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140-943: United States special operations forces ( SOF ) are the active and reserve component forces of the United States Army , Marine Corps , Navy and Air Force within the US military , as designated by the Secretary of Defense and specifically organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support special operations . All active and reserve special operations forces are assigned to the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) ★★★ * Not all PJs/CROs are assigned to AFSOC; many are assigned to Rescue Squadrons within ACC , PACAF , and USAFE . There

280-542: A "Friend of Rome" and "Never to show goodwill to the Romans". Several modern historians have interpreted this as Hannibal swearing to be a lifelong enemy of Rome bent on revenge, while others hold that this interpretation is a distortion. Hamilcar probably landed at Gades in the summer of 237 BC. Whatever direct territorial control Carthage had had in the past in Iberia, this had been mostly lost by this time as Hamilcar

420-524: A boundary along Cape Nao in Iberia was agreed upon, while Carthage had closed the Straits of Gibraltar to foreign shipping. Massalia had become friendly with Rome over the years, if not an outright ally by 237 BC, and this connection would become a significant factor in the power politics of the region. Hamilcar's immediate objective was to secure access to the gold and silver mines of Sierra Morena , either by direct and indirect control. Negotiations with

560-468: A certain direction uncovered a sandbar at the river mouth that was fordable and, under cover of night, the Punic army left Carthage and crossed the river. Hamilcar aimed to attack the small rebel band holding the bridge, but Spendius led the rebel force besieging Utica to confront Hamilcar. The Carthaginian army was caught in a pincer movement; Hamilcar pretended to retreat, and Spendius likely attempted to trap

700-592: A decisive battle was fought probably near the town of Leptis Minor . The Carthaginians destroyed the rebel army, after which the Libyan towns submitted to Carthage. When Utica and Hippo Acra held out, Hanno and Hamilcar besieged them, eventually receiving their surrender on terms. By the winter of 238 BC, the Mercenary revolt was over. Hanno and Hamilcar unleashed reprisals against the Numidian tribes that had sided with

840-433: A digitally-networked battlefield", whereas the "indirect approach includes empowering host nation forces, providing appropriate assistance to humanitarian agencies, and engaging key populations." Elements of national power must be deployed in concert without over-reliance on a single capability, such as special forces, that leaves the entire force unprepared and hollow across the spectrum of military operations. Throughout

980-692: A meeting with the C-in-C Middle East, General Claude Auchinleck , his plan was endorsed by the Army High Command. The force initially consisted of five officers and 60 other ranks . Following extensive training at Kabrit camp , by the River Nile , L Detachment, SAS Brigade, undertook its first operations in the Western Desert . Stirling's vision was eventually vindicated after a series of successful operations. In 1942,

1120-642: A mercenary force under Hanno to retake the island in 239 BC, but this group also rebelled, killing Hanno and their Carthaginian officers and joining the rebels in Sardinia. The rebels requested Rome to take over Sardinia, which was turned down. Their heavy handedness with Sardinian natives caused native Sardinians to attack and expel the mercenaries by 237 BC. The expelled mercenaries took refuge in Italy and again requested Rome to take over Sardinia. Rome, which had dealt with Carthage with all due honor and courtesy during

1260-413: A number of prisoners and incorporated 3,000 of the enemy into his army. The Turdetani surrendered. Hamilcar then fought a 50,000 strong army under a chieftain named Indortes . The Iberian army fled before the battle was joined. Hamilcar besieged Indortes, tortured and crucified him after his surrender but allowed 10,000 of the captured enemy soldiers to go home. Having secured control over the mines, and

1400-569: A pitched battle. The Carthaginians needed to gain the far side of the Bagradas, so they could manoeuvre freely, but lacked the strength to force a crossing against the superior rebel force guarding against this. Hanno posted his army near Hippo Acra , where Matho's army was besieging the town. The rebels held the hills to the west of Carthage and the only bridge across the Bagradas river leading to Utica. Hamilcar observed that wind blowing from

