Best Special Operation of All Time - Page 2

**Roguish Lawyer** · 07-13-2004, 19:43

Quote:

Originally posted by NousDefionsDoc
I am prepared to defend my choices lawyer boy. I just can't do it until Friday. The connection here is too slow.

LOL

My point is that I haven't heard much discussion about fixed-wing "special operations" other than nice CAS. But you probably knew that. Nothing gets by a recon man!

Max_Tab · 07-13-2004, 19:49

If we're talking raids, how about the SAS take down of Princess Gate. Been a long time since I studied up on it, that should deffinately be up there.

My choice as the best was Entebbe, for all the reason's already listed.

07-13-2004, 20:53

Raids?

I would vote for Cabantuan. Executed with a minimum of advance notice, daring, highly successful.

But I do agree that Raids are a poor choice of "best" SOF operations.

MACV-SOG's operation are a far better and more effective use of SOF.

The initial operations in Afghanistan against the Taliban are another.

Training in Central America is another.

The Special Forces presence in Thailand since 1961 has had a significant effect on stabilizing and maintaining an ally.

And let's not forget OSS operations and the Jedburg teams.

"Best"? There isn't a "best". There are missions that are successful. A lot of them.

**Airbornelawyer** · 07-13-2004, 21:54

I will place myself somewhat outside the consensus by noting that (a) I don't consider the Gran Sasso raid to be even the best German special operation of WW2, much less all countries/all time, and (b) Skorzeny is overrated. Much of his reputation is due to his own wartime and post-war self-promotion and most of his unit's successes were probably more the result of people like Adrian von Fölkersam than Skorzeny himself. But von Fölkersam, an experienced special operator who joined the Waffen SS from the Brandenburgers, got himself KIA in January 1945, so no autohagiographies from him.

When I have time I will pull together some of the documents I have on Brandenburg special ops in the Low Countries, the Baltics, the Caucasus and the Greek Isles, which for professionalism in planning and execution put Skorzeny to shame.

Attached is a shot from the aftermath of Unternehmen Leopard, the recapture of Leros in the Dodecanese Islands after the Italians changed sides and handed the islands over to the British. The assault on Leros is probably too big too qualify as a special operation - it involved primarily a regular airborne battalion, a Brandenburger airborne company and a Brandenburger coastal hunter company (German equivalent of the SBS) - but this force, at a cost of about 70 KIA, retook the island in 4 days, capturing 3,200 British and 5,350 Italian troops. Pictured are a coastal hunter (Küstenjäger), regular sailor, a Brandenburg para, and a Luftwaffe para from the 1st Battalion, FJ Regiment 2.

Huey14 · 07-13-2004, 22:00

The Pebble Island raid would have to be one of the more interesting raids from my POV. Mountain Troop, D sqn, 22SAS.

The assault destroyed six Pucaras, four Turbo-Mentors and a Skyvan transport before the party withdrew.

One Argie was killed, two SAS wounded minorly.

Morters, 203s, 66s and naval fire was used to supress the Argies.

Seemed to go pretty well.

Hognose (RIP) · 07-13-2004, 23:14

... it was an influential raid indeed, but I think you have to count the SAS men (& aviators) who were lost doing a ship-to-ship helicopter transfer off South Georgia, as casualties.

A Sea King went in in heavy seas and quite a few good men lost their lives.

-nose

Tuukka · 07-14-2004, 12:19

Quote:

Originally posted by Hognose
... it was an influential raid indeed, but I think you have to count the SAS men (& aviators) who were lost doing a ship-to-ship helicopter transfer off South Georgia, as casualties.

A Sea King went in in heavy seas and quite a few good men lost their lives.

-nose

Pebble island raid took place on the 14/15th of May, the accident which claimed the lives of a large number of SAS men took place on the 19th of May.

Regarding raids, i would also add the GSG-9 operation "Firemagic" in Mogadishu, 1977, aided by two SAS operators.

CommoGeek · 07-14-2004, 14:11

For fixed-wing "raids" one could argue in favor of Doolittle's raid, 617 SQDN's Dambusters in the Ruhr, the British at taranto, and the mission that downed ADM Yamamoto. I'd have to go with the last since it had the greatest impact in that particluar war.

