When Belgium, The Congo, and the CIA fought Cannibals in the Jungle - The 1st Battle of Boende, 1964

The battles for Boende, from September to October 1964, could be argued as the point at which the Simba rebellion failed. What started as a continuation of their lightning offensive across the North of the Congo that began when Stanleyville fell in August of that year, ended up being their high-water mark. It could have however, for a very tense few weeks, gone either way, especially considering some of the major defeats that were inflicted on the Congolese, some of which were accomplished without even firing a shot. This is just part one in a four part series covering 'Operation Tshuapa', the two month battle over a town very few had ever heard of that held the fate of the Congo. And a battle that briefly made 52 Commando and SIegfried Muller infamous celebrities. Sources: Les Nouveaux Mercenaires by Siegfried Muller Die Kampf im Kongo by Siegfried Muller Gerd Heidemann Interviews September/October 1964 A Year at the Edge of the Jungle by Frederic Hunter Congo 1964 by Jules Gerard-Libois & Benoit Verhaegen Daily Reports by the Foreign Broadcast Information Service Intelligence Reports by the Central Intelligence Agency Interviews with veterans -- -- Timestamps: 00:00 - Introductions & Sources 02:20 - The Situation in August 09:46 - The Simba Strategy 11:26 - The First Battle of Boende 22:12 - Chaos in Coquilhatville 33:24 - Enter the Mercenaries 40:22 - 52 Commando Arrives