1540-535: A product of the Reagan administration under Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger . Admiral William H. McRaven , formerly the ninth commanding officer of USSOCOM (2011–2014), described two approaches to special forces operations in the 2012 posture statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services : "the direct approach is characterized by technologically enabled small-unit precision lethality, focused intelligence , and inter-agency cooperation integrated on

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1680-641: A proposal to General Sir John Dill , the Chief of the Imperial General Staff . Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal and on 23 June 1940, the first Commando raid took place. By the autumn of 1940 more than 2,000 men had volunteered and in November 1940 these new units were organised into a Special Service Brigade consisting of four battalions under the command of Brigadier J. C. Haydon. The Special Service Brigade

1820-436: A sector commander of Mukti Bahini , planned to deploy a special commando team. The task assigned to the team was to carry out commando operations and to terrorize Dhaka . The major objective of this team was to prove that the situation was not actually normal. Moreover, Pakistan, at that time, was expecting economic aid from World Bank, which was assumed to be spent to buy arms. The plan was to make World Bank Mission understand

1960-516: A separate combat arm. The Macheteros de Jara was an auxiliary cavalry regiment that was organized since August 15, 1932, before the Battle of Boquerón began. The regiment was recruited from former outlaws from Paraguay who fought against Bolivian officers and soldiers. The 50th Infantry Regiment (Cuchilleros de la Muerte) was a Bolivian infantry regiment that fought in the Chaco War. Nicknamed

2100-622: A sharpshooter under the command of General Licerio Gerónimo , killed General Henry Ware Lawton of the United States Army , making the latter the highest ranking casualty during the course of the war. The German Stormtroopers and the Italian Arditi were the first modern shock troops. They were both elite assault units trained to a much higher level than that of average troops and tasked to carry out daring attacks and bold raids against enemy defenses. Unlike Stormtroopers, Arditi were not units within infantry divisions, but were considered

2240-460: A small force and no money to hire new troops, Hamilcar's strategic goal probably was to maintain a stalemate, as he had neither the resources to win the war nor the authority to peacefully settle it. Hamilcar was in command of a mercenary army composed of multiple nationalities and his ability to successfully lead this force demonstrates his skill as field commander. He employed combined arms tactics, like Alexander and Pyrrhus , and his strategy

2380-469: A standard infantry battalion , and it lacked any form of artillery , and had to rely on other units for logistical support. Its men were no longer parachute-trained, but relied on aircraft for transport. Some 750 men from the 2nd Raiding Brigade , of this group were assigned to attack American air bases on Luzon and Leyte on the night of 6 December 1944. They were flown in Ki-57 transports , but most of

2520-523: A storm in 255 BC, added 220 new ships, and captured Panormus (modern Palermo ) in 254 BC; however, 150 ships were lost in another storm in 253 BC. The Romans had occupied most of Sicily by 249 BC and they besieged the last two Carthaginian strongholds – in the extreme west. The situation changed when the surprise attack on the Carthaginian fleet met defeat at the Battle of Drepana and

2660-597: A valley surrounded on three sides by mountains. The exact location of this valley has never been conclusively identified. It was probably some distance from Carthage because, while Hamilcar blockaded the valley exits and waited for the rebels to starve, Matho's army at Tunis did not intervene although the trapped rebels held out awaiting his arrival. After the trapped rebels ran out of food, pack animals and cavalry horses and finally resorted to cannibalism, Spendius, Autaritus and Zarzas, accompanied by seven others, went to Hamilcar's camp to seek terms. Hamilcar offered to allow all

2800-534: A valley, probably near Nepheris, and the rebels trapped his army, with the Libyans blocking the exit, Spendius and his troops camping near the Punic army and the Numidians covering Hamilcar's rear. Hamilcar's army was saved by pure luck – a Numidian chieftain, Naravas , who would later marry Hamilcar's third daughter, defected with 2,000 horsemen. Hamilcar exited the valley and, after a hard-fought battle , defeated

2940-512: Is commonly identified with Elche , but given that it is situated close to Hamilcar's base at Akra Leuke from which he could readily draw reinforcement, it cannot be the place where the following events unfolded. It is possible that Hamilcar died battling the Vettoni, who lived across the Tagus west of Toledo and to the north of Turduli and northwest of Oretani territory. Orissus , chieftain of

