Most significant Special Operations

[Trip_Wire]

The rescue of Mussolini by the German paratroopers, called the Gran Sasso raid! It was led by COL Otto Skorzeny who was involved in many other successful operations.

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

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

 

[0699]

The rescue of Mussolini by the German paratroopers, called the Gran Sasso raid! It was led by COL Otto Skorzeny who was involved in many other successful operations.

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

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

That's Operation Oak.

 

[digrar]

I also think the counterinsurgency warfare developed by Army Special Forces and Marine Combined Action Groups during Vietnam should be singled out as a significant long-term special operation (or campaign) that fleshed out some of the most important principles of COIN warfare...principles that are being resurrected now in OEF and OIF and, waddaya know, :doh: getting results in real time intel that are leading to more dead bad guys.

Kiwi and Australian SAS running from Malaya and Borneo and on into Viet Nam would have to be one of the longest and most successful runs in SOF history.

 

[pardus]

Kiwi and Australian SAS running from Malaya and Borneo and on into Viet Nam would have to be one of the longest and most successful runs in SOF history.

Agreed, I'll take that a step further and say even the Inf etc... with that long unbroken successful run were simply the best jungle warfare Soldiers in the world at that time. :2c:

 

[Ravage]

Read about SASR missions in 'Nam. They had an impressive VC kill ratio. Think the VC called them "ghost of the jungle" (don't know how's that in Vietnamise).

 

[7point62]

Kiwi and Australian SAS running from Malaya and Borneo and on into Viet Nam would have to be one of the longest and most successful runs in SOF history.

Absolutely.

 

[7point62]

See post #7...

:doh:

 

[pardus]

Read about SASR missions in 'Nam. They had an impressive VC kill ratio. Think the VC called them "ghost of the jungle" (don't know how's that in Vietnamise).

The Kiwis (it maybe Aussies too I'm not sure) not just SAS were nicknamed the 'Grey Ghosts' as we would appear and disapear at will and surprise the gooks, we were just better at jungle warfare than they were.

http://www.amazon.com/Grey-Ghosts-Zealand-Vietnam-about/dp/1869586581

 

[digrar]

The VC called SASR Ma Rung or "Phantoms of the Jungle", it's the title of David Horner's early history of the Regiment.

 

[Royal]

And I'm glad somebody brought up the Selous Scouts...pioneers of many spec ops tactics...including some we should be doing more of today, like using their method for "turning" prisoners and "pseudo ops".

Borrowed from 22 SAS and the DINCOs in Dhofar and Aden in the 50s and 60s, who in turn borrowed them borrowed from from General Sir Frank Kitson (author of several rather good books on the subject) who used them during the Mau Mau rebelion in Kenya (and to a much lesser extent against EOKA in Cyprus) in the 50s.

Nothing new under the sun

 

[QC]

Kitsons' book on Peacekeeping and Counterinsurgency is a minor classic.

 

[pardus]

The Selous Scouts first CO was Lt Col Ron Reid-Daly, a member of the British SAS, (C Squadron).
He'd seen this concept used to limited effect in Kenya etc... and knew they could do it better, the Selous Scout did indeed go on to perfect the method.

I'm not sure how well it would work in this conflict, Something certainly worth looking into though IMO.

Borrowed from 22 SAS and the DINCOs in Dhofar and Aden in the 50s and 60s, who in turn borrowed them borrowed from from General Sir Frank Kitson (author of several rather good books on the subject) who used them during the Mau Mau rebelion in Kenya (and to a much lesser extent against EOKA in Cyprus) in the 50s.

Nothing new under the sun

 

[Royal]

Kitsons' book on Peacekeeping and Counterinsurgency is a minor classic.

Which one?

The Selous Scouts first CO was Lt Col Ron Reid-Daly, a member of the British SAS, (C Squadron).
He'd seen this concept used to limited effect in Kenya etc... and knew they could do it better, the Selous Scout did indeed go on to perfect the method.

I'm not sure how well it would work in this conflict, Something certainly worth looking into though IMO.

I think that the 22 guys running firqat units in Dhofar would argue that they had the system pretty much off-pat by the mid 60s. Not to take anything away from the Rhodesians - they did a bloody good job.

 

[pardus]

I think that the 22 guys running firqat units in Dhofar would argue that they had the system pretty much off-pat by the mid 60s. Not to take anything away from the Rhodesians - they did a bloody good job.

True.

By that time the Rhodesians were on their own, the two programmers were separate of each other, evolving independently.

 

[RGRRTO]

Maybe the Raid at Cabanatuan where the Rangers rescued 512 POWs?

This one has my vote. Lets not forget the Phillipinos who helped.

 

[Centermass]

Project Plough

SF is what it is today because of it and draws directly from its lineage.

 

[formerBrat]

I don't remember seeing it so far, but I'll toss out Operation Jedburgh, for multiple reaons;

1. The role it had in shaping early CIA and USSF and the leaders of those organizations to come.

2. It was a multi-national effort with teams comprising of different nationalities and genders IIRC at times.

3. The ability to encompass and show the possibilities of using this kind of template of "force multiplication."


Not sure if it meets the criteria or not, but a serious oldie and debatable actual operation since it was in a story....let's not forget the Trojan Horse by the Greeks to finally enter Troy. (and to a lesser known and less successful use of a rabbit to locate the Holy Grail by Monty Python)

 

[Mac_NZ]

Operation Eland by the Selous Scouts.

http://history-net.com/selous_scouts.html

 

[rwtbkk]

great thread

This is a great thread, having just joined I hate to see it die. I think earlier comments about what exactly is "the best" operation has to be defined in did it accomplish it's objectives.

Tailwind certainly comes to mind. Drew off thousands of NVA and relieved pressure from the Agency groups to the south. Bonanza was the intel they brought back.

As to an ealier comment about longest running special op I think SOG as far as a single command executing Special Ops was about the longest running as far as I know.

Every war has certainly seen at least one or more good spec op, problem is just as soon as it is sucessful along comes the generals......consider Afghanistan today has more assigned to the General staff than took down the country.

 

[Royal]

As to an ealier comment about longest running special op I think SOG as far as a single command executing Special Ops was about the longest running as far as I know.

UK military HUMINT operations in Northern Ireland ran continuously from Easter 1971 to 2... lets just say that they lasted a bit longer than SOG

Although the first operational deployment to the Province by 22 SAS was in 1969, they did not have a continual presence until the 1980s. Even so, it was rather longer than SOG's 8 years.