Quote Originally Posted by cuba View Post
I would like to have some information about the cuban pilots who fought in Zaire against Simbas.

Perhaps someone could help me.


Did they help to destroy simbas?

How many cuban pilots fought in Zaire?

Was that war a victory for Mobutu?

I heard Laurent kabila continued the war after 1967.

Did the cubans help to defeat Schramme and allies?
Hello Cuba and Welcome !

The little that I read from Embassy Kinshasa archives in late '85 indicated that Cuban pilots flying covert-scheduled B-26s and T-28s were indeed effective against the Simbas in an "air support role" together with Moise Tshombe's exiled forces and 'white' mercanaries.

I'm aware of only 12 trained Cuban pilots (some of those were ex-Cuban exiles from the '61 Bay of Pigs operation !), but the material I read was rather stone age and shall we say 'skewed by the authors'. According to CIA records, only two B-26K aircraft ever made it to (then) Congo although the airframes were listed as Air Force 'stored equipment' at Hill AFB Utah.

I'm certain Tom can and will provide you with far greater details.

As time permits you, please take a moment and introduce yourself here.

Regards, Stan