Commando
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2008-07-13T02:29:52Z
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{{Otheruses4|worldwide commando units |details about the United Kingdom Commando units and history|British Commandos}}
In [[military science]], the term '''commando''' can refer to an individual, a [[military unit]], or a '''raiding''' style of [[list of military and non-military operations and projects|military operation]]. In some contexts, "commando" means elite [[light infantry]] or [[special forces]]. Commando units have a variety of specialist capabilities which enable them to conduct these kind of operations, most notable a broad range of deployment skills which often include [[parachuting]], airborne [[rappelling]] or [[fast-roping]], or [[amphibious warfare|amphibious landings]].
In the military forces of some [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries, there is a distinction between commando units, which specialise in offensive or assault tasks, and other special forces units, which specialise in: [[counter-terrorism]] and/or; [[reconnaissance]] and [[sabotage]] missions behind enemy lines.
Originally "a commando" was a type of military unit. In many languages, "commando" or "kommando" means "[[Command (military formation)|command]]", in the sense of a military unit.
[[Image:Commando jauber1.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Naval commandos (France)|French Navy commando]] ''Jaubert'' members storm a naval vessel in a mock assault.]]
== History ==
The word ''commando'' originated in the [[Portuguese language]] (''Comando'' in Portuguese), in which it means simply "command". The modern sense of the word stems from the [[Dutch language|Dutch]]/[[Afrikaans]] ''kommando'', which was derived from the Portuguese word, as a result of contact between [[Afrikaner]] and [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] [[settler]]s in [[Africa]]. After the Dutch [[Cape Colony]] was established in 1652, a system known as [[Commando Law]] was created. This compelled settlers, known as [[Burgher|Free Burgers]], who had been released from their [[indenture]]s with the [[Dutch East India Company]], to equip themselves with a horse and a firearm, in exchange for the right to a piece of agricultural land. When required, a mounted [[militia]] force known as a ''kommando'' would be formed, to defend the colony. As the European population at the Cape increased it was no longer practical to make every Burger comply with the Commando Law and a voluntary militia system was introduced.
In conflicts with [[southern Africa]]n peoples (such as the [[Xhosa]] and the [[Zulu]] during and after the [[Great Trek]]), [[Boer]] communities and farmsteads formed self-equipped, mounted commandos among themselves.
In the final phase of the [[Second Boer War]], 75,000 Boers occupied the attention of the 450,000-strong [[British Army|British Empire forces]]. Because of the [[Asymmetric warfare|numerical imbalance]], the commandos adopted [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] or raiding tactics, to minimise their casualties and prolong the war. These tactics gave ''commando'' its modern sense of specialised raiding forces.
== World War II ==
=== Europe and the Mediterranean ===
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:SkorzenyBW.jpg|right|thumbnail|150px|Otto Skorzeny {{deletable image-caption|1=Tuesday, 25 December 2007}}]] -->
====Germany====
In December [[1939]], following the success of [[Nazi Germany|German]] infiltration and sabotage operations in the [[Invasion of Poland (1939)|Polish campaign]], the German [[Abwehr|Office for Foreign and Counter-Intelligence]] (OKW Amt Ausland/Abwehr) formed the [[Brandenburger Regiment]] (known officially as the 800th Special Purpose Training and Construction Company). The Brandenburgers conducted a mixture of covert and conventional operations but became increasingly involved in ordinary infantry actions and were eventually converted to a Panzer-Grenadier Division, suffering heavy losses in [[Russia]]. [[Otto Skorzeny]] (most famed for his rescue of [[Benito Mussolini]]) conducted many special operations for [[Adolf Hitler]], but no Commando organization was developed from this, and Skorzeny essentially remained a ''[[Waffen-SS]]'' ''Sturmbannführer'' ([[Major]]).
