History of War - Issue 09-14

NEW REAL WW2 HERO ONE GURKHA VS THE JUNGLE
LOOK























VICTORY!

NELSON’S FINAL BATTLE.
BRITAIN’S FINEST HOUR

14-PAGE BRIEFING HMS MEDUSA
SPECIAL YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE

LAST SURVIVOR OF OMAHA
FORCES CA




INSIDE THE HIDDEN
WORLD OF BLACK OPS


CRIMEA 20 CO

FROM STALIN’S PURGE TURNING YBIRTHOF
TO PUTIN’S INVASION POINTS TED STATES








The Dark Secrets Behind
HITLERS
’







BRUTALWAFFENSS









THE THIRD REICH’S MOST FEARED FIGHTING FORCE


Great Battles

R EMBASSY SIEGE GRUNWALD

7 BLOW-BY-BLOW: DARING Violent last stand of the ISSUE 009
TACTICS OF THE SAS
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WELCOME TO ISSUE NINE


Welcome CONTRIBUTORS TIMWILLIAMSON



OurmeticulousProduction
Editor,Tim,isresponsible
for the day-to-day running
of History of War.Still,he
“History’s greatest gift to foundthetimetogetatour
oftheHMSMedusa,thelast
us is understanding” survivingvesseloftheD-Day
landings at Omaha beach,
starting on page 90.
he more you know about Tell us what campaigns you want
the confl icts of the past, the to see covered in History of War JACKGRIFFITHS
Tbetter you’re able to piece and what you think of our new- A History graduate and
together the delicate duel of cause look features using the Facebook, History of War Staff Writer,
and effect that underpins the Twitter and email addresses below! Jack’s enthusiasm allows
present, and even give you a few him to become immersed
hints about the future. in a variety of topics, from
That ethic underpins everything the origins of the current
Crimean Crisis on page 72,
we’ve done on your new-look
History of War. tothefinalbattleofLord
Nelson over on page 30.
We’ve introduced new regular
features to offer greater detail than ANDREWBROWN
every before in our mission to take AstheEditorofoursister
you inside the minds of heroes, title All About History,
under the bonnet of war machines Andrew is no stranger to the
andhighabovethebattlefieldto impact even the smallest
see great victories and crushing James Hoare decisions can have. He put
defeats as they really happened. Editor in Chief thoseskillstogooduse,
However, it’s not just centuries detailing the 20 battlefield
of warfare we want to get to grips EMAIL turningpointsthatchanged
with, it’s you as well. [email protected] the world on page 78.

www.historyanswers.co.uk FACEBOOK TWITTER
@AboutHistoryMag
/HistoryofWarMag











































Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1974-059-40 / Gösling / CC-BY-SA


3

CONTENTS



























HITLERS
’



Brutal
WAFFENSS





38 The origins and operations of
this elite Nazi fighting force


Frontline 20 Turning points that

changed the World

14 ecial Forces 84 What if Britain had won
Retrace the roots of these secretive, stealthy the Battle of Saratoga?
and deadly soldiers
16 Special Forces of the world
A look at specialist units all over the globe
and some of the iconic operations in history
18 SAS Long-range patrol vehicle
Go under the bonnet of this unlikely looking
military marvel that’s ideal for desert warfare
20 Heroes of the Special Forces
Stories of the hardest, bravest and maddest
specialist soldiers throughout history
HMS Medusa
22 Navy SEAL training
Just what does it take to join one of the 90 A tour of this unique D-Day veteran
most-prestigious forces in the world?
24 Weapons of the Selous Scouts
The deadly arms used with lethal effi ciency
by Rhodesia’s counterterrorism specialists
26 ranian Embassy Siege
I
How the SAS broke the infamous hostage
situation and blasted onto the world stage

28 Head-to-head
A Colonial Ranger and US Army Indian Scout
are pitted against each other


4

CONTENTS

Subscribe



50 Never miss an issue, get your History of
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06 WARINFOCUS
Stunning imagery from throughout history,
showingwarinallitsjaw-droppingdetail

30 Victory!
Step aboard Nelson’s flagship on the day
she won her place in history
36 Letter from Trafalgar
Read this first-hand account of the famous
battle and the death of its hero
38 Hitler’s brutal Waffen SS
Nick Soldinger looks back at the dark
secrets of Hitler’s fanatical fighting force

52 GREAT BATTLES
Grunwald
EVERYMAN TheknightsoftheTeutonicOrdermake
theirfinalstandinthisepicmedievalclash
VICTORY!WILLDOHISDUTY 60 TRIGGER POINT
The Mexican-American War

dragged two titans into war
30 InsidetheshipthatsawAdmiralNelson’sfinesthour How the bloody Battle of the Alamo
AMERICA 64 ICON OF WAR
The AK-47
VS
Just what makes this assault rifle the
MEXICO 66 HEROES OF THE VICTORIA CROSS
most popular gun on the planet?

60 How these ambitious Bhanbhagta Gurung
A story of unrivalled bravery unfolds as
fledgling nations oneGurkhafightsinWWIIBurma
slippedintowar
70 ICON OF WAR
Cuirassier armour
How heavy cavalry protected themselves
against the fresh threat of firearms

72 BRIEFING
The Crimean Crisis
Discover how the region’s current turmoil
has deep roots in the past
78 20 Turning points that
Crimea changed the world

72 The historic struggle for How split-second decisions and
power over one peninsula unfortunate blunders altered history
90 OPERATOR’S HANDBOOK
REAL HMS Medusa

WW2 TakeatourofthelastsurvivingHDMLthat
guided Allied craft to Omaha beach
HERO 98 WARINNUMBERS

66 One Gurkha Waffen SS
The stats and figures tell their own chilling
vs the jungle tale of this ruthless fighting machine


5

WAR IN FOCUS








in


SEASOFRED

Taken 16 October 2014
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip walk through the
BloodSweptLandsandSeasofRedinstallationin
themoatoftheTowerofLondon.Theartproject
to commemorate the beginning of the First World
Warusedover888,246ceramicpoppies,each
representing a British fatality during the conflict.
Donations raised by the project went towards
anumberofmilitarycharitiesincluding
Help for Heroes, The Royal British
Legion and Combat
Stress.

































































6

WAR IN FOCUS

































































































REX/Geoff Pugh 7

WAR IN FOCUS




































































in


SHARPENINGFORBATTLE

Taken 23 March 1984
Members of one of the British Army’s Gurkha regiments
line up to sharpen their infamous kukri knives to a fine
edge.Thoughithascometosymbolisetheregiment,
and even appears on Gurkha uniform, this deadly
weapon is anything but ceremonial. In the hands
ofthehighlytrainedNepalesesoldiers,these
bladesareabletohackthroughlimbsand
neckswithease.Theyserveasagrisly
but efficient last resort when all
other conventional arms
are spent.





8

WAR IN FOCUS

































































































REX/Mike Hollist / Associated Newspapers 9

WAR IN FOCUS
































































































10

WAR IN FOCUS




















































in

FIRE FOR EFFECT


Taken May 1945
With a range of around 40 yards, this terrifying
flame-throwing tank was developed by the Army
Chemical Warfare Service. Pictured during
manoeuvres at Fort Benning, Georgia,
the flame-thrower fits into the standard
machine gun mount under the turret.
Many Allied and Axis tanks were
altered to shoot flame
during WWII.

























Nara Archives/REX 11

WAR IN FOCUS








in


SCOTLANDFOREVER!

Painted 1881
This dramatic 1881 painting by Elizabeth Butler shows
the start of the cavalry charge of the Royal Scots Greys
attheBattleofWaterlooin1815.Thoughinreality
thechargebeganmoreatafastwalkovertherough
groundofthebattlefield,Butler’sportrayalofa
chaotic and impassioned cavalry charge has
become iconic. The Scots Greys’ devastating
attack was a key moment in the battle
and led Napoleon to comment:
“Ah, ces terribles
chevaux gris.”

































































12

WAR IN FOCUS
































































































13

FRONTLINE
Frontline

THESPECIALFORCES










From the ancient worl

specialforceshaveun
dangerous and daring
TheSEAL‘paints’thetarget
withaAN-PAQ-1laser
designator, marking it out
foranairstrike.
NAVYSEALS 1962
ELITEOPERATORSWITHAGLOBALREACH
Country United States
The SEALs can trace their origin to the
Amphibious Scout and Raider School formed
in response to the bloody attack on Pearl
Harbour during WWII. The fight against communism
gave birth to the modern-day Navy SEALs, and
the force carried out many reconnaissance missions
in Cuba and Vietnam. Using the most-sophisticated
equipment, the SEALs are specialised at completing
missions in extreme conditions – from the remote
mountains of Afghanistan to the freezing Arctic.

TheRomaninfantry
helmet was augmented
withaleatherstripand
decorative feathers.










Navy SEAL kit prepares them
for any eventuality.


Shieldswereeithercurved,
or straight-sided like this one,
anddaubedinbrightcolours.



BATAVI 1ST CENTURY BCE TO
4TH CENTURY CE
FEARLESS ANCIENT GERMANIC
SHOCK TROOPS
Country Roman Empire
The Batavi’s reputation as SAS 1941
fearsome warriors was well
known across the Germanic tribes THE BLUEPRINT FOR MODERN SPECIAL FORCES
and attracted the attention of Country United Kingdom
theRomans,whoutilisedtheir The SAS was formed during World War II and
specialist skills. The Batavi were was initially used to complete missions behind enemy
employed to swim dressed in lines. The units carried out many sabotage missions
full amour across rivers thought during the war, such as destroying enemy harbours,
impassible. The deadly warriors storagebasesandairfields.Recognisedassettingthe
went on to form the Emperor’s modelforallfuturespecialforcesaroundtheworld,
personal bodyguard, and were the SAS is now split into four squadrons with a wide
especially prized for their surprise range of specialities.
attacks and horsemanship skills.


