Operation Watchchain: Congo 1964

Once Col. Mike Hoare got enough men established in the Congo, he began preparations to start an assault against the Simba Rebel forces. The first of many operations to come would start in August of 1964. Col. Hoare formed a relatively "green" squad of soldiers in an attempt to assault Albertville and liberate it from the Simbas. The plan was coming to fruition, starting with the idea of an amphibious assault, at night, crossing over Lake Tanganyika to get to Albertville.

In correspondence with General Mobutu, Col. Hoare went over the draft of his attack plan and decided on the codename Operation Watchchain. The Col. assembled 30 able bodied men for the assault and had them gather by the docks. As Mike approached the men, he could sense the tension and unease. One volunteer, a Belgian that claimed to have lived by Lake Tanganyika his whole life, had been telling the men horror stories, the dangers of the lake, and how they'd all drown. 3 of the 4 boats were in safe operating condition, while the 4th boat, upon Mike's inspection, had been sabotaged.

Mike then approached the Belgian, who decided to make up excuses and tell the Col. that his men wouldn't follow him. Mike whipped out his Browning 9mm and clouted the Belgian on the head, later stating that,  "he collapsed like a pricked balloon." After that display, there were no further questions and his men boarded the boats for Albertville. On the road to Albertville, Mike and his men stopped at the lakeside village of Mulimbi to swim, relax, and rest. Suddenly, the Col. and his men were awoken by a group of terrified villagers warning them that Simbas were approaching from an uphill position toward Mike's forces.

He ordered Siegfried Müller and some men to prevent a flank, and sent Eric Bridge and a few more men to cover the flank on the beach, all while Mike stayed firmly in the middle. The Simbas split into 3 squads, dodging in and out of huts toward Mike and his men. The Simbas started firing their Mauser and screaming their war cry "my Mulele" with blood curdling yells as if in a trance, though at the least, they were certainly hopped up on drugs and alcohol. Mike raised his FN rifle and fired the first shot. His men then followed, unleashing a hail of purposefully inaccurate .308 toward the Simbas to make them believe they were truly invincible. 

After about 15 minutes though, 28 rebels lay dead in the sand while the rest fled back up the hill. After several hours, Mike and his men neared the shore of Albertville, and were met by suppressive MG fire and also accompanied by inaccurate Mauser fire from the hills surrounding the town. It was late at night by the time the Col. and his men established a small base camp further up the beach. They waited in their position for the ANC to arrive and support the attack in Albertville. Mike and his men were in need of supplies in the meantime and 2 days had passed without either the ANC or any supplies arriving. On the 3rd day, with almost no fuel in their boats, they decided to paddle toward the Albertville airfield to stage an attack. 

They came upon a guard barracks and Mike sent a squad forward for recon. They were spotted by Simba rebels and the squad leader Eric Bridge took a spear to the face. The Simbas poured out of the barracks, screaming and firing their rifles. Mike was able to get Eric to safety and sent Müller and his men back with the wounded while Mike and a few others held firm until everyone could make a safe retreat.