A report written by [[Robert Laycock|Major-General Robert Laycock]] in [[1947]] said there was a German raid on a radar station on the Isle of Wight in 1941. <ref>Commando Country, Stuart Allan, National Museums Scotland 2007, ISBN 9781905267149</ref> <ref>Raids in the Late War and their Lessons, R. Laycock, Journal of the Royal United Service Institution November 1947 pp 534-535</ref>
====Italy====
Italy's most renowned commando unit of World War II was ''[[Decima Flottiglia MAS]]'' ("10th Assault Vehicle Flotilla") which, from mid-1940, were responsible for the sinking and damage of a considerable tonnage of Allied ships in the Mediterranean. After the surrender of Italy in 1943, those fighting with Germany retained the original name, and those fighting with the Allies dubbed themselves the ''[[Mariassalto]]''.
====United Kingdom====
{{main article|British Commandos}}
In [[1940]], the [[British Army]] also formed "independent [[company (military)|companies]]", later reformed as [[battalion]] sized "commandos", thereby reviving the word. It was intended that the [[British Commandos|British Army Commandos]] would be small, highly mobile surprise raiding and [[reconnaissance]] forces. Commandos were not intended to remain in field operations for more than 36 hours and carried all they needed. Army Commandos were all volunteers selected from existing soldiers still in Britain.
The British [[Special Operations Executive]] (SOE), a raiding unit formed from the [[Secret Intelligence Service]], also formed commando units from British and displaced European personnel. These units conducted raiding operations in occupied europe, such as the destruction of [[Norwegian heavy water sabotage|heavy water facilities]] in Norway during 1941; [[Norwegian Independent Company 1]]
The [[Royal Navy]] also controlled [[Royal Navy Commandos|Royal Navy Beach Parties]], based on teams formed to control the [[Battle of Dunkirk|evacuation of Dunkirk]] in 1940.<ref>[http://www.historynet.com/wwii/blforgottencommandos/ TheHistoryNet | World War II | Royal Navy Commandos in World War II<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> These were later known simply as RN Commandos, and they did not see action until they successfully fought for control of the landing beaches (as in the disastrous [[Dieppe Raid]] of [[August 19]], [[1942]]). The RN Commandos, including [[Commando "W"]] from the [[Royal Canadian Navy]], saw action on [[Battle of Normandy|D-Day]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rafbeachunits.info/html/beach_organisation.html|title=Beach Organisation for the Invasion of Normandy, 1944|quote=The Royal Navy Beach Commandos controlled the arrival and departure of vessels that were landing their cargoes on the beaches. In each R.N. Beach Commando was a Principal Beachmaster (P.B.M.), an Assistant Principal Beachmaster and two or three beach parties each consisting of a Beachmaster, two Assistant Beachmasters and about 20 seamen.}}</ref> .
In [[1942]], the Royal Navy's nine [[Royal Marines]] infantry battalions were reorganized as commandos, numbered from 40 to 48, joining the British Army Commandos in combined Commando Brigades. After the war the Army Commandos were disbanded, however the Royal Marines formed an enduring Brigade strength capability; [[3 Commando Brigade]]. <ref>{{cite book|title=The Raiders - the Army Commandos 1940-46|author=Neillands, Robin|isbn=0297794264|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson}}</ref>
====United States====
In mid [[1942]] the [[US Army]] formed the [[US Army Rangers|Rangers]], in [[Northern Ireland]], under [[William O. Darby|Bill Darby]]. The Rangers were designed along the similar lines to the [[British Army]] commandos, who supervised their training. The first sizeable Ranger action took place in August 1942 at the [[Dieppe Raid]], where 50 Rangers were dispersed among the British Commandos. The first full Ranger action took place during the invasion of [[North West Africa]] in ([[Operation Torch]]) in November 1942.
The [[U.S. Marine Corps]] also developed [[Marine Raider]] commando forces during [[World War II]]. The most famous unit was under the command of Colonel Edson and was known as "Edson's Raiders". Marine forces would engage in quick assaults against [[Japan]]ese forces behind the battle lines. Its missions were to gather military intelligence, disrupt enemy lines of communications, destroy Japanese supply lines and cause the enemy to avert combat forces for security purposes.
