Which Country Had the Most Effective Special Forces in WW2?
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- Special forces have existed for as long as warfare has, though special forces as we perceive them today gained traction in the Second World War; here, we outline a couple of German, British, and American special forces which operated then.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:09 Brandenburgers - Germany
3:08 SS-Jäger-Bataillon 502 - Germany
4:18 British Commandos - Great Britain
6:14 SAS - Great Britain
7:28 Marine Raiders - United States
9:24 First Special Service Force - United States
11:13 Conclusion
We ain't FORCING you, but come join our very SPECIAL Discord server and chat history with us. Hm. That was terrible. I'll sit down now. discord.gg/qt68efP
You need to stop saying "though".
@@user936 I like it though.
The Front Did the russian have commandos in WW2?
@@TheFront Grammarly is your friend!
@@user936 "Though" is a great conjunction, and I'll take it over "but" any day.
Highly recommend the CZcamsr Mark Felton productions, he has some great stories on special forces of ww2.
Kai B He impresses the hell outta me with every vid. I know I’m in for a good vid when I hear *da dada da........” at the start ;)
Btw what happened with the video, where a German took out shermans with his 2 panthers, panzerfaust and the americans then surrendered?
Kai B doctor mike Felton
shameless plug
Oh for sure if you love this channel you will loves Mark's channel as well.
0:40 Got to avoid demonetisation somehow right?
@Grass LOL
@Des Prenty demonetization is NOT the devaluation of money. That's inflation.
Begon Genesis devaluation is not inflation. Devaluation is the decrease in the worth of a specific currency in relation to other currencies, whereas inflation is the raising of prices (and thus the decreased purchasing power of a currency)
@Des Prenty what term do you use to describe youtube refusing to allow a youtube content creator from making ad revenue because of the nature of the content?
@@benjamingrezik373 also is english your native language?
CZcams Logic
Swastika: demonetized
Jacked Hitler: wow so hot
But the thumbnail does show one
@@codmw2nooblet true but thats just a thumbnail
*The emus are the most effective special forces.*
You don't fuck with emus
Well the Phl has the Carabao unit, the Carabaos just started attacking Americans during the Philippine-American War
why you gotta do australia like that
you have never been in battle with some Canadian Geese then
The emu wars in Australia. Fucking crazy
The Soviets had expert Marx-men you say?
It makes up for their vehicle's constantly Stalin.
I'm Lenin something new here
If you want a pun war, then soviet.
Stop Russian the puns, they need to be thoroughly thought through first
I guess Putin is Putin it to em.
Italian had the best frogmen. German had very good diversionary units. The Soviet had very good scout snipers. The British had very good desert raiding units. It's impossible to say who had the best.
Tri Nguyen finish has better scouts tho
Perfect
Well explained 👍
Germans Brandenburgos where to me one step ahead
Joe had the best
My best friend from school found out in 1995 (50 years after the war so military secrets were released) that his grandfather had been part of an Australian special forces group who paddled kayaks from New Guinea to Japan carrying limpet mines .They paddled into Tokyo harbor, placed the limpet mines with timers on the Japanese fleet at the water line and then paddled home. I don't recall how many ships they sank, but it was significant. After such a daring raid, my friend's grandfather had gone 50 years without even telling his wife about it. Legend.
Sounds like b.s to me
@@theprotagonist8755 mate dont hate i have heard the same story with other people
PNG to Japan is a long paddle the story may have grown a bit in its telling, They certainly did use canoes but didnt attack the Japanese home islands
@@edthebumblingfool I've been thinking the same. I may have misremembered. The info was released in the early 90s 50 yrs after it happened.
I'm thinking it may have been Philippines. That's a pretty famous naval battle, but I haven't found any evidence of it yet.
American here. British SAS all the way. They gave rise to the incredible British and American SF units of today. world class
Fun fact: During the Boer War in South Africa, Winston Churchill was captured by the Boer Kommandos. They were so effective and quick (via horseback mobility) and had expert marksmanship, that he was super impressed by the Boer Kommandos and eventually it influenced Churchill to create the British Commandos, hence the similarity in the name.
And those boer Kommandos were trained by one of the Kaisers german military advisors, who would later be known as the lion of africa and be a hell of a thorn in the brits side with his style of warfare...his name of course von Lettow-Vorbeck.
@@Presbiter thank you Kenshin. And, as a South African myself...an interesting fact that I hadnt know. Danke
@@Presbiter We all know that the S.A.S are still the best though.
The WW2 British had the special forces thing down.. not just the SAS and Commando units, but also the Long Range Desert Force, Chindits etc.
So many amazing stories amongst that lot
Yeah, there really is. We've got PLENTY to cover in subsequent videos on special forces.
@@TheFront Hopefully you're going to cover the british 77th brigade then.
@@TheFront Look up Christopher Lee's story.
@@mabussubam512 why would a ww2 channel cover 77 brigade?