14

FRONTLINE: THE SPECIAL FORCES


Facts
NINJAS 15TH CENTURY BRITISHCOMMANDOS 1940
SECRETIVE ASSASSINS OF THE SHADOWS ULTIMATE UNIT FOR DISRUPTION AND SABOTAGE 5about
Country Japan Country United Kingdom SPECIAL FORCES
Ninjas were created in opposition to the Samurai who The Commandos were formed at the request
committedalltheirdeedsinanopen,‘respectful’ of Prime Minister Winston Churchill to carry out
way. Ninjas were specially trained to complete covert raids, cause German casualties and raise British NOTALLSPECIALFORCESARESOLDIERS
deeds and were hired as spies, scouts and terrorists. morale during WWII. These specially trained The abilities of special force medics
These highly trained warriors were recruited by troops were separated into distinct units, each arejustasextraordinaryastheir
Shogunleaderstocompletereconnaissance with specialised skill sets, from parachuting to commando counterparts. These
missions against their enemies and were especially intelligencegatheringandevenacanoeunitusedto incredible doctors have an impressive
setofskillsfromsurgery,dentistryand
skilled at espionage, sabotage and assassination. attack shipping.
vaccination, to delivering babies. Some
are even trained veterinarians.
The black shinobi The woollen cap AMAMMOTHSPECIALFORCE
shozoku outfit comforter can be
wasmostlikely easily rolled down The largest special force unit in the world
worn for night and transformed belongs to North Korea. Numbering
attacks, if at all. intoascarf. 180,000 members, the highly trained
soldiers of the Special Operations Force
arelethaloperatorsandgoonregular
reconnaissance missions around the
north-south border.
Often laden down
with kit, the BRITISHGREENBERET
Commando was
outfitted for long- Althoughthegreenberetisnowfirmly
haul missions. associated with the United States
specialforces,itoriginatedfromWWII
Britisharmycommandos.TheAmerican
soldiers who passed the intense British
commando course were given the beret
anditsassociationwiththeAmerican
commandos developed.
THESPECIALFORCESGONUCLEAR
As with the Samurai,
the Ninja’s favoured Therewasaplanputinplaceduringthe
closecombatweapon ColdWarintheeventoftheSovietUnion
was the katana. invading Europe. Special forces soldiers
were to parachute while strapped to
atomic bombs, committing nuclear
suicide to stop the invasion.
FAMOUSFACES
The iconic Many celebrities, such as Christopher
Thompson
submachine gun Lee, Bear Grylls, Paddy Ashdown and Ian
wasdeadlyat Fleming, were involved in special forces
short range. missions prior to their fame.






Ninja carried a
The split-toed sock,
grappling hook, along or tabi, was worn by
with other tools for many in feudal Japan.
infiltration.
Avda

SAPPERUNIT 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES
TROOPS WITH NERVES OF STEEL AND SKILLS TO MATCH LOVATSCOUTS 1900
Country France EXPERTSATCOVERTOPERATIONS
During the Napoleonic era Country United Kingdom
every grenadier battalion had The Lovat Scouts were formed during
a small unit of specialised the Second Boer War, when the army
soldiers.Ratherthanbeing realised the advantage that specialised
confined to the battle lines, units would bring. A Scottish Highland
these specially trained men regiment, these highly skilled marksmen
wouldattempttodestroythe became the first sniper unit and were the
enemies fortifications with first to wear ghillie suits. During WWII
axes,clearingawayfortheir the Lovat Scouts protected the country
army to advance. Sapper from the German invasion from the
units would also dig trenches Faroe Islands, bringing down a Luftwaffe
that zigzagged towards the bomber and capturing the crew.
enemy lines.


15

FRONTLINE

Frontline
SPECIALFORCESOFTHEWORLD






Yourguidetotheglobe’sgreatestcommandounits
Danish
JTF2 Frogsman
Founded: 1993 Corps
Speciality: Counter-terrorism Founded: 1957
Location: Canada Speciality:
Special Diving
Forces Location:
Group Denmark
Founded: 2003 MJK
Speciality: Founded: 1953
Paracommando Speciality:
Location: Amphibious
Belgium Location: Norway







SAS
Founded: 1945
Speciality: Airborne
Location: United
United Kingdom 3
States Army 4 6
Special Forces SRR
Founded: 1952 Founded: 2005
Speciality: Unconventional warfare Speciality: Surveillance and reconnaissance 5
Location: United States Location: United Kingdom

Kampfschwimme
Founded: 1958
Commandos Marine Speciality: Amphibious
Founded: 1947 Location: Germany Shayetet 13
Speciality: Amphibious Founded: 1948
1 OPERATION Location: France Speciality: Counter-
terrorism, maritime
CHAVÍNDEHUÁNTAR 7 Location: Israel
LIMA 22 APRIL 1997 2
14membersoftheMRTA,aSouthAmerican
revolutionarymovement,havetakenhundreds
of diplomats hostage at the Japanese for 126 1
days. 142 Peruvian commandos storm the South African Special
embassy and rescue all but one hostage. Forces Brigade
Founded: 1972
Speciality: Reconnaissance,
counter-terrorism
Location: South Africa



2 OPERATIONENTEBBE

UGANDA 4JULY1976
AweekagoanAirFranceplanewas
Para-SAR hijacked by the terrorist Palestinian
Founded: 1963 groupPFLP-EO.IdiAminhaswelcomed
Speciality: Parachute the hijackers to Uganda. 100 Israeli
search and rescue commandostravelbynightandrescue
Location: Brazil 102ofthe106hostagesin90minutes.


16

FRONTLINE: SPECIAL FORCES OF THE WORLD


4 OPERATION 5 THEGRAN
FRANKTON SASSORAID Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini is
led to freedom by German paratroopers
FRANCE ITALY and Waffen-SS commandos.
7-10 DECEMBER 1942 12 SEPTEMBER 1943
The Bay of Biscay port of ItaliandictatorBenito
Bordeaux is a vital destination for Mussolini is imprisoned
goodsthatsupporttheGerman high in the Apennine
wareffort.13RoyalMarines Mountains after the king,
CommandosoftheRMBPDinsix Viktor Emmanuel III, had
canoes attack docked ships with him arrested. German
mines, sinking one and causing paratroopers ambush
mass disruption. thedictator’scaptors
and Mussolini is handed
overwithoutasingleshot
being fired.


Republic of Korea
Naval Special
Warfare Flotilla
Founded: 1955
Speciality: Amphibious
Location: South Korea
Russian Marine 6 OPERATION 7 OPERATION
Commando BARRAS
Founded: 1941 NIMROD
Speciality: Amphibious LONDON 30APRIL-5MAY1980 SIERRA LEONE
Location: Russia SixarmedmembersoftheIranian 10 SEPTEMBER 2000
Arab group DRFLA have taken 26 11 British service men have
people hostage in London’s Iranian been taken hostage by the
embassy. SAS soldiers abseil armedSierrarebelsWestSide
fromtheroofintothebuildingand Boys. A combined force of
MARCOS inashort17minutestheyhave 75 SAS and SBS infiltrate the
rescued all but one hostage and enemy base and rescue the
Founded: 1987
Speciality: Amphibious killed five of the terrorists. soldiers,aswellas21civilians.
warfare, counter-terrorism
Location: India
US President Barack Obama
(second from left) watches a live
feed of Operation Neptune Star,
where Osama Bin Laden is killed

8









People’s Liberation
Army Special
Operations Forces
Founded: 1988
Speciality: Rapid reaction combat
Location: China
8 OPERATION


3 ZEEBRUGGERAID NZSAS NEPTUNESPEAR
PAKISTAN 2MAY2011
BELGIUM 23 APRIL 1918 Founded: 1955 US intelligence have identified
The Belgium port of Bruges- Speciality: Airborne the location of Al-Qaeda
ZeebruggeisbeingusedasaU-boat Location: New leader Osama Bin Laden. 79
port by German forces. A small force SASR Zealand commandosoftheUSNavy
of British Royal Marines manage to Founded: 1957 SEALs infiltrate the compound
blocktheentranceforafewdaysat Speciality: Airborne and locate Bin Laden, he resists
thecostof227men. Location: Australia arrest and is shot dead.


17

FRONTLINE

Frontline
SASLONG-RANGEPATROLVEHICLE





The regiment’s most-iconic 4x4 was

used for nearly 20 years and had a very
distinctive colour…






























































rear wheels) meant that the SAS considereditsmostrobust.Itcould
pinkieswereabletocarrymoregear. weather the worst that Mother Nature
They were capable of supporting threwatitanditspartswereeasily
longer-range missions than the SAS replaced.ThisisonereasontheSAS
SeriesILandRoversbeforethem. usedthemfornearly20years.

“The Series IIA could weather the
worstthatMotherNaturethrewat

itanditspartswereeasilyreplaced”



18

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FRONTLINE

Frontline
HEROESOFTHESPECIALFORCES







Just six of the many eccentrics, pioneers, killers
and occasional celebrities who put special forces

in the history books

COLONELDAVIDSTIRLING WWII DAREDEVIL WHO FOUNDED THE SAS
Years active 1941,whenitwasdisbanded,leavingwhat The SAS’s first mission following training
1937-1945 the maverick Scotsman felt was an obvious was a disaster. Having parachuted in to attack
Force Special Air gapinthearmy’sdesertstrategy.Itwould aGermanairfield,42ofStirling’s61menwere
Service/British Army have taken time for Stirling’s idea to plod its killed,capturedbytheGermansorwounded
Country UK way up through the chain of command, so he after a massive storm blew them off course.
“Mad, quite mad,” decided to go straight to the top, in a story Undeterred, Stirling decided that attacking by
were the words of Field worthy of the SAS itself. Despite being on nightandonlandwouldbefarmoreeffective,a
Marshal Montgomery crutches, he crept unauthorised into the Cairo tactic that would prove the making of the SAS.
and commander of the headquarters under a fence, where he knew he Using modified American jeeps and bespoke
famous Eighth Army would find Commander-in-Chief General Claude weaponry designed for their guerilla-like
in the Western Desert Auchinleck. Pursued by guards, he stumbled warfare, L Detachment became a real thorn in
(Libya), when describing SAS founder David into an office where he bumped into the the enemy’s side. It destroyed more than 250
Stirling.Itcertainlytookacombinationofguts General’s deputy. Stirling immediately explained aircraft and dozens of vehicles, supply dumps,
andwildcreativityalone,justforStirlingtoget hisidea,thedeputyrelayedittoAuchinleck communicationsandinfrastructureoverthe
hisideaforasmallandmobileteamofhighly who sanctioned it, and the newly formed courseofayear.Stirlinghimselfleftthearmyin
trained saboteurs heard. special forces unit was given a deliberately 1945 but his legacy is the renowned ‘regiment’,
Theblue-bloodedofficerwasapartofa misleading name as a cover: ‘L Detachment, which is still concerned with special operations
British commando unit in the Middle East, Special Air Service Brigade’. during war and counter-terrorism in peace time.



















































