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1 Special Service Battalion

Field	Value
unit_name	1 Special Service Battalion
image	SHOULDER FLASH 1SSB.jpg
caption	SANDF 1 Special Service Battalion emblem
dates	1 May 1933present
country
branch
type	Armoured
command_structure	South African Armoured Formation
garrison	Tempe
nickname	1 SSB 1 SDB
motto	Eendrag Maakt Mag (Unity is Strength)
colors	Orange over Blue which must be divided by Silver and where it is not possible to use silver white will be used in place
equipment	{{plainlist
battles	{{plainlist
website	www.saarmour.co.za
notable_commanders	{{plainlist
identification_symbol	A spray of three protea flowers, bound by a ribbon bearing the initials and motto
identification_symbol_label	Cap Badge
identification_symbol_2	Black
identification_symbol_3	[[File:SANDF Armour squadron emblems.jpg	200px	SANDF Armour squadron emblems]]
identification_symbol_4	[[File:SANDF Armour beret bar.jpg	200px	SANDF Armour beret bar]]
identification_symbol_2_label	Beret Colour
identification_symbol_3_label	Armour Squadron emblems
identification_symbol_4_label	Armour beret bar

Ratel IFV
Rooikat
World War II
South African Border War
Operation Boleas
Operation Merlyn (1989)
Operation Agree (1989)
Lt Col George Brink
Lt Col CEG (Papa) Britz
Lt Col WHE Poole
Lt Col HB Klopper
Lt Col Bok Kriel
Gen Jannie Geldenhys
Lt Col. W.R. Van Der Riet

1 Special Service Battalion (usually abbreviated to 1SSB) is an armoured regiment of the South African Army and only one of two such in its regular force. The Regiment is based at Tempe near Bloemfontein.

It was previously known in Afrikaans as 1 Spesiale Diens Bataljon (1 SDB).

History

Main article: Special Service Battalion

Rooikat at the entrance to 1SSB, Bloemfontein.

Following World War II, the Special Service Battalion was re-organised into 2 battalions - 1 Special Service Battalion and 1 South African Infantry Battalion.

When the South African Armoured Corps was thus officially proclaimed in 1946 and Special Service Battalion was included in the corps as the only full-time unit, its symbols and colours were incorporated.

1 SSB also took part in the South African Border War, serving in South-West Africa and Angola.

More recently, the unit also took part in Operation Boleas, which was a South African intervention in its neighbouring country of Lesotho in 1998.

1 SSB had a sister unit for a number of years in the post-World War II era, designated 2 Special Service Battalion, which was based in the town of Zeerust. This unit has now been disbanded.

1 SSB also detached squadrons to various battlegroups in the South West African campaign [[File:SADF 63 Mech emblem ver 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|63 Mech Battlegroup to which 1 SSB detached elements]]

Equipment

pre 1995

Variant	Description	Comment	Image
Eland 60	South Africa	60 mm Mortar platform	[[File:Eland 60 Armoured Car.jpg	230px	Eland 60 Armoured Car]]
Eland 90	South Africa	90 mm Fire support platform and assault gun	[[File:Eland 90 armoured car.jpg	250px	Eland 90 armoured car]]

Current

The regiment is equipped primarily with Ratel infantry fighting vehicles and Rooikat armoured cars.

Variant	Comment	Image
Rooikat 76	76 mm cannon	[[File:Rooikat Armoured Car 105mm.jpg	400px	Rooikat Armoured Car 105mm]]
Ratel 90	90 mm cannon		[[File:Ratel 90mm.jpg	400px	Ratel 90mm]]
Ratel ZT3	antitank missile	[[File:Ratel IFC ZT3.jpg	400px	Ratel IFC ZT3]]

Future

Under Project Hoefyster, the SANDF will eventually replace the Ratel family of vehicles with the Badger system. Five versions are contemplated of which two are earmarked for 1 SSB:

Missile (turreted Denel ZT3 Ingwe)
Fire Support (turreted 30 mm cannon, but with more ammunition than the section vehicle)

Variant	Description	Comment	Image
Denel Badger various types		Various armaments	[[File: Denel_Badger_IFV.jpg	380px	IFV earmarked for replacement of the Ratel Fleet 2016 onwards]]

Regimental symbols

The cap badge is a spray of three protea flowers, bound by a ribbon bearing the initials and motto.
Regimental motto: Eendrag Maakt Mag (English: Unity is Strength)
Regimental communications icon :
Regimental deployment strength : 1,000 soldiers
Regimental honour roll : Soldiers who died during active combat duty and soldiers who died during training.
Regimental traditional contact meeting : Pantseraksie (Armour Action), once a year

Previous Dress Insignia

SADF era 1 Special Services Battalion insignia

SADF era Operation Hooper participation bar

SADF era 1 SSB D Squadron with 2 SAI insignia

Current Dress Insignia

| File:SANDF Armoured Formation beret badge.png | SANDF Armoured Formation beret badge circa 1996 forward

Leadership

Alliances

- 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards

Battle honours

Main article: List of South African Battle Honours

Future

This unit will together with 1 SA Tank Regiment form the Armoured Brigade of the new Mechanized Division to be formed under Army vision 2020.

Notes

References

(1 March 2010). "Fact File: 1 Special Service Battalion". DefenceWeb.
"SA Army horse shod by December? | defenceWeb".
"Land Systems SA secures sights contract for Denel's Badger".
"1 SSB Roll of Honour".
(2007-11-01). "South African Army vision 2020". issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

armoured-regiments-of-south-africa military-units-and-formations-established-in-1933 military-units-and-formations-in-bloemfontein

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