Commandos of the world.

Site Issues 2006 Archive Room
#1

As a British soldier who has served with Commandos, I was wondering if any one else has knowledge of their own countries commandos?

The name originally came from the Boer war in Africa, and was later used to describe men who took on desparate missions in WW2, but what have these men become now?

Any history and/or modern detail welcomed. I am putting together a bit of package on the British commandos now.

Has anyone else completed a commando course, in any nation?

Hopefully Erwin will be able to add to this debate about his time with the “Green Hand” commandos of Argentina who he was with for a brief time.

For now the following is the capbadge of the present day Royal Marines and the qualification badge for the “All Arms Commando” worn by Army personnel who have passed the gruelling 8 week commando training given to all British commandos.


RM Capbadge


RM shoulder titles.

Royal Navy Commando shoulder titles. The RN serve as Medics, Chaplins, Pilots and in Artillery roles.

Shoulder badge worn on left shoulder, above all others, by Army personel who have completed the commando course.

All those who pass the Commando course, whether in the Royal Marines or other service are entitled to replace their regimental headress with the famed Green Beret of the the Royal Marines Commando.

#2

1000yds,i will send you my commando information,but i prefer to do it for private in the PM :wink: .

thanks

#3

I’ve worked with the British Royal Marines & cdo badged gunners (field & AD), Dutch Marine Commandos & Belgian Para Commandos.

All of them were really nice blokes, although the Belgians have a rather “loose” approach to uniforms. In fact, as uniform would suggest uniformity, then they weren’t particularly uniform. . . . . .

Good bloke though.

#4

When you are talking about Commandos, are talking about all the special forces, aren’t you?

#5

Possibly, eagle, in some armies they are classes as SF in others not.

#6

Eagle, I think he means those employed in the modern “Commando” role - that is in an elite battalion sized organisation fighting in platoon sized unit and above. This is distinct from the Special Forces role of small (four to sixteen man) patrol performing deep recce and behind the lines operations.
The easiest examples to give is: The US Rangers and RM Commandos are “commandos” and Delta Force, the Navy Seals and SAS/SBS are “special forces”.

Edited because I’m a muppet what kant reed.

#7

Hey mate,that was Eagle,I am Erwin.

#8

I know that, but here in Argentina the roles are practically unified. Example, the Army Commandos took part in the war of the South Atlantic as Special Forces, making patrols of 10 or 15 units each.

Here some pics from Argentine Comandos and Special forces.


Anphibius Commandos of the Argentine Navy, landing from a Huey.


Anphibius commandos agaisnt the waves.


Various images of the Tactic Divers, Argentine Navy. The main picture was taken in Argentine Port, on April the 2nd, 1982.


Tactic Divers, Argentine Navy.


Tactic divers leaving an argentine submarine to complete their missions.


A soldier from the Special Forces of the Argentine Army.


An illustration of Argentine Army commandos infiltrating throw enemy lines.


Units from the Air Assault regimeent commandos, Argentine Army.


Another images of an air assault, Air Assault Regimeent, Argentine Army


Commandos trained to urban battles, Argentine Army

#9


Tactic Divers, Argentine Navy.

It’s a shame their SMGs can’t fire…

#10

Maybe they didn’t want the water to get into the breach cuts!!!

Good spot though, nothing like ripping in to a staged photo!!!

#11

The SMG Sterling is USED by the Tactic Divers, they CAN be used, because have a simple design. It is difficult that this weapon could shackle itself. The only problem is wetting the ammo. If you keep dry your ammo, you can easily use them although they were under the water, shaking it a little under putting the chargers.

The tactic divers used it in 1982 when landed from the submarine Santa Fe, on April, the 1st. The divers landed using a kind of surf-boards, where the sterlings were exposed to the water.

Another pics from argentine Anphibius commandos:

#12

I wonder if they’ve completed their underwater knife fighting course?

#13

I don’t know about that, but the All Arms Underwater Semophore Course tends to have a few floppies on it. If you’ll excuse the breach of OPSEC in mentioning it, the All Arms Underwater Soot Juggling Course tends to be more exclusive about who it allows to participate.

Can I broadcast my stupidity by asking what was wrong with the tactical divers. The only thing I can think of is that a band of wetsuited maniacs crouching behind a rock aren’t exactly concealed or covert.

#14

Eagle, I was commenting on the posed picture, not the choice of wpns.

