The Siege Of Jadotville Hindi Dubbed Movie Download

[Zareen Zapata]

Priorto independence, the Congo had been a colonial possession of the Belgian state since 1908, with its resources controlled by businesses owned primarily by Belgium and Britain. The most powerful of these companies were the Belgian owned Socit Gnrale de Belgique and the British controlled Union Minire du Haut Katanga. Following the Congolese declaration of independence in June 1960, in pursuit of retaining economic benefits, Belgium disregarded the sovereignty of the Congo to support the secession of the Katangan province under Moise Tshombe, which began the Congo Crisis.[16]

Due to this intervention in the Congo's sovereignty, Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and President Joseph Kasavubu petitioned the United Nations for assistance in "protect[ing] the national territory of the Congo". The United Nations Operation in the Congo commenced shortly afterwards.[17]

The UN's attempts to remove the Belgian presence from the seceded provinces of Katanga (and later Kasai) proved difficult due to members of the Belgian military transitioning into mercenaries while they continued to head the Katangese gendarmerie. This made it more challenging to link them to the Belgian state, and to apply political pressure on Belgium to force their removal from the theatre.[18] The already politically complex position of Belgium was further complicated by Prime Minister Tshombe's appointment to America of a Belgian civil servant, Michel Struelens, to promote the international reputation of Katanga and its independence through propaganda.[19]

Following Resolution 161A, four battalions were sent into Katanga who, at the demand of the Congolese government, were from non-colonial powers.[24] However, these troops were under-equipped and outnumbered by the approximately 5,000 members of the Katanga gendarmerie. For instance, only the Swedish battalion had armoured transportation that could not be pierced by high-velocity ammunition and modern weaponry, whereas the force they were facing had heavy weaponry (mortars and artillery) and three Fouga jets at their disposal.[25]

As a result of Operation Rumpunch, Katangan Minister Godefroid Munongo ramped up actions against those who were anti-secession, which led to 45,000 people seeking assistance from the UN compound in Elisabethville.[31] Additionally, on 29 August 1961, following Operation Rumpunch, Company B of the 35th Irish Battalion and Group Mide of the Swedish Battalion were sent to Jadotville to explain to the families of those arrested what had occurred, and to ensure peace in the area. However, four days later Group Mide (and shortly after Company B) returned to Elizabethville due to the aggression of the white population at Jadotville.[29]

Soon after the start of Operation Morthor, the Katangese led a counterattack on an isolated unit of Irish UN soldiers based in the mining town of Jadotville, approximately 100 kilometers from the main UN base in Elisabethville.[38] 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 settlers and the local population feared for their safety.[39]

On the morning of Wednesday 13 September 1961, the soldiers stationed at Jadotville were informed of Operation Morthor by UN Headquarters at Elisabethville; at 07:40 20 Katangese troops[14] attacked while many of the UN Irish troops of A Company were attending an open-air mass.[42] Expecting to take the men off-guard, the first attackers moved in rapidly. However, they were spotted by an Irish sentry, and a warning shot by Private Billy Ready alerted the company to the threat (Ready was wounded in a later exchange of fire).[43][44]

The Katangese attacked in waves of 600 or so, preceded by bombardment from 81 mm mortars and a French 75mm field gun. The Irish Support Platoon of A Company knocked out most of the Katangese mortar and artillery positions, including the 75mm gun, with counter-battery fire from 60mm mortars.[48] The fire from the UN Irish positions proved accurate and effective. Mercenary officers were reportedly observed shooting native gendarmes to stem the rout caused in Katangese lines.[49]

The 500 Irish and Swedish UN troops based in Kamina, and Indian army Gurkhas (seemingly 3rd Battalion, 1 Gorkha Rifles) made several attempts to relieve the besieged Irish soldiers.[10] The supporting force of mercenaries (many of them French, German, Belgian and South African; almost all veterans of the Algerian War) beat back these efforts.[50] They had been brought in by Mose Tshombe, Katanga's premier, whose secessionist government had been supported by Belgium.[51]

Attempting to reach the besieged A Company, the relief column, named "Force Kane" after its commander Commandant John Kane,[52] was stymied in a series of battles at a pinch point called the Lufira Bridge. It carried the Jadotville-to-Elisabethville Highway across the Lufira River. The Katangese forces dug in here and brought heavy and sustained ground and air fire onto the relief column, killing three Indian UN troops, injuring a number of Irish UN troops and ultimately forcing the column off the bridge.[53] Additionally, during the effort to reach the trapped company, the Katanga forces set off charges on the railway bridge to impede potential relief efforts.[54]

