The Battle for Smokeshell: 10 June 1980 - Willem Steenkamp

It was a career-long desire for Maj Genl (Ret) Johann Dippenaar to find the exact area where the Battle for Smokeshell took place on 10 June 1980. This was to be the start of a dedicated tour of Smokeshell veterans that would have taken place to  arrive at the exact coordinates on 10 June 2020 to commemorate the 40 th  anniversary of that day.

Genl Dippenaar asked well know author - and also someone that was at the Battle for Smokeshell - Willem Steenkamp to put together a condensed document which could be given to each participant of the tour on the day they would have reached the coordinates. Due to the Covid Pandemic the 2020 tour had to be cancelled.

Willem Steenkamp worked his magic! This request for a condensed document grew into a fully-fledged book which is a narrative commemorating the 40th anniversary of 61 Mechanised Battalion Group's first battle, during Operation Sceptic, excerpted and edited from the regimental history.

The book - THE BATTLE FOR SMOKESHELL - 10 June 1980 is made up of 334 pages illustrated with specific maps drawn up by Camille Burger and some photos taken during and after the battle. The names of all 130 soldiers who took part in Operation Sceptic are mentioned in this book.

Softcover, 334 pages