@@BoarVessel-BCEtruscanCer-xy7et Because it is relevant if you look into it.
Two years ago my father and I found out that my great grandfather was in an Australian Special Forces in WW2, I think it’s called Z Special Unit or something else. But he would parachute behind Japanese lines and Sabotage Morse Code. from what i’ve heard.
Wonder why men from that era rarely talked or educated their kids and grandkids on their achievements
Because unlike a lot of the men today they didn’t need a pat on the back! They were content with just doing their part! We could all be so much better off if we lived life as they did! We all appreciate your grandfathers service... well maybe except For some of the elder Japanese.
My great uncle (Pte Douglas Warne) was also in "Z" Special Unit. He was captured in Singapore harbour during an operation to sink Japanese ships (Operation Rimau) and is believed to have died in a POW camp in Java.
Rimau was a follow up to a previous operation (Jaywick) which saw 3 ships sunk and 3 more damaged by a group of only 14 who got away without loss.
@@shearwave7885 a lot of what Z force guys had to do would still be considered war crimes
Don't forget the Special Boat Squadron, those stories are amazing... plus the LRDG
Do a part 2, the Italian frogman and 9th Paratroopers Assault Regiment, Finish Detached Battalion 4, Japanese Raiding Group, Australian Z Special Unit.
user name rangers?
italians, kekw
@@smonyboy Italy may be a joke in WW2 but their frogmen really did some great job. As a matter of fact, our current Navy SOG is based on them, aside from Navy SEALs
His sound Australian, and he didn't say anything about Australian "Z force" they got the job done many times with less man.
@@eyandetmer1925 Rangers, like many of the units in this video, are elite forces.
everyone: what about some random division my grandpappy served in!?!?!
David K (that one kid): my grandpaps served in all the allied special forces 😎
The obnoxious kid: My grandfather's brother's wife's brother served Britain as a captain before serving the Nazis' as a General before joining the Soviet Union to become an ace pilot and reaching Lieutenant.
My grandpa was a tank commander in ww2
Some wheraboo: my grandad drove a tiger he killed 700 soviet tanks, he hated the nazi's and argued with hitler but hated communists, he killed over 500 soviet soldiers with his pistol. His company killed over 30 million communists.
my grandma did negotiations between churchill and hitler in ww2. i even have a photo of him, adolf and winston on a nude tea party in mozambique
I’m impartial as a great uncle of mine was in the First Special Service Force, so that unit gets my vote. I think it’s rather cool that he earned a US Silver Star for action with that unit despite him being a Canadian soldier. Besides, what other units had cool swag like ‘The worst is yet to come’ cards that they left on bodies of fallen enemy soldiers as a psychological warfare technique. The V-42 dagger that was unique to the FSSF unit is featured to this day in many US and Canadian SF unit logos.
Put simply the British SAS is one of the best. It was founded by a Scot, and has a lot of Scots and Northern English and Irish in there ranks. Tough Tough men.
when I joined the Brit army straight out of school it was a jock guard ,a 6ft 5 bastard who to be quite honest ill never forget I was 16 at the time and ill be honest I was a right little cunt ..anyway
I met paras who were all Scots ,they are NAILS ,Irish lads I joined up with were brilliant ,welsh were great and very funny who were constantly marched down the guard room and had to wipe the walls with the 3 headed bastard ..
Of all that were there in my barrack block it was the Geordies who would whack you first then spit n piss on you aswell. Don't give a Geordie strong lager EVER .. 😉👍
The story of the Italian Frogmen need to be heard. A unit that was so effective at sinking, and destroying warships, that the treaties afterwards specifically forbade Italy from almost ever having them again.
The OSS's Maritime unit and Navy UDTs need to be looked at as well.
Also, I think you should revisit the story on the Marine Raiders, and extend your research into other sources, as I've heard a total contrast to what you've said. I can easily tell that at least one of your sources was biased, simply off of hearing 'Marines are elite already.' That phrase was used to disband the Raiders without even acknowledging their unique training, skillsets, missions, and accomplishments.
I thought the udt was more close to the end of the ww2
Hugo Stiglitz they were reformed recently. Yeah apparently there was jealousy and resentment within the marines about “special forces within a special force”. But apparently they agreed with you and they were reformed in 2014 and represent the marines at JSOC alone with SEALs, Green Berets , etc.
He's afraid to be demonization, so telling it they way the money says.
@ Hugo S. - The late WEB Griffin, best-selling novelist and writer of historical fiction, did a series called "The Corps," in which some of the volumes dealt with the Raiders. Turns out some of Griffin's friends and cronies were Raiders during WWII.... Roosevelt's fascination with the British commando units was responsible for their inception, but they didn't really get used that way, primarily because of the differences between the Pacific War and the war in Europe. The Raiders did distinguish themselves in the raid on Makin Island, and also during the Guadalcanal & Solomon Islands campaigns. Under Colonel Merritt "Red Mike" Edson, they inflicted disproportionately high and quite lopsided casualties on the Japanese forces there. The Raiders worked a lot better than the Parachute Battalion, another "elite within an elite" idea involving the Corps. Neither unit survived the war; by the end of the conflict, both had been folded into larger conventional Marine units.