====Canada====
{{main|Joint Task Force 2}}
A joint [[Canada|Canadian]]-[[United States|American]] Commando unit, the 1st Special Service Force, nicknamed the [[Devil's Brigade]], was formed in 1942 under the command of Colonel Robert Frederick. The unit initially saw service in the Pacific, in August 1943 at [[Kiska]] in the [[Battle of the Aleutian Islands|Aleutians campaign]]. However most of its operations occurred during the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian campaign]] and in southern France. Its most famous raid, which was documented in the film ''Devil's Brigade'', was the battle of [[Monte la Difensa]]. In 1945, the unit was disbanded; the Canadian members were sent to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion as replacements, and the American members were sent to either the [[101st Airborne Division]] or the [[U.S. 82nd Airborne Division|82nd Airborne Division]] as replacements.
=== The Pacific and Asia ===
Following the British example, the [[Australian Army]] formed commando units, known as [[Australian Army Independent Companies|Australian independent companies]] in the early stages of World War II. They first saw action in early 1942 during the [[Battle of Rabaul (1942)#New Ireland|Japanese assault on New Ireland]], and at the [[Battle of Timor (1942-43)|Timorese campaign]]. The 2/1st Independent Company was wiped out on [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]], but on [[Timor]], the 2/2nd Ind Coy formed the heart of an Allied force which engaged [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] forces in a [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] campaign. The Japanese commander on the island drew parallels with the Boer War, and decided that it would take a numerical advantage of 10:1 in order to defeat the Allies. The campaign occupied the attention of an entire Japanese division for almost a year. The independent companies were later renamed commando squadrons, and they saw widespread action in the [[South West Pacific Area]], especially in [[New Guinea]] and [[Borneo]].
During 1941, the [[United States Marine Corps]] formed commando battalions, inspired by both the British commandos and the tactics used by [[Communist Party of China|Chinese Communist]] forces, from whom they acquired the [[war cry]] "[[gung-ho]]". The USMC commandos were known collectively as [[Marine Raiders]]. On orders from President Franklin D. Roosevelt through a proposal from OSS Director Colonel William J. Donovan and the former Commander of the United States Marine Detachment Major Evans F Carlson, directed the formation of what would become The Marine Raiders.
Initially this unit was to be called Marine Commandos and they were to be the counterpart to the British Commandos. The name Marine Commandos met with much controversy within the Marine Corps leading Commandant Thomas J. Holcomb to state, "the term 'Marine' is sufficient to indicate a man ready for duty at any time, and the injection of a special name, such as 'Commando,' would be undesirable and superfluous." President Roosevelt's son James Roosevelt served with The Marine Raiders The Raiders initially saw action at the [[Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo#Battle of Tulagi|Battle of Tulagi]] and the [[Battle of Makin]], as well as the [[Battle of Guadalcanal]], the [[Battle of Empress Augusta Bay]], and other parts of the [[Pacific Ocean Areas]]. In February 1944 the four Raider battalions were converted to regular marine units.
[[Z Special Unit|Z Force]], an Australian-British-New Zealand [[military intelligence]] commando unit, formed by the Australian [[Services Reconnaissance Department]], also carried out many raiding and reconnaissance operations in the South West Pacific theatre, most notably [[Operation Jaywick]], in which they destroyed tonnes of Japanese shipping at [[Singapore]] Harbour. An attempt to replicate this success, with [[Operation Rimau]], resulted in the death of almost all those involved. However, Z Force and other SRD units continued operations until the war's end.
In 1944-45, Japanese ''[[Teishin Shudan]]'' ("Raiding Group") and ''[[Giretsu]]'' ("heroic") detachments made airborne assaults on Allied airfields in the [[Philippines]], [[Marianas]] and [[Okinawa]]. The attacking forces varied in size from a few paratroopers to operations involving several companies. Due to the balance of forces concerned, these raids achieved little in the way of damage or casualties, and resulted in the destruction of the Japanese units concerned. Considering that there were no plans to extract these forces, and the reluctance to surrender by Japanese personnel during that era, they are often seen in the same light as ''[[kamikaze]]'' pilots of 1944-45.