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3080-674: Is no clear record of the political activity in Carthage at this time. The political clout of the incumbent leaders was probably weakened by the defeat in the First Punic War, their mismanagement of the Mercenary troops and finally the Sardinia Affair. In an effort to reestablish their position, they decided to make a scapegoat of Hamilcar Barca. Hamilcar Barca was blamed by the Carthaginian Leaders for causing

3220-677: Is no difference in training or selection between Rescue and Special Tactics assignments. ** TACP-O/TACP Airmen must undergo additional selection and training to be assigned to AFSOC Special Tactics Squadrons . Most are assigned to ACC and support conventional Army Units. Special operations forces Special forces or special operations forces ( SOF ) are military units trained to conduct special operations . NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special forces emerged in

3360-591: Is one of the causes of the Second Punic War and held as the motivation of the subsequent military and political activities of Hamilcar. The aristocratic party had dominated Carthaginian politics since 248 BC. Hanno the Great was aligned with them and they espoused peaceful relations with Rome, even at the cost of abandoning overseas territories. Their choice to minimize the Sicilian operations while Hamilcar

3500-704: The Barisha Raid in Syria of 2019. The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan involved special forces from several coalition nations, who played a major role in removing the Taliban from power in 2001–2002. Special forces have continued to play a role in combating the Taliban in subsequent operations. Hamilcar Barca Hamilcar commanded the Carthaginian land forces in Sicily from 247   BC to 241   BC, during

3640-463: The Battle of Ilomantsi , Soviet supply lines were harassed to the point that the Soviet artillery was unable to exploit its massive numerical advantage over Finnish artillery. Their operations were also classified as secret because of the political sensitivity of such operations. Only authorized military historians could publish on their operations; individual soldiers were required to take the secrets to

3780-531: The Battle of Palembang , on Sumatra in the Netherlands East Indies , on 14 February 1942. The operation was well-planned, with 425 men of the 1st Parachute Raiding Regiment seizing Palembang airfield, while the paratroopers of the 2nd Parachute Raiding Regiment seized the town and its important oil refinery. Paratroops were subsequently deployed in the Burma campaign . The 1st Glider Tank Troop

3920-556: The Comitia Centuriata in Rome. The Romans rejected these terms and appointed ten commissioners, led by Quantius Lutatius Cerco, brother of the consul and himself consul in 240 BC, to reexamine the conditions. They added some conditions and amended some of the ones given by Lutatius: The last condition is mentioned by Polybius in place of the one regarding not making war on Syracuse. It is possible that Hamilcar Barca secured

4060-637: The Greek Keraunos , which was borne by many commanders contemporary with Hamilcar and his son Hannibal. Little is known about the origins or history of the Barca family prior to the Punic Wars. According to the Dictionary of African Biography, it has been suggested that the Barca family originally came from Cyrene , i.e., modern-day Libya. Lance Serge states that Hamilcar's family was part of

4200-947: The Iranian Embassy siege (London), the Air France Flight 8969 ( Marseille ), Operation Defensive Shield , Operation Khukri , the Moscow theater hostage crisis , Operation Orchard , the Japanese Embassy hostage crisis ( Lima ), in Sri Lanka against the LTTE , the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, the 2016 Indian Line of Control strike the 2015 Indian counter-insurgency operation in Myanmar and

4340-511: The Napoleonic wars , rifle regiments and sapper units were formed that held specialised roles in reconnaissance and skirmishing and were not committed to the formal battle lines. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, there were wars between American colonists and Native American tribes. In Colonial America specialized Rangers formed and first mentioned by Capt. John Smith , in 1622. Learning frontier skills from friendly Native Americans

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4480-552: The No. 8 (Guards) Commando (later named " Layforce "). After Layforce was disbanded, Stirling remained convinced that due to the mechanized nature of war a small team of highly trained soldiers with the advantage of surprise could exact greater damage to the enemy's ability to fight than an entire platoon. His idea was for small teams of parachute trained soldiers to operate behind enemy lines to gain intelligence, destroy enemy aircraft, and attack their supply and reinforcement routes. Following