Some of JEB Stuart's foray's could be listed due to their propaganda value and the # of troops they tied up looking for them.

On the naval front, submarines in WWII did some pretty nice missions that could be listed.

Overall, I'd say the "best" is one that combined high-risk with high-reward and that shaped history. For this, I'd nod to SOF in A-Stan.

mz73t · 11-01-2005, 22:10

What are your thoughts on the SOF operation that resulted in the termination of Uday and Qusay Hussein? It meets the “raid” criteria, and also had a significant strategic impact.

Can you imagine if it did not occur and the Hussein brothers had managed to escape Iraq, whereabouts unknown? How much would that have changed the course of GWOT history, in terms of the power plays among key AQ players, and the resulting impact on U.S. operations?

It seems that it is overlooked, since this occurred relatively early in the war.

**The Reaper** · 11-01-2005, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by mz73t

What are your thoughts on the SOF operation that resulted in the termination of Uday and Qusay Hussein? It meets the “raid” criteria, and also had a significant strategic impact.

Can you imagine if it did not occur and the Hussein brothers had managed to escape Iraq, whereabouts unknown? How much would that have changed the course of GWOT history, in terms of the power plays among key AQ players, and the resulting impact on U.S. operations?

It seems that it is overlooked, since this occurred relatively early in the war.

It would appear that Saddam and his family were not the center of gravity of the conflict in Iraq.

TR

**Pete** · 11-02-2005, 05:30

I picked the Cabanatuan Raid in my mind, read through all the posts and then came back and picked it.

It was interesting to read through the posts. A person's pick can be shaded by his country and background. Also Raids, FID, UW, air operations and lets not forget Recon could impact a situation in different ways.

This would be a great subject to go over at the GB club over a few beers.

Might even get those Recon guys to open up and tell a few of their stories. For the day to day, drudge work of finding out what "The Man" wants to know I give Recon an overall vote.

That's my soft spot.

Cincinnatus · 11-03-2005, 16:28

Before reading any of the responses, I picked Entebbe, for it's imagination, daring and what it did to burnish the Israeli image of invulnerability and their ability to reach well beyond their borders.

After reading the responses, I've got to go w/ TR's suggestion of A'stan.

AL, I'd LOVE to learn of the Brandenburgers exploits, when you have a chance, please do post regarding these.

Sneaky, hoepoe, agree re: the high regard for Yonni. "Yonni's Letters" was an interesting read that really served to show the humanity of a great warrior. There've been stories that Yoni was not killed by a sniper shot as is widely believed, but in a shoot out mano a mano with the head tango. Anybody know anything more on this?

RL, great thread. I need to go back and reread the book.

miller0331 · 11-03-2005, 18:51

Wow! So many great responses and nice support of opinions. These are good examples of raid carried out by many different types of units but like someone said "any operation carried out successfully is a great op...".

I would discount parachute assault on Eben Emal as being just that, an airborne assault preceding an invasion and not a raid. Also, airborne units are not true special operations units (I hope not to offend any one here, but they're just light infantry with a high esprit de corps and a different way to get to work).

I would have to chose the Son Tay raid as being one of the most interesting due to all the factors from planning a joint service operation and in getting the Raider force to their target and the raid on Entebbe as being one of the most imaginative (I see ghosts of Sterling's SAS here...).

The deal on Son Tay is that it was one of the first actual joint service operation that was successful across the board (even though it failed to bring the POWs home due to poor intelligence and group think...). It was put together and executed in a short amount of time with some of the best talent in the military at the time (Simons, Manor, Sydnor, Meadows...). They set a precedence for todays SOCOM.

I would go on but I'm at my real job so I will leave my .02 cents here... Will continue later...

Good discussion though...

cback0220 · 11-03-2005, 18:58

What about operation Nimrod, the SAS rescue of the hostages in the Iranian embassy in London?

Here is a link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Embassy_Siege

**The Reaper** · 11-03-2005, 19:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by cback0220

What about operation Nimrod, the SAS rescue of the hostages in the Iranian embassy in London?

Here is a link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Embassy_Siege

That would be Max Tab's comment back in July about the SAS rescue at Princess Gate.

TR