20

FRONTLINE: HEROES OF THE SPECIAL FORCES


LIEUTENANTCOMMANDERJACKCHURCHILL
UTTERLY FEARLESS WWII SOLDIER WHO KILLED ENEMIES WITH HIS BOW
Years active officer,Churchillneverwentinto extraordinary archery prowess: as
1926-1959 battle without his trusty Scottish apartoftheBritishExpeditionary
Force broadsword and frequently played ForceinFrance,1940,Churchill
Commandos hisbagpipestostirmoraleinhis became the only soldier known to
Country UK menashostilitiescommenced. have killed an enemy with a bow
The best soldiers He was captured by the andarrow,whentheregiment
often toe the line Germansin1944,escapedan he commanded ambushed an
betweenbraveryandmadness,so Austrian concentration camp, important German patrol.
history has shown that ‘Fighting’ immediatelyreturnedtofightin He signalled the attack by
Jack Churchill – or ‘Mad Jack’ as Burma and then lamented the stating “I will shoot that first Jason Everman at the back of
hewasoftenknown–certainly fact that by the time he got there, German with an arrow,” and Soundgarden’s 1990 line-up.
liveduptotherule.Asabraveto thewarhadended.Buthe’s promptly felled the enemy sergeant GREENBERETJASONEVERMAN
thepointofbonkersWorldWarII probably most famous for his with a single shot.
FORMERGRUNGEBAND
“Churchillneverwentintobattlewithout GUITARIST TURNED SPEC OPS
Years active 1994-2006
histrustyScottishbroadsword” Force US Army Special Forces
Country US
Musician Jason Everman took two
Jack Churchill (bottom right) leads a missed opportunities with rock ‘n’
training exercise, sword in hand, from a rollfameonthechin,thenwenton
Eureka boat in Inveraray, Scotland tobecomeaheroofanotherkind.In
1994 he abandoned his music career,
which had seen him performing with
rock bands Nirvana and Soundgarden,
to join the 2nd Ranger Battalion of the
US Army. After the Rangers, Everman
joined the Special Forces and following
toursinIraqandAfghanistan,hewas
eventuallyhonourablydischargedin
2006.Hewasawardednumerous
honours, including the coveted Combat
Infantryman Badge.





HASSAN-ISABBAH MAJOR-GENERALORDEWINGATE
CAPTURING THE CASTLE ECCENTRIC CREATOR OF THE AIRBORNE TROOPS, THE CHINDITS
OF ALAMUT AND FOUNDING
THE HASHSHASHIN Years active 1921-1944
Years Active Force Chindits MATTBISSONNETTE,
Country UK
Late 11th Century
Force Wingate was a distinguished officer who served at a ALIAS‘MARKOWEN’
Hashshashin time when the world’s most powerful military forces PART OF THE MISSION THAT
Country Persia wereformingcrackunitsofcovertoperativesasthe KILLED OSAMA BIN LADEN
Born in the norm.In1936,WingatewassenttoPalestinewhere Years active 2002-2012
middle of the 11th guerillaattackswerebeingmadebyPalestinianArabsagainsttheBritish Force United States Naval Special
Century, Hassan-i and Jewish communities in the area. Here, he formed the Special Night Warfare Development Group
Sabbah was an Islamic missionary who Squads, raiding villages that were home to the guerillas and ambushing Country US
toured throughout Persia, spreading them on their way to sabotage pipelines. TherearetworeasonswhyMatt
hisfaith.Thiswastheeraofthe He was assigned to Burma in 1942, where a more peculiar side to Bissonnette, otherwise known by his
Crusades,whenthoseseentobepious his personality surfaced: he would greet people in his tent, naked, eat pseudonym Mark Owen, is famous:
wielded great power. Hassan himself rawonionsandgarlictiedtoathongaroundhisneckandwearanalarm he’s written the best-selling novel ‘No
recruitedabandofPersianandSyrian clockonhiswrist.Butastheofficerinchargeofcreatingandtraining EasyDay’that–andthisbringsusto
disciples called the Hashshashin (the teamsofdeepjunglepenetrationoperatives,theChindits,hisstrange oursecondreason–tellsthestory
Assassins), which grew to the point habits were overlooked. ofhispartinthemissionthatputan
that they were able to capture whole Wingatediedina end to the Al-Qaeda kingpin, Osama
settlements. military plane crash in Bin Laden. Having been ordered by
Their key tactic from which the 1944, but the Chindits theWhiteHousetomoveinonthe
namehasbeenderivedwasto successfully managed King of Terror’s suspected Pakistani
assassinate key figures who opposed to disrupt Japanese location, Bissonnette and his fellow
them, often in public and thus, NavySEALspractisedonamock-upof
effectivelyspreadthemessagethat operations in India, Bin Laden’s house, before flying out to
theywerenottoberesisted.Hassan winning recognition Pakistan.Theentiresquadwerevery
himself employed even more covert from prime minister nearly wiped out when the helicopter
tacticsinthecaptureoftheAlamut Winston Churchill. they were travelling in malfunctioned.
fortress.Overthecourseoftwoyears, Bissonnette was in the third-floor room
Major-General Orde Wingate
hisassassinsconvertedfirstthe (centre)waitsbyanairfield whereBinLadenwasshotdead:the
peoplewholivedaroundAlamut,then team was open to the possibility of
in Burman with other
used his new converts to infiltrate the officers of the Chindits for a capture, but the aggressive training of
fortress and take it from within. nocturnal supply drop. the SEALs left them few other options.

21

FRONTLINE Frontline


NAVYSEALTRAINING













RickKaisertalksusthroughthegruellingNavySEALBUD/S
trainingandhis22yearsofspecialforcesexperience


ichard ‘Rick’ Kaiser joined mental part came at night or while stealingacamerafromtheDanish WHAT WEAPONRY DID YOU USE? 
theUSNavyattheageof eating a meal. Knowing what was Frogmen. No different than anyone Primary weapon was a M4 or HHK
R17 and was assigned to coming next was sometimes as else except better scores on runs, 416 and Secondary was a Sig
SEALTeamTwoin1980.Hewent hard to deal with. swimsandperhapslikedmoreby Sauer P226. Sniper rifl e was a 300
on to be assigned to an Assault the instructors. Winchester Magnum. 
Squadron, in 1985, and was WERETHEREANYTIMESYOUWANTEDOUT?  
selected for the Enlisted Education Once,onthethirddayofHell WHATWEREYOURSPECIALISTROLES? WHAT WAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH
Advancement Program (EEAP). He Week.Withnosleepandatthe Combat swimmer, lead diver, OTHER SPECIAL FORCES? 
wasawardedaSilverStarforValor midnight meal (you ate four times breacher, sniper, sniper instructor, I had the pleasure of serving with
attheBattleofMogadishu(Black a day to keep your energy up) I training chief, operations officer both the SBS and the SAS. SEALs
Hawk Down), where he served as finally felt warm, somewhat dry and military free fall instructor. are naturally closer to the SBS
sniper,beforeretiringfromactive andrelaxed.Istartedfeelingsorry than the SAS due to our water
duty in August 2000. Kaiser is for myself and thinking about HOWHASTHEFORCECHANGED backgrounds. I have many friends
currently Executive Director of the quitting. The instructors, thank SINCEYOUBEGAN? in both services and have had
Navy SEAL Museum. God, saw the class falling asleep SEALs today must be much more many a beer at the pub.
andputusallinthecoldwaterfor technology-savvy individuals. Gone  
WHYDIDYOUCHOOSETOJOINUP? an extended period of time and I are the days of the sniper pair WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN AWAY FROM
IjoinedtheNavyonSeptember snapped out of it. goingintomaketheoneshot. THE EXPERIENCE? 
1979afterreadingapamphletin NowagoodSEALonaradioor Trust no one but your teammates
the recruiters’ office about SEALs WHATISTHETOUGHESTOFALLTHEPHASES milies. Don’t fi ght thinking
called “Men with Green Faces.” s some kind of moral
e or high ground because
DESCRIBETHEWHOLETRAINING has a way of changing as
PROCEDURETOUS oes on.
BUD/SBasicUnderwater
The instructors test the
Demolition SEAL training is six
candidates to their limits
months long and was held in especially during Hell Week
Coronado, California. It was
divided into three sections.
1. Basic Conditioning/Hell Week
2. Dive Training
3. Land Warfare.
ISITMOREPHYSICALLYDIFFICULTOR
MENTALLYSTRENUOUS?
50/50. The daily grind was
mentally tough each day but none
of your mental toughness counted
in the end if you could not perform
themyriadofphysicalactivities
that were planned each day. The
“TRAINING MISSIONS

ARE ALWAYS TOUGHE
THAN THE REAL THING

PRACTICE FOR A
PARTICULAR OPERATI

USUALLY MEANT MUC
MORE PAIN.”




22

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FRONTLINE

Frontline


©BillHigham/REX











































WEAPONSOFTHE





SELOUSSCO















Oneofthemost-notoriousspecialforcesinthemodernworld,

Rhodesia’s Selous Scouts fought a savage counter-insurgency
in defence of white rule in Africa


aking their name from British explorer between Rhodesians of European and African
Frederick Selous, the Selous Scouts descent, counting many guerillas that had SELOUSSCOUTS
Twere formed nine years into the switched sides among their number.
Rhodesian Bush War for “the clandestine Responsible for assassinations and sabotage COUNTRY Rhodesia
elimination of terrorists/terrorism both within both in Rhodesia and neighbouring countries, ACTIVE 1973-80
and without the country.” Although their aim the unit was disbanded in 1980 following the SPECIALITY Reconnaissance and counter-terrorism
was to preserve white minority rule in the election of Robert Mugabe and Rhodesia’s – now KEY ENGAGEMENTS The Rhodesian Bush War
former British colony, they were ethnically mixed Zimbabwe’s – fi rst black government.


24

FRONTLINE: WEAPONS OF THE SELOUS SCOUTS


GAS SYSTEM FN FAL
One of the FN FAL’s game-changing
features, compressed gas is used to load ORIGIN Belgium WEIGHT 2.7kg BARREL 16.9cm CALIBER 7.62mm ROUNDS 34
rounds and expel spent cartridges. The
speedwithwhichtheriflecandischarge With greater range than the Chinese- and Soviet-made piece of precision engineering. It has the option of
built-up gasses reduces recoil, although AK-47s wielded by the ZANLA and ZIPRA guerillas, the beingfittedwithariflegrenade–usuallyaSouth
full auto mode builds up energy too fast FN FAL assault rifl e is nonetheless a temperamental African M-962 fragmentation grenade.
forthesystemtocopewith,sotheriflecan
easily pull off target.




