List of "Elite" units

Yes, capitalized is the proper way to inscribe it.

 

Please see FSSFHomepage01 It also contains diary entries for the Canadian portion of the Force:

"...On June 17, 1942, Lt. Col. Frederick travelled to Ottawa to enlist Canadian support for the project. Within five days, he had received assurances of all the troops he required and access to Canadian training facilities. When the Force was brought together in Helena, Montana in the summer of 1942, the total complement was 108 officers and 1157 men, half of which were Canadian plus a Service Battalion composed of Americans. For administrative purposes, the Canadian unit was referred to as the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion..."


Also See the thread on WW2F
http://www.ww2f.com/wwii-general/24128-first-special-service-forces.html

 

Do you mean this meaning:

 

Alpini and Folgore were elite units in the sense they had special training and beneftted from high quality recruits. But their actual combat performance resembles the rangers at Salerno, they were given missions they were not trained or equipped for and were basically wiped out, in the case of Folgore at their first and only battle. My favourite Italian division remains Ariete. And if you like Highlanders what about the Greek Euzones ?

 

That's a good one.

Slipdigit wrote:

Nah, I'll stick with my original assesment. BTW, it is amazing that we southerners have so many different meanings for the word "goober".

A-58 wrote:

Well they're not alone, reference my previous post referring to paratroopers as "Sky Gods". The sad part is they believe it.

 

Hello T.O.S.,

The Greek Euzones, I had thought about them, but I am not aware that they had received any "special training" during WWII. Besides them lads are really wearing skirts

As for Ariete, all I know is that they were a good standard division-maybe Italy's best. Did they have a special status or markings as for example the Wehrmacht division Grossdeutschland?

What about Japanese Marines, Paratroopers and this (can't recall the name).. MP army unit?

BTW, under which US service branch did the "Alamo Scouts" serve?

Regards
Kruska

 

Was more thinking of Euro's and Eurozones , these guys are great with tricks with money !

 

Every swingin' khaki covered crew cut and they probably be carrying sticks or some other field expediant ass beating device. Since that movie came out nobody uses the "J" word. I am actually required to fax you a beating now; it's not personal of course, just business.

 

YES these numbers could be true seen them on few articales. The Total complement was around 1800 men See http://wapedia.mobi/en/1st_Special_Service_Force


Juno Beach Centre - 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion

1st Canadian Parchute Battalion, A Coy. - UNIT HISTORY



As the possibility of an invasion of Canada appears less and less realistic, starting in 1943, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion is attached to the British 6th Airborne Division, to take part in the attack against Germany. At the end of July 1943, 31 officers and 548 men, fully trained and equipped, leave for England aboard Queen Elizabeth. Their battalion is now part of the 3rd Parachute Brigade, under Brig S. James Hill; the Brigade also includes two British battalions, the 8th and 9th.

Of the 27 officers and 516 men from the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion who took part in the Battle of Normandy, 24 officers and 343 men gave their lives. The unit had to be re-organized and retrained in order to regain its strength and combat-readiness.

Control: Tight control is essential to optimize resources and keep units organized, since paratroopers battalions are small units (some 500 men) and have little ammunition. They may also find themselves scattered over the drop zone.


Training

Paratrooper training began at Fort Benning, Georgia, until the construction of a Canadian facility at Camp Shilo, Manitoba, was completed. The four-week training programme at Fort Benning aimed first at developing physical stamina and discipline, then at familiarizing recruits with the equipment and jump techniques. Jumping exercises first used a 10-metre tower, tall enough to give the impression of a great height. Then trainees move to a 75-metre tower, and finally jump from planes. To be qualified, a recruit must make at least five successful jumps from a plane.

On December 7th, 1942, 97 recruits, under Capt Beckett, left Fort Benning for additional training at Fort Harrison, Montana. They make up the "2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion," a unit that was later integrated with the "First Special Service Force," a Canada-U.S. shock unit better known as the "Devil's Brigade" Or "Black Devil Brigade."

The diary of a dead German soldier contained a passage that said, "The black devils (Die schwarzen Teufel) are all around us every time we come into the line."

 

No big deal, made the same mistake myself (also called The Devils Brigade and The Black Devils Brigade) According to the German Diary "Black Devils"

 

How elite can they be if they haven't fought anyone in about 400 years?

 

They are the cats that guard the Vatican. Are we establishing elite-ness by how silly the uniform is?

 

Well if we are, then those dudes are the cat's meow. Do they shoot nerf missiles and super soakers at intruders? Or do they just stand there and make the intruders laugh themselves to death?

 

I am going to need your fax number

 

I double dog dare you....

 

Well lets see...One pope shot...And few weeks ago, pope rugby tackled to ground while walking towards alter in packed church....The elite hesitated somewhat to check sunglasses and radios before noticing pope was no longer in fact following them up the vestry....

 

"Pope?....Pope?....where the hell is the Pontiff!!?..."