Siege of Jadotville

Battle of Jadotville
Siege of Jadotville
	Part of Operation Morthor in the Congo Crisis
	Jadotville Siege of Jadotville (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Date	13–17 September 1961
Location	Jadotville, Katanga10°59′S 26°44′E / 10.983°S 26.733°E
Result	See aftermath
Belligerents
Katanga Katangese Gendarmerie; Katangese Air Force;	ONUC Ireland; India; Sweden;
Commanders and leaders
Roger Faulques; Michel de Clary; Henri Lasimone;	Pat Quinlan; Noel Carey;
Strength
500 - ~3,000 Katanga mercenaries and irregulars led by Belgian, French and Rhodesian mercenaries; 1 close air support jet aircraft;	Irish company:; 155 soldiers; ; In support:; 500 Irish, Indian and Swedish soldiers;
Casualties and losses
300 killed1,000 wounded	3 Indians killed; 5 Irish wounded; 155 Irish captured; 1 transport vehicle; 1 helicopter damaged;

As part of the larger Congo Crisis (1960–1964), the siege of Jadotville [ʒa.do.vil] began on 13 September 1961, lasting for five days.^[13] While serving under the United Nations Operation in the Congo (Opération des Nations Unies au Congo, ONUC), a small contingent of the Irish Army's 35th Battalion, designated "A" Company, were besieged at the UN base near the mining town of Jadotville (modern-day Likasi) by Katangese forces loyal to the secessionist State of Katanga. The siege took place during the seven-day escalation of hostilities between ONUC and Katangese forces during Operation Morthor. Although the contingent of 155 Irish soldiers repelled attacks by a 3,000-strong Katangese force, they were eventually forced to surrender after running out of ammunition and water. "A" Company was subsequently held as prisoners of war for approximately one month, before being released on 15 October as part of a prisoner exchange.^[14] The Irish forces inflicted approximately 1,300 casualties (including up to 300 killed) on the Katangan force, with no deaths amongst "A" Company.

^ "Soldiers of Fortune Mercenary wars: Congo 1960/68". Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
^ Ciaran Byrne (27 July 2016). "The True Story of the Heroic Battle That Inspired the New Netflix Film The Siege of Jadotville". Time. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
^ Tom Farrell (9 October 2011). "Band of brothers: Tom Farrell talks to some of the survivors 50 years on". Irish Independent. Retrieved 30 October 2017. Although he is described in the text as a 'platoon commander' who was eventually a captain, the accompanying photograph is marked 'Lt Noel Carey'.
^ de Kémoularia, Claude (2007). Une vie à tire-d'aile: Mémoires. Fayard. p. 142. ISBN 9782213658476. Selon les précisions que me donna De Troye, les 12 mercenaires blancs qui commandaient les 500 gendarmes katangais avaient , en réalité , redouté de voir leurs troupes indisciplinées massacrer les soldats de l'ONU , ce qui eût été catastrophique pour eux
^ Power 2005, p. 153: "the Katangans had begun moving in large numbers of troops culminating in a brigade strength unit of approximately 3,000"
^ "Congo, Part 1; 1960–1963". Air Combat Information Group. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ O'Donoghue 2006.
^ Stanley Meisler (1995). United Nations: The First Fifty Years. Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 9780871136565.
^ Cite error: The named reference bravery was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Peace Operations and Intrastate Conflict. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1999. ISBN 9780275961732.^{[need quotation to verify]}
^ "Film 'Siege of Jadotville' to reveal heroism of Irish troops". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
^ Asante 2014, p. 302-303.
^ J.T. O'Neil, 'EYEWITNESS: The Irish Company at Jadotville, Congo, 1961: Soldiers or Symbols?', International Peacekeeping, 9(4) (2002), 127-144 (p. 135).
^ J.T. O'Neil, 'EYEWITNESS: The Irish Company at Jadotville, Congo, 1961: Soldiers or Symbols?', International Peacekeeping, 9(4) (2002), 127-144 (p. 139).

[1] "Soldiers of Fortune Mercenary wars: Congo 1960/68". Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2017.

[Time2016-07-27a-2] Ciaran Byrne (27 July 2016). "The True Story of the Heroic Battle That Inspired the New Netflix Film The Siege of Jadotville". Time. Retrieved 31 October 2017.

[Indo2011-10-09a-3] Tom Farrell (9 October 2011). "Band of brothers: Tom Farrell talks to some of the survivors 50 years on". Irish Independent. Retrieved 30 October 2017. Although he is described in the text as a 'platoon commander' who was eventually a captain, the accompanying photograph is marked 'Lt Noel Carey'.

[4] Kémoularia, Claude (2007). Une vie à tire-d'aile: Mémoires. Fayard. p. 142. ISBN 9782213658476. Selon les précisions que me donna De Troye, les 12 mercenaires blancs qui commandaient les 500 gendarmes katangais avaient , en réalité , redouté de voir leurs troupes indisciplinées massacrer les soldats de l'ONU , ce qui eût été catastrophique pour eux

[FOOTNOTEPower2005153-5] Power 2005, p. 153: "the Katangans had begun moving in large numbers of troops culminating in a brigade strength unit of approximately 3,000"

[6] "Congo, Part 1; 1960–1963". Air Combat Information Group. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.

[FOOTNOTEO'Donoghue2006-7] O'Donoghue 2006.

[8] Stanley Meisler (1995). United Nations: The First Fifty Years. Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN 9780871136565.

[bravery-9] Cite error: The named reference bravery was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[peace-10] Peace Operations and Intrastate Conflict. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1999. ISBN 9780275961732.^{[need quotation to verify]}

[irishtimes2014-11] "Film 'Siege of Jadotville' to reveal heroism of Irish troops". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2022.

[FOOTNOTEAsante2014302-303-12] Asante 2014, p. 302-303.

[13] J.T. O'Neil, 'EYEWITNESS: The Irish Company at Jadotville, Congo, 1961: Soldiers or Symbols?', International Peacekeeping, 9(4) (2002), 127-144 (p. 135).

[14] J.T. O'Neil, 'EYEWITNESS: The Irish Company at Jadotville, Congo, 1961: Soldiers or Symbols?', International Peacekeeping, 9(4) (2002), 127-144 (p. 139).

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]