Commando Tactics: The Second World War

by Stephen Bull

British commandos are among the most celebrated soldiers of the Second World War. Their daring, ingenuity and bravery have given rise to an almost legendary reputation that makes it difficult to appreciate fully their role and their true value as fighting men.Stephen Bull, in this in-depth study of commando tactics and history, seeks to dispel the myths and the misunderstandings that surround them, and he places these elite troops of 70 years ago in the context of their times. He also demonstrates that the idea of the commando took time to develop and that commando operations were far from always successful. Commando tactics amphibious, mountain, close quarter were forged through the often-painful experience of raids and combined operations. And commando tactics and organization remained in a state of flux throughout the war as new situations and challenges arose.Stephen Bulls vivid account will be essential reading for anyone who is interested in commando fighting techniques and the early history of special forces.

Genres: World War II

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2011

Reviews

[Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In and Out Fast

Bull covers it all. From the beginnings of the Commando units to their untimely end. It seems no one knew where to find or how to develop commandos at their beginning and no one knew what to do with them at their end. An early decision to create a quick strike force not intended to hold ground or defend ground, but to strike fast and hard and get out as quickly as possible was forgotten by D-Day. On D-Day each man carried enough supplies to make him self sustainable for a week or more. If the 100 pound load caused the man to roll backwards in the Normandy surf he most likely was lost. If not him most certainly his equipment, but fight on he did if not claimed by the sea. The Commando story is all in Bull’s Commando Tactics, and present in an interesting manner.