Posted on 12/21/2018 5:22:12 AM PST by w1n1
Desperate times calls for desperate measures, sounds like a cliche but when its the final option. High risk commandos and warriors were conceived with best laid plans to execute. However, not all were successful but the skills and valor of these operators (warriors of the past) involved were unbelievable. Here are some of the most daring commando raids in history:
Assault on Eben-Emael
The first modern military to embrace the concept of special operations, the German army of World War II conducted one of the first commando raids of the 20th Century in the opening days of the invasion of France. Rehearsed in minute detail over a year, the raid by German paratroopers, or Flieger-Jaeger, on the Belgian fortress at Eben Emael is still considered one of the most thoroughly-planned and executed commando operations in history.
Entebbe Raid
A C-130 is seen parked on the runway at Entebbe airport in Uganda during a raid to free Israeli passengers of a hijacked Air France flight. In one of the most iconic hostage rescues ever — and one that served to epitomize the cunning grit of the fledgling Jewish state — the operation by Israeli commandos to seize a hijacked Air France jetliner in the Ugandan city of Entebbe perhaps epitomizes how special ops could successfully blunt terrorist attacks. On June 27, 1976, an Air France flight out of Tel Aviv bound for Paris was hijacked by four terrorists, including two West German revolutionaries and two attackers from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. After a brief stop in Athens and Tripoli the plane eventually landed into the open arms of Idi Amin’s Uganda. The terrorists demanded $5 million and the release of 40 Israeli-held Palestinian militants and threatened to kill the Israeli passengers of the flight.
Operation Nimrod
In one of the most public commando raids in history, two teams of British Special Air Service operators conducted an early evening assault on the Iranian embassy in London in front of hundreds of television cameras and reporters who broadcast the operation in real time.
Dubbed “Operation Nimrod,” the SAS assaulters repelled from the roof of the embassy and crashed through the ground floor to rescue 26 hostages taken by an extremist Arab independence group. For six days in April and May of 1980, a team of six terrorist besieged the embassy, deadlocking on negotiations with British officials.
On May 5, the SAS was called in after the terrorists killed one of their hostages and the raid was launched in broad daylight. Read the rest of commando raids.
The British/Norwegian attack on the heavy water facility in Norway.
Would have been nice if they’d gotten the spelling of “rappelled” right.
Also if the so-called writer knew what “besieged” means (though he did spell that right).
The SAS guys didn’t repel from the embassy roof. They RAPPELLED.
The 1942 raid on the heavily defended Normandie dry dock at St Nazaire in France by the British #2 Commando and supporting units.
Five Victoria Crosses were awarded to personnel on this one raid. Many consider it to be one of the greatest of all times.
It eerily echoed the World War One Zeebrugge Raid in Belgium in 1918 which attempted to blockade that port by scuttling ships to block the harbor entrance. Eight VC’s were awarded in that one.
The British showed how commandos could pin down vast numbers of troops during WW2.
Their commando raids on German air bases in North Africa caused Rommel to have to commit so many men to security that he wrote that he would need one soldier per plane per shift for adequate security.
Of course Colonel John Mosby kept an entire Union army pinned down defending Washington D.C. because of his raids.
The raid on Entebbe was my favorite.
A small force from a small country flies half-way around the world to rescue their countrymen.
Such balls!
The raid on Cabanatuan to rescue US POWs from the Japanese deserves mention as well.
There were many raids throughout history. Hard to put an order to them due to personal preferences and the periods of history they occurred in.
Something like this.
After Entebbe why was Idi Amin allowed to live? An Israeli fatwa should have been proclaimed. Salmon Rushdie would have been impressed.
Operation Thunderball, starring Charles Bronson and featuring a young James Woods, did a great job telling the story of the raid on Entebbe. Woods played a sniper and when asked what he’d do if he had a terrorist in his sight. “I’ll kill him.” What if he’s holding a hostage? “I won’t miss.” Classic.
The C-130 was THE perfect plane for that raid.
Couldn’t agree more.
The SAS guys didn’t repel from the embassy roof. They RAPPELLED.
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That was the first use of gravity repellent spray. Use of that spray is called “being repelled”. The ropes were there just for stage dressing so no one would figure out that the SAS men were flying unassisted.
This is way super secret so don’t tell anyone, ok?
“Woods played a sniper and when asked what he’d do if he had a terrorist in his sight. “I’ll kill him.” What if he’s holding a hostage? “I won’t miss.” Classic.”
Sounds just like a sniper should, not arrogant or cocky but confidant.
“The C-130 was THE perfect plane for that raid.”
The ability of such a large plane to use “irregular” runways for takeoff and landing makes it pretty unique.
It has about a gazillion variants and is used all over the world.
A truly great plane produced in 1954 and still going strong.
We have C-130’s fly over every summer. They fly low and seem to be running a search pattern as they quarter the sky and spend most of the day in the area.
I love watching them.
Now I’ll spend a couple hours watching C-130 clips on YouTube!
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