Best military units of all time

[calger14]

British special forces (SBS, SRR, SAS)
Royal Marine Commandos
Spartans

Too hard to make a certain choice

[andrewza]

South African reccs (sa special forces I am biased but hey still you can not say I am wrong to list them)

Roman legion (one of the longest lasting empires ever was formed by them)

Moglian Horde( worlds largest continual land empire most of it formed in one life time)

[Massena]

-United States Marine Corps.

-Roman Legions of the post-Marian reforms until the 3d century AD.

-Eastern Roman Army of the 5th-11th centuries

-Napoleon's Grande Armee

-The Union and Confederate armies of the American Civil War

-The British Army from 1881-1918

-The Royal Marines

-The French army under Turenne

-Gustave Adolph's Swedish army of the Thirty Years War.

-The army of Marlborough and Eugene.

Sincerely,
M

[lcm1]

Originally Posted by Massena

-United States Marine Corps.

-Roman Legions of the post-Marian reforms until the 3d century AD.

-Eastern Roman Army of the 5th-11th centuries

-Napoleon's Grande Armee

-The Union and Confederate armies of the American Civil War

-The British Army from 1881-1918

-The Royal Marines

-The French army under Turenne

-Gustave Adolph's Swedish army of the Thirty Years War.

-The army of Marlborough and Eugene.

Sincerely,
M

Now that is nearer than the original one,only fault I could find is you have got the two Marine Corps the wrong way around!! lcm1

[KRJ]

I'll go out on a limb here and say that units of the Rhodesian Army served Rhodesia's needs in the bush wars very well indeed - as good or better as units of any nation you care to name have ever served their nation's needs in small wars.

It's hard to see how Rhodesian units could have been better at what they were tasked to do given what they had to do it with.

The Selous Scouts might well have been the best combat tracker unit of the 20th Century. The U.S. Army still had some Native American scouts on duty in the early 1900s and also had a very good combat tracker program in Vietnam. The British employed very good Iban trackers in Malaysia. The Israelis have done well with Bedouin trackers. And the USMC did some effective tracking in small wars in Haiti and Nicaragua. But I think the Selous Scouts took the combat tracking concept about as high as it could go in the 20th Century. South African Recces? Well, weren't they heavily populated with former Rhodesians?

That's just one example of a Rhodesian unit that was phenominal at what it was called on to do in the bush wars.

[andrewza]

There where a few but not has many has most think. But yes Rhodesian light infantry where very good but a lot of SA units where on the same standard (32 battalion where a big one). Of course if you want the best single force that was ever in modern Africa can not beat 61 mechanized battalion. It was the heavy hitting force in the border war. Though it was not a special force unit it was very good at what it did.

I believe The current best tracking force is SA got the human skill and tech. Even us navy guys go through a short (1 week) field craft mainly concerning Camouflage and concealment, navigation, and patrol work(really basic infantry) and that was BMT for guys who may never see a bush again.

[BELGRAVE]

The Walmington- on- Sea Home Guard.

[Indpavan]

Originally Posted by Massena

-United States Marine Corps.

-Roman Legions of the post-Marian reforms until the 3d century AD.

-Eastern Roman Army of the 5th-11th centuries

M

If you reach back to the 5 - 11 Centuries then surely 1 must include the Mongol tumans commanded by Subutai especially for his strategy and great speedy cavalry marches to surprise many an opponent of Gengis Khan. The campaigns against the Persian empire and the campain to defeat Poland and Hungary while simulatanously commanding the 2 formations that did it.

[ITALICA ONE]

jan 22 -23 1889, the 109 British redcoats vs 4,000 Zulu Warriors. Just after the British lost 1500 troops at Isandlwana a few hours earlier. Damn good showing for only two Lt's to handle. Plus they made an excellent movie about the account back in i think the 60's.

recomended subject matter.
http://www.greatmilitarybattles.com/...and_rorke.html

[Losted Shadows]

Hi their everyone,

I just want to say that the American soldiers in the Vietnam war where complete idiots. That would walk through the jungle, singing and walking in single file, just waiting the be shot. They would often shot anything that moved, including themselves and some Australian's. I'm sorry, but the ANZAC's where the better. They would go around, not singing, and slightly spread out, so they didn't draw attention.

