Commandos (United Kingdom)
Commandos | |
---|---|
Active | 1940–1946 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army Royal Navy Royal Air Force |
Type | Commando |
Role | Coastal raiding Special operations Light infantry |
Part of | Combined Operations |
Engagements | Second World War |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Robert Laycock John Durnford-Slater Lord Lovat Ronnie Tod |
Insignia | |
Combined Operations Tactical recognition flash |
The Commandos, also known as the British Commandos, were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from Winston Churchill, for special forces that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe. Initially drawn from within the British Army from soldiers who volunteered for the Special Service Brigade, the Commandos' ranks would eventually be filled by members of all branches of the British Armed Forces and a number of foreign volunteers from German-occupied countries. By the end of the war 25,000 men had passed through the Commando course at Achnacarry. This total includes not only the British volunteers, but volunteers from Greece, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Poland, and the United States Army Rangers and US Marine Corps Raiders, Portuguese Fuzileiros Portuguese Marine Corps were modelled on the Commandos.[1]
Reaching a wartime strength of over 30 units and four assault brigades, the Commandos served in all theatres of war from the Arctic Circle to Europe and from the Mediterranean and Middle East to South-East Asia. Their operations ranged from small groups of men landing from the sea or by parachute, to a brigade of assault troops spearheading the Allied invasions of Europe and Asia.
After the war most Commando units were disbanded, leaving only the
Formation
The British Commandos were a formation of the
The request for volunteers for special service was initially restricted to serving Army soldiers within certain formations still in Britain, and from men of the disbanding divisional
By the autumn of 1940 more than 2,000 men had volunteered and in November 1940 these new units were organised into a
Organisation
Commando units
The Commando units formed in the United Kingdom were:
Some Commandos were designated for different tasks from the start. No. 2 Commando was always intended to be a parachute unit. In June 1940 they began parachute training and were re-designated the 11th Special Air Service (SAS) Battalion, which eventually became the 1st Parachute Battalion.[15] After their re-designation a new No. 2 Commando was formed.[16] Other Commandos were grouped together in a larger formation known as Layforce and sent to the Middle East.[17][18] The Special Air Service and the Special Boat Squadron were formed from the survivors of Layforce.[19][20] The men of No. 14 (Arctic) Commando were specially trained for operations in the Arctic Circle and specialised in using small boats and canoes to attack shipping.[21] The joint service unit No. 30 Commando was formed for intelligence gathering. Its members were trained in the recognition of enemy documents, search techniques, safe cracking, prisoner handling, photography, and escape techniques.[22] No. 62 Commando or the Small Scale Raiding Force was a small 55–man unit under the operational control of the
In February 1941 the Commandos were reorganized in accordance with a new war establishment. Each Commando unit now consisted of a Headquarters and six troops (instead of the previous 10). Each troop would comprise three officers and 62
In February 1942 the Royal Marines were tasked to organise Commando units of their own.[27] In total nine Commando units were formed by the Royal Marines: No. 40, No. 41, No. 42, No. 43, No. 44, No. 45, No. 46, No. 47 and the last, No. 48, which was only formed in 1944.[12] In 1943 two other Commando units were formed. The first was the Royal Naval Commandos, who were established to carry out tasks associated with establishing, maintaining, and controlling beachheads during amphibious operations.[28] The other was the Royal Air Force Commandos, who would accompany an invasion force either to make enemy airfields serviceable, or to make new airstrips operational and contribute to their defence.[29]
1943 reorganization
In 1943, the formation of the Commando unit was changed. Each Commando now consisted of a small headquarters group, five fighting troops, a heavy weapons troop, and a signals platoon. The fighting troops consisted of 65 men of all ranks divided into two 30–man sections which were subdivided into three 10–man subsections. The heavy weapons troop was made up of 3-inch mortar and Vickers machine gun teams.[30] The Commandos were provided with the motor transport needed to accompany them on operations. Their transport now consisted of the commanding officer's car, 15 motorcycles (six with side cars), ten 15 cwt trucks, and three 3-ton trucks. The heavy weapons troop had seven Jeeps and trailers and one Jeep for each of the fighting troops and the headquarters. This gave them enough vehicles of their own to accommodate two fighting troops, the heavy weapons troop, and the Commando Headquarters.[31]
By now the Commandos started to move away from smaller raiding operations. They were formed into four brigades to spearhead future Allied landing operations. The previous Special Service Brigade Headquarters was replaced by Headquarters Special Services Group under command of Major-General Robert Sturges.[32] Of the remaining 20 Commando units, 17 were used in the formation of the four Special Service brigades. The three remaining Commandos (Nos. 12, 14, and 62) were left out of the brigade structure to concentrate on smaller scale raids.[33] The increased tempo of operations, together with a shortage of volunteers and the need to provide replacements for casualties, forced their disbandment by the end of 1943.[23][34] The small scale raiding role was then given to the two French troops of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando.[35]
From 1944 the Operational Holding Commando Headquarters was formed. It was responsible for two sub-units: the Army and Royal Marines Holding Commando Wings. Both units had an establishment of five troops and a heavy weapons troop of fully trained commandos. The men in these troops were to provide individual or complete troop replacements for the Commando units in the field.[36] In December 1944, the four Special Service brigades were re-designated as Commando brigades.[37]
Training
When the Commando units were originally formed in 1940, training was the responsibility of the unit commanding officers.
