An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir July/August 2017 www.dfmagazine.ie 36 | Roos was hit twice. He was hastily medevac'd and survived. Operations Rum Punch and Morthor convinced the Katangese that the UN forces were fully on the Congolese government's side and they acted accordingly. As Operation Morthor began to unfold on September 13th 1961, a large force of Katang- ese gendarmerie approached the Irish garrison of 155 soldiers from A Company, 35 Infantry Battalion, in the mining town of Jadotville. The purpose of this attack can be disputed, but the probable reason was to capture the Irish soldiers and use them as a bartering chip and hostages in the coming conflict. The Katangese sought to gain an advantage by attacking in the morning during Mass, but the guard on duty quickly realised what was happening and started firing his weapon to alert his fellow soldiers. Swede Lars Froberg, another inter- preter attached to the Irish company, was in bed when gunfire erupted, shattering his window and splintering the wood in his quarters. Lars jumped out of bed and sought out Commander Quinlan, staying by his side during the entire siege. The inter- preter clearly remembers the heroism and professionalism of the Irish soldiers under fire and how they conducted them- selves exceptionally, despite the fact that many of them were in their first fire fight and that they were vastly outnumbered. Attempts were soon made by UN forces to aid the Irish in Jadotville. In a joint Swedish-Irish-Indian push towards the besieged outpost, a column of vehicles attempted to break the siege. Swede Kjell Andersson was leading a detachment of jeeps aided by two KP-cars as part of the column. When they came under gendarmerie fire, the KP-cars returned fire with their twin- mounted machine guns and silenced the threat. After they picked up Indian Ghurkha soldiers at the airfield, they continued towards Jadotville. During the early hours, a Katangese Fouga Magister jet appeared and bombed the column of vehicles. The Fouga came back no less than four times to harass the column and drop its bombs and Kjell still remembers the coolness of the Gurkhas who decided to have lunch during the fourth bombing run! Arne Björklund was a driver in one of the two KP-cars, which were to play a large part in the safeguarding of the entire column. As they approached the bridge at Lufira, the UN force realised the crossing was heavily defended and it was not long before bullets started to hit the armoured sides of the KP-cars. The twin- mounted M36 machine guns were a formidable force multiplier and laid down heavy fire on the gendarmerie positions. The UN forces then began discussing the tactics, with the Ghurkhas want- ing to attack at night while the Irish wanted to attack right away. The UN force tried its utmost to pass the bridge but the fortifica- tions and the determination of the veteran mercenaries holding the bridge proved too much and they were forced to withdraw after taking several casualties. The withdrawal was no less difficult and the column came under heavy fire several times. However, they succeeded thanks to the heavy fire from the two KP-cars and the Irish Ford cars. After the attempt to reach Jadotville, the Irish com- mander, Commandant Caine, concluded that it was thanks to the bravery of the Swedish soldiers and the sturdiness of the Swedish KP-cars that most of the force had made it back alive through the gauntlet of fire that followed the with- drawal. The Indian commander on the scene concurred. Back in Jadotville, the Irish held their own against the at- tackers and even managed to maintain their sense of hu- mour as the besieged company radioed out: "We are hold- ing out to the last bullet; could do with some whiskey." Lars Froberg also remembers the frustration when a Katangan Fouga started bombing the Irish positions at Jadotville at its leisure. In addition to the threat from the aircraft, Katangan 81mm mortar shells landed indiscrimi- nately all over the camp and sniper fire was ever present. However, what got on Lars's nerves most of all was the phone in his office. There was only one telephone line in the camp and it was situated in Lars's office. Only incoming calls could be made, not outgoing, and the line was used to conduct all negotiations with the Katangese. In addition to the negotia- tions, the Katangese used the line to constantly threaten the Irish and their Swedish interpreter about the horrible things that would be done to them if they did not surrender immediately. On September 16th a UN helicopter flown by a Norwegian pilot and Swedish co-pilot approached the camp with supplies. Katangese fire swarmed like angry bees around the helicopter trying to bring it down but against all odds the pilot managed Swedish KP/car engaging the enemy with its twin M36 machine guns. UN Photo. Irish soldiers relaxing in a foxhole in Jadotville. Photo: Irish Military Archives.

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