© Military Images / Alamy
RPG-7
ORIGIN USSR WEIGHT 7kg CALIBER 40mm ROUNDS 1
Used mainly by the guerillas, the lines, they would rely on captured
Selous Scouts were early adaptors of weapons and equipment, and the
the Soviet-made, shoulder-launched RPG-7 was ubiquitous in Africa’s post-
RPG-7. Often cut off from their supply colonial confl icts.


HEATSHIELD
The wooden heat shield protects the operator’s
shoulderfromthehightemperaturecausedby
therocketfiring.

© Michal Manas





PROPELLINGMOTOR
Aboosterchargeignitestothrowthewarheadat117metresper
secondfromthetube.Thepropellingmotor–morelikeaconventional
rocketmotor–thenpowersitat294metrespersecond.


WARHEAD
The grenade warhead is usually fi tted with a 4.5-second
fuse which is lit when fired The grenade explodes once the








SLIDE
With relatively few moving
parts–accountingforthe
Makarov’sdurabilityand
popularity in various African
theatres–theslideiskey.
Held in place by a spring,
firing the pistol releases
enoughforcetoopenthe
slideandreleaseboth
energy (to reduce heat
and recoil) and the
spent cartridge.

SAFETY
Thesafetyshieldsthepin,
preventing the hammer from
striking it if accidentally
dropped. This makes the
Makarovoneofthesafest
sidearms of its era.


25

FRONTLINE

Frontline






IRANIANEMBASSYSIEGE (1980)


Sixterroriststook26 n30April1980,sixarmedmen 1 THESASFORMAPLAN
stormed the Iranian Embassy in South
people hostage at the OKensington in the heart of London. Ontheeveningof3May,anSASteammeetson
TheyweremembersofanIranianArabterrorist
theroofoftheembassy.Theyunlockaskylightand
Iranian Embassy in group calling for national sovereignty in the attachropestothechimneysinpreparationfor
Khuzestan province. They took a number of
entering the building.
London. The resulting hostages and demanded the release of Arab 2 FIRSTHOSTAGEKILLED
prisoners,aswellassafepassageoutof
siegesawtheSAS theUK.TheBritishgovernmentrefusedthe At1pmon5May,oneoftheterroristswarnsthathe
will kill a hostage unless he is able to speak to an
terrorists’ demands, and a siege ensued. With
thrust into the public crowdsofjournalistsandalivetelevisioncrew Arab ambassador within 45 minutes. After this time
passes, three shots are heard. Later that day, the
assembled outside the building, it become one
eyelikeneverbefore ofthemostpublicisedeventsofalltime,with body of embassy worker Abbas Lavasani is dumped
outside the front door.
the SAS put firmly in the spotlight.
3 THESASMOVEIN
SPECIALFORCESTACTICS 2.OPENTHEDOOR At7:23pmon5May,theSASsplitsintotwoteams.
A variety of tools TheRedteamabseilsfromtheroofdownthebackof
1.APPROACHTHEBREECHPOINT canbeusedtoforce thebuilding,butitssergeantgetstangledinhisrope
andasoldieraccidentallysmashesawindowwhile
Thesoldiersmoveinatightline,closetothewall entryintoaroom, trying to free him, alerting the terrorists.
butnottouchingitwiththeirgunsinthehighorlow such as hydraulic
carry position. One person will always be watching door openers, 4 ANEXPLOSIVEENTRANCE
behind for approaching threats. Ideally, forces enter a hooligan bar, Thefour-manteamontheroofopentheskylightand
thebuildingfromthehighestpossiblepoint. dynamic hammer throwastungrenadedown,whichdetonatesand
orevenamagnum shakesthebuilding.Theresultingsmokecauses
shotgun loaded with massconfusionandpanicinsidetheembassy.
buckshotorslugs.
These are fired 5 ONEMANSAVED
into the hinges and The four-man Blue team detonates explosives,
lock, but in extreme blastingopenafirst-floorwindow.Theyenterinto
circumstances thelibraryandhelpahostage,SimHarris,toescape
Creative Commons explosives are used. across a parapet of the first-floor balcony.
3.SOUNDDISTRACTIONS 4.STARTLETHEENEMY 6 TERRORISTBLOODISSPILT
Breakingintoabuildingcanoftenbeverynoisy Surprise is the key to special forces’ victory in TheBlueteamsoldierscontinuethroughthebuilding
tothecorridor,followingafleeingterrorist.Hedashes
–manysounddistractionscanbeused,such close-quarters operations – startling the enemy intoasideroombeforetheSASshoothimdead.
as redirecting aeroplanes to cover the noise or can provide a vital few extra seconds. Stun and
pumping ambient sound into the building. When flash grenades can be used to daze poorly trained 7 THELEADERFALLS
urgencyisrequired,thisstepcanbeignoredin enemies, but such techniques will not work on Oan,theterroristleader,attemptstomovetowards
ordertoachievethedirectivequickly. highly trained special-ops soldiers. afirst-floorwindow.Ahostage,PCTrevorLock,
tackleshim.TwoSASmenentertheroomandorder
Locktomoveaway.HerollsoffOan,whoispromptly
shot dead.
8 THESASINDANGER
Attherearoftheembassy,afirebeginsandtravels
outofthesecond-floorwindow.Thestaffsergeant
5.DOMINATETHEROOM 6.ENGAGETARGETS who is still caught up in his ropes is severely burned
Speed is vital when clearing a room – soldiers Eachmemberoftheteamhasadesignated before his teammates manage to cut him free. He
floodtheareaandmoveintopositionsthat section of fire that overlaps with other members. fallsontothebalconyandenterstheembassy.
will give them complete control of the space Afteridentifyingthethreat,continuousfireis 9 TERRORISTSONARAMPAGE
without obstructing their fields of fire. Four- maintained. The soldiers will always be moving
men teams are standard, as more soldiers can while shooting, utilising a technique known as Terroristskilloneoftheircaptivesandwound
overcrowd any space easily. ‘reflexive shooting’. anotherastheyfireindiscriminately.Theyhidetheir
weaponsandpretendtobehostageswhentheSAS
enter.They’requicklyidentified,putagainstawall
andshotdead.
10 HOSTAGESRESCUED
Thetroopersstartevacuatingthehostages.Theyare
bundleddownthestairsandoutintothebackgarden
bythereardoors.Oneisrevealedtobeaterrorist
whenheproducesahandgrenade.Heispushedto
thebottomofthestairsandshot.



26

FRONTLINE: IRANIAN EMBASSY SIEGE


1























4
















9 3



8










5
7
6












10




2









27

FRONTLINE Frontline

DHEAD






TO








erts at tracking, hunting and
ealth, these units used traditional

ativeAmericantechniquesduringthe
volutionaryWar,butwhichwasthe

ost effective?



ONIALRANGER,‘ROGERS’RANGERS’ CIRCA 1758
RITISHARMY’STOPRANGERSWEREDICTATEDBY28RULESOFRANGING
ry Great Britain
ajor conflicts the Rangers were involved in was the French and Indian War (1754–
the Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763–1766). They
uffered one major defeat at the Second Battle on Snowshoes (1758) where they
5 men. Their victory during the Siege of Louisbourg (1758), where they captured
killed 50 enemy combatants, was one of their greatest achievements. The
s quickly became the chief scouting force for the British Army, employing a host
vative new techniques. Many modern-day special forces units claim descent
eRangers,includingtheUSArmyRangers.
“Many modern-day special forces
nits claim descent from the Rangers,

including the US Army Rangers”

WEAPONS RECONNAISSANCE

2 2
Bess musket, 60 rounds Many Native American tactics were used
erandballandahatchet. and the rangers became highly skilled in
ntional weapons such as German gathering intelligence about the enemy.
fles and tomahawks were also This was what the British most valued
about the rangers.

TRAINING ENDURANCE

2 2
nderwent intensive training and Capableoflivingoffthelandto
ck strictly to a series of guidelines sustain themselves, they were
Robert Rogers’ 28 Rules of equipped for a variety of terrains and
They were a blend of Native conditions including mountains, rivers
and Rogers’ own tactics. and snow.
MARKSMANSHIP TOTAL

2 22
rs were exceptionally skilled at Despite their groundbreaking training
p on enemies, achieving the doctrineandaccesstothemostcutting
d and unleashing a devastating edge weapons of their time, Rogers’
ese attacks were mediated by Rangers fall just short of matching the
es of Ranging. US Indian Scouts.

The Warm Spring Indian Scouts



UNITEDSTATESARMYINDIANSCOUT CIRCA 1866
THEIR TRADITIONAL METHODS OFTEN TIMES GAVE THEM THE UPPER HAND
Country United States
The most common use of Indian Scouts was to track and find the enemy, although
they also acted as hunters and interpreters. When General Custer ignored the adv
of his scouts, it led to the disastrous Battle of the Little Big Horn (1878). Scouts
were utilised in the Pequot War (1636-1638), the Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
the American Civil War (1861 to 1865). Their linguistic skills came in highly useful
during WWII, where they would transmit secret coded messages based on their na
languages. They used many traditional Native American methods when it came to
their weapons and training.
WEAPONS RECONNAISSANCE

2 2
Traditional Native American weapons The Scouts had an unparalleled ability
such as bows, arrows and spears to track every trail, with an innate
wouldbeusedbytheScouts,alongside understanding of traversing across th
contemporary muskets supplied by the American West, due to their lineage a
US Army. traditional methods.

TRAINING ENDURANCE

2 2
Immune to army notations of discipline Their Native American upbringings ga
and authority, Indian Scouts were themtheexpertsurvivalskillstheywo
deemed wild, with a possibility of turning needinthewild,capableatfindingw
againstthearmy–butthere’sonlyone andfoodevenindesert-liketerrain.
recorded incident of this.
MARKSMANSHIP TOTAL

2 222
Their fantastic eyesight was able to spot The heavy Native American influence
an enemy at great distance, combined of Rogers’ Rangers (as well as Native
with the ability to sneak up on them Americantroops)isnosubstitutefort
unnoticed. This gave them a great Native American upbringing of the US
advantagewhentheycametoattack. Army Indian Scouts

VICTORY!EVERYMANWILLDOHISDUTY






























































































Alamy
30

VICTORY! EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY
EVERY At the Battle of Trafalgar,



HMS Victory helped
repel one of the greatest
MAN threatsevertomaritime


superiorityinNapoleon.