Exercises were conducted using live ammunition and explosives to make training as realistic as possible. Physical fitness was a prerequisite, with cross country runs and
Another smaller Commando depot, known as the Commando Mountain and Snow Warfare training camp, was established at
A major change in the training programme occurred in 1943. From that point on training concentrated more on the assault infantry role and less on raiding operations. Training now included how to call for fire support from artillery and naval gunfire, and how to obtain tactical air support from the Allied air forces. More emphasis was put on joint training, with two or more Commando units working together in brigades.[44] By the end of the war 25,000 men had passed through the Commando course at Achnacarry. This total includes not only the British volunteers, but volunteers from Belgium, France, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and the United States Army Rangers, which were modelled on the Commandos.[1]
Weapons and equipment
As a raiding force, the Commandos were not issued the heavy weapons of a normal infantry battalion. The weapons used were the standard British Army small arms of the time; most riflemen carried the
Initially the Commandos were indistinguishable from the rest of the British Army and volunteers retained their own regimental head-dress and insignia. No. 2 Commando adopted Scottish head-dress for all ranks and No. 11 (Scottish) Commando wore the
As the men were equipped for raiding operations and only lightly armed, they did not carry
Operations
The very first Commando raid – Operation Collar on 23 June 1940 – was not actually carried out by a Commando unit, but by one of their predecessors: No.11 Independent Company. The mission, led by Major Ronnie Tod, was an offensive reconnaissance carried out on the French coast south of Boulogne-sur-Mer and Le Touquet. The operation was a limited success; at least two German soldiers were killed whilst the only British injury was a flesh wound suffered by Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Clarke, who had accompanied the raiders as an observer.[6] A second and similarly inconsequential raid, Operation Ambassador, was made on the German-occupied island of Guernsey on the night of 14 July 1940 by men from H Troop of No. 3 Commando and No. 11 Independent Company. One unit landed on the wrong island and another group disembarked from its launch into water so deep that it came over their heads. Intelligence had indicated that there was a large German barracks on the island but the Commandos found only empty buildings. When they returned to the beach heavy seas had forced their launch offshore, and they were forced to swim out to sea to be picked up.[4]
The size of the raiding force depended on the objective. The smallest raid was conducted by two men from No. 6 Commando in
Norway
The first Commando raid in Norway,
In December 1941 there were two raids. The first was
In September 1942 men from No. 2 Commando took part in
In 1943, the Norwegian Troop of No. 10 (Inter-Allied), No. 12, and No. 14 (Arctic) Commandos assisted the Royal Navy in carrying out anti-shipping raids in Norwegian coastal waters. The Commandos provided extra firepower for the navy
The Germans responded to the numerous raids directed at Norway by increasing the number of troops stationed there. By 1944 the garrison had risen to 370,000 men.[34] In comparison, a British infantry division in 1944 had an establishment of 18,347 men.[57]
Channel Islands
There were seven Commando missions carried out on the Channel Islands. Operation Ambassador, which focused on Guernsey, was the first and largest of these, employing 140 men from No. 3 Commando and No. 11 Independent Company in a night raid on 14 July 1940.[49] Later raids were much smaller; only 12 men of No. 62 Commando took part in Operation Dryad in September 1942, when they captured seven prisoners and located several German codebooks.[58] Operation Branford, a reconnaissance mission that aimed to identify a suitable gun position to support future raids on Alderney,[59] followed only days later. In October of that year 12 men from No.s 12 and 62 Commandos took part in Operation Basalt, a raid on Sark that saw four Germans killed and one taken prisoner.[60]
All the other Channel Islands raids were less successful. In January 1943,
Mediterranean
During 1941, the Middle East Commandos and Layforce were tasked to carry out a campaign of harassment and dislocation against enemy forces in the Mediterranean.
