Whats with the Swiss?

M1karava

M1karava

Active member
Whats with the Swiss?

Nobody hears about them or I don't anyway. Do they just claim neutrality to everything or am I just ignorant. I have heard the reason that Hitler avoided them during WWII is because of their training. The way a person explained it to me is that they were like a modern Sparta. Everyone had to serve at least two years in the military. And when they got out they all had an automatic weapon with 20 rounds of ammo and participated in monthly trainings in their local militia/guard or something.

So tell me whats with the Swiss am I wrong. And If in right they must have one good military. Or im just stupid and have no idea what imtalking about either way ( I know Im saying this a lot)

What Is With The Swiss?
 
I am no expert on the swiss army, but have been working and living there for some time, here is what I remember:

- The Swiss army is follows a Militia model, its mission is to defend the Swiss territory (and, in case of uproar or inssurection, to protect the state)

- the basic defensive idea is called "Raumverteidigung" (Area defense), where certaaain units are responsible for defending specifically dedicated areas of the territory, thus making the price for an invasion (Swizerland with its mountains - alps - is not really suitable terrain for fighting with armor) extremely high. All mountains have large bases inside and underground, even the military airports aare to some extent inside the mountains. Allegedly because of this a high percentage of the Swiss bases is nuke proof.

- all male Swiss are obliged (females can volunteer) to present themselves with earliest 18 and latest 25 for the militay and the recrute training. Of those around 70% - that pass the medical tests - go to the military, the rest does civil protection service.

- "Rekrutenschule" (RS), the recrute training, takes between 18-25 weeks, depending on job and function, and is divided in three parts: 7 weeks basic training, fuctional training depending on the job 7-10 weeks, and combined unit training 5-8 weeks.

- Once completed RS, every memeber of the army has to do service 3 weeks every year until he reaches 47 years, after that civil protection service of the same duration until 65.

- Every soldier takes his personal gun, the Sturmgewehr 90 (Sig 550) home with him (officers additionally the "Pistole 75" short arm), since mid ´50s up to 2007 together with "pocket ammo" of 20 rounds. In 2007 all ammunition handed out was re-requisted, the process allegedly will be completed in 2010 (which means some still have their ammo at home), after that only the alarm formations take their ammo home with them.

- After leaving active service every soldier has the right to buy his gun from the army, a lot do this.

- Also at home every soldier has his personal equipment, from complete uniform, over BDU, protective gear to their backpack and gas mask (I heard that they have changed this recently, now only the uniform/BDU goes home with the soldier)

- Also recently law got changed so that you now can do your complete military service in one stretch of about one year.

FWIW,

Rattler
 
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M1karava said:
Whats with the Swiss?

Nobody hears about them or I don't anyway. Do they just claim neutrality to everything or am I just ignorant. I have heard the reason that Hitler avoided them during WWII is because of their training. The way a person explained it to me is that they were like a modern Sparta. Everyone had to serve at least two years in the military. And when they got out they all had an automatic weapon with 20 rounds of ammo and participated in monthly trainings in their local militia/guard or something.

So tell me whats with the Swiss am I wrong. And If in right they must have one good military. Or im just stupid and have no idea what imtalking about either way ( I know Im saying this a lot)

What Is With The Swiss?
Click to expand...
Fun fact: Sweden went on without a war longer than Switzerland.

And you don't invade switzerland because it's full of structures a lot like the hot gates of 300 fame in greece. Some passages are so narrow one man with a rifle can hold off an entire division. If you don't have lots of paratroopers and are willing to send lots of men to die to take and hold Air fields you can forget trying to occupy it. Even the entire United states army would have huge problems trying to invade switzerland by land because it's nigh impossible to enter it if the Swiss don't want you in. Thus, they only need enough troops to hold the many tiny entrances into the country and to fend off air attacks.
 
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Actually if you really wanted to take Switzerland, you could feign an attempt to invade via roads, draw the Swiss Army into the Alps and then rock the place with artillery, thereby stranding them in the mountains. Then send troops on airplanes and drop them behind the Alps. And you're in business. A couple of Daisy Cutters ought to give you some good LZs.
It would be an expensive op to pull but it could be done.
 
Yes, their answer will be interesting.
Mind you, I just pulled that one off the top of my head in a few seconds.
 
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