We go beneath the
decks to discover
WILL howNelson’siconic AherobeforeTrafalgar,


battleship made history
the battle cemented Lord
andsavedthenation
Nelson’s myth.
DOHIS Iasawarshipfinallyceased.Oneofthe leadtheBritishtotriumphorwouldshewiltin
twasacoldautumnalmorningon7
November 1812 when HMS Victory’s duty
the face of the Napoleonic juggernaut? As the
clouds began to gather, (a huge storm would
batter the ships for days after the conflict
greatest to have served the Royal Navy, the
ceased) 32 British ships lined up off the coast
vessel was actually the seventh to bear the
of Cadiz, Spain opposite a combined 33 French
‘Victory’ name, but is surely the most well
DUTY known. 69 metres (226 feet) of pure English and Spanish ships. The greatest threat to
Britishsecurityin200years,theopposition
oak,thefirstrateshiphadacrewofupto850
also had 4,000 troops at their disposal, vastly
menand104gunsthatcouldblastenemies
outnumbering the British men at arms. A gifted
of the crown into oblivion. Made from 2,000
trees and containing 26 miles (42 kilometres)
tactician, Nelson was given free reign of the
of rigging, the HMS Victory was designed by
battlefield by the 1st Baron of Barham and
thateverymanwilldohisduty’atthestartof
Chatham Dockyard in 1765 shortly after the
WORDS architect Sir Thomas Slade and launched from raised the famous flag signal ‘England expects
the conflict.
endoftheSevenYears’War.Shewasonly
JACKGRIFFITHS oneoftenofitssizebuiltinBritaininthe18th Naturally, Victory led the double-edged line
Centuryandwouldhavecost£63,176–an into battle. As she steamed headlong towards
incredible sum for the day. A classic example theenemyrankssheactedalmostasasponge
of warship construction techniques of the age, soaking up heavy cannon fire. The steering
it was built by John Lock and Edward Allin at a wheel was smashed and many marines on
time when the Empire was at peace. The Battle the poop deck were mowed down by cannon
of Trafalgar gave this floating battle station the andmusket.AllthisbeforeHMSVictorywas
chance to lead the British fleet into battle with able to fire a single return shot in anger. The
their old European enemies once more. damagetookitstollonthevesselandthe
21October1805wouldbeHMSVictory’s great ship became unable to sail after only two
judgement day. Would the 40 year-old ‘relic’ hours’ engagement, with the mizzen topmast

At Traflagar, the Victory
carriedover100guns
spreadacrossfourdecks.

















Nelson’s cabin was fit for an
admiral, occupying a quarter of
theUpperGunDeck.



31

VICTORY! EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY


and its studding sails completely shot away.
Theofficerclasswerealsointhelineoffire THE CHANGING LOOK OF VICTORY
with Nelson’s secretary, John Scott, literally
cutintwobyawell-aimedshot.Itwouldhave The ship’s appearance has varied considerably over the years due to various
been boarded by the French if the second-rate restorations. For most of her lifetime she was coloured in her classic yellow
ship, HMS Temeraire, hadn’t fired an expertly but she also sported a black and white look at one time. Her masts and
timed broadside at the ready to board troops. back gallery also underwent aesthetic changes, as did the original ornate
Tragically, the flagship had been incapacitated figurehead, which had rotted by the time of Trafalgar. In her current position in
astheFrenchandSpanishagaindrewcloser. drydock, she has been fi tted with less rigging and iron masts to extend its life.
In the heat of battle, it was essential that
the men on board had experienced heads on POOP DECK
their shoulders. Victory’s crew were all of varied
expertise, but the vast majority had seafaring FOC’SLE
experience at the time of Trafalgar. With the
Empire growing rapidly, a navy was needed to One of the most important parts
protect its ever-expanding territories so the of the ship, the fo’c’sle controlled
jobasasailorwasanattractiveonein19th the sails and anchors as well as
CenturyBritain.Scurvy,thelong-timeenemyof being the meeting place for
themariner,wasnowwellknownsothemen off-duty crew members.
werereadilysuppliedwithvegetablesandeach
crewmembercouldhaveasmanyas5,000
calories a day in their diet.
This didn’t mean the vessel was without its
shareofmutiniesthough.Afewyearsbefore LEG IRONS
its greatest battle, two ‘great mutinies’, where If the men defi ed orders
the ship was seized by the crew, resulted in they would be taken to
an increase in pay. Although their conditions the leg irons for 300 whip
wereimproved,theleadersoftheuprising lashes or even beatings
were hung for their involvement. Sadly, from fellow crewmen.
approximately90percentofBritishcasualties
during the Napoleonic Wars were caused by
disease, accident and shipwreck. It was in a
seaman’s best interests not to get wounded SICK BERTH
onboard Victory. The surgeon had an array of When not engaged in battle,
surgicaltoolstocureanyillbutwithoutany this area would be where the
anaesthetics available, it would be a very ship’s doctor resided. William
painful process. 57 men were killed at Trafalgar Beatty was the most famous
withafurther102wounded.Thesurgeonof surgeon who treated Nelson
the day, William Beatty, was, along with his two after he fell at Trafalgar.
assistants, called on to perform operations,
amputating nine arms and two legs. At Trafalgar

“57 MEN WERE KILLED AT

TRAFALGAR WITH A FURTHER
102 WOUNDED”




SIZING UP

The ship’s dimensions were 226
feet x 52 feet x 25 feet. This was
spread out over three decks and
was a standard size for a fi rst-rate
ship of the line of the era.





ORLOP

This deck was below the waterline so
was the ideal location for cabins and
storage as it was almost completely
The modern protected from gunfi re.
fi gurehead features
two cupids
supporting the royal
coat of arms.



32

QUARTER DECK
ADMIRAL’S CABIN











UPPER GUN DECK


MIDDLE GUN DECK



LOWERGUN DECK







THE GUN DECKS

Victory wouldn’t have been the
fl oating battlestation she was
without her immense fi repower,
which packed a cannonball-shaped
punch. 104 guns were spread out
across the three decks with the lower
deck containing the heavy-duty 32
pounders, 24s in the middle and
the upper the 12 pounders. While
the offi cers lived in relatively good
conditions in the middle deck, the
majority of the crew had to make do
with hammocks on the gun deck that
were just 35cm (14 inches) wide!








HOLD

With space for six months’ worth
of provisions, the hold was the
storagecentreoftheship.

BALLAST

With 100 guns on-board the ship at any one time,
a sturdy ballast was required to counteract the
immenseweightofthemightycannons.

FIREANDICE

The English oak used on the ship was adapted to protect from two of the biggest dangers
on the high seas: fi re and damp rot. To prevent the spread of fire and flame, wooden
boards were lined with fi re retardant mortar and plaster. This was most thickly applied
on the bulkhead and barrel rooms. It was also essential to keep gunpowder and wooden
boards and beams dry so damp was kept at bay by moisture-absorbent charcoal.



33

VICTORY! EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY


ifyougotinjureditwasdoubtfulyou’dsurvive,
let alone be fit enough to return to battle.
Thecrewweredividedintovariousranks
aboard Victory. At the bottom were the boys
whowerejustgainingtheirsealegsandwere
servingasortof19thCenturyapprenticeship
on the boat. Higher in the food chain were
theableseamenwhocouldtieanysortof
knot you could think of and took care of the
masts and rigging. At the top were the officers
whosupervisedthedeckandmadeallthe
decisions below the captain and admiral. The
ship would naturally also contain surgeons,
carpenters,gunners,armourers,acookand
anumberofRoyalMarineswhoprovided
theship’smilitarymuscle.Twoofthemost
well-knownmenaboardtheshipwereafather
andsonteamwhobothwentbythename,
William Rivers. The younger of the two was a Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
midshipman who relayed messages for Nelson TheinteriorofVictory’s
while his father was a gunner who helped fill gun deck. Note the
powder cartridges during the heat of battle. hammocks in close
While on one of his errand runs, Rivers Junior proximity to the cannons
wasthesadvictimofanenemygunshottothe
leg. He hobbled below to seek the assistance waslefttotheothermoremodernships,but base in Gibraltar by HMS Neptune where she
of Beatty, who decided the best course of provedtobeaconstantthorninthesideofthe underwent considerable repair work, ready to
actionwasamputationasheoperatedfour enemy as she lead from the front. be thrust into action once more. Although it
inchesabovetheyoungman’sknee.Hehadto HMS Victory was an ideal fit for Trafalgar. was her greatest ever engagement, Trafalgar
be held down by the surgeon’s assistants. Her sheer amount of guns suited the British wasn’tVictory’sfinalhurrahassheservedin
Before the Napoleonic War, HMS Victory tactics superbly. Outnumbered on deck, twoBalticcampaignsbetween1808and1812.
hadbeenfittedwith3,923platesofcopper Nelson’s forces knew that if they were This was a blockade mission where the new
sheathingin1780andhadtwoextragunports, boarded, the ship would most likely be lost. As admiral, James Saumarez kept the Russian
stronger masts and rails on the deck to protect a result, broadside shots from distance proved navy under wraps and generally hampered
the men from small arms fire. With the amount to be immensely effective. Unbelievably, not a French operations. Since then, she has stayed
of damage she received, these additions single British ship was destroyed at Trafalgar, in the naval dockyard of Portsmouth and in
turnedouttobeindispensable.Despite owing much to the leadership of the captains 1922 was put into what is now the oldest
takingapoundingandlosinghermasts,it but also the hard work of the men and the drydockintheworldtofinallyrest.TheVictory
wasn’t as if the ship was a sitting duck. Far power and manoeuvrability of Victory herself. you see today looks very little like she did in
fromit.Eventhoughtherewasaheavyfog The battle wasn’t without great tragedy the age of sail. There is much less rigging,
shrouding the ships, Victory exchanged fire though,asNelsonfellatapproximately1.15pm iron rather than wooden masts and a pump
withrivalflagship,theBucentaure,andhadan to a mortal wound from a 0.69-inch-diameter house on the upper deck. Since that November
extended engagement with the Redoutable lead ball, which cut an artery in his lung and day, the ship has been the centrepiece of the
lodged itself in his spine. HMS Victory soldiered historic dockyard. Every year tens of thousands
on under the new leadership of Sir Thomas oftouristsfromaroundtheworldcometobear
Hardy and mourning was only felt after the witnesstoanavalbehemoththathadherfinest
battle had long since ended. The battered and hour at Trafalgar when it helped Britannia rule
bruised Victory was towed to the British the waves.