== After 1945 ==
[[Image:Commando jauber3.jpg|thumb|Weapons of the modern commando ''Jaubert'' are clearly visible]]
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:20061211adf8161479 086 lo.jpg|thumb|Members of [[Tactical Assault Group]] East during exercises at [[Holsworthy Barracks]].]] -->
===United Kingdom===
{{main|3 Commando Brigade}}
The [[UK]] now maintains a Commando Brigade formed around a core of [[Royal Marines]] and under the command of [[Commander in Chief Fleet]]. All Royal Marines (other than the [[Royal Marines Band Service]]) are commando trained on entry to the Corps, with supporting units and individuals from the other services undertaking the [[All Arms Commando Course]] as required.
The Brigade is formed of The UK Landing Force Support Group (Headquarters Battalion) three Commandos (40, 42 and 45) roughly of [[battalion]] size , 1st Battlion [[The Rifles]], the [[Commando Logistic Regiment]], [[1 Assault Group Royal Marines|539 Assault Squadron]] Royal Marines, [[29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery|29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery]] and [[24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers]].
===Germany===
The [[German Army]] operates now the [[Fernspähkompanie]] (Germany's elite long range reconnaissance company), and the [[KSK|Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK)]].
The KSK is stationed in [[Calw]] in the [[Black forest]] area in southern Germany. It consists of about 1,100 soldiers, but only a nucleus of these are in fighting units. Exact numbers are not available, these information is considered to be secret. The KSK is a part of the Special Operations Division (Div. Spezielle Operationen - DSO).
The fighting units are divided into four commando companies of about 100 men each and the ''special commando company'' with veteran members, taking supporting tasks. Each of the four commando companies has five specialised platoons:
*1st platoon: land insertions
*2nd platoon: airborne operations
*3rd platoon: amphibious operations
*4th platoon: operations in special geographic or meteorologic surroundings (e.g. mountains or polar-regions)
*5th platoon: reconnaissance, [[sniper]] and [[Counter-sniper tactics|counter-sniper]] operations
* Command Platoon
There are four commando squads in every platoon. Each of these groups consists of about four equally skilled soldiers. One of each group is specially trained as weapons expert, [[medic]], [[combat engineer]] or communications expert respectively. Additionally a group can contain other specialists, e.g. heavy weapons or language experts.
Another special unit, the [[German commando frogmen|Kampfschwimmer]] (comparable to the [[Navy SEAL|U.S.N. SEALS]]) are operated by the [[German Navy]].
===Canada===
Canadian commando forces were disbanded and recreated at various times in the post-war years, and by 1979, there were three Units, with No 3 Commando established as an airborne unit. This resulted in a ceiling of about 750 members in all ranks, organized into three smaller company-sized commandos. The three infantry commandos took shape around the three regimental affiliations: No 1 Commando with the [[Royal 22e Régiment|Royal 22<sup>e</sup> Régiment]], No 2 Commando with [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]], and No 3 Commando with [[The Royal Canadian Regiment]]. The Canadian Airborne Regiment was disbanded after the torture and murder of [[Shidane Arone]], a [[Somalia]] civilian, in 1993, and other allegations of wrongdoing within the Regiment. Later, parliamentary investigations would question why such an elite commando unit was sent on a peacekeeping mission. (The [[Canadian special forces#Joint Task Force Two|Canadian Joint Task Force Two]], or JTF2, is also sometimes referred to as a "commando" unit, but it is technically a specialist [[counter-terrorist]] unit.)
