UK | Operation Trenton

[Jamie]

Operation Trenton MINISTRY OF DEFENCE BRITISH ARMY / ROYAL AIR FORCE / ROYAL NAVY

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OPERATIONAL DIRECTIVE
FEBRUARY 1997
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[1] OVERVIEW

[1a] BACKGROUND​

[1b] OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES​

[1c] CASUALTIES AND LOSSES​

[2] BELLIGERENTS
[3] ORDER OF BATTLE
[4] OPERATION STAGING AREAS
[5] CAMPAIGN REGISTER

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[1] OVERVIEW

[1a] BACKGROUND
Discussions have been taking place with Her Majesty's Government with the Zairian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laurent-Désiré Kabila, which has seen a request for British Peacekeepers to deploy to Zaire to support the government with security, transport and general duties to aid the country in their recovery from the bush war.

[1b] OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES

1. Assist in maintaining the peace in Zaire.
2. Provide security measures where possible.

[1c] CASUALTIES AND LOSSES

BLUFOR	OPFOR	NON-COMBATANT

[2] BELLIGERENTS

Blufor United Kingdom United State of Zaire Opfor

[3] ORDER OF BATTLE

[1] HMS Thames(Bob Hope-class Vehicle Cargo Ship)

[50] Royal Navy Personnel
[6] AgustaWestland Puma HC Mk1 (32 Sqn, RAF)
[1] Rosenbauer Panther, 67th Operational Fire Service
[40] Snatch Land Rovers
[10] Leyland DAF T45 4x4​

[600] 1st Battalion, the Anglian Regiment​

[4] OPERATION STAGING AREAS
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[5] CAMPAIGN REGISTER

Campaign	Location	Objective(s)	Dates	Status
Operation Trenton I	Democratic Republic of Congo	Peacekeeping Deployment to Zaire	FEB1997 - Present	In Progress

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Following discussions with the United State of Zaire, the Ministry of Defence has authorized a peacekeeping deployment to the region which will see 600 British Soldiers and an assortment of vehicles move to support the government of Zaire. Personnel in the British Army have been given just under a weke to go spend time with family which is shortly followed by briefings pending their deployment. During that time, RFA Thames has been loaded up with the vehicles required and begun its transit to Matadi Naval Base where it will disembark all vehicles ready for the British Army. When roughly a day away from arriving, the Tri-Star Aircraft combined of four would depart from the UK to transport all personnel from the Anglian Regiment, RAF Squadron and the 67th Operational Fire Service to Zaire. The government of Zaire would be made away of this. (JJSmithJr )

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[JJSmithJr]

Private and Encrypted Zairian National Security Deployment

With the impending British Deployment to Zaire, the Gendarme of Zaire would be mobilized for joint operations alongside their new British peacekeeping allies. x250 Gendarme from the Kinshasa Regiment, deployed in x25 Torpan Honkers, x9 Passengers per Truck, with a driver, they would prepare to meet the incoming deployment.

x200 would be deployed to Goma Air Force Base, they would carry AK-47 Rifles, ammunition in crates in their trucks, and extra magazines. They would be dressed in standard Gendarme Dress, field green, and would head for Goma Air Force Base immediately to set up a Forward Operating Base there. These men would deploy in x20 Torpan Honkers, One driver, one passenger in cabin, and eight in the rear compartment.

x50 would be deployed to Matadi Naval Base, where they would greet and escort the supplies and contingent of the British Deployment being deployed via the sea. They would also carry AK-47s with extra ammunition and magazines. They would be dressed in standard Gendarme Dress, field green, and would head for Matadi Naval Base immediately to prepare to meet the British deployment and secure an area for rapid deployment. These men would deploy in x5 Torpan Honkers, One driver, one passenger in cabin, and eight in the rear compartment.