Mas
Everyone a gangsta till the sand starts speaking British.
Edit: I know British is not a language as I am from England myself but you would not know who I am referring too if I said English.
I get it :) just like the jungle and gurkhas but the only sound you would here is blood gargling from heads behind cut off 😂
Kapow Gaming everyone says gangsta so it’s not funny
Everyone gangster till the man next to you starts speaking german.😅
Everyone gangsta till the sand is drinkin tea ?
The british apparently also trained some forces to be really good in the jungle, and ended up routing the Japanese at some point in Burma. Idk. Really vague memory of a LindyBeige video on great British wartime deceptions. Look it up.
Long Range Desert Group or LRDG as they are more commonly known. Worked alongside the SAS on many raids
7:05 - The vehicles in the photo are DUKWs. Buffalos are amphibious (tracked) landing craft, armoured against 50 cal.
The SAS and Royal Marines were unparalleled in the chaos they caused for the enemy.
@Drew Peacock The royal marine commandos (what we call the commandos today) are an elite regiment today, but they were very much in a parallel with the SAS during WW2, in fact many the SAS came out of the commandos and many of the men and missions they took part in, in the early part of the war were the same. As special forces really were just beginning during WW2, what are elite units today took on a lot of special forces roles during WW2. SOE was I think a cross between modern MI6 and the SAS/SRR. You are right about the SBS though, and maybe that is what Samuel meant
Hahaha take. A. Look of the XMas
Don’t forget about Z force from the Australian Army.
@Master Yoda I think Tom was referencing WWII, we had our version of commandos and Z force SF.
@Master Yoda We didn't have the SASR back then.
Jarrod Fife no, that wasn’t until the 1950’s. Watch the movie Attack force Z.
@Master Yoda It wasn;t the Aussie version of SAS at all - it was a progression of unique Australian special forces - NEVER based on the UK SAS in any way
Everyone can thank Britain for creating the first MODERN special forces teams
The foundations of modern-day SF can be seen in the operations of the UK Special Operation Executive (SOE) and of course the SAS.
Edit: also should have mentioned British Commandos for their small party brazen raids.
The UK right? SAS, SBS and COMMANDOS were really effective.
A fat cat from sweden very true, in terms of accomplishments it has to be the U.K.
A fat cat from sweden i believe so
Its too bad they called it commandos not SCS, then we can have sas sbs scs, joint task will be called the alphabets..
I agree with You! The British had their units active in every theatre of the war. They did an amazing job.
SAS👍👊
To this day...the Commonwealth countries are know to be among the Top Dogs as far as Special Ops goes! (Brits...Canadians...Aussies...New Zealanders)
@Al Yours not to mention the Pakistani’s indian and Malaysian SFO’s
@@uzairrehman6851 With the best will in the world, those are 2nd to 3rd tier special forces at best. Certainly not jn same league as Uk,Aus and NZ SAS etc. Not opinion,just fact.
Ahem... (Coughs American) what about the US?
James Mcdonald I wasn’t saying they were on par with them. just saying they are also extremely well trained. But yes I do agree that ours are the best.(SAS)
Dusty Wilder because USA is not a commonwealth country
Italian X Flottiglia MAS are broadly considered granfathers of modern amphibious special forces, like navy seals. They deserve a mention in my opinion
Just found this channel and gotta say not disappointed!keep up the great work!
First thing that comes to mind when you think “special forces” is usually the British SAS.
I think of Navy Seals, MARSOC Raiders, and Delta Force. Definitely not SAS
@@dakotarobson5572 Possibly a result of watching movies or playing video games, rather than reading up on successfull spec force operations throughout history?
Lmao no. Budget and training duration alone puts most JSOC units leagues ahead of SAS/SBS. The only close comparisons between US/UK forces is the 1SFC and SAS, with CAG squadrons having a middling edge over 22 SAS. The prime comparison in capability and OE that can be drawn is Grey Fox and SRR. As for SBS/DEVGRU comparisons, DEVGRU is trained in HR, more similarly to CAG; and while USMC Maritime Special Purpose Forces and even USCG Maritime Security Teams are more comparable in boat/ship-taking operations to SBS, SEAL teams also take on more significant sabotage and demolitions training than the SBS does.
Well if you’re thinking of Navy seals ect,p. Then you’re wrong technically although the yanks do call every bugger special forces. There’s only two a Tier 1 (equivalent to UK SF) in America and that’s DevGru and Delta. Everyone else is on par with what the UK call SFSG but even that’s a stretch because you can’t go straight from civvie street to 1 Para for example. So thinking about it they’re closer to the Paras and the bootnecks what the UK call elite regiments. They’re definitely not SF though in the standard sense.