In May 1941 the majority of Layforce were sent as reinforcements to the
In November 1942, No. 1 and No. 6 Commandos formed part of the spearhead for Allied landings in
In May 1943 a Special Service Brigade comprising No. 2, No. 3, No. 40 (RM), and No. 41 (RM) Commandos was sent to the Mediterranean to take part in the
France
There were 36 Commando raids targeted against France between 1940–1944, mostly small affairs involving between 10 and 25 men. Some of the larger raids involved one or more commando units.
On 19 August 1942 a major landing took place at the French coastal town of
During the
Netherlands
The
No. 48 Commando quickly captured a radar station and then advanced on a gun battery south of Westkapelle, which was captured before nightfall.[88] On 2 November No. 47 Commando advanced through No. 48 Commando to attack a gun battery at Zoutelande. The attack failed, with the unit suffering heavy casualties, including all the rifle troop commanders.[88] The next day No. 47, supported by No. 48 Commando, again attacked the Zoutelande gun battery. This time they managed to continue the advance and link up with No. 4 Commando. The capture of these batteries allowed the navy to start sweeping the channel into Antwerp for mines.[88] On 5 November, No. 41 Commando captured the gun battery north east of Domburg; this left only one battery still under German control. The brigade regrouped and concentrated its assault on the last position. Just before the attack began on 9 November, the 4,000 men in the battery surrendered. This was quickly followed by the surrender of the rest of the island's garrison.[88]
Germany
In January 1945 the 1st Commando Brigade were involved in Operation Blackcock, where Lance Corporal Henry Harden of the Royal Army Medical Corps, attached to No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando was awarded the Victoria Cross.[89]
The 1st Commando Brigade next took part in
Burma
During the
Legacy
At the end of the Second World War, all the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and some Royal Marines Commandos were disbanded. This left only three Royal Marines Commandos and one brigade (with supporting Army elements). As of 2010, the British Commando force is 3 Commando Brigade, which consists of both Royal Marines and British Army components,[95] as well as commando-trained personnel from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Other units of the British armed forces, which can trace their origins to the British Commandos of the Second World War, are the Parachute Regiment, the Special Air Service, and the Special Boat Service.[96][97][98]
Of the Western nations represented in No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, only Norway did not develop a post-war commando force.
The men serving with the Commandos were awarded 479
Battle honours
In the British Army
- Adriatic
- Alethangyaw
- Aller
- Anzio
- Argenta Gap
- Burma 1943–1945
- Crete
- Dieppe
- Dives Crossing
- Djebel Choucha
- Flushing
- Greece 1944–1945
- Italy 1943–1945
- Kangow
- Landing at Porto San Venere
- Landing in Sicily
- Leese
- Litani
- Madagascar
- Middle East 1941, 1942, 1944
- Monte Ornito
- Myebon
- Normandy Landings
- North Africa 1941–1943
- North-West Europe 1942, 1944, 1945
- Norway 1941
- Pursuit to Messina
- Rhine
- St. Nazaire
- Salerno
- Sedjenane 1
- Sicily 1943
- Steamroller Farm
- Syria 1941
- Termoli
- Vaagso
- Valli di Comacchio
- Westkapelle
Footnotes
- guerrilla style operations in Norway following Operation Weserübung, the German invasion of Denmark and Norway. Each of the 10 companies initially consisted of 21 officers and 268 soldiers.[6]
References
- ^ a b c Moreman, p. 40.
- ^ Churchill, p. 217.
- ^ a b Clarke, Dudley. "The Birth of the Commandos". The Listener. 25 November 1948. p. 799.
- ^ a b Haskew, p. 47.
- ^ Haskew, pp. 47–48.
- ^ a b Moreman, p. 13.
- ^ Joslen, p. 454.
