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17-08-2020, 18:27 #1
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BOOK REVIEW: Ratel - The Making of a Legend
This two volume set published in June 2020 covers the design, development, production, and operational deployment of the South African Ratel Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV).
Volume 1 (Origins) - 547 pages, covers the emergence of the requirement for an ICV for the SA Army, the evaluation of contenders, and the development of the Ratel and its many variants. It also addresses the origins of mechanisation (or mobility) in the South African Army.
Volume 2 (Life with Ratel) - 467 pages, covers the employment of the Ratel from its inception through to the end of the Border War in 1989. It also covers the development and evolution of the mechanised infantry doctrine of Ratel from a basic ICV to a fully-fledged combat system. It eventually addresses the question “Did the new Ratel ICV and the new mechanised infantry doctrine work?”
From my brief overview of the books Volume 1 gives a practical and fascinating example of the systems development life cycle of a weapons system, and is thus quite technical. Volume 2 includes accounts from those who developed the tactics and battle-handling of mechanised infantry and mechanised operations, anecdotes from those who saw combat in the Ratel, and little known facts about the Ratel.
The books were co-authored by members in the project team from Armscor, sub-contractors, and the SADF; and army commanders who actually used the ICV, so the information is first hand. A great effort in recording and preserving an important part of South African military history.
Volume 1 contents (abridged):
- Foreword by General Constand L Viljoen
- Preface: Ratel – The Making of a Legend
- Prelude to Volume 1: Origins
- Part 1: From World War II to 1973
- Part 2: Design, development and evaluation of the Ratel SS XDM
- Part 3: The Ratel 20 ICV
- Part 3a: Ratel Mk 3
- Part 4: The Ratel variants
- Part 4a: Variant requirements that could not be a converted Ratel 20
- Part 4b: Ratel variants formally approved
- Part 4c: Ratel variants improvised to serve special operational requirements
- Part 4d: Ratels modified without project authorisation
- Bibliography
Volume 2: contents (abridged):
- Foreword by General Constand L Viljoen
- Preface: Ratel – The Making of a Legend
- Introduction to Volume 2: Life with Ratel
- Chapter 1: The Ratel story – Summary
- Chapter 2: Ratel main evaluation 1975/76 – a user’s view
- Chapter 3: Mechanised infantry battle handling
- Chapter 4: Premature deployment, the “chicken and the egg”
- Chapter 5: The operational units
- Chapter 6: Life with Ratel – General
- Chapter 7: Life with Ratel – Operations
- Chapter 8: How did Ratel fare? The watershed events
- Chapter 9: Ratel in non-armour terrain
- Chapter 10: Mechanised combat in the bush: the conventional phase
- Chapter 11: The good, the bad, the ugly, the forgotten
- Chapter 12: Was Ratel good enough?
- Chapter 13: Conclusion
- Bibliography: Volume 2
- Glossary Volumes 1 & 2
- Index of persons: Volume 2
- In praise of the Tiffies
- Epilogue
Attachment 32105
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18-08-2020, 08:16 #2
- Join Date
- May 2011
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- GP, but in my mind, hunting for Ivory in the 1930's
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- 43
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Re: BOOK REVIEW: Ratel - The Making of a Legend
Thanks for this, where can one find the books?
Don’t take life too seriously, no one gets out alive.
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18-08-2020, 08:30 #3
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18-08-2020, 09:18 #4
- Join Date
- May 2011
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- GP, but in my mind, hunting for Ivory in the 1930's
- Age
- 43
- Posts
- 6,260
Re: BOOK REVIEW: Ratel - The Making of a Legend
Thank you
Don’t take life too seriously, no one gets out alive.
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18-08-2020, 10:51 #5
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- Aug 2014
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- 255
Re: BOOK REVIEW: Ratel - The Making of a Legend
For interest sake and not to hijack the thread, have you watched the movie "The Pentagon Wars"?
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19-08-2020, 06:01 #6
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- Jun 2020
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- 59
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- 309
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19-08-2020, 07:13 #7
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19-08-2020, 11:46 #8
- Join Date
- Jun 2016
- Posts
- 793
Re: BOOK REVIEW: Ratel - The Making of a Legend
Still waiting for my copy ordered months ago from bushwarbooks
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