On 16 September, a second attempt to reach the Irish Company was made, but failed with another three Indian troops being killed and a further eight soldiers suffering injuries.[57] The Katangese asked Quinlan for a ceasefire, as their own forces had been seriously diminished. By this time their effective strength may have been reduced to 2,000 men. Later that same day, a ceasefire agreement was reached between Commandant Quinlan and the Burgomaster of the Katangan forces, enabling the Irish troops to re-supply with water; the Gendarmerie retreated from their positions surrounding the UN.[58]

Quinlan lacked any clear direction or communication from his superiors, and the Katangese gradually infringed on the ceasefire agreement to undermine "A" Company's position. With his position untenable --without any clear orders or promise of assistance, having run out of ammunition and food and being low on water-- Quinlan accepted their second offer to surrender.[42][44] On 17 September, Quinlan met with Katanga Minister Munongo, in which a formal written ceasefire and surrender agreement was made, which contained the proviso that the Irish Company would keep their weapons and be unharmed.[59]

A Company, 35th Battalion, suffered five wounded in action during the siege.[n 1] The Katangese suffered up to 300 killed, including 30 mercenaries and an indeterminate number of wounded, with figures ranging from 300 to 1,000.[10][11]

After being released, the troops were returned to their base in Elisabethville. Some weeks later, however, "A" Company found itself in active combat again,[62] this time with the support of Swedish UN troops. Eventually, they were reinforced with fresh troops from Ireland (their replacement was the 36th Battalion).[63] 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.[41]

In January 1963, UNOC'S Operation Grandslam decisively defeated the forces of the self proclaimed State of Katanga, reintegrating the region into the Congo, while "President" Tshombe fled the country. UN forces did not completely leave the Congo until 30 June 1964.[37]

The various failures of the UNOC mission during 1961, including the assassination of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and the death toll of Operation Morthor, led elements of the UN to downplay attention to the Siege of Jadotville.[64]

Only in 2005 did the Irish Army pardon Company A for their surrender,[65] and until the early 21st century, the Irish state did not give much recognition to the battle of Jadotville either. The term "Jadotville Jack" was sometimes applied as a term of derision about the Irish Defence Forces. After the incident no Irish soldier received any decoration for his actions at Jadotville, although Commandant Quinlan recommended a number of his men for the Military Medal for Gallantry (MMG), Ireland's highest award for military valour, for their actions during the battle.[66]

Although "A" Company, 35th Battalion had tactically defeated a vastly larger enemy force at Jadotville, the Irish Defence Forces' leadership did not overtly acknowledge the battle. There may have been perceived shame that "A" Company had surrendered, or because of political and strategic errors demonstrated at higher levels.[49]

The veterans of Jadotville were dissatisfied that the Defence Forces refused to acknowledge the battle and that there was an implied black mark on the reputation of their commander. A number of Irish soldiers, who had been involved in the siege, reputedly took their own lives in later years.[48][68] Quinlan, who died in 1997, had his public reputation restored nine years after his death.[69] John Gorman, a retired soldier who had been a 17-year-old private during the fight, campaigned to have the Battle of Jadotville recognised. In 2004 Irish Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea agreed to hold a full review of the battle. A Defence Forces inquiry cleared Quinlan and "A" Company of allegations of soldierly misconduct. A commemorative stone recognising the soldiers of "A" Company was erected on the grounds of Custume Barracks in Athlone in 2005. A commissioned portrait of Quinlan was installed in the Congo Room of the Irish Defence Forces' UN School.[70]

In 2016 the Irish government awarded a Presidential Unit Citation to "A" Company,[71] the first in the State's history.[72] In October 2017 a plaque commemorating Quinlan was unveiled in his native County Kerry, by former Taoiseach Enda Kenny.[67] The decision of the state to honour individually the soldiers of Jadotville or their next of kin was one of the last decisions taken by Enda Kenny before he retired as Taoiseach in June 2017. They were presented with newly-designed Siege of Jadotville Medals in Athlone on 2 December 2017.[73]

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