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Elite Forces of WWII
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Poll Question: Which forces are the most elite in WWII
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
3 [9.09%]
4 [12.12%]
1 [3.03%]
6 [18.18%]
1 [3.03%]
10 [30.30%]
4 [12.12%]
4 [12.12%]
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BlackRaven135 View Drop Down
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Posts: 0 		  Quote BlackRaven135 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Elite Forces of WWII
    Posted: 16-Aug-2006 at 10:40
Which of these units are the most elite? There are many elite forces of WWII. Add some comments if interested.

Edited by BlackRaven135 - 16-Aug-2006 at 20:22
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akritas View Drop Down
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Posts: 1460 		  Quote akritas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-Aug-2006 at 10:49
I vote for two units.The SAS and the US Rangers.Both of them make great works regarding the unorthodox war.
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Posts: 227 		  Quote Desperado Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-Aug-2006 at 11:12
Was the soviet Spetz naz available in WW2?
I think the soviet elite of WW2 were the Guards and NKVD.
Anyway my vote goes for Waffen SS-combination of superior equipment, moral and tactics.
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Posts: 5221 		  Quote Temujin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-Aug-2006 at 14:50
yeah, Red Guards if anyhting. AFAIK NKVD troops were border guards, not elite troops.
 
most elite German troops was a unit called Brandenburger, they were similar to todays Navy SEALS and i don't think anyone else had something comparable back then except for the British SAS. their exploits durign the war are completely shorud in legend, even their whole existence is one of the bgigest secrets even today.
 
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Posts: 1458 		  Quote Kalevipoeg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-Aug-2006 at 16:44
If i remember a documentary i saw, the roots of the Spetsnaz go as far as the Spanish civil war where they mingled in as one of their first missions.Ermm
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Posts: 2120 		  Quote Maharbbal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-Aug-2006 at 21:04
While the German did have the Skorzeny commando and some very good units (paratroopers for instance) and the Soviet had their marine special forces, those that are the closest from modern day elite in my sens are british SAS, SBS, special paratroopers, commando, Poski's private army, chindits and so on. The American had almost always the equivalent in their army. Both also had OSS type of soldiers to fight along the guerillas.

Yet, for once, in my opinion the palm defently goes to the Italian divers how were most likely the first and defently among the best in their hit and run ops. They were very sucessful in the Mediterranean and were the nightmare of the Royal Navy. Soon after, the Brits actually create their own diver units.
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Posts: 132 		  Quote Renegade Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-Aug-2006 at 16:26
Originally posted by Desperado

Was the soviet Spetz naz available in WW2?
I think the soviet elite of WW2 were the Guards and NKVD.
Anyway my vote goes for Waffen SS-combination of superior equipment, moral and tactics.


The Spetsnaz back then were only peasants and civilian guerrilas who fought behind German lines. The WW2 Russian guerrilas were the ones who were the inspiration of Spetsnaz, I think.
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Posts: 0 		  Quote mcnish Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-Aug-2006 at 19:59
British special air service made a great job during WWII behind German  lines.
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Posts: 0 		  Quote rock strongo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-Sep-2006 at 14:59
You have the Waffen SS but the most effective of their elite units was the Brandenbergers Commandos.  Check out a book by the same name, The Brandenbergers Commandos: Germany's Elite Warrior Spies of World War Two. 
 
Publisher comments:
"Very few books have been written about this clandestine operations unit, which was run by the German Army's intelligence service. Trained to be quick, mobile, and self-reliant and steeped in local customs and languages, the Brandenburgers operated behind enemy lines around the world. From Western Europe to Romania, Russia, Egypt, Afghanistan, and many other countries, they seized bridges and other strategic targets and engaged in sabotage, espionage, and other daring missions, often bending the rules of war in the process.  Although the unit was dissolved in 1944, its tactics influenced special forces around the world."
 
I've read a little more than half of this so far and many of the easy breakouts during the initial blitzes of Poland, Holland, Denmark France and the USSR were products of Brandenbergers seizing key bridges, railroad junctions, etc..
 
Another interesting thing about this group is that their prime speciality was capturing all of the documents of the enemy's secret services intact before they could be destroyed. 
 
This goup thwarted English and French attempts at sabotaging the Romanian oil wells.  They also kept the Danube open when plans were to dam it up. 
 
Overall a very important and overlooked group.  This group was also known to be unconventional to the point of employing Jews.
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Posts: 749 		  Quote Dampier Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-Sep-2006 at 18:21
You are missing a few- OSS, SOE, SBS, Army and Navy Commandos, Chindits, Popskis private Army, Merills Marauders to name a couple.
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Posts: 952 		  Quote Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-Sep-2006 at 18:36
Originally posted by Dampier

You are missing a few- OSS, SOE, SBS, Army and Navy Commandos, Chindits, Popskis private Army, Merills Marauders to name a couple.
 
 
You beat me to it. I was going to mention the Chindits and Merill's Marauders.
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Posts: 2120 		  Quote Maharbbal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-Sep-2006 at 19:39
Special mention for the indegenous troops. I mean the dreadful Gurkhas and the Maroccan Tabors more feared than any other units and who managed to accomplish some tremendous things.
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Posts: 749 		  Quote Dampier Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Sep-2006 at 10:25
Originally posted by Paul

Originally posted by Dampier

You are missing a few- OSS, SOE, SBS, Army and Navy Commandos, Chindits, Popskis private Army, Merills Marauders to name a couple.
 
 
You beat me to it. I was going to mention the Chindits and Merill's Marauders.
 
Love those two units. Merills lads and the Chindits basicly kept that whole Chinese front going...
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The Division Charlemagne didn't do bad at all during the Battle of Berlin.
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Posts: 0 		  Quote Tyrannos Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-Sep-2006 at 14:50
Fascist Italy's The Decima Flottiglia MAS was one of the greatest and set many standards.

Edited by Tyrannos - 13-Sep-2006 at 15:48
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Paul View Drop Down
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Posts: 952 		  Quote Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-Sep-2006 at 16:38
Originally posted by Dampier

Originally posted by Paul

Originally posted by Dampier

You are missing a few- OSS, SOE, SBS, Army and Navy Commandos, Chindits, Popskis private Army, Merills Marauders to name a couple.
 
 
You beat me to it. I was going to mention the Chindits and Merill's Marauders.
 
Love those two units. Merills lads and the Chindits basicly kept that whole Chinese front going...
[/QUOTE]
 
 
 
More like, unapreciated by Slim and incompetantly used by Stilwell and all died.
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Posts: 1 		  Quote JD00000 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-Jan-2018 at 12:28
No spetsnaz was not available during ww2. They were introduced in the mid 1950's. Sorry spetsnaz people.
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