- ^ a b c Haskew, p. 48.
- ^ Moreman, p. 12.
- ^ Chappell, p. 6.
- ^ Chappell, p. 30.
- ^ a b c Chappell, pp. 45–48.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 6.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 5.
- ^ Shott & McBride, p. 4.
- ^ a b Moreman, p. 91.
- ^ a b Chappell, p. 15.
- ^ a b c Saunders, p. 52.
- ^ Shortt & McBride, pp. 6–9.
- ^ Morgan, p. 15.
- ^ Macksey and Woodhouse, p. 308.
- ^ "No 30AU Commando History". Commando Veterans Association. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ^ a b Chappell, p. 48.
- ^ Binney, p. 129.
- ^ Moreman, pp. 16–17.
- ^ Morman, p. 17.
- ^ Haskew, pp. 48–49.
- ^ "Memories of D-Day: Juno Beach". D-Day Museum, Portsmouth. Archived from the original on 2 September 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ "Royal Air Force Servicing Commandos 1942 to 1946". The RAF Servicing Commando and Tactical Supply Wing Association. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 28.
- ^ Moreman, p. 28.
- ^ Chappell, p. 28.
- ^ Moreman, pp. 84–85.
- ^ a b Chappell, p. 14.
- ^ a b c van der Bijl, p. 23.
- ^ Moreman, pp. 37–39.
- ^ Moreman, p. 32.
- ^ Moreman, p. 33.
- ^ Moreman, p. 49.
- ^ Moreman, p. 37.
- ^ Moreman, pp. 37–38.
- ^ a b Moreman, p. 38.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 12.
- ^ Moreman, p. 41.
- ^ a b c d e f Moreman, p. 46.
- ^ Bishop, p. 220.
- ^ Forty, p. 96.
- ^ Messenger (1985), p. 74.
- ^ a b c d e Messenger (2004), p. 15.
- ^ "Jeremy Clarkson: Greatest Raid of All Time". BBC. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
- ^ Messenger (1985), p. 251.
- ^ Moreman, p. 54.
- ^ a b c Messenger (1991), p. 165.
- ^ "History of No. 2 Commando". Commando Veterans Association. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 13.
- ^ "Operation Checkmate – Haugesund, Norway". Commando Veterans Association. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ^ Brayley & Chappell, p. 17.
- ^ Binney, p. 152.
- ^ Macksey, p. 138.
- ^ Saunders, p. xxv.
- ^ Macksey, p. 170.
- ^ Moreman, p. 20.
- ^ a b Saunders, p. 55.
- ^ Saunders, p. 57.
- ^ Chappell, p. 16.
- ^ Chappel, p. 15.
- ^ a b Saunders, p. 61.
- ^ Chappell, p. 17.
- ^ a b Chappell, p. 29.
- ^ Chappell, p. 59.
- ^ "No 1 Army Commando". Commando Veterans Association. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 14.
- ^ Zuehlke, pp. 117–119.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 19.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 17.
- ^ Bijl & Hanon, pp. 29–30.
- ^ "No. 37254". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 September 1945. p. 4469.
- ^ "No. 37127". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 1945. p. 3087.
- ^ "No. 37134". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 1945. pp. 3171–3172.
- ^ Moreman, p. 66.
- ^ "Remembering St Nazaire raid". BBC. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ Dunning, pp. 65–87.
- ^ "No. 35729". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 October 1942. pp. 4323–4324.
- ^ Tillman, p. 51.
- ^ Zuehlke, p. 399.
- ^ "Operation Neptune – 6 June 1944". 47 Royal Marines Commando Association. Retrieved 7 May 2010. [dead link]
- ^ a b "Chapter five, Operation Infatuate the Allies plan of attack". Royal Marines Museum. Archived from the original on November 15, 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Chapter seven, Royal Marines Commandos advance to their objectives on Walchern". Royal Marines Museum. Archived from the original on November 15, 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ "No. 36972". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 March 1945. p. 1297.
- ^ Coop, p. 250.
- ^ Mcdonald, p. 303.
- ^ "No. 37027". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 April 1945. p. 1939.
- ^ Moreman, p. 82.
- ^ "No1 Army Commando". Commando Veterans Association. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
- ^ "Fact file: 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines". BBC. 26 February 2003. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ^ Otway, pp. 31–32.
