Elite Units

[Alexanderofmacedon]

In WWII, what were some of the elite units for the different countries involved in the war? I know of the Shutzstaffel (SS) of Germany, but anyone know of any others from other countries?

[Kralizec]

SAS and SBS for the Brittish.

Russian marines were tough nails, especially compared to the rest of their armed forces.

My knowledge of WW2 is sadly lacking...

[Duke Malcolm]

The Chindits!

[Dutch_guy]

My knowledge of WW2 is sadly lacking...

You mean the Spetznaz (sp?) right, as you were refering to Russian Commando's ?

As for my own country....I don't know of any. Do we even have one ?

[Alexanderofmacedon]

You mean the Spetznaz (sp?) right, as you were refering to Russian Commando's ?

As for my own country....I don't know of any. Do we even have one ?

When the allies took over Holland didn't you shave the heads of the women sleeping with the Nazi's?

[ShadesPanther]

There was SOE as well by the Allies

[Dutch_guy]

When the allies took over Holland didn't you shave the heads of the women sleeping with the Nazi's?

Yes, when we were liberated female collaborators had their hair on their head shaved off, don't know any reason behind that other than identification. But indeed it did happen.

[Ludens]

As for my own country....I don't know of any. Do we even have one ?

The Netherlands' main force was and always has been her navy, not her army, but in 1940 most of the naval forces would probably have been stationed in Dutch India. The Dutch army and airforce had been neglected during the interbellum and had to work with outdated or sometimes even antiquidated equipment. I therefor really doubt there were any elite units in these forces. The current Dutch non-naval elites, the commandos and the paratroopers, had yet to be established.

[lars573]

In WWII, what were some of the elite units for the different countries involved in the war? I know of the Shutzstaffel (SS) of Germany, but anyone know of any others from other countries?

The SS had 2 overal branches you know. The Agelemgne (political I think I know it's not spelled right) and Waffen (armed) SS. And were intended as a kind of police force. But the Waffen SS had some of the better Nazi fighting units. Also the German paratrooper divisions (Herman Goering and Adolf Hitler) were some of the best infantry units around. The Whrmarcht also had elite crack units too.

SAS and SBS for the Brittish.

I'd add the Long range desert group to that too. They took the SAS to their missions in North Africa. Also the 4th Indian division was considered elite at the time.

For the US
101st and 82nd airbourne divisions
US army ranger batallion
Merricks raiders

That's all I remember now.

[Duke Malcolm]

I'd add the Long range desert group to that too. They took the SAS to their missions in North Africa. Also the 4th Indian division was considered elite at the time.

Are you sure you don't mean the 3rd Indian Division? The Chindits? I was of the impression the 4th Indian Division was just a regular Infantry Division in Africa.

[lars573]

I was reading some big blog/essay/website (my memory is dodgey on where's and when's) on the desert campagin and it said that some British division and 4th Indian wre moved to the southern Sudan to stop Italian incursions from Abyssinia, and that 4th Indian was "regarded as an elite unit".

[Duke Malcolm]

Ah, I did not know that.

[Keba]

The Soviets had units of NKVD troops in several campaigns. While the NKVD was the secret police they did a lot of work and fightning (and a lot of war crimes, but that is a different subject entirely).

Right now, off the top of my head, during the Axis advance on Stalingrad, while the vast majority of Soviet troops broke, NKVD divisions stayed behind and held of the German advance quite efficently, they were swept away, but the thing is they stayed against some pretty impressive odds.

[Pannonian]

I was reading some big blog/essay/website (my memory is dodgey on where's and when's) on the desert campagin and it said that some British division and 4th Indian wre moved to the southern Sudan to stop Italian incursions from Abyssinia, and that 4th Indian was "regarded as an elite unit".

In 1940, British and Empire troops moved against the Italian colony of Abyssinia and the Italian expeditionary force that had invaded Egypt. The Abyssinian force under Alan Cunningham (brother of Andrew of Taranto fame) consisted of 3rd and 4th Indian divisions, regarded as suitable for mountain warfare in the Abyssinian interior. The Egyptian force under Richard O'Connor consisted of 6th Australian division and 7th armoured division (the Desert Rats).

Both operations were wildly successful, the Indians reducing Abyssinia within a few weeks before the 4th joined O'Connor in pushing the huge Italian force out of Egypt and Cyrenaica (150,000 prisoners captured by a British force of around 30-40,000). The spectacular success of the British prompted Hitler to send an expeditionary force of his own under Erwin Rommel.

A notable Commonwealth conventional division was the 9th Australian. They made their name defending Tobruk in combination with the 4th Indian, weren't present during the yo-yo campaigns of the next 12 months and were involved in the heaviest fighting during Alamein. Montgomery's favourite division, it is said that during the preparations for Overlord he would forever look out of the window and wish that the 9th Australians were available.

British elites
Commandos: Used in amphibious raids, they irritated Hitler so much that he ordered any such captured to be shot on the spot (the Commando order).
617 (bomber) squadron: Formed to attack the Ruhr dams, they were later used in other specialised missions, including dropping yet more Barnes Wallis creations on the Tirpitz among other targets.

US elites
99th (fighter) squadron, later expanded to 332nd fighter group: The Tuskegee airmen consisted entirely of blacks, notching up an astonishing record with not a single bomber lost that was escorted by the Tuskegees. US bombers would ask for the "Redtails" to protect them while the Germans feared the "Black Birdmen".
761st tank battalion: The "Black Panthers" were the support of choice for US infantry despite their black crews since they stayed when most tankmen would usualy retreat. Often used in holding roles while white units delivered the killing blow, they frequently exceeded expectations by attacking and prevailing against superior German forces they were expected to buckle against.
100th battalion, 442nd infantry: Formed from 2nd generation Japanese-Americans, it became the most heavily decorated unit of its size despite prejudice denying them many well-earned decorations.

Note: their valour during WW2 prompted Truman to end segregation in the armed forces.

[Lord Winter]

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

[AggonyDuck]

In WWII, what were some of the elite units for the different countries involved in the war? I know of the Shutzstaffel (SS) of Germany, but anyone know of any others from other countries?

Well only a handful of the SS-divisions were actually considered elite. A good portion of the SS-divisions were actually mostly used in anti-partisan duty and could hardly be considered elite.

Also the Heer had the Panzer Lehr and Grossdeutschland divisions which were definately elite.