Vasco de Gama (left) and Dom Alfonso Henriques (King Alfonso 1)
In the photo above, taken at the Fortress of São Miguel and the Military Armed Forces Museum, the short guy on the left is famed Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama. The taller gent is Alfonso I of Portugual — Portugual’s first king. On Monday I promised more photos of this museum. Today I deliver on that promise. As one would expect, some of the displays include trophies acquired by the Angolan military during the Angolan Civil War. For instance, in the image below, on the left side of the hall, you’ll see the tail section of a French-made South African Air Force Mirage IIIR2Z. This reconnaissance variant of Dassault’s prolific and highly successful Mirage III was shot down by Angolan forces in July 1979.
Tail of a South African Air Force Dassault Mirage IIIR2Z (left)
I’ll run the rest of today’s photographic presentation in this photo gallery/slide show with heavy emphasis on those beautiful Portuguese azulejo tiles:
Post-colonial Angola has a pretty complicated history, and it’s relationship with the United States is best described as strained after the Maxist-Leninist People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) took power in November 1975. During much of the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), the internal conflict became yet another proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union. So, as one would expect, there is much to say about the Angolan military and their Soviet and Cuban allies. With that in mind, let me show you our visit to Angola’s Museum of the Armed Forces on 17 March 2025.
Museu Nacional de História Militar
The Museum of the Armed Forces resides of the Fortress of São Miguel (Fortaleza de São Miguel). And if you’re a military buff, as I am, you’ll find this place fascinating. That’s especially true since I served in the U.S. armed forces during the Cold War, and these proxy conflicts were a part of our daily lives back then. So, it was quite the thrill to see some of the armaments we faced during that time. But not all the weaponry here was Soviet. I was taken aback when I noticed a pair of North American AviationT-6 Texans formerly used during the Portuguese Colonial War:
Another stunning feature here, and one that really grabbed Ursula’s eye, were the beautiful Portuguese azulejo tiles lining the walls inside the main hall:
Azulejo tile walls
Here are some closeups of those tiles:
Azulejo tile
Azulejo tile
Azulejo tile
But azulejo isn’t the only artistic feature here. You’ll also find statuary on the grounds. The bronze on the left depicts Pedro Álvares Cabral:
Pedro Álvares Cabral and friends
There’s much more to see at this museum, so tune in on Wednesday.
On Wednesday I promised to reveal to you the make and model of rifle depicted in Swakopmund’ Marine Memorial. That rifle is a Mauser-made Gewehr 98. The G98 served as the primary infantry weapon for the German military from 1898 to 1935, after which it was replaced by a carbine version of the same rifle, the infamous Karabiner 98 kurz (K98k) of World War II fame. Both variants were chambered in the 7.92x57mm Mauser (a.k.a., 8mm Mauser) cartridge. This highly effective rifle continues today as the civilian Mauser M 98 hunting rifle. Now for today’s Fun Photo Friday:
Decisions — Murder in Paradise
The Globe — Murder in Luxury
R. Doug Wicker — Author 