4620-577: The Oretani tribe, came to the assistance of the besieged town. There are several versions to what happened next: Orissus offered to aid Hamilcar, then attacked the Punic army, and Hamilcar drowned during a retreat across the Jucar river; the Oretani sent ox-driven carts to the Carthaginian position, then set them on fire and Hamilcar died in the resulting melee; Hamilcar accepted an offer to parley, then led

4760-621: The Straits of Gibraltar into Iberia from West Africa or, having returned to Carthage after the African activities, sailed along the African coast to Gades . Hasdrubal the Fair and Hannibal , then a child of nine, accompanied Hamilcar; it is not known who led Hamilcar's supporters in Carthage in the absence of Hamilcar and Hasdrubal. Prior to his departure from Carthage, Hamilcar made sacrifices to obtain favorable omens and Hannibal swore never to be

4900-588: The United States , the term special forces often refers specifically to the U.S. Army Special Forces , while the term special operations forces is used more broadly for these types of units. Special forces capabilities include the following: Other capabilities can include close personal protection ; waterborne operations involving combat diving/combat swimming , maritime boarding and amphibious missions; as well as support of air force operations . Special forces have played an important role throughout

5040-557: The United States Army Rangers specialist soldier dates back to the 17th through 19th century from military units such as United States Mounted Rangers , United States Rangers and Texas Rangers . In WWII mid-1942, Major-General Lucian Truscott of the U.S. Army, a General Staff submitted a proposal to General George Marshall onceived under the guidance of then Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, that selectively trained Ranger soldiers were recruited for

5180-603: The hellenized form of the common Semitic Phoenician-Carthaginian masculine given name ḤMLK ( Punic : 𐤇𐤌𐤋𐤊 ) or ḤMLQRT ( 𐤇𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 ), meaning " Melqart 's brother". The cognomen or epithet BRQ ( 𐤁𐤓𐤒 ) means " thunderbolt " or "shining". It is cognate with the Arabic name Barq, Maltese word Berqa, the Assyrian Neo-Aramaic name Barkho, and the Hebrew name Barak and equivalent to

5320-468: The landed aristocracy of Carthage. Hamilcar was a young man of 28 when he received the Sicilian command in 247 BC. By this time he had three daughters, and his son Hannibal was born during the same year. The war, which had started in 264 BC, continued after the Romans abandoned Africa ; however, neither side gained a decisive advantage until 249 BC. The Romans rebuilt their fleet after losing 364 ships in

5460-463: The " Tartessian " tribes were successfully concluded, but Hamilcar faced hostility from the Turdetani or Turduli tribe, near the foothills of modern Seville and Córdoba . The Iberians had support from Celtiberian tribes and were under the command of two chieftains, Istolatios and his brother. Hamilcar defeated the confederates, killed the leaders and several of their soldiers, while he released

5600-779: The 19th-20th century until the modern formation of the Army Ranger Battalions in WWII. The British Indian Army deployed two special forces during their border wars: the Corps of Guides formed in 1846 and the Gurkha Scouts (a force that was formed in the 1890s and was first used as a detached unit during the 1897–1898 Tirah Campaign ). During the Second Boer War (1899–1902) the British Army felt

5740-657: The Allied lines by mis-directing convoys away from the front lines. A handful of his men were captured by the Americans and spread a rumor that Skorzeny was leading a raid on Paris to kill or capture General Dwight Eisenhower . Although this was untrue, Eisenhower was confined to his headquarters for several days and Skorzeny was labelled "the most dangerous man in Europe". In Italy , the Decima Flottiglia MAS

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5880-648: The American colonies, including Knowlton's Rangers , an elite corps of Rangers who supplied reconnaissance and espionage for George Washington 's Continental Army. Daniel Morgan , was known as leader of The Corps of Rangers for the Continental Army . Rogers' Rangers on Roger's Island, in modern-day Fort Edward, New York, is regarded as the "spiritual home" of the United States Special Operations Forces , specifically

