Best commando / Ranger raid of WW2 (1 Viewer)

uksubs

uksubs

Lieutenant Colonel
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
7,050
Just wonder what was the best special forces raid of WW2? for me it the raid on the heavy water factory in Norway
 
uksubs said:
Just wonder what was the best special forces raid of WW2? for me it the raid on the heavy water factory in Norway
Click to expand...

Are we counting Dieppe as a raid or an incursion/mini invasion?
 
"Are we counting Dieppe as a raid or an incursion/mini invasion"

I think Dieppe is only counted if the thread is from the German point of view.
 
larso said:
"Are we counting Dieppe as a raid or an incursion/mini invasion"

I think Dieppe is only counted if the thread is from the German point of view.
Click to expand...


Very funny Larso - but apologies to you and uksubs - had a moment when somehow 'best' in my mind became 'biggest' or 'most famous'. In a defence of what is obviously a ridiculous answer I will make a feeble attempt to justify myself by saying there was a line of thought that it a) provided lessons that were put into effect on D-Day b) showed the need to capture, or build a port to supply an invasion force c) helped the Allies withstand Russian demands for a 1943 cross channel invasion.

I'm not convinced but I can now withdraw from this thread and leave it to people who know what they're talking about!{sm4}
 
Yes, several people (Churchill and Mountbatten amongst others) said it saved lives on D-day and at other landings but they would say that wouldn't they. It was a bit of a mess the whole thing. I wondered whether the awarding of three Victoria Crosses was a bit of attampt to 'glory' it up for the public, a bit like some have argued, was behind the 11 given at Rorkes Drift.
 
Neil...

Great thread. So many to choose from obviously, the St Nazaire raid was superb and, what everyone associates the commando's with and, rightly so.

The raid at Varengeville a large pre cursor raid to the actual landing at Dieppe which, destroyed a gun battery was a almost forgotten part of dieppe and, is overshadowed by what happened at dieppe.

Operation claymore in Norway is also worthy of mention.
Mitch
 
Always been fascinated by the St. Nazaire raid. Also the actions of the US Marine Raider battalions, specifically Carlson's raid on Makin Island. -- Al
 
Admittedly, my sphere of knowledge is fairly limited to some degree with these types of things. That being said, if one looks at airborne training as the first step along the road of elite/special warfare units then the German Fallschirmjager battalions have to be given their respect for pioneering this effort.

Beyond that, I certainly think the 2nd Rangers effort at PDH on DDay was heroic beyond belief.

But I have to think that the Airborne DDay drops were without a doubt the most spectacular, combat feat during the War. I truly dont believe anyone can possibly comprehend the absolute chaos that entire operation involved- the scope was beyond belief, the opposition was entrenched and tenacious, airborne units were still in their infancy.

It was without a doubt one of the most, if not the most, amazing accomplishment of the US Army.
 
My preference is for small scale Commmando raids that resulted in Maximum damage. A good example of this is Operation Jaywick where Z Special Unit Commandos, later commonly known as Z-Force sank Seven Japanese ships in Singapore Harbor, September 1943: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Jaywick

The small ex Japanese fishing boat renamed "MV Krait" that was used in the raid was present at the Japanese surrender in Ambon and is currently displayed at the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbor, Sydney Australia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Krait
 
lancer said:
Always been fascinated by the St. Nazaire raid. Also the actions of the US Marine Raider battalions, specifically Carlson's raid on Makin Island. -- Al
Click to expand...

Al, that Makin Island raid was a disaster. Carlson tried to surrender to a squad of Japenese who couldn't understand him. Wound up leaving Marines on the island who were executed. Chris
 
"Beyond that, I certainly think the 2nd Rangers effort at PDH on DDay was heroic beyond belief."


I have stood on that cliff and try to understand how the Rangers made it up there. Beyond belief as you said Chris.

Rangers do "Lead the Way."

Chris
 
Terp152 said:
Al, that Makin Island raid was a disaster. Carlson tried to surrender to a squad of Japenese who couldn't understand him. Wound up leaving Marines on the island who were executed. Chris
Click to expand...
It certainly didn't go as planned. Leaving those nine men behind was a big time blunder. They were all executed (beheaded) on Kwajelein at a later time. -- Al
 
I think that two shining examples of "special operations" in WW2 would have to be the Caranabatuan (sp?) and Los Banos prison camp liberation raids in the Phillipines in 1945. Well planned, quite successful, and aimed at rescuing the helpless from an enemy that often massacred prisoners. In the first, the unit was a former artillery battalion that had been retrained as Rangers and only a couple companies were used in cooperation with the Filipino irregulars. In the second an air drop was supported by combined arms (including using Amtracks for the escape). Fortunately luck held out for both operations. Unfortunately Patton later provided an example of how NOT to do a POW rescue (the ill-fated Task Force Baum mission to Hammelburg).

Personally I count Dieppe as a "raid" because it was never meant to hold the ground even if successful. Pont Du Hoc isn't a "raid" to me because it was a part of a full-scale invasion. It was meant to seize and hold the territory.

Gary B.
 
Gary...

Just watched a documentary on that POW raid. Very interesting it was. Agree about the Para drops and PDH not really a raid. the cockleshell heroes is another film I have just watched so, thought I would add their attack in the thread. What a thorn in the side of the axis forces these guys were
Mitch



binder001 said:
I think that two shining examples of "special operations" in WW2 would have to be the Caranabatuan (sp?) and Los Banos prison camp liberation raids in the Phillipines in 1945. Well planned, quite successful, and aimed at rescuing the helpless from an enemy that often massacred prisoners. In the first, the unit was a former artillery battalion that had been retrained as Rangers and only a couple companies were used in cooperation with the Filipino irregulars. In the second an air drop was supported by combined arms (including using Amtracks for the escape). Fortunately luck held out for both operations. Unfortunately Patton later provided an example of how NOT to do a POW rescue (the ill-fated Task Force Baum mission to Hammelburg).

Personally I count Dieppe as a "raid" because it was never meant to hold the ground even if successful. Pont Du Hoc isn't a "raid" to me because it was a part of a full-scale invasion. It was meant to seize and hold the territory.

Gary B.
Click to expand...
 
binder001 said:
I think that two shining examples of "special operations" in WW2 would have to be the Caranabatuan (sp?) and Los Banos prison camp liberation raids in the Phillipines in 1945. Well planned, quite successful, and aimed at rescuing the helpless from an enemy that often massacred prisoners. In the first, the unit was a former artillery battalion that had been retrained as Rangers and only a couple companies were used in cooperation with the Filipino irregulars. In the second an air drop was supported by combined arms (including using Amtracks for the escape). Fortunately luck held out for both operations. Unfortunately Patton later provided an example of how NOT to do a POW rescue (the ill-fated Task Force Baum mission to Hammelburg).

Personally I count Dieppe as a "raid" because it was never meant to hold the ground even if successful. Pont Du Hoc isn't a "raid" to me because it was a part of a full-scale invasion. It was meant to seize and hold the territory.

Gary B.
Click to expand...

Good call about the pow raid , read the book and watched the film and shocking what the Japanese Soldiers did !
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Terp152 said:
"Beyond that, I certainly think the 2nd Rangers effort at PDH on DDay was heroic beyond belief."


I have stood on that cliff and try to understand how the Rangers made it up there. Beyond belief as you said Chris.

Rangers do "Lead the Way."

Chris
Click to expand...

not really a raid more like a invasion point de hoc
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2024 XenForo Ltd.
Back
Top