I do just want to say though I was in Afgan in 2008 and 10 so I’ve got nothing but love and respect for the yank troops so I wasn’t getting into a pissing contest about SF. Just stating that SF means different things in the Commonwealth forces (UK, Aus, NZ, Canada ect.) and US
Maybe some of the lesser known special or elite forces like the Dutch marines who deffended Rotterdam the Norwegian Royal guard or the Finish kaukopartio squads would be an interesting topic for a video.
The norwegian and finish are really underrated
In many cases, units created to operate behind ennemy lined were used (or ended up) as elite light, amphibious or mountain infantry because high command did not understand how to use them or the situation (political or strategic) imposed it: Bandenburgers ended as counter-gerrillas, Marine Raiders and Para-Marines as infantry, US Army Rangers and Commandos as stormtroopers, Chindits as airborne (mule mounted?) infantry. The SOE and OSS Jedburgh and Operational Groups, Force 136 in the Far East were used as we understand today the role of Special Forces.
I'm gonna go out on a whim here and say the SAS as they literally did everything better than other allied forces.
11:57
@Hammer 001 well most of SBS' work is classified. I'm going off of the knowledge we as citizens know. I'm not just saying SAS is the best for the full of it but because from what we have seen they have been the best. Like comparing the air france raid GIGN to iranian embassy london SAS.
@Vincent Boies germans were also powered off methamphetamines. They also were very successful down to geography and countries they had under seizure. Invading northern europe gave them all of the metal for weapons they desired. I do however admire the germans in ww2 their optimism and courage recorded in history books etc is entirely inspiring.
Vincent Boies 22 SAS is 4 squadrons of roughly 60-70 guys plus two reserve regiments 21 and 23 SAS
Vincent Boies
Germany was not alone. They had many allies, the Italians, Japanese, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Slovakian, Croatian, Finnish and Spanish to name a few, not mentioning the many thousands of volunteers from occupied territories notably the Vichy French, Czechs etc.
Norway had some pretty good special forces.
I'll have a better look into it!
The Front oni- wan has spoken
Yes they did some quite sucessfull raids and if I recall right had quite low casualtys civillian and millitery during WW2
Wenche that is true. There were actually many norwegians inside the british special forces. One example of good work by norwegians are operation gunnerside
OBI-WAN KENOBI yes
I find myself having to salute the german special forces. very impressive. I also think the norwegians who were trained to blow up heavy water facilities were particularly impressive.
No salute for nazis, but yeah I admit they were effective
@ Peguin: The Norwegians were members of the Special Operations Executive, and received commando training on that basis. In other words, members of the Free Norwegian forces operating out of Great Britain.
Earned a sub I love learning about this stuff in my down time
I thinks the SAS can be considered the best from WWII because they’re the only special force team to be top-tier to this day.
you obviously never heard of the Rangers or Marine Raiders, but carry on with your delusion from your deluded country,,,🤣🤣🤣🙂🙂🙂
Italy’s elite Frogmen Decima X, should have been in there. Their Chariots turned the valence of power in the Mediterranean after Alexandria, just their Navy didn’t know it.
Italian Folgore Paratroopers were very good
Brits could have taken Italian navy with a rowing boat
I would recommend the book ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ by Giles Milton if you want to find out more about the British and especially the SOE.
Read about partisans. You would find some sf stuff there for shure
Nicely informative video.
Small correction; the original units of SAS did actually serve behind enemy lines. They were called the LRDG (long range desert group) made up of New Zealand and some Australian soilders) they later formed the first 1NZSAS and Australian SASA. Photos you used with Sr MJ D.S were from the LRDG days if iam not mistaken
Damn, I'm early. I personally believe that you could have included the Chindits or the 5307th Composite Unit (Merrill's Marauders). I was originally going to think that you may have included the German Fallschirmjager, however, it might just be that they weren't specialized enough, like you mentioned with the Marine Raiders. It's my personal opinion that the Marine Raiders weren't used to the way that they were originally conceived, and a better unit to focus on for the USMC/USN would be the UDT(s) or the USMC Amphibious Recon Battalion. It's tough to compare SOF units as they are so diverse, so it is my belief that it should be apples to apples instead of apples to oranges. One variant would be for example, the Commandos to the US Army Rangers, or the SAS to the 1st Special Service Force (Devil's Brigade). Just my opinions.
