The British ww2 commandos

MightyMacbeth

MightyMacbeth

I am Honor
Was wondering.. wasnt the British commandos in ww2 quite useless? and not THAT effective? so thats why the SAS was invented?
 
The SAS were born in the Deserts of North Africa and were designed for airborne raids. The Commandos were a ship based soldier that raided around the coast of occupied Europe
 
And what, Mighty? What would you likes to know about SAS in World War 2 or what?
 
The SAS is the direct offshoot of the SBS or the special boat service and the LONG RANGE DESRT GROUP which was so highly successful in carrying out commando missions deep inside the German lines in North African Campaign.Infact the British commandos had a whole lot more success than their German counter parts.The only spectacular German Commando mission was the rescue of Mussolini.The British commandos were also succesful in spreading disinformation campaigns amongst the Germans , the classic example being of two commando officers who were given the task of feeding false information regarding the D-day landings including the correct timings and likeky landing zones.For this they had to simulate
being washed up from a hit submarine while carrying on clandestine mission and ultimately were interned in a fortress command under Field Marshal Rommel.They were given soldierly treatment by Rommel and had managed to feed the disinformation.The success of the British commandos was a thorn in Hitlers plans and as such he had ordered the formation of the German commandos.The German commandos were under a lot of pressure to do something sensational and as such they carried out the spectacular coup of flying out with Mussolini.The formation of the SAS was just to streamline the commando outfits for better training and co-ordinated operations.
 
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The SAS was an of shoot of the LRDG which came out of unit known as Popski's Private Army, who where the first desert raiders in North Africa during WW2. A number of people got just a wee bit jealous of Popski's publicity and wanted on the band waggon, Davis Sterling the founder of the SAS was one of them. All the gear and many of the men all came from the original unit that Stirling took over.
 
The commandos were very effective in the role they were tasked with. They had great success on the French and Dutch coast causing panic amongst the Germans through near nightly kidnapping or killing of sentries. They also fought gallantly in the Middle East and Africa (including a LT. COL who recieved a VC). They were heavily involved in D-Day from recon of the beaches, to subterfuge through to the actual invasion. When I get home I'll find my references on this and add it. It's a book called "the history of the green berets" or something along those lines.
 
Guess what?David Stirlings group had an ethnic Indian who was commissined in the British Army and not the British Indian Army. He was then Lt Inderjit Singh Gill a Royal Engrs Officer ,he later converted to the Indian Army after Independence and was instrumental in streamlining the Indian Para Regiment and retired as a Major General in the Indian Army.

:jump:
 
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Funnily enough I know thew Officer that first up the Indian Parachute Regiment back in the Early 1940's.
 
how interetsing.. You been in ww2 LeEnfield? if you dont mind me asking heh..

anyway, so the commandos and the SAS were operating in the same style missions then?
 
No I was only a lad during WW2 but I can remember it. Now the Commandos and Para's did not do the same missions, most of the times any raid along the coast would be done by the Commandos, except for one notably occasion when the Para's dropped into Brunaveal and walked off with a complete German Radar System which saved thousands of lives
 
LeEnfield said:
The SAS was an of shoot of the LRDG
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The LDG was different orgainsation and SAS was not an off shoot.SAS was originally L detachment, Special Air Service Brigade.
 
The Popskis Private Army was the first of all the long range desert groups in North Africa, followed by the LRDG, then the SAS.
 
LeEnfield said:
The Popskis Private Army was the first of all the long range desert groups in North Africa, followed by the LRDG, then the SAS.
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The LRDG did not become the SAS. The SAS used the expertise of the LRDG. The LRDG and SAS are seperate units that existed at the same time. LRDG carried out recon, whilst the SAS carried out attacks.
 
Both the LRDG & SAS used the knowledge gained by Popski Private Army in their missions, also the SAS also carried surveillance then as they do now.
 
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