Background:
On Wednesday 13 September 1961, United Nations forces in Katanga launched a military offensive, that was code-named Operation Morthor, against mercenary military units serving the State of Katanga, which had seceded from Congo-Léopoldville in July 1960. According to its mandate, the United Nations operation in the Congo (ONUC) forces were to remain impartial in the conflict. But the Katangese political leadership believed the UN had broken its mandate and its forces were siding with their opponent, the Congolese central government. Soon after the start of Morthor, the Katangese led a counterattack on an isolated unit of Irish UN soldiers based in the mining town of Jadotville, approximately 100 kilometres from the main UN base in Elisabethville. The Irish unit, consisting of 155 men, designated "A" Company, commanded by Commandant Pat Quinlan, were ordered to the mining town some weeks earlier to assist in the protection of its citizens; this was a result of the Belgian foreign minister calling the UN secretary-general to report that Belgian settler and the local population feared for their safety because they feared that they would be put in the crossfire between the two sides.
The battle:
At 7:40 in the morning of Wednesday 13th 1961 while the Irishmen where attending mass and exposed, the Katangese attacked the peace keeping group. The first few men of the Katangese were spotted by an Irish sniper (Private Billy Ready) which shot a warning shot at the bell which alerted the rest of the Irishmen that was at mass. The Irishmen that were at mass ran to their positions to fend of the incoming enemy, which was a combined force of mercenaries, Belgian settlers, and local tribe members. Their strength which outnumbered the Irish The Katangese attacked in waves of 600 or so, preceded by bombardment from 81mm mortars and a French 75mm field gun. The Irish Support Platoon knocked out most of the Katangese mortar and artillery positions, including the 75mm gun, with counter-battery fire from 60mm mortars. The fire from the UN Irish positions proved accurate and effective. Mercenary officers were observed shooting native gendarmes to stem the rout caused in Katangese lines.
At one stage in the conflict, a mission to bring in water by air was successful, but due to the use of contaminated containers (previously used to store petrol), the water was undrinkable because it was stored in petrol container. Quinlan had not received any clear direction or communication from his superiors, and the Katangese gradually infringed on the cease-fire agreement to undermine "A" Company's position. In the end, with his position untenable, without any clear orders or promise of assistance, having run out of ammunition and food and low on water, Quinlan accepted the second offer to surrender to the Katangese on the afternoon of Sunday 17 September. The Irish soldiers were held as hostages for approximately one month, to extort terms of ceasefire that were embarrassing to the United Nations. The Katangese and their mercenary allies bartered the Irish soldiers for prisoners in the custody of the Congolese government of Joseph Kasa-Vubu. After being released, the troops were returned to their base in Elisabethville. Some weeks later, however, "A" Company found itself involved in active combat again,] this time with the support of Swedish UN troops. Eventually, they were reinforced with fresh troops from Ireland (their replacement was the 36th Battalion). After weeks of fighting and their six-month tour of duty now complete, "A" Company was rotated out of the battle zone and were home in Ireland that December.
Aftermath:
With their surrender the “A” company involvement was “pushed underneath the mat” because of the general's mistakes and they blamed the soldiers for surrendering and the A company's success was only revealed in the Custume Barracks in Athlone in the last couple of decades.
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