Whether they qualify as special forces or not, the Fallschirmjager had a very mixed combat record regardless, and were not the mythical warriors they are made out to be by some. It already started in 1940 when they were tasked to capture a number of Dutch air bases when Germany invaded the Netherlands. They failed to do so because they were unable to defeat the garrison of the air bases. This resulted in the capture of about 2000 of them by the Dutch Army of which about 1200 were shipped to Britain as POWs before the Netherlands surrendered. They suffered severe casualties during their airborne invasion of Crete and had great difficulty beating the poorly equipped British/Greek garrison. (and in their frustrations they executed scores of Cretan civilians). After the costly invasion of Crete the Fallschirmjager were never deployed as paratroopers again as ordered by Hitler himself. From then on they would serve as elite light infantry. A number of them were sent to Africa to assist Rommel's Afrika Korps. Again they failed to impress. Rommel disliked them for their poor discipline and arrogance and barely made use of them. Their biggest feat was no doubt the battle of Monte Cassino, in which they put up a very stubborn defense against overwhelming odds. This was probably the only battle in which they truly lived up to their name. They were deployed in Normandy where they battled their US counterpart of the 101st Airborne. Again they showed they were capable and tough fighters and a good match for the 101st. They were again called upon for a relatively small scale para drop of about 1300 men behind enemy lines during the battle of the Bulge which ended in complete failure. During this poorly planned operation many Fallschirmjager were killed in action, got lost or were captured, including one of their most decorated leaders, Colonel von der Heyte. The last remnants of the Fallschirmjager were used in the futile defense of Berlin, and we all know how that ended.
You could never include Merrils Marauders - they were really a joke unit in the context of war in Burma and there abouts. Never an American area of ops when the the facts are examined
Lucas
I dunno if the Fallshirmjagers could compare with 101st’s combat units tho. When they fought the 101st in Carentan, they were already dug in and had heavy arms support to defend against any incoming airborne invasion they were tasked to defend with.
Yet despite the infantry support and defences the fallshirmjaegers had in their defence, the 101st were still able to hold up against them despite being scattered and disorganised in their initial drop landings.
You forgot the US Army Rangers. The Rangers were inspired by the British Commandos
And founded in the 1980s.
Classic yanks, always late.
@@julianshepherd2038 The Rangers were fighting in the Pacific and in the Normandy landings. Their origins go back to the Revolutionary War. Classic Brits, always wrong.
Wabi Sabi The US army rangers were officially founded in 1943 so classic yanks always biased and always wrong
There were commissioned ranger company’s but the US army rangers the regiment
@@julianshepherd2038 Army Rangers were officially established in 1942 and have origins predating 200 years. Arrogant limey, always telling lies.
Please make a video about lauri törni(larry thorne) he was a green beret in vietnam and was with a highly specialized unit called MCV-SOG. He is origianally finish and fought the russians in finland because of his actions there he recived the mannerheim cross(dinlands version of medal of honor). Then joined the germans and fought hard with them(he just fought with them because he hated commies)and recived the iron cross! Then escaoed from prison and moved to america. He started as a private in the army but his experiences stood out and he got rapidly promoted. He learned the SF guys things like gorilla warfare hand to hand combat and skiing. Wich he was expert of becauae if his time fighting in finland and with the germans. E went on special missions to iran and vietnam with the green berets. He was now a captian and his soliders respected him a lot. They have said in interviews that he was the most badass guy that did things no one else could. He got promoted to major but sadly died in a helicopter crash. He got 5 purple hearts and a bronze star for bravery. He was a natural leader. And is honored and well known in the us and in finlnad as well. He is a true warrior. Please make a video about him he is legandary
In preparation for Operation Colossus the SAS troops would jog up and down Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the uk at around 4,400 feet, every morning and evening. That was aside from PT, drill and training.
Jogging up 4,400 metres would be extremely impressive. However, Ben Nevis is 4,400 feet, or about 1,300 metres...
Steve Jones ha, good catch!
Right idea wrong country of the UK. You may be thinking of the 'Fan Dance' during Selection for the SAS. Applicants had to run up and over Pen y Fan (in the Brecon Beacons in Wales), and then back to the start.
I was surprised to learn that a man I had known all my life was in the Devils Brigade. He was a small town cop in my home town Picton Ontario Canada. He certainly didn't make any fuss about it. I learned about it when I was in my 50s and had left my home town at the age of 18 believing him to be a sort Barney Fife, a lot bigger and stronger but really just an ordinary man.
Your post reminded me of Bruno Friesen in a roundabout way. He was a Canadian-born ethnic German that through happenstance wound up fighting for Germany. His book titled Panzer Gunner is a fascinating read, I recommend it.
Ralph Brouillard of the First Special Service Force from LaMarque Texas told me two Canadians that were safe crackers before the war, survived the war in the Devils Brigade and when they returned to Canada they resumed their previous career. But one night while cracking a safe something went wrong and they were blown to pieces.
You could look at the Australian 'Z' force.
Those guys were allied with local headhunters and may have engaged in canabalism of Japanese.
@@highlanderfreelancer4553 Your source for that?
Highlander Freelancer My late father fought in the AIF, Australian Imperial Forces against the Japanese in New Guinea & surrounding areas. It’s was well known the Japanese engaged in cannibalism NOT Australian soldiers. The Japanese actually engaged in slicing pieces of flesh off Aussie soldiers buttocks while these poor men were alive, cooked it & ate it! Yes true! The Japanese were cruel & sick beyond belief. Oh & my father helped repatriate Aussie prisoners of war after it ended & was told firsthand from these poor unfortunate MEN! Check your facts mate.