Images: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
A steel broadsword and leather scabbard
belonging to Captain James Robertson-
Walker who served on Victory at Trafalgar











An iron cannonball
foundwedgedinthe
timber of the bow of Victory
from Trafalgar


ThisbarwaslaunchedintoVictorybytheSpanishship
Santisima Trinidad and reportedly killed eight marines


34

VICTORY! EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY










National Maritime Museum, Greenwich








THEVICTORY’SROLE
ATTRAFALGAR


AQUICKCHATWITHJAMESDAVEY,
Apockettelescopewasessentialfornavigation
and spotting enemy forces. An inscription on CURATOROFNAVALHISTORYAT
THENATIONALMARITIMEMUSEUM
the box reads, ‘England expects’
What was the Victory’s role at Trafalgar?
The wool and silk coat worn by Her key role was as flagship for the Commander
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich todividethefleetintotwoastheyadvanced
Nelson when he fell on the deck
ofHMSVictory.Thecoatstillhas in Chief Horatio Nelson but she also had a
splatters of blood, which is believed secondary role of leading the northerly column
to be from his secretary John Scott intobattle.Nelson’smajortacticalmovewas
towards the Franco-Spanish fleet. She placed
herself in the most dangerous position, right at
the front of the line.
What condition was she in going into
the battle?
Shewasaveryoldshipandwasabout40years
oldbythebattle.However,therehadbeenan
extensiveamountofrepairworkcompleted
during the peace of Amiens that preceded the
Napoleonic War. So relative to other ships in the
fleet,shewasinrelativelygoodnick.
How was most of the fighting done?
Broadside cannon shots? Boarding
other ships?
The British superiority in battle was based on
gunnerytacticsanditsshipswereabletofire
more accurate shots than the enemies. The
FrenchandSpanishhadmuchmoresoldiers
on their ships so it was within the British
interesttohaveabattlebasedongunnery.
When a boarding party threatened, this showed
British vulnerability.

Give us an insight into the conditions on
theboat?Howdiditdiffertopeacetime?
A naval ship was a very tight and cramped
place. People lived in each other’s pockets.
Whenabattlewasnigh,personalpossessions
would be put away, hammocks hung up and
guns distributed. The living quarters would
becomeabattlestation.Thiswasjustastrueof
officer’scabinsaswell.Withinafewminutes,
theshipcouldbecomeabattlestation. Visit the National Maritime Museum www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum
Theholefromtheshotthat
killed Nelson is still visible HowimportantwasHMSVictorytothe
intheshoulderofhisjacket, outcome of Trafalgar?
nowkeptattheNational It played an essential role. She led the line
Maritime Museum. andsetanexample.Shewasoneofthefirst
ships to engage with the enemy and during the
battle it expended over 3,000 shots, which is
an incredible amount – seven shots per gun per
hour,whichmaynotseemlikeahugeamount
but it is an incredible feat of gunnery.



35

LETTER FROM TRAFALGAR

Letter from








Trafalgar









The story of Lord Nelson’s death is

described in detail in an account written by
Victory’s surgeon at Trafalgar William Beatty


he pain that Vice-Admiral
Nelson suffered after his
TmortalwoundatTrafalgar
areoutlinedinareportwritten
bythesurgeonwhotreatedhim
at the battle. The manuscript
givesaninterestinginsightinto
the understanding of surgery an
anatomyintheearly18thCentu
whilealsodescribingtheexact
conditionofNelsonthroughoutt
entire procedure. Beatty, Nelson
and many naval figures of the tim
wrote detailed letters and report
from their experiences. This
extractformspartofafullaccou
of the battle written by Beatty
entitledTheDeathofLordNelso
andreadingthesetodaygivesu
valuable clues to what life was l
onthehighseasintheageofs

Beatty treated over 100 men on the day
of the battle but was unable to save the
Vice-Admiral’s life

































36

LETTER FROM TRAFALGAR


TRANSCRIPT

“About the middle of the action with the Combined
Fleets on the 21st of October last, the late illustrious
Commander in Chief Lord NELSON was mortally wounded
in the left breast by a musket-ball, supposed to be fi red
from the mizen-top of La Redoutable French ship of the
line, which the Victory fell on board of early in the battle.
His lordship was in the act of turning on the quarterdeck
with his face towards the Enemy, when he received his
wound: he instantly fell; and was carried to the cockpit,
where he lived about two hours. On being brought below,
he complained of acute pain about the sixth or seventh
dorsal vertebra, and of privation of sense and motion
of the body and inferior extremities. His respiration was
short and diffi cult; pulse weak, small, and irregular. He
frequently declared his back was shot through, that he felt
every instant a gush of blood within his breast, and that he
had sensations, which indicated to him the approach of
death. In the course of an hour his pulse became indistinct,
and was gradually lost in the arm. His extremities and
forehead became soon afterwards cold. He retained his
wonted energy of mind, and exercise of his faculties, till
the last moment of his existence; and when the victory as
signal as decisive was announced to him, he expressed his
pious acknowledgments, and heart-felt satisfaction at the
glorious event, in the most emphatic language. He then
delivered his last orders with his usual precision, and in a
few minutes afterwards expired without a struggle.
“Course and site of the Ball, as ascertained since death.
“The ball struck the fore part of his lordship’s epaulette;
and entered the left shoulder immediately before the
processus acromion scapulae, which it slightly fractured.
It then descended obliquely into the thorax, fracturing the
second and third ribs: and after penetrating the left lobe
of the lungs, and dividing in its passage a large branch of
the pulmonary artery, it entered the left side of the spine
between the sixth and seventh dorsal vertebræ, fractured
the left transverse process of the sixth dorsal vertebra,
wounded the medulla spinalis, and fracturing the right
transverse process of the seventh vertebra, made its way
from the right side of the spine, directing its course through
the muscles of the back; and lodged therein, about two
inches below the inferior angle of the right scapula. On
removing the ball, a portion of the gold-lace and pad of the
epaulette, together with a small piece of his lordship’s coat,
was found fi rmly attached to it.
W. BEATTY, SURGEON


illustrates Nelson s
fi nal moments. Beatty
is pictured to the left
of the Vice-Admiral,
searching for a pulse

“HIS LORDSHIP WAS IN THE

ACT OF TURNING ON THE
QUARTERDECK WITH HIS

FACE TOWARDS THE ENEMY,
WHEN HE RECEIVED HIS

WOUND: HE INSTANTLY FELL;
AND WAS CARRIED TO THE

COCKPIT, WHERE HE LIVED
ABOUT TWO HOURS.”




37

ThemottooftheNazi’selitefightingforcewas
“My honour is loyalty” but it might have been

“death without glory.” The Waffen SS’s blind
obedienceensuredtheirtroopswereboth

recklessly heroic and murderously barbaric












































HITLERS M grand square, has been transformed.
unich, 9 November 1933, another
’
WORDS NICK SOLDINGER
cold night. Odeonsplatz, the city’s
Gone are the busy pavement cafés. Gone
too are the uptight waiters rushing beers and
coffees to impatient punters. Tonight, it’s a
torch-lit parade ground. Nazi flags adorn the
neoclassical buildings, while in front of the
Feldenhalle military memorial – built a century
before–stand800SSmen,frozentoattention.
their breath makes ghosts in the icy autumn air.
Tonight is the tenth anniversary of the Munich
Brutal Immaculate in their sinister black uniforms,
Beer Hall Putsch – Adolf Hitler’s clumsy coup
attemptthatleft16ofhismobdeadonthe
Feldenhalle’s steps. A lot has happened since
WAFFENSS Germany’s dictator, and tonight’s theatrics are
then. Initially imprisoned, Hitler has gone from
fringe fanatic to political pop idol. He is now
designed to both rewrite history – the Putsch is
repackagedasnoblesacrifice–andtothank
his SS hoods for helping make it all possible.
Eachmanisawardedaceremonialdagger.A
double-edged blade with the inscription “Meine
EhreheißtTreue”–“Myhonourisloyalty.”In

these gifts will come to symbolise their violent
and ultimately tragic destiny.
Alamy ways the SS men cannot even begin to imagine,
38

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS
































































































39

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS

ORIGINSOFTHEWAFFENSS





t its height, the SS was the Third Reich’s they’d also acquire a memorable title: to follow their pied piper wherever his diabolical
most-powerful organisation, controlling Schutzstaffel (meaning ‘protection squadron’) tune led them.
A the Nazi terror machine and, through orSSforshort.Underitsambitiousleader By 1934 the original 117-man bodyguard
the Waffen SS, much of its military. Its origins, HeinrichHimmler,theSSwouldgoontoextend had become 800. Now boasting those swanky
however,canbetracedbacktoahandfulof itsmalevolentinfluencefrommereguardians ceremonial daggers, and legally armed, they’d
WorldWarIveterans. of Hitler to the much-larger task of homeland become Hitler’s private regiment – the SS
After the 1918 Armistice, when the kaiser security,takingresponsibilityfortheGestapo Leibstandarte. They were now ready to be put
scarpered,Germanyhaditsfirststabat secret police, the concentration camp system to the test.
democracy–butthedemandingtermsof and eventually the genocidal policy of the so- Röhm’sSAmayhavegivenbirthtotheSS,
the victors sent the country into a state of called Final Solution. facilitating Hitler’s rise to the top, but by 1934
pandemonium. As rocketing unemployment and From the start, Himmler sold the increasingly they were getting too big for their jackboots.
hyperinflation collided, so did rival forces, as paranoid Hitler the idea that the SS would Demanding powers that Hitler believed made
right-wing gangs smashed into left-wing ones on notonlyprotecthim,buttheveryvisionhe them a threat, the Führer decided to unleash
streetcornersfromMunichtoBerlin. espoused. Drawn from the purest Germanic hishounds.DuringOperationNightofthe
In such times, anger always shouts stock and thoroughly soaked in the extreme Long Knives, the SS swiftly emasculated its
down reason, and the Nazis thrived in this Naziideology,these‘supermen’–orsothePR SA counterpart, slaughtering its leadership
darkness. The brownshirts, a 60,000-strong spiel went – would die for their Führer. In fact, inacoupleofdays.Havingmurderedformer
paramilitaryforceunderex-armyofficerErnst Himmler made sure that each one of them, like comrades without compunction, the SS’s
Röhm, was formed and unleashed on anyone theSSmenwho’dfollow,notonlypledgeda loyalty was now proven, and as Himmler had
who disagreed with the leadership’s spiteful personal oath of allegiance to Hitler, but swore hoped for, the Waffen (armed) SS was born…
sermons. From this, an elite bodyguard was
Distinguishable from the brownshirt riffraff “HAVINGMURDEREDFORMERCOMRADESWITHOUT
selected to protect Hitler himself.
by their black hats, the rest of this bodyguard’s COMPUNCTION, THE SS’S LOYALTY WAS NOW PROVEN”
uniform would also blacken over time, and

