Elite Units

**Lord Winter** · 05-30-2006, 05:55

Also the 101st U.S. airborne division. The flying tigers fighter squad(?) in the pacific theatre.

**Avicenna** · 05-30-2006, 06:32

Not sure about the names, but did the Soviets have some kind of elites in the East waiting for a Japanese invasion? When they realised that the Japanese wouldn't invade, they moved them over to fight Germany in the West.

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 05-30-2006, 06:33

Originally Posted by Destroyer of Hope

Also the 101st U.S. airborne division. The flying tigers fighter squad(?) in the pacific theatre.

IIRC the 101st airborne was deployed on D-day and Market Garden in Europe not the pacific theatre. I could be wrong.

**cegorach** · 05-30-2006, 07:14

Elite - so units with special training and/or very long tradition of fighting.

For Poland it would be:

303 Fighter Squadron - scored more victories than any allied squadron in the Battle of Britain - its tradition begins wth American volunteer Kosciusko fighter squadron from 1920 war and one of the squadrons from the Pursuit Brigade from 1939. It indeed included most of the most experienced Polish pilots later sent to other Polish and Allied units.

Commando units in 2nd Polish Corps - fought as elite assault infantry for example at Monte Cassino.

SBS - Paratroppers Brigade trained for the support of uprising in Poland, but wasted at Arnhem at the time of the Warsaw Uprising.

'Parasol' ( Umbrella) and 'Baszta' ( Tower) -and other - Home Army elite units, uderground had their own elites as well.

1st Armoured Division - the one which fought at Falaise, in Holland and Germany in 1944-45.
It has much older tradition behind - it was elite 'Black Brigade' ( 10th motorised Cavalry Brigade) in 1939 the unit stopped 1 Panzer and 1 Light divisions for a long time and in the end was the only whole big Polish unit to retreat to Hungary/Romania. In 1940 it fought as 10th (tank) Cavalry Brigade in France and was praised by its resistence by French HQ.

In 1939 - most of Cavalry Brigades ( including 2 mechanised and 11 normal) the cavalry was elite mounted infantry thanks to their equipment ( anti-tank weaponry for example) and training, Highland 21st Division, finally 1st and 3rd Legionary Infantry Divisions.
Cavalry was especially respected by Germans - no because of some non-existent, propaganda rubbish about charging tanks which never happened - but thanks to the discipline and morale of these soldiers.
Special award in 1939 would go to the Wolynska ( Volhynian) Brigade which stopped XVIth Panzer Corps for two days skillfully using their weaponry and this way destroying numerous armoured vehicles. It retreated according to the plan and orders.

Regards Cegorach

**Papewaio** · 05-30-2006, 07:36

I thought the definition of an elite unit would be one that has a selection criteria from other units. It would not be one that you can (normally) join directly as a civilian, it would have to one that you can only join by 'having the right stuff.'

So it would be the recon, commando and other specialised units. Not an entire Paratrooper Division (but maybe a specialised elite group with them).

Or am I being too stringent in automatcially making it only special forces that are elite?

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So in WWII I would say for elite speical forces:
Z Force, SAS/SBS commando squadrons.

For elite regular forces: ANZACs in particular the Maori Battalion, and as mentioned the defenders at Tobruk.

**Rosacrux redux** · 05-30-2006, 07:48

I think that's too restrictive a definition. Somebody mentioned the soviet units stationed in Siberia as "elites"... well, that's the "elite unit" definition as far as modern armies go: a unit that stands above the others in terms of efficiency, maybe experience, standing, weaponry etc. In our example, the Siberian divisions practically turned the tide in the eastern front, and they were used as the spearhead in every serious engagement ...at least until they started to be severely depleted (the soviet tactics were rather costly in terms of their own men lives...).

That would be the definition of an "elite unit". Other soviet elite units were the Guard divisions (most of them got the best equipment, machinery and weaponry and were used in a fitting role) and in the German side, the SS divisions should be regarded elite as well.

I wouldn't confuse elites with spec-ops. The latter are in a league of their own, they are not practically part of the "real" army, they are not used like the rest of the units.

**Kagemusha** · 05-30-2006, 11:33

Finnish elite units would be 1st,2nd and 3rd Jäeger Battalion,1st(and only) Panzer Brigade and Also the long range recon Sissi battalions.And if you look at the casulties ratio you could put the whole Finnish airforce as Elite units.

**Rodion Romanovich** · 05-30-2006, 13:19

The LRDG weren't officially an elite unit, but a special forces unit that were quite effective. They did mostly recon but also with SAS I think made raids against axis airfields in North Africa shortly before second El Alamein.

Edit: yes, here's from wikipedia: "Stirling still managed to organise another assault against the German airfields at Aqedabia, Sirte and Agheila, this time [the SAS troops were] transported by the LRDG. They destroyed 61 enemy aircraft without a single casualty."