Katangese Air Force
| Katangese Air Force | |
|---|---|
|
Air Force roundel | |
| Founded | 1960 - 1963 (ceased) |
| Country |
 Katanga |
| Branch | Air force |
| Role | CAS, Ground attack |
| Garrison/HQ | Luano airfield |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Jan Zumbach |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Fouga CM.170 Magister, AT-6G Texan |
The Katangese Air Force (Force Aérienne Katangaise) was a short lived mercenary air wing made up of Belgian, French, and British pilots. The FAK was established in 1960 under the command of Jan Zumbach, which operated a hand full helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.[1]
History
In 1960, the leader of the CONAKAT party Moise Tshombe, declared the Province of Katanga it's independence from the Congo Léopoldville. This action was to secede from the turmoil under Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.[2] The newly formed Katangese government requested military aid from Belgium, and in desperation Lumumba appealed for assistance to the United Nations.[3] On July 17, 1960 Resolution 143 was adopted, which established the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC), and would provide 'military assistance' to the Congolese forces.[1]
Katanga formed their own paramilitary unit with foreign mercenaries, this also included assembling a small air force, to be commanded by Jan Zumbach. Jan was a World War II ace, who had flown with 303rd Polish Fighter Sqdn. of the RAF. The primary role of the Katangese Air Force was to provide air support for ground troops and air interdiction. Initial aircraft consisted of five DH Doves, eight T-6's, a DH Heron, an Alouette II, a PA-18 and a single S-55 helicopter, which were left by the BAF, during the dissolution of the Belgian Congo. Additionally nine Fouga CM.170 Magister's were purchased from France, but only three of these were delivered. The FAK began flying AT-6G Harvards from it's command base at Luano airfield, with raids on several ONUC positions. Battles raged on for two plus years between the Katangese and UN contingent forces and on 15 January 1963, the UN had established full control over Katanga. Remnants of the Katangese Air Force, were all but gone, as most aircraft were destroyed or abandoned.[1]
Aircraft
The following fixed wing aircraft and helicopters were in service from 1960 until 1963:
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CM.170 |  France |
attack | 3[4] | nine purchased, but only three delivered[1] | ||
| T-6 Texan |  United States |
COIN | AT-6 | 8[4] | ||
| Piper PA-22 | United States |
utility | 5[1] | |||
| Transport | ||||||
| Dornier Do 28 |  Germany |
utility / transport | 5[1] | |||
| DH.104 |  United Kingdom |
transport | 5[1] | |||
| DH.114 | United Kingdom |
transport | 1[1] | |||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Alouette II | France |
utility / liaison | 1[1] | |||
| S-55 | United States |
utility / transport | 1[1] | |||
| Trainer Aircraft | ||||||
| Piper PA-18 | United States |
trainer | 1[4] | |||
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 "Congo, Part 1; 1960-1963". acig.org. 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
- ↑ Lumumba, Patrice, Congo, My Country, Pall Mall Press. Speeches and selected writing by Lumumba, 1962
- ↑ N/A, Brookings; N/A, N/A, eds. (1965). Crisis in Congo: A United Nations Force in Action (1st ed.). Washington DC: Brookings Institute. ISBN 0-8157-5198-2.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "THE MAGISTER MYSTERY". Flightglobal Insight. 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.