Architects of the SS 1939-1940


Heinrich THESSGOTOWAR
Himmler UNITS:SSLEIBSTANDARTE
1900-1945 ANDSSTOTENKOPF
Mild-mannered but Almost as soon as hostilities began,
ruthlessly ambitious, the Waffen SS was flung into the
Himmler was made front line, first in Poland, then in the
the Reichsführer of West against the Netherlands and
theSSin1929.He France. In both campaigns the SS
transformeditfrom displayed their infamously double-
edgednatureofrecklessheroism
an elite bodyguard with utter ruthlessness.
into the Nazis’ most At first, the SS’s performance drew
formidable weapon.
criticism from the regular army for
taking unnecessary casualties and
Paul ‘Papa’ torching villages with equal abandon
Hausser during the Polish campaign. During
1880-1972 the invasion of Holland, however, they
Knownasthefather showed more discipline, smashing
of the SS, he helped through the country to link up with
develop the Waffen airborne troops, helping to defeat the
SS’s strong sense of The SS Leibstandarte parading at their barracks in honour of their Dutchinjustfivedays.
comradeship. Even leader, Adolf Hitler on 17 December 1935 In France they experienced
when in his 60s he led stiffer resistance. Reservists from
his men into battle, theSSTotenkopfweresummoned
andevenlostaneye to the front, where they joined the
whileinRussia. SS Liebstandarte in squeezing
the pockets of resistance around
Felix Steiner Dunkirk. The fighting was ferocious,
1896-1966 andwhenaresilientBritishforce
Obergruppenführer of in the village of Wormhoudt took
anentiredaytobudge,theSS
the SS. He imbued Leibstandarteroundedupthe90
the organisation survivors and burnt them to death
withaphilosophyof inabarn.Nottobeoutdone,SS
unforgiving fortitude. Totenkopf troops machine-gunned
Repeatedly decorated another 97 captured Brits who had
for bravery, he foughtdowntotheirlastbulletat
helped transform avillagecalledLeParadis.Their
An SS task force is here seen rounding up Polish hostages to execute
theWaffenSSintoa them after the sacking and occupation of Kórnik in Poland on 20 behaviour set a pattern that was to
multinational force. October 1939 continue throughout the war.

40

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS
Alamy
1941-45
BARBAROSSA

ANDBEYOND

DIVISIONS:SSLEIBSTANDARTE,
SSDASREICH,SSTOTENKOPF,SSPOLIZEI,
SSWIKINGANDSSNORD
BythetimeHitlerorderedthe
invasion of Russia, the Waffen SS
comprisedsixdivisionsof160,000
menandeveryonestoodonthe
spearhead when, on 22 June 1941,
the Wehrmacht began advancing
east on a front that stretched from
theBlackSeatoFinland.Forthe
Waffen SS, this was the moment
to shine. Conditioned to believe the
Russians were a genetic pollutant,
they set off with ruthless zeal on
what they believed was a crusade to
save humanity.
The Germans had reached Moscow
by October, but then the Russian
winter kicked in. Temperatures
plummeted to -45 degrees Celsius
(-50 degrees Fahrenheit), and the
advance faltered. When the Russians
respondeditwastheSSDas
Reichthatheldtheline,suffering
4,000 casualties. When another
thrust came from the Allies, SS
Leibstandarte held the line. Of the
2,000committed,just35survived.
TheWaffenSSrepeatedlyproved
its fighting prowess in Russia, at
Kursk, at Karkov and in the collapse
after Stalingrad. Eventually, as the
RedArmysteamrolledtowardBerlin,
it was the SS that provided the
resolute rearguard for the retreat.
Truly,theirloyaltywasuntildeath-
Hitler chatting with SA leader Ernst Röhm,
whose paramilitary thugs help him to notjustthere’s,buttheirFührerand
power–Hitlerlaterhadhimmurdered his twisted Reich.

KeyWaffenSSUnits At its height, the Waffen SS numbered no less than 38 divisions of nearly a million

men, here History of War takes a quick glance at the most significant…
SSLEIBSTANDARTEADOLFHITLER DASREICH OTENKOPF
ORMED1923 ORMED1939 ORMED1939
Hitler’s bodyguard, from which SS Took part in the invasions of France nitially made up of men who’d served
prang, evolved into the 1st SS Panzer and Russia, before being moved west as concentration-camp guards, its
Division.Itsinsigniawasakey,in againfortheBattleofNormandy, commander Theodor Eicke, former
onour of Commander Sepp Dietrich, whereitsmenmassacred642 ommandantofDachau,wasSA
whose surname means ‘lock-pick.’ FrenchciviliansatOradour-sur-Galne. leader Ernst Röhm’s assassin.
POLIZEI WIKING NORD
ORMED1939 ORMED1941 ORMED1941
Formed in 1939 from Germany’s This was the first of 24 Waffen SS ormedmostlyofScandinavian
egular police. It suffered heavy losses divisionstobemadeupalmost olunteers,itstroopswereamong
on the Eastern Front before going entirely of foreign fighters. It hose forming the northernmost part
to Greece, where troops killed 214 consisted of mainly Scandinavian f the assault line during the invasion
civiliansintheDistomoMassacre. volunteers, as the name suggests. of Russia.
WALLONIEN HITLERJUGEND CHARLEMAGNE
ORMED1941 ORMED1943 ORMED1944
Belgium’s contribution to the Nazi ed by the dashing and influential Made up of French volunteers, the
war effort was led by leading Walloon Kurt Meyer, one of the original SS badge references Frankish tribes under
Fascist politician Léon Degrelle. Hitler Leibstandarte, it was made up of Charlemagneinwhatismodern-day
oncetoldDegrelle:“I’dhavelikedto boysintheirlateteens–thefirst France and Germany. These were
have had a son like you.” generation to grow up with Nazism. among the last to surrender.


41

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS

RECRUITMENTANDTRAINING





lthough standards would drop as the games took precedent over square bashing,
war took its toll, the initial criteria for while warmth, mutual respect and trust were
A recruitment into the Waffen SS was encouraged between all ranks.
exacting. Under Himmler’s orders all potential Thisopennessfosteredinitiative–
recruitshadtobeinoutstandingphysical something that hampered the Wehrmacht with
condition, at least 180 centimetres (five-foot, its strict top-down command structure. One
11-inch)-tall, and able to prove their Aryan notable triumph of this was the SS’s pioneering
ancestry back 150 years. use of camouflage jackets. Initially ridiculed,
Much to Himmler’s delight, many early they’ve since become universally adopted.
recruits came from the countryside. As Hauser’s innovative methods also ensured that,
afanaticalracist,hesawintheGerman asyoungrecruitsgrewfitterandhonedtheir
peasantry the purest strain of Aryan martial skills, a powerful esprit d’corps was
manhood. Many of them were also so poorly developedtogoalongsidetheiroutstanding
educated that they were easy targets for Nazi camaraderie. These troops believed they were
indoctrination. It was drummed into them daily better than anyone in front of them, and were
that they were Aryans, genetically superior willing to prove it – even if it killed them.
to other races such as Slavs and Jews, who TheWaffenSSwasalsopreparedfora
were both weak and malign. These sub-human unique military role. Felix Steiner, the army’s
tribes, they were told, were a disease that must director of education, masterminded the
be eradicated before they destroyed Western tactical training. Steiner had served as a
civilisation – no mercy could be shown. stormtrooper during WWI and envisaged a
Basic training for SS recruits matched that similar role for the Waffen SS as assault troops
of the regular army, but there were significant spearheading attacks – men who were as
differences in culture. Although discipline was heroic as they were ruthless.
strict,thankstoGeneralPaulHausser–the Between them Himmler, Hausser and Steiner
so-called father of the SS – their command churned out soldiers who were indoctrinated
structure was less rigid. Field sports and team to be as careless with their own lives as they
were with others’. Consequently,
A Nazi recruiting poster “HAUSSER AND STEINER CHURNED OUT SOLDIERS they’d suffer frighteningly high
encouraging Dutch people casualtyrates(around35percent)
to join the Waffen SS
WHO WERE INDOCTRINATED TO BE AS CARELESS and commit so many war crimes
that every act of bravery would be
WITHTHEIROWN LIVESASTHEYWEREWITHOTHERS’” overshadowed by an even greater
one of evil.

1945 Waffen SS soldiers often
took extraordinary risks
in battle. Their bravery
THEFALAISEPOCKET was legendary, but their
casualty rates horrific
DIVISIONS:SSDASREICH,SSLIEBSTANDARTE,
SSDIVISIONHITLERJUGEND
When the landing crafts crashed onto the
Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944, the closest SS
division was the 12th SS Panzer Hitlerjugend just
west of Paris. Later dubbed the Candy Division by
theAmericans,itwaslargelymadeupof16and
17-year-old boys who’d known nothing but Nazism
since infanthood. They were to prove the pinnacle
of the Nazi experiment in ideological indoctrination.
Hitler was asleep when the invasion started,
nobody dared wake him so it was late afternoon
beforetheSSHitlerjugendgotorderstodeploy.
The following evening they were embroiled in the
desperate defence of Caen. The young soldiers
fought tenaciously, gradually becoming encircled
in what came to be known as the Falaise Pocket.
By22August,they’deffectivelybeendestroyed,
havingsufferedmorethan8,500casualtiesout
ofaforceof20,540,withalmostallofitsarmour
being destroyed.
TheWaffenSSshouldhaveoncemoreearned
the respect of its enemies, but again shame
would overshadow any glory. They may have been
barelyoutofschool,buttheboysofthe12th
were programmed to murder. They executed 156
captured Canadians during the fighting, as well
as86FrenchciviliansinAscqtwomonthsbefore
hostilities even began.


