salazar's new government, that the all the settlers' hopes reside. [Adriano Moreira - Overseas Minister 1961/62] The President of the Council summarized everything in one word: Angola. In the metropolis (Lisbon) all the availabe resources are being mobilized in obedience to that motto. [Lisbon May 28th 1961] (The National Broadcaster registers the departure of a military contingent for the Portuguese Overseas.) With the unconditional applause of the portuguese of Angola and also with the support of all the country in general. The harbors of Alcântara and Rocha de Conde de Óbidos in Lisbon are now the settings of frequent departures of ships filled with soldiers. In an initial phase with the presence and the speeches of high-rank officers. The newly-appointed Minister of the Army himself, the Brigadier Mário Silva, goes on board to talk to the troops. [Brigadier Mário Silva - Minister of the Army] There is not one single process (plotted) in the international (politics) caves able to destroy our love for our homeland, our love for the portuguese homeland comes from ancient times. And it is that certainty that will keep us perpetually in the Overseas. [Mário de Pádua - Ensign Army Doctor in 1961] The thing that most impressed me was ... in a farewell speech, now I am not sure who he was, but he was someone very important, and he said that we must fight like the enemy fought us. Meaning that if they cut our ears we should cut their ears too. If they did something like that too us we should retaliate in the same manner. I mean, that was the official speech. Mário de Pádua goes as an Ensign Medical Doctor in the first military contingent that departs for Angola in April 21st. A week after Botelho Moniz's removal, the ship Niassa is ready to set sail from Lisbon. It carries onboard, 1800 men from the Hunter batallions 88 and 92 and 4 companies of artillery. Finally, the soldiers depart from Lisbon and it will be with that forces that the Angola Military Region Command will initiate the recapture of a vast territory where UPA substituted with its symbols the portuguese national flags.