As the Sterlings pictured are in battery squeezing the triggers will have no effect.

#15

student-scaley, don’t underestimate to the argentine forces. British underestimated them four times at least, and they had very bad experiences with our forces. I remember you:

*1806, recovering of Buenos Aires
*1807, defend of Buenos Aires
*1845, Paraná river’s battle (Obligado’s Battle)
*1982, South Atlantic war


“Buenos Aires recovering”, 1806. British forces surrending their authority over Buenos Aires, which had been taken two weeks before.


“Buenos Aires battle”, 1807. National Military forces non-dependants from Spain, defend succesfully the city, which was being invaded by the United Kingdom.


“Obligado’s Battle”, 1845. France and the United Kingdom join their forces to recover the free-travel between sovereign rivers. An entire enemy fleet was repeled with cannons and a boat-chain over the river.


Recuperation of the Malvinas islands, 1982. Royal Marines, surrended, are ordered by an Anphibius Commando unit.


The frigate HMS Antelope, sinking in the coasts of the Soledad Island, Malvinas islands. Naval loses were 7 sunk ships and 22 damaged.


Battles over the Soledad island, Malvinas islands. British forces found to the rival as the most difficult obstacle to mantain their unfair empire. Talking about loses, the british forces suffered the worst average of loses, talking not having in account the WWI and WWII. In the South Atlantic war, UK lost 255 men. Although this number isn’t superior than another war post-WW2 (Corea, 537 men lost), in Corea the average of loses was 11 men per month, while in the South Atlantic War… 6 men per day.

Those photos are not with the intention to generate another arguee, only remember that here, our forces are effective too, so, don’t underestimate them if you don’t know them well. Our forces are so proffesional as your forces. If our government don’t pay the enough attention to them, is another thing.

LET’S CONTINUE WITH THE TOPIC…

#16

Eagle, it was a harmless joke, no offence intended. I don’t doubt the proffessionalism of the post Galtieiri Argentine army i’m sure they’re a credit to their nation.

#17

Eagle, mate it was a joke, purely due to the staged nature of the pictures, nothing at all to do with professionalism or otherwise of your armed forces.

If you look at the cocking handle (on the right of the weapon, roughly in line with the magazine, as you would look down the barrel if shooting it and at the end of a lit that runs to the rear of the body) you’ll see it is fully forward.

The Sterling SMG is unable to fire in this position, sorry, but shitbust it wont fire whether there is a Argentine SF super soldier holding it or a brand new day one week one British soldier holding it. It can’t fire.

The weapon is referred to as an “open breach” weapon

This means that if the bolt is forward the weapon is not cocked, there is no round in the breach as the bolt picks the round up on the way forward, when it is realeased by the squeezing of the trigger. Therefore if they do pull the trigger they will not be able to fire. Many submachine and proper machine guns use the principle. It is good for weapons which fire large amounts of rounds as the breach being open allows cooling, although the forward motion of the bolt affects aiming.

This is not the same as a “closed breach” weapon where by the bolt returns forward, picking up a round as it does so and locking in place waiting for the hammer to fall on the squeezing of the trigger. Ie, the FN FAL.

You are right however that the Sterling is a very simple weapon and very robust also.

Like I say, Cuts noticed this fact, and I commented also as a joke. The pictures are purely staged and for reasons unknown the bolts have not been pulled back to ensure authenticity.

Edit: On a purely practical note i’d just add, that it would be very foolish of them to have the weapons cocked under the water, as if they did fire them by mistake they could come a cropper!!! Also goes for if they have large amounts of water in the barrel when they breach the waterline.

#18

PS, the underestimation of your forces was purely at strategic level.

In fact on a tactical level your forces probably underestimated our forces. It took a very long time for the creme of your forces to subdue and force surrender to what was only a mere platoon plus formation.

The mere picture of our Marines surrendering does little to portray the true nature of the battle, that taking into account the number of forces your country put on the islands compared to the number already there, was a bit of poor showing on your part.

But like you say we’re not going anyfurther down that road.

#19

Might be useful:
http://www.specialoperations.com/intspecops.html

http://www.sfahq.com/

#20

Ok, I can confirm that the Argentine humour and the british humour are really different. You didn’t understand my joke of meat, talking about the top models, and I didn’t understand your jokes about the divers.

Only cultural differences!