42

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS























Sports

Fromthestart,systematicandintensephysicalexercisewas
part of the Waffen SS recruit’s training. Strength-building
classesaswellastrack-and-fieldsportswereroutine.
Recruits also undertook daily hikes and carried out jumping
and running exercises. Over time, as one SS leader put it, “an
athleticsoldieremerged.Adisciplinedsporttype,ofsupple
physical stature, mentally concentrated on performance.
Such soldiers are admirably suited to satisfy the special
demands of shock-troop tactics.”
Ideology Philosophy

Each SS unit had an education Recruits could expect to emerge
officer who drummed the from training with a different
ideological fundamentals into personality. Even the sports
recruits – belief in the superiority of training had a paramilitary slant
the Aryan race, total obedience to that emphasised the need for
Hitler and hatred of ‘inferior’ races, total victory. The philosophical
particularly Jews. Anti-Semitism goalwastocreatetheperfect
Induction was heavily emphasised during warrior; one who exemplified
willpower, resilience and national
training through endless literature
For a recruit who passed the necessary and lectures on the subject. purity. Recruits weren’t just
criteria,trainingtofightintheWaffenSS Trainees were also required to beingturnedintoposterboysfor
took about six months, or 12 for officers. study Hitler’s Mein Kampf and The nationalsocialism,theywerebeing
Asthewarescalated,foreignSSrecruitswho Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion –an hardwired for brutal murder. As
didn’tmeetthiscriteriawereacceptedandgiven anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that Hitler himself once admitted: “I
justtwoweeks’trainingbeforebeingrushedinto claimedtohaveuncoveredaJewish have not come into this world to
theline.Allmenhadtoswearapledgeofpersonal plan for global domination. makemenbetter,buttomakeuse
allegiance to Hitler in a formal ceremony. of their weaknesses.”
TRAININGTOFIGHTFORTHEFATHERLAND







Weapons Tactics
As the war went on and the AccordingtooneWaffenSS
Waffen SS proved itself to contain training manual, stormtroopers
Germany’s best soldiers, they were taught to be “highly
were accordingly given the best camouflaged daredevils, moving
weapons. Entire divisions were forward irresistibly with focused
eventually converted into armoured speed and alertness.” The tactical
units trained to use the formidable training system they undertook
Tiger and Panther tanks. Militarily, was therefore focused on combat,
as descendants of the Germany’s aimed mainly at developing
WWI lightly armed stormtroopers, aggressive manoeuvrability and
the SS recruit was also trained lethal effectiveness in the field.
to use small arms such as the Formal parade-ground drill was
KAR98 rifle, MP40 sub-machine minimisedinfavouroffieldcraft
gun, Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon, and exercises that were designed
plus light mortars, grenades and to improve the Waffen SS recruits’
flamethrowers. readiness for combat.
Alamy
43

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS
































































































44

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS

“180 JEWS, BANDITS AND SUB-HUMANS, WERE THEWARSAWGHETTOUPRISING

DESTROYED.THEFORMERJEWISHQUARTEROF SS-BrigadeführerJürgenStroop(centre)watches
housingblocksburnafterJewishfightersinthe
WARSAW IS NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE.” Warsaw Ghetto refuse to surrender. Lasting from
19 April 1943 – 16 May 1943, the Uprising was the
mostsignificantactofJewishresistanceofWorld
SS-BRIGADEFÜHRER JÜRGEN STROOP IN HIS DAILY REPORT War II and was brutally suppressed by the SS.




















































































45

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS

THESS’SFOREIGNLEGIONS





ftertheWaffenSS’skeyroleinthefall the war against the Soviet Union, though, that German public as some idealised order of
of France, Heinrich Himmler suggested really moved things up a gear. Nordic knights – white, blond, blue-eyed and as
A Hitler should expand the SS further. The range of nationalities that flocked to spiritually clean as the fields and forests that
Underpressurefromarmychiefsconcerned Hitler’s red, white and black banner is almost bore them. Of course, this was pure fiction. As
Himmler was siphoning off recruits, the German as varied as their reasons for doing so. Like hisjuvenilevisionofanAryancrusaderarmy
leader would only permit a minor increase in many mercenaries, some came merely for pay, was obliterated on the Eastern Front by the
German recruitment. He did, however, agree status or adventure, while others had political realities of shellfire, starvation and sub-zero
toasignificantchangeinpolicy,authorising reasons. Hatred of communism was a key temperatures, he signed up anyone willing to
the establishment of SS Wiking, a new division driver for many, including the 85,000 recruited putthemselvesbetweenhimandabullet.
toberaisedinnewlyoccupiedlands.This fromtheBalticstatesand20,000fromUkraine By1945,anestimatedone-thirdofthe
divisionwouldbemadeupofmenwhowere who clearly believed that fighting for Hitler was WaffenSS’s900,000menwerenon-Germans,
from‘relatedstock’,asHimmler–theracially abetteroptionthatdyingunderStalin. with units raised in countries as diverse
obsessed former chicken breeder – put it. The Fighting a war against a country as vast as andfarapartasAzerbaijan,India,Russia,
5thSSWikingDivisioneventuallyattracted theSovietUnionwasalwaysgoingtorequire Slovenia,evenrecruitingfromYugoslavia’s
right-wing recruits from Denmark, Norway, preposterous manpower. In the event, Himmler Muslim population. These were all men who, if
Sweden, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands and turnedouttobelesstheracistmystichesaw you’d asked Himmler ten years earlier what he
Belgium,pavingthewayforafurther24Waffen in the mirror and more the petty, pen-pushing thoughtofthem,hewouldlikelydescribeas
SSdivisionsmadeupofnon-Germans.Itwas pragmatist he actually was. He’d sold the “üntermensch” – sub-human.
“BY1945,ANESTIMATEDTHIRDOFTHEWAFFENSS’S900,000MENWERENON-GERMANS”



TheSS'sInternationalRecruits



Britain
Formed 1943
Numbers: 59
TheBritishFreeCorpswas
recruited from prisoners in
POWcamps.Thoughtiny,
it was widely exploited for
propaganda purposes. Croatia
Formed: 1943 Cossack members of the XV
Numbers: 20,000 SS Cossack Cavalry Corps in
Warsaw, Poland during the
Formation: One of the many uprising of 1944
countries that contributed
largelyMuslimrecruits–a
faith, according to Himmler, Russia
that produced better soldiers Formed: 1941
than Christianity.
Numbers: 60,000
Russian Soviets were keen to escape
Uncle Joe’s thumb. Its Russian cadre
boastedtwoCossackcavalrydivisions.


Azerbaijan
Formed: 1941
Numbers: 70,000
TheearlysuccessesofOperation
Barbarossa by non-Russian Soviets
hoped to rid themselves of Stalin’s rule.






India
Formed: 1942
Numbers: 2,800
Two members of the Nazi Intended to serve as a
British Free Corps, Kenneth liberation force for British-ruled
Berry and Alfred Minchin,
with German officers in India, it saw action in Iran and
April 1944 later in Western Europe.


46

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS


KeyOfficers Alamy



Kurt ‘Panzer’ Meyer
1910-1961
BRIGADEFÜHRER
Winner of The Knight’s
Cross for extreme
battlefield bravery,
Meyer was nevertheless
sentenced to life
imprisonment after the
warforhispartinshooting
Allied POWs.
Otto Skorzeny
1908-1975
STANDARTENFÜHRER
Leader of the audacious
mission to rescue
Mussolini, Skorzeny was
involved in operations
behind enemy lines. He
escapedprisonin1948
anddied27yearslater.
Joachim Peiper
1915-1976
STANDARTENFÜHRER
During 1944’s Battle
of the Bulge, Peiper’s
unitmurdered84US
POWs in cold blood at
Malmedy. Sentenced to
life imprisonment for the
atrocity after the war, he
1945THEFINALSTAND
served just 11 years.
Sepp Dietrich
1892-1966 DIVISIONS:11THSSNORDLAND,33RDSSCHARLEMAGNE,SSLEIBSTANDARTE
GENERAL The Soviet artillery bombardment of Berlin men, the Nazis now press-ganged children into
Dietrich started out as beganon20April1945–AdolfHitler’s56th frontline units. Many of the boys in that film,
Hitler’s chauffeur but birthday. By now, the majority of his once-feared andmanyotherswhowoulddieinthesmashed
went on to become SS SS troops had been either killed, wounded or streets and burning buildings in that final
Liebstandarte’s first CO. captured–nearlyhalfofthemsacrificedina fortnightoffighting,didsobecausetheywere
Afterthewarhewas suicidemissiontorecaptureoilfieldsnearLake forced to. According to one eyewitness: “Boys
imprisonedfortenyears Balaton in Hungary a month before. who were found hiding were hanged as traitors
forhispartintheMalmedy With 1.5 million Red Army soldiers slowly frombytheSSasawarning.”
Massacre of 1944. surrounding Berlin, the defence of the capital SomeoftheSSdoingthehangingmaywell
was left to a rag-tag army of regulars, the have been from Hitler’s bodyguard – the 800
Michael Witmann ageing home guard of the Volkssturm and fresh- menofSSLeibstandarte,whowerestillbyhis
1914-44 facedHitlerYouth–about45,000menand side.Ironically,though,thebiggestWaffenSS
HAUPTSTURMFÜHRER boys in total. unit in town wasn’t even German. The 11th
Best known for his ambush A month before, Hitler had made what would SS Nordland was comprised of roughly 1,600
on a British column in be his last-ever public appearance. A film of Norwegians and Danes, bolstered by 330
13 June 1944, when he it shows a decrepit-looking Führer venturing Frenchmenofthe33rdSSCharlemagne,and
single-handedly destroyed into the Chancellery’s gardens from his bunker it was they who would play the lead in the Third
14tanksin15minutes. todecorateaparadeof14and15-year-old Reich’s final reel.
He was killed in action two schoolboys who had ‘volunteered’ to fight. On 26 April, after losing half their men in
months later. Brought up knowing no better, some doubtless a failed counter-attack, what remained of
did offer to serve, but definitely not all. This this international force fell back toward the
Wilhelme Mohnke was history’s darkest hour, and one of its city centre, destroying 14 Soviet tanks with
1911-2001 more sinister twists was that, having run out of Panzerfäusts as they dodged through the
BRIGADEFÜHRER rubble. Remarkably, by 28 April, a further
OneofHitler’soriginal “BOYS WHO WERE FOUND 108 Soviet tanks had been knocked out, 62
bodyguards, Mohnke by the French alone. But there was to be no
was appointed battle HIDINGWEREHANGEDAS stopping the Soviet juggernaut. On 30 April,
commander for the defence Hitler shot himself and Berlin toppled three
of Berlin in 1945. He spent TRAITORS FROM BY THE SS days later. When the Soviets finally captured
ten years in a Soviet jail his Führerbunker on 2 May, it wasn’t from his
after the war, six of them in ASAWARNING” fearless800,whobynowhadallfled,apart
solitary confinement. from 30 shattered Frenchmen.


47

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS


















































































THERECKONING

During the liberation of Dachau concentration
camp on 29 April 1945, members of the 45th
Infantry Division discovered 39 railway boxcars full
of 2,000 rotting corpses.
Shortly awards, a group of 50 Waffen-SS prisoners
were gunned down by their American guards. The
claim was that they were trying to escape.

NARA
48

HITLER’S BRUTAL WAFFEN SS
































































































49

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