===Australia===
In [[Australia]], the Army's commando squadrons were disbanded at the end of the war. In 1954, two [[Australian Army Reserve|Citizens Military Force]] (reserve) units, 1 and 2 Commando Companies, were raised. A joint regimental structure for these, the [[1st Commando Regiment (Australia)|1st Commando Regiment]] (1CDO) was formed in the 1980s, this included a previously independent 126 Signal Squadron (Special Forces). During the 1990s, the Australian government perceived the need for a permanent commando capability; and the recently re-raised [[4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment]] began the process of conversion for a commando battalion in 1997, using a cadre of 1st Commando Regiment and [[Australian Special Air Service Regiment]] (SASR) instructors. 126 Signal Squadron was reassigned to 4 RAR and 301 Signal Squadron re-raised to support 1st Cdo Regt. 1CDO and 4RAR soldiers must complete identical training and selection courses, before being awarded the coveted "Green Beret". One company of 4th Battalion is responsible for counter-terrorism operations and response in the eastern region of Australia and is officially known as [[Tactical Assault Group]]-East (TAG-E). This company mirrors its sister unit (the original Tactical Assault Group) in the West (TAG-W), which is part of the SAS. Commandos from 4RAR and 1CDO have recently been deployed to several countries including [[East Timor]], the [[Solomon Islands]], [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]].
===Vietnam===
The legendary Chinese Bandit Recon LRRP Team 1st Bn (ABN) 8th Cav 1965-66 received two Presidential Unit Citations for extraordinary heroism for its performance of commando operations during the early stage of the Vietnam war. This unit was deployed along the borders of Cambodia and Laos to locate the large NVA regimental bivouac sites that were used during their infiltration into the Republic of South Vietnam.
[[Image:nvasapper.jpg|thumb|left|NVA commando or sapper at work]]
The North Vietnamese produced some of the most effective commando units of the post WWII era. Called [[sappers]], these units represented a force economy measure for the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and the Viet Cong. With large scale conventional attacks increasingly untenable, small comando operations came into their own, particularly after the Tet Offensive and at times, inflicted severe damage to US and ARVN troops and bases.<ref>US Army Center for Military History, Vietnam Studies, "FIELD ARTILLERY, 1954-1973," by Major General David Ewing Ott, (DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY: WASHINGTON, D.C., 1975) p. 1-13</ref>
Sappers were originally supporting adjuncts to regular formations prior to 1967, but in time, independent formations were created throughout the Vietnam arena. Sappers could operate in support of a larger regular infantry formation, or as the main spearhead themselves, with regulars as backup. In the spearhead mode, they represented their most potent threat.<ref>US Army, 'FIELD ARTILLERY" op. cit</ref> A typical raiding operation was divided into 4 elements: Assault, Fire-Support, Security and Reserves. Assault teams were generally broken down into 3-5 man cells. Fire-support was critical, as it forced defenders to keep their heads down, while inflitrating assault elements made their final penetrations. One of the most devastiting attacks was against the US Firebase, FSB Maryann in 1971.<ref>Keith William Nolan, Sappers In the Wire: The Life and Death of Firebase Mary Ann, (Texas A&M University Press: 1995) pp. 23-119, 200-245</ref> See chart for detailed breakdown of a typical sapper raiding party.
[[Image:sapperorg.jpg|thumb|right|Typical sapper formation with 4 echelons: Assault, Security, Reserve, and Fire-support]]
While small in terms of total men deployed throughout the Vietnam theater, sapper attacks had a significant impact for the NLF/PAVN effort. As one US Army history puts it:
:"From the beginning of 1968 until mid-1969, sappers were essential to the enemy's effort. Although they participated in only 4 percent of all assaults, these made up 12 percent of all significant assaults-those which inflicted serious damage.. In 1969, the average raid inflicted more than $1,000,000 damage and accounted for more allied casualties."<ref>US Army Center for Military History, Vietnam Studies, "FIELD ARTILLERY, 1954-1973," op. cit</ref>
==Popular Culture==
The terms "[[going commando]]" or simply "commando" are often used in the United States, Canada, Australia and Great Britain to refer to wearing no underwear under the trousers. The term originated with American soldiers who preferred not to wear underwear in field conditions because of its tendency to retain sweat and the additional laundry burden. The terms are analogous to the Scottish military term "[[True Scotsman|regimental]]" referring to wearing no underwear under the [[kilt]].