@@andrewd7586 The winners write the history books and conduct the war trials.
The turkish -bordo bereli- are also crazy
The Brits started it all. The Germans had a great commando commander, and the US-Canada had the 1st Special Service Forces. Things like the OSS were more strategic-level entities, like the future CIA. The US also had the Marine Raiders for a very short while. But it was like an assault troop or the Rangers without the modern add-ons. I'm sure there were some other ones. But as we are used to, the British mastered the game first, and kept the lead until now.
Commandos created the US Rangers.
Until now 🤔
What about the alamo scouts?
They completed every mission they got, were the recon force on the bataan raid, and never had a single man killed.
Pretty sure that would make them the most successful special forces in wwii.
Asides the more famous SAS, the Special Boat Service was also formed in WW2. I feel the SBS deserves more recognition for their efforts as well.
More? What missions did they achieve ?
@@1anre You're asking about the SBS in WW2 or after it?
@@NegiTaiMetal011 no just in WW2 specifically
@@1anre I know they were formed in WW2 alongside the SAS. I don't know much about their missions and could've shed more light on it, but what I know is they did participate in Operations Albumen, Anglo and Avalanche, possibly some more.
@@NegiTaiMetal011 Oh thanks Shinku
If we talk about special forces during WWII, we can't forget about the polish "Cichociemni" (Silent Unseen in english). :)
Edgy as fuck, interesting nonetheless
ProHunterPL Polish Special force’s are still extremely highly regarded. One of my drinking buddies is an Ex SAS Sgt Major and said the polish SF were some of the best he has ever seen.
So silent and unseen that I hadn't heard of them or seen anything about them, haha. I'll keep this in my mind. Cheers!
@The Front - being ignorant isn't funny. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/JW_GROM
Also
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichociemni
@@dankeysXkrajan stfu
My Grandfather served in the First Special Service Force "The Black Devils" . He saw action in the Italian Campaign, The Rhineland and The Invasion of Southern France and in the Pacific in the Alutieans Island of Kiska.
Hello Geetley. Love the star wars content + the history (but mostly the star wars).
Can't believe you didn't even mention the Alamo Scouts.They were VERY successful.
Who were they?
Definitely the British with the SAS.
What about the LRDG or the SBS, or even Popski's Private Army?
Yea the LRDG are right there with the SAS im saying tht because I saw a interview with a SAS member tht was apart of the raids in N. africa when they were doing those hit&run assaults on German airfields using the rover with 2sets of Dual heavy machine guns on each vehicle for destroying Luftwaffe planes. And the SAS member saif those missions wouldnt even be possible without the LRDG
Everytime the SAS came up against the SS they were soundly beaten.
@@alexcc8664 no, the SS did not "soundly beat" the SAS "Every single time"
Lol sas fan boiz
@10:57 you can see a Johnson light automatic rifle in use...pretty awesome
For twenty years I knew the last surviving chief scout of the first special service force. His name was Ralph Brouillard from LaMarque Texas. His code name was Billy Boulevard. After the Force was disbanded he was placed in the 82 Airborne. He had over 700 confirmed kills. I never knew until his funeral that he had two silver stars.
An interesting video, of the units mentioned I would say the SAS were the best and in fact still are. I would have included the LRDG.
My father, RIP, escaped Germany, joined the British army and became a commando during WW II
My Grand father left the Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 and joined the British Army Commandos too.
My great grandfather fought in the french army during the Battle of France
bigjohn697791 loads of respect to your grand father
Let's see some of the special forces other nations employed. Great vid btw
Fascinating stuff.
Otto Skorzeny: what sort of question is that?
The single most effective special forces operation of the war? I think we would have to give it to the Italians with their "human torpedoes" unit. One night in December 1941 three of these penetrated Alexandria harbour and severely damaged the last two battleships of the Mediterranean Fleet, putting them both out of action for many months. This changed the naval balance of power; the British could no longer disrupt German and Italian convoys carrying supplies to Rommel, the Afrika Korps recaptured all the territory they had lost and nearly reached the Suez Canal, the British took very heavy losses on the Malta convoys and the island was close to surrender at one point.
I disagree operation gunnerside prevented an possible nuclear war
Then you'd have to include the British Swordfish pilots who achieved an even more remarkable result.
Yeah it was so effective it swung the war in favor of the Axis powers, oh wait it didn't, the Italian navy didn't do shit except run away from RN.
@@KHETTIUS well the special forces did their job and we're talking about the effectivity of special forces, not the nation's military as a whole
Royal Navy submarines out of Malta disrupted Axis convoys before and after the Alexandria operation with success. HMS Upholder was amongst the most successful submarines of all nations in WW2. The Italian Fleet had been pulled out of Taranto for obvious reasons and based much further north where its operational choices were limited by lack of fuel.
