As the Cold War raged in the late 1950s and early 1960s
between the East and the West, the Republic of the Congo, newly independent
from Belgium, became a flashpoint. The mineral-rich Katanga Province succeeded
from the republic and was supported by several European nations in this
endeavor. Fearing the beginnings of a possible new world war (this one with
nuclear consequences), the United Nations (UN) began its first ever major
peacekeeping effort in the Congo (not counting the Korean War which was as a
war from the very beginning).
The UN sent in peacekeeping forces to separate the Congolese
and their Katangese rebels. One unit assigned was Company A of the 35th
Infantry Battalion of the Irish Defense Forces. Ireland, independent from the
United Kingdom for less than four decades, was a neutral nation during World
War II and during the Cold War. Thus, its army had no combat experience, much less
on foreign soil. Moreover, many of the soldiers in Company A were teenagers whose
combat boots were hardly broken in from wear. Commandant (equivalent of Major)
Paul Quinlan was the company commander and he was a force to be reckoned with.
Company A was assigned to the small mining town of Jadotville
in southern Katanga. Commandant Quinlan immediately ascertained that the
village had no natural defenses and so ordered his 155 soldiers to dig trenches
for protection. Sensing approaching hostile forces he contacted headquarters
with requests for reinforcements and more supplies. His requests were denied with
explanations that surely no one will attack the Irish unit.
Then one more morning in September 1961 the Irish soldiers
were attacked while they were worshipping in Mass. Alerted by their lone sentry
Company A scrambled to their defensive positions while several thousand
Katangese rebel soldiers attacked. They were led by dozens of French, Belgian,
Rhodesian, and South African mercenary officers many of whom were “on loan” from
their national governments to fight for Katanga in the pay of mining
corporations.
Despite being outnumbered perhaps 20:1, the Irish fought off
numerous assaults on their position including a jet fighter reportedly flown by
a Belgian pilot. Quinlan repeatedly radioed for assistance but was essentially
told to stop whining and follow orders. While often on the verge of
insubordination to his superiors, he did have a sense of humor to boost his
men’s morale when he requested whiskey in addition to ammunition.
After five days of fighting the Irish were out of bullets,
food, and water. A weak UN relief force could not break through to assist them.
Quinan saw that his situation was not futile despite not losing a single
soldier. He negotiated a surrender with the French Foreign Legion officer
commanding the attackers. Company A was held as prisoners for a month and then
released.
Upon their return to Ireland the Irish government and the UN
covered up the incident because they were embarrassed by the incompetence
displayed by Army command and the UN for ordering this infantry unit to such an
impossible situation. The company’s conduct was treated as shameful by the Army,
but it was the government’s conduct that was shameful. Nevertheless, more than
four decades later, after Quinlan’s death, the government did conduct an
inquiry and rightfully determined that Company A’s defense of Jadotville was honorable
and gallant. The unit was recognized for such and the superb defensive
perimeter tactics used by its commander are now taught in Irish military
schools.
Lessons for leaders of besieged organizations, teams, and units:
1. Do
your best to protect your people. Speak the truth and be persistent even at the
possible cost of your career.
2. Adapt
to your situation.
3. Understand
the realities of your situation. Fight and fight hard but know when to
surrender.
Lessons for national political leaders and leaders of
international organizations:
1. When
armer troops are sent into armed conflicts, always expect continued armed
conflict.
2. Always
have adequate resources to support the troops in the field and always have a
realistic exit strategy.
3. Never
sacrifice lives or even reputations to protect the organization.