The British would be informed of the deployments and preparations made to greet them. Jamie

 

[Jamie]

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The Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel, RFA Thames, had begun its arrival into the port of Matadi in which will be the main disembarking port for the British assortment of vehicles, of which, will be managed by the personnel from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary who will see the unloading of each vehicle ready for the arrival of the British Army Personnel deployed, the Anglian Regiment. Designed for the ground units to arrive in synchronization with the Thames, the Lockheed Martin Tristars would have already begun to land in Congo and disembarking in the forward operating base while the members of the RFA would begin the transport of vehicles to the same location. Upon their deliveries, they would return to the port to return home via air transport as RAF Personnel would depart to Matadi to configure the Puma Helicopters and fly them across the country to Goma Air Force Base. All of this would be done as quickly but safely as possible with all personnel armed and wearing body armor and helmets.

Following the initial arrive, Captain Hardy from the Anglian Regiment approached one of the Zairian Soldiers who appeared to be high in rank in appearance to introduce himself, allowing for introductions and briefings to take place prior to the British Assets getting settled and comfortable on base.
It was also highlighted that they would like to have an inspection of the base and have a company of British Troops, 100 men, taking shifts on patrol duties 24 / 7 simply for reassurance purposes.

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JJSmithJr

 

[JJSmithJr]

The Gendarme deployed to Matadi would meet the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, they would help secure the area and prepare the vehicles for the long transit from Matadi to Goma, extra gasoline would be packed as supplies were limited throughout the countryside, and high octane fuel was available here in Matadi, as well as Diesel. Extra fuel and diesel would be packed into the back of Honkers, or tied with strings and hung off the sides. The travel from Matadi to Kinshasa was the certainly the smoothest of the travel, the estimated 55 hours of travel time was not something any of the Gendarme were looking forward too, but they would overnight before the Ferry in Matamba, which would make the journey significantly easier. Travel all the way to Katanga was fairly easy, and with the vehicles they were taking, they would have little trouble with the roads, even as they turned to harden dirt and mud in some areas. As they drove along the N1 through the patches of the Salong National Park, they were momentarily stopped by a herd of Bongos crossing the road.

They would pause here and refuel while the group of 15 or so animals crossed, surely a sight for the Royal Auxiliary crews.

After Katanga, the roads turned rougher, years of neglect showed footpaths forming alongside the road as traffic had become rarer and rarer. On this stretch of road they would several times have to tether their vehicles together to get through the mud, the Gendarme often completely unloading and walking to reduce the weight of their trucks and to push assist. The going was slow. Eventually they would make it to overnight in Matamba. An uneventful night would turn into a busy morning as they ferried across the N2 Ferry, the Ferrying of the their vehicles would take most of the morning, after the ferrying they would break unto the uncompleted N2 Highway. The going here would be hard and slow all the way to Goma, showing the general disrepair of the infrastructure. They would eventually make it to Goma and deliver the vehicles. The Gendarme would bid the Auxiliary Crews good bye as they took their air transit back to Matadi and eventually would disembark the continent.

Following the arrival, Capitaine Mattas Vituezta would greet Captain Hardy and introduce himself, he would debrief his men following introductions to have them show the British Contingent around the base, to the cafeteria, the recreational areas, and the barracks. The Capitaine would inform his British Counterpart that he had no issues with allowing a British Patrol on Base at all times, as the security of the base and the foreign contingent were their highest priority. A full inspection of the base would also be allowed, although at the time there were no domestic Air Assets stationed at the Air Force Base.

After initial inspections, introductions, and other tasks had been complete, Capitaine Vituezta would speak with Captain Hardy.

"Generally the area has become fairly quiet since Nzanga Mobutu took over for his father, he is not quite so egotistical, and he is leading the government out of its history of corruption. Goma is the hottest of the regions generally due to its large mineral wealth, and indeed if foreign interests are to properly extract the regions wealth responsibly it will be our peacekeeping mission that will pave the way for such a task. The Coltan Mines at Rumangabo as well as the Monigi Quarry are hours from our base of operations here, and should be our first deployment, so that your men can get an understanding of the mines, and the new regulated process that is at work here in Zaire, and Goma."

Jamie