Id love to know more about canadian special forces if you could put that in the next video
Fallschimgägers did everything well from mountain warfare to regular combat, they were an elite force Luftwaffe
SAS, SBS, SOE, Royal Commandos, Royal Marines, and the likes of the Gurkhas, the British arguably had the best and most effective Special Forces and Spec. Ops of the war
The Crocodiles was a highly effective Special Forces
back in WW2 during the Pacific Theater.
5:37 The dry dock was important because it was the only one that could accommodate the Tirpitz to enable repairs. That is probably the main reason they made that suicide raid. Several Commandos made it back to Britain after evading capture by _Jerry._
During Dunkirk there was a small group of Royal Marines who returned to England under their own steam and brought back more weapons than they were issued. That was the calibre of those who became Commandos who Churchill wanted them to *Set Europe Ablaze.*
In-depth versus a comparison of units would be a doof next step. Also a documentary on the Cold War desert SAS with their pink jeeps would be a real treat for me
My dad was one of Merrill's Marauders
Hey, friend. Do you have any more information on this you're comfortable sharing?
@@TheFront I wrote a lengthy reply and it didn't post dang.
Spearhead is a good book about them. Also Galahad by col Hunter who was the leader on the ground
@@TheFront check out the story of Roy Matsumoto nisei interpreter
coffeeordie.com/roy-matsumoto-merrills-marauders/
@@TheFront I made a podcast on revisionmedia.org about them although I fear I didn't do them justice
@@TheFront if you would like to contact me about the Marauders I'm happy to fill you in on my dad's story too
I think there was a movie;
"The Devils Brigade"
Joe Schlotthauer SSF American and Canadian soldiers. Scary bad asses. Read up on their history.
Patrick Backer Canadians are actually the toughest and most determined soldiers in history
Nathan Lalande Thank you. Served 20 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. I had the honour of sitting with a SSF vet. Hard man, always seeing ghosts of memories. That was one of the most memorable Remembrance Days of my life. True service in every way.
Patrick Backer my uncle terry served from when his was 20 til he was 60
Nathan Lalande That is awesome. Thank him for his service for me, when you see him next. The service isn’t what it used to be. Still manned by dedicated people but the government is letting them and us down.
3:11 Im related to the guy in the middle left. His name is Franz Breithaupt
"Kaukopartio" from Finland (worked behind the Soviet lines and caused massive casualties to the Soviets). One of the biggest legend of the US Special Forces was one of them (Lauri Törni aka Larry Thorne), he was a captain in the most secret special unit in Vietnam (MACV-SOG).
Special Boat Service now there is something that is still very much HUSH HUSH..........
I say the SAS, LRDG,Rangers, the 506 pir 101st airborne (especially Dick Winters unit)& the Gurkhas, (not in the specific order) but I'm not even sure if the Gurkhas are even considered a SF group but if not they should be they are some hardore fighters. And i dont think they are SF but the Canadien black watch Sniper unit were deadly AF
Band of Brothers was very very good, and 506th PIR of the 101st boasted as good a rifle company of any in any Army when they fielded E company, but the Airborne as a whole was the 'special force', by definition. Also, E company was not alone in their excellence, and although it is fair to say they deserve recognition, they were hardly the only group that fits the bill.
The 506th PIR was an elite unit, as any Airborne unit no doubt would be. But they weren't special forces. For most of the war they filled the same combat role as regular infantry. When they weren't jumping behind enemy lines that is.
0:00 this guy is taking four eyes to a whole new level
I enjoyed your video. I have heard about the Marine Radiers before and the Devil Bergade( Americans and Canadian together) before. I am surprised that you did not mention the 82nd Airborne and the 101st Airborne. My understanding is both of them are Special Forces.
Hello Mr. The front (or geetsly, you can't fool me) I found one of my grandpa's old medals today and it got me thinking. Could you do a video on the Polish 2nd Corps? Or the battle of Monte Cassino. (If any of y'all are curious my grandpa was Lucian Michniewicz, pronounced mick-neh-vich, and I believe he was a 1st lieutenant but don't quote me on that
Geetsly indeed
Hey, dude! We've covered Monte Cassino here and there in a few different videos, so I doubt we'll do one on JUST Monte Cassino in the near future. Something on the Polish 2nd could be cool. Have you watched our video on Poland yet? czcams.com/video/XOP_AJr-nHI/video.html
@@TheFront I have! The way you talked about that polish partisans really speaks to me, the way you tell these people's stories is honestly one of the best parts of this channel and it's what made me subscribe in the first place. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to see more in the future
@@TheFront en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichociemni
Alamo Scouts. Easily the most selective unit of special forces in the entire US military. And Rangers also deserve a mention.
Actually, they are
@kloic 1 Ok clueless.