It is common knowledge that the ANZAC's where great. I'm not saying they where the best in the world(though I think they where), they where certainly better than the US.
Perhaps if US students where taught world history, instead of just American history, they would know this.

Not trying to be mean, I'm just saying that even if the Americans are the roughest of them all, doesn't mean they are the best, or even that great.

[lcm1]

Originally Posted by Losted Shadows

Hi their everyone,

I just want to say that the American soldiers in the Vietnam war where complete idiots. That would walk through the jungle, singing and walking in single file, just waiting the be shot. They would often shot anything that moved, including themselves and some Australian's. I'm sorry, but the ANZAC's where the better. They would go around, not singing, and slightly spread out, so they didn't draw attention.

It is common knowledge that the ANZAC's where great. I'm not saying they where the best in the world(though I think they where), they where certainly better than the US.
Perhaps if US students where taught world history, instead of just American history, they would know this.

Not trying to be mean, I'm just saying that even if the Americans are the roughest of them all, doesn't mean they are the best, or even that great.

Perhaps they were young and new to the game especially jungle warfare we all have that educating period and with a bit of luck live through it,mind you moving through the jungle and singing seems a bit way out,what was wrong with there senior NCOs? lcm1

[Dibble201Bty]

Originally Posted by lcm1

,mind you moving through the jungle and singing seems a bit way out,what was wrong with there senior NCOs? lcm1

They were playing the guitar and leading the chorus line.

Paul

[Massena]

Losted Shadows,

If I were you, historically speaking, I would stay away from sweeping statements, as they are usually, if not completely, incorrect.

If you actually look into the history of the US involvment in the Vietnam War you'll see that the combat record of the overwhelming majority of the American combat units was excellent. Take a look particularly at the Tet 68battles, Khe Sanh, the incursion into Cambodia in 1970, among others.

I do take particular offense at your remarks, being a retired Marine Corps artillery officer whose elder brother was a Marine infantry officer on the DMZ for a year, where he commanded an infantry platoon and a company.

Further, my cousin was killed in action in the Mekong Delta with the 9th Infantry Division-and yes, he was a conscript.

My eldest brother was an advisor to the South Vietnamese airborne division, a platoon and company commander with the airborne brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, and a company commander in the 173d Airborne Brigade. In his last command, where he was killed in action at the Battle of Dak to in November 1967, he was on his second combat tour, both of which he volunteered for.

I'm a retired Marine Corps artillery officer who has had the honor and privilige of holding three commands and am a combat veteran.

After retirement, I was a history teacher for fifteen years. Both world and US history are taught in the US public school system. You might want to check on your 'facts' before running your mouth.

So, I suggest that either you shut your mouth and keep your ignorant comments about the American soldier to yourself, or you withdraw them as they are insulting, inaccurate, and defamatory. In short, you're a fool who couldn't find his ass with both hands and a roadmap. You are disgusting and your remarks are offensive and dishonorable. You slander better men than you are yourself.

Sincerely,
M

[Massena]

'Now that is nearer than the original one,only fault I could find is you have got the two Marine Corps the wrong way around!!'

Six of one, half dozen of the other.

I didn't post them in any paticular order, just as they came to mind.

When I was stationed in Washington DC at Headquarters Marine Corps (was that a nightmare-Sodom on Potomac), the Band of the Royal Marines gave us a morning 'wake up' outside in the parking lot in front of the building. It was great. I couldn't help but remark on the similarity of the dress uniforms with ours.

By the way, the percussion section of the Royal Marine Band is better than that of the Marine Corps Band at Eighth and Eye. Don't tell anyone I said that, though, I'll be shot for disloyalty.

Sincerely,
M

[Von Richter]

Two things Marshal M, old bean...

Post 403... To you, yours and all American soldiers.

Post 404... you should have remarked on how similar your dress uniform was to ours... we were here first remember!