- ^ Breuer, pp. 46–47.
- ^ Molinari, p. 22.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 58.
- ^ van der Bijl, p. 56.
- ^ "The history of the Commando Foundation". Korps Commandotroepen. Archived from the original on 31 October 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
- ^ "Centre d'Entraînement de Commandos". Ministère de la Défense, la Composante Terre. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
- ^ Rottman, p. 5.
- ^ Black, Robert (2013). The Battalion: The Dramatic Story of the 2nd Ranger Battalion in WWII. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books.
- ^ Laffin, p. 19.
- ^ "Commando Monument". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Spean Bridge, Commando Memorial (Category A Listed Building) (LB6842)". Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ^ Griffin, p. 187.
- ^ Moreman, p. 94.
Bibliography
- Binney, Marcus (2006). Secret War Heroes. London: ISBN 978-0-340-82910-3.
- Bishop, Chris (2002). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WWII. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 1-58663-762-2.
- Brayley, Martin; Chappell, Mike (2001). British Army 1939–45 (1): North-West Europe. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-052-8.
- ISBN 1-85532-579-9.
- Churchill, Winston (1949). The Second World War, Vol II, Their Finest Hour. Cassell & Co Ltd.
- Coop, Terry (2006). Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe, 1944–1945. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-3925-1.
- Dunning, James (2003). The Fighting Fourth: No. 4 Commando at War 1940–45. Stroud, England: Sutton. ISBN 978-0-7509-3095-6.
- Forty, George (1998). British Army handbook, 1939–1945. Stroud: Sutton. ISBN 978-0-7509-3190-8.
- Griffin, P.D (2006). Encyclopedia of Modern British Army Regiments. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3929-X.
- Haskew, Michael E (2007). Encyclopaedia of Elite Forces in the Second World War. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-84415-577-4.
- Jones, Tim (2006). SAS Zero Hour: The Secret Origins of the Special Air Service. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-669-1.
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- ISBN 0-8128-2973-5.
- ISBN 0-670-82698-7.
- Mcdonald, Charles Brown (2005). The Last Offensive: The European Theater of Operations. Washington: University Press of the Pacific. ISBN 1-4102-2072-9.
- Messenger, Charles (1985). The Commandos: 1940–1946. London: Kimber. ISBN 0-7183-0553-1.
- Messenger, Charles (1991). The Last Prussian: A Biography of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, 1875–1953. London; Washington: Brassey's. ISBN 0-08-036707-0.
- Messenger, Charles (2004). The D Day Atlas. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-25123-2.
- Moreman, Timothy Robert (2006). British Commandos 1940–46. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-986-X.
- Morgan, Mike (2000). Daggers Drawn: Second World War Heroes of the SAS and SBS. Stroud: Sutton. ISBN 0-7509-2509-4.
- Owen, James (2012). Commando. London: Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1-4087-0302-1.
- Parker, John (2000). Commandos: The Inside Story of Britain's Most Elite Fighting Force. London: Headline. ISBN 978-0-7472-7008-9.
- Rottman, Gordon L (1987). US Army Rangers & LRRP Units 1942–87. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-795-5.
- ISBN 0-450-01007-4.
- Saunders, Paul (2005). The British Channel Islands Under German Occupation, 1940–1945. Jersey: Jersey Heritage Trust. ISBN 0-9538858-3-6.
- ISBN 0-85045-396-8.
- van der Bijl, Nick (2006). No. 10 Inter-Allied Commando 1942–45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-999-1.
- van der Bijl, Nick; Hannon, Paul (1995). The Royal Marines 1939–93. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-85532-388-9.
- Zuehlke, Mark (2005). Juno Beach: Canada's D-Day Victory – June 6, 1944. Vancouver, B.C.: Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 1-55365-091-3.
Further reading
- Herrington, I. (2004). The Special Operations Executive in Norway 1940–1945: Policy and Operations in the Strategid and Political Context (PhD thesis). De Montfort University, Leicester. OCLC 500159816. Docket uk.bl.ethos.516070. Archived from the original(pdf) on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
External links
- Commando Veterans Association
- Combined Operations
- Commando Veterans Association
- 30 Commando Assault Unit – Ian Fleming's 'Red Indians'
- No. 6 (Army) Commando
- No, 47 (Royal Marine) Commando Association