Rangers almost made the cut! Next video perhaps :)
@kloic 1 Alamo Scouts were authorized to wear Special Forces tabs on their sleeves after the Green Berets were formed
The Alamo Scouts definitely should have gotten a mention since they got recognized by the Army with the actual SF tab for their veterans. Super cool unit used for alot of very important missions and operations.
The Brits win my medal! Churchill with his wild imagination ,love of the clandestine and desire to 'set Europe ablaze' was willing to approve just about anything with mixed results. My favorite is the SOE raid on the hydroelectric plant in Norway that was making Germany heavy water for it's atom bomb program. Totally successful without the loss of even one man.
Agreed
damn man your intro is so awesome
Have a good day everyone.
You too, as always ;)
The most dramatically comando operation was brest prison break comanded by erich lepkowski, this is maybe the most unbelievebly succesfull rescue mission ever
St Nazaire raid was pretty hardcore as well
hammer1349 yeah I agree with you in terms of actual commando raids St Nazaire was hardcore.
3:25 “The Jager Battalion” was what they called my squad in college 😂😁
Wait till you meet my vodka squad
availablehage CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!!!!! 🍹 🍺 🥃 🍸
8:09 “and these men were equipped with the very best gear” show Marines using 1903’s lol
Question was "which SF were most effective". Answering that question has to look at the strategic and grand strategic, rather than operational or tactical level of war. German SF units were very effective tactically, but did nothing to alter the strategic outcome. US units were used in support of conventional forces. UK SS brigades undertook strategic missions either as formations (Walcheren, for eg) or deep penetration and reconnaissance raids. SAS and SBS squadrons had immense impact in tying down German garrisons, destroying airfields and, in the case of the Cdos in Norway, disrupting the German nuclear programme. Either answer the question posed, or change your parameters.
The SAS the best of the best.
With the SBS second
Yeah can't disagree with that most modern day special forces are based off the sas hell delta force is the equivalent of the sas where the royal Marines and sbs share more in common with the seal teams
Otto Skorzeny was the best of the best
No
@@Johno1992 the SBS are as good as SAS.. fact
My great grandfather was a brandenburger. 2nd kompanie. He was present at the Maikop raid.
I would not call the Marine Raiders a flop at all. They are still today one of the most respected US units in history. They may not have been around the entire war but that was because there really wasnt a need for them later in the war. Early in the Pacific campaign however they played a very important role in capturing islands. They played a very big part at Bougainville. Technically they still exist. They were renamed to MARSOC but are essentially the same thing. I believe they have been renamed and are called raiders now. From my understanding its the same unit but they will not adopt the famous insignia of the raiders due to the fact that those men were pioneers in marine corps special forces and they feel that insignia should be retired. However you can see men sporting velcro versions of it on there combat uniforms.
inbush_1969 Fan Club Illinois Chapter nah I’m just kidding man I just don’t know anything about it
MARSOC IS the laughingstock of SOF today. There's a reason they never get used to Iraq and Afghanistan.
@@jordanelder321 czcams.com/video/Bmc9NFfhx74/video.html
Lol bs.
hes very anti American, some American probably emasculated him back in Australia....😂😂😂😂
Please make a video about lauri törni(the guy fought in 3 armies for 3 nations) he is the true legend. R.I.P LAURI(larry thorne)TÖRNI
Nice... Can you tell me what software you use
I remember the saint-nazaire mission (from medal of honor i think?). That's when I knew that I loved history about WW2.
British special forces, also known as the Canadians and ANZACs.
Canada's Black watch
Well said mate
You arent wrong 😂
@john bloggs yes canadians.
Yeah no body liked when the canadians got pissed
What? And the 10° Arditi? What about the X Mas? Only one Italian soldier (Luigi Ferraro) sank three enemy ships.
More videos like this please
Love your videos. Do you have a pop filter?
Why did you call Mussolini freeing action "infamous"? Apart from all political background It was perfectly executed mission. As Polish I don't have any reason to prize Otto Skorzenny but if I want to be fair I have to admit that he knew his job.
Gregski Good comment.
Lol the italians just let the germans walk in and take him, it wasnt a real mission it was a propaganda piece
I’m a Star Wars fan and every time he says the 502nd I keep thinking of the 501st clone division
There was a 501st German Heavy armed with panzer 4s, tiger 1s, and tiger 2s
After, Heavy I forgot to add Battalion
James Penley good to know
Funny you reference Star Wars...cause my very 1st thought was the same when the 1st pic in the vid shows a guy with night vision goggles...looking like 1 of those desert guys who attacked Luke in the original movie!
The Star wars DTL-19 was inspired by the german machine gun you see at the beginning of the video.
Do you have any videos about the US 10th Mountain Division in WWII? Those guys were truly something special.
A cool titbit from British commando training: some of the main qualities they were looking for were initiative and versatility. They had the usual fitness and commando training, but also e.g. they'd be told their next muster was in a few hours in a town many miles away and given no means to get there or any money.