==See also==
*[[Joint Task Force 2]] (Canada)
*[[Australian commandos]]
* Austrian [[Jagdkommando]]
* Belgian [[Paracommando Brigade]]
* [[Bangladesh Army Commando]]
* [[Bangladesh Army 1st Para commando Battalion]]
*[[Commando Order]]
*[[Commando Ridge]], Bosigran, [[Cornwall]], used for training coastal attack forces in cliff assault techniques, in, and after, [[World War II]]
*[[F&S Fighting Knife]]
* Dutch [[Korps Commandotroepen]] (KCT)
* The Danish [[Jægerkorpset]](hunters corps og rangers corps) and frømandskorps (frogman corps)
* German [[SSG]]
* German [[Kommando Spezialkräfte]]
* Italian [[COMSUBIN]](Commando Raggruppamento Subacqui ed Incursori) Naval special operations force
* Italian [[Gruppo di Intervento Speciale|GIS]] or the Special Intervention Group (Gruppo di Intervento Speciale) of the [[Carabinieri]]
* Italian State Police [[Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza|NOCS]] (Special Operations Central Nucleus) counter-terrorism unit
* [[Irish Army Rangers]]
* [[UOE|Spanish Navy Special Operations Unit (UOE)]]
* Spanish [[GOE|Grupo de Operaciones Especiales]](Special Operations Groups)
* [[GEO|Grupo Especial de Operaciones]] (Special Operations Group, GEO) is part of the [[Spanish National Police]]
* [[UEI|Unidad Especial de Intervención]] (Special Intervention Unit) -Spanish [[Guardia Civil]]
* [[Philippe Kieffer]]
* [[Philippine National Police Special Action Force]]
* [[Philippine Army Scout Rangers & Special Forces]]
*[[Comandos|Comandos (Portugal)]]
* [[Power Geyser]] purported clandestine United States counterterrorism program
* [[Royal Netherlands Marine Corps]]
* [[Shivaji]]
* [[21 Gerup Gerak Khas|Malaysia 21 Gerup Gerak Khas]]
* [[VAT69/UTK|Malaysia VAT69/UTK ]]
* [[601 Commando Company]] (Argentina)
* [[Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation]]
* [[South African Special Forces Brigade]]
* [[Special forces]]
* [[Spetsnaz]] ([[Soviet Union]])
* [[United States Army Special Forces]] (Green Berets)
* [[Delta]] or the United States Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment
* [[Kostrad]] Indonesia Army Strategic Reserve Command
* [[Tiger Force]]Part of the U.S.Army 101st Airborne Division
* [[Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment]]
* [[Special Boat Squadron]] of Sri Lanka Navy
* [[MARCOS (India)]]
* [[National Security Guards]] ([[India]])
* [[Special Service Group]] ([[Pakistan]])
* [[Shayetet 13]]([[Israel]])
* [[Sayeret Matkal]] ([[Israel]])
* [[Sayeret Duvdevan]] ([[Israel]])
* [[Maroon Berets]] ([[Turkey]])
* * [[Sissi (Finnish Guerrilla)]] ([[Finland]])
==References==
{{reflist|1}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.sasspecialairservice.com/ The SAS and their Commando roots]
* [http://shadowspear.com/ ShadowSpear Special Operations Community Website & Forum]
* [http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_engineer.htm Royal Engineers Museum - Commando Sappers]
* [http://www.scgonline.net/ SCG International Risk provides training to US commando units]
* [http://www.30AU.co.uk 30 Commando Assault Unit - Ian Fleming's 'Red Indians']
* [http://www.commandoveterans.org The Commando Veterans Association]
[[Category:Military occupations]]
[[Category:Special forces]]
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