The Leopard Battalion - 10th Commando in the Congo

 The Leopard Battalion -

 10 Commando in the Congo 

The iconic leopard "Kansimba" commandos of the Congo, led by Major Jean "Black Jack" Schramme. The design of the original 2nd pattern patch features a jumping leopard motif, superimposed onto an outlines of the Katangan state (red), Lake Tanganyika (blue), and the distinctive Katanga cross (locally called the "handa").


Tracing it's origins to "Leopard Group" in 1961 for service in during the Katanga crisis. It was originally formed up of white volunteers from South Africa and Rhodesia, but was augmented by a force of black Katangan Gendarmes as the unit withdrew to Angola in early 1963. Upon the outbreak of the Simba Rebellion in 1964, the unit was fully incorporated back into Armée Nationale Congolaise (ANC) as 10 Commando (Kansimba). The unit served throughout the war helping to liberate large swathes of the country from the ruthless rule of the lawless Simbas rebels.


Upon the outbreak of the Mercenary's Revolt in 1967, 10 Commando turned against General Mobutu's ANC in continued favor of Moise Tshombe. The unit scored some early successes under Schramme's renegade command, the unit was critically under-supplied. As ANC forces regrouped, 10 Commando was largely destroyed as a fighting force by the fall of 1967 by the elite ANC 2nd Parachute Brigade. A large number the surviving 10 Commando men of Lunda descent fled to Angola, where many would fight for the Portuguese against communist rebels. Schramme and the white volunteers largely departed for Europe permanently by 1968.

I plan to add a command unit of 5 figures and two sections of 8 figures to my collection armed with SLR and Mag 58 from Britannia 

Cheers

Matt

2026 projects list

 2026 is upon us and future projects are starting to flood my ideas of what is possible to do this year. So I commenced a list over the last few days of possible projects. This year I do want to complete a few of the smaller armies and add additions to my other collections. 

In no real order of priority 

• Main Project US 2nd Armoured and 90th infantry Division additions of 18 Sherman’s, 12 halftracks, 12 trucks, 6 jeeps, SP artillery, towed artillery, 90 infantry 
• American airborne 83rd 3 battalions for Arnhem (underway) 
• Last Levy Berlin 1945 - complete third volkssturm battalion, add ATgun
• 1940 Belgians 1 battalion of infantry, 1 battalion of chassuers, 1 battery of heavy guns, 4 tanks, two aircraft
• Polish 1939 infantry two battalions of infantry 100 infantry, 1 battery of guns, 6 trucks, 6 tanks 
• French 1940 18 tanks, 12 trucks, two battalions of  80 infantry, two heavy artillery battery’s
• British tank guards regiment 
• Panzer Lehr, one battalion of infantry (underway), 10 panzers, 9 halftracks 
• 21st Panzer 10 tanks, 15 halftracks, 6 trucks, light vehicles 
• 9th SS element additions for Arnhem, battalion of infantry and vehicles. 
• 346th infantry Division, 60 infantry, sp guns, artillery and vehicles. 
• Desert Storm Iraqis 6 tanks, 12 APCs, 1x aircraft 
• Desert Storm American 30 infantry and 7 Bradley APCs 
• Warpac Soviet Marines 90 figs (almost complete) 3 x T55s, 4 x PT76, 1 aircraft, two helicopters 
• Warpac 90 soviet infantry, 9 BTRs, 6 BDRM, 9 BMPs, tank regiment 15 T80s,  2 Shilka, 2 Nona, 1 helicopter 
• BAOR 90 infantry, 6 APCs, 1 light artillery battery, one rapier battery, one bloodhound battery, two aircraft
• Egyptian trucks and APCs (80% complete) one helicopter 
• Syrian infantry x 80, 7 x tanks, 8 APCs, one aircraft 
• Israeli infantry x 40, 6 tanks, 4 APCs, 2 x aircraft, 2 x helicopters 
• Congo crisis - more Congolese rebels, UN and mercenaries, vehicles, buildings  and aircraft.
• Gaslands Apocalypse vehicles 
• Terrain - ww2, Cold War and Middle East 

Cheers

Matt

Happy New Year 2026

  

Cheers

Matt