6020-531: The Australians also raised the Z Special Unit and M Special Unit . M Special Unit was largely employed in an intelligence-gathering role, while Z Special Force undertook direct action missions. One of its most notable actions came as part of Operation Jaywick , in which several Japanese ships were sunk in Singapore Harbour in 1943. A second raid on Singapore in 1944, known as Operation Rimau ,

6160-944: The British Special Forces, with the curricula differing according to each soldier's specialization. Their task, on deployment to Poland, was to sustain the structures of the Polish state, training the members of the Resistance in fighting the German occupant. This included taking part in the Warsaw Uprising . Following advice from the British, Australia began raising special forces. The first units to be formed were independent companies , which began training at Wilson's Promontory in Victoria in early 1941 under

6300-412: The Carthaginian Senate for recruiting and training a new army, with the immediate goal of securing the African domain of Carthage. As this was in line with the goal of the "Peace Party" of Hanno the Great, probably no serious opposition was offered. Training for the army was obtained in some Numidian forays, then Hamilcar marched the army westwards to the Pillars of Hercules . Hasdrubal the Fair commanded

6440-405: The Carthaginian expedition to Spain in 237   BC, and for eight years expanded the territory of Carthage in Spain before dying in battle in 228 BC . He may have been responsible for creating the strategy which his son Hannibal implemented in the Second Punic War to bring the Roman Republic close to defeat. Hamilcar is the latinization of Hamílkas ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : Ἁμίλκας ),

6580-455: The Carthaginians in Spain until 226 BC. After the establishment of Akra Leuke, Hamilcar began to move northwest but no records of his campaigns exist. Hamilcar had split his forces in the winter of 228 BC, Hasdrubal the Fair was sent on a separate campaign, while Hamilcar besieged an Iberian town, then sent the bulk of his troops to winter quarters at Akra Leuke. Hamilcar's sons, Hannibal and Hasdrubal, had accompanied him. The town, called Helike,

6720-612: The Chindits and took part in similar operations in Burma. In late November 1943, the Alamo Scouts (Sixth Army Special Reconnaissance Unit) were formed to conduct reconnaissance and raider work in the Southwest Pacific Theater under the personal command of then Lt. General Walter Krueger , Commanding General, Sixth U.S. Army. Krueger envisioned that the Alamo Scouts, consisting of small teams of highly trained volunteers, would operate deep behind enemy lines to provide intelligence-gathering and tactical reconnaissance in advance of Sixth U.S. Army landing operations. In 1983, nearly 40 years after

6860-436: The Commando training depot at Achnacarry in the Scottish Highlands was established by Brigadier Charles Haydon. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Vaughan, the Commando depot was responsible for training complete units and individual replacements. The training regime was for the time innovative and physically demanding, and far in advance of normal British Army training. The depot staff were all hand picked, with

7000-400: The Commandos served in all theatres of war from the Arctic Circle to Europe and from the Mediterranean and Middle East to South-East Asia . Their operations ranged from small groups of men landing from the sea or by parachute to a brigade of assault troops spearheading the Allied invasions of Europe and Asia. The first modern special forces units were established by men who had served with

7140-490: The Commandos, including the Parachute Regiment , Special Air Service , and Special Boat Service . The No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando organised by British of volunteers from occupied Europe led to French Commandos Marine , Dutch Korps Commandotroepen , Belgian Paracommando Brigade . The first modern special forces unit was the Special Air Service (SAS), formed in July 1941 from an unorthodox idea and plan by Lieutenant David Stirling . In June 1940 he volunteered for

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7280-440: The Fair with an army to Africa to quell a Numidian rebellion in 236 BC. Hasdrubal defeated the rebels, killing 8,000 and taking 2,000 prisoners before returning to Iberia. Hamilcar, after subduing Turdetania next moved east from Gades towards Cape Nao. He met fierce resistance from the Iberia tribes, even the friendly Bastetani offered battle. Four years of constant campaigns, details of which are not known, saw Hamilcar subdue

7420-483: The Knives of Death (Spanish: Cuchillos de la Muerte), the regiment relied almost exclusively on the use of blade weapons, particularly bayonets. Modern special forces emerged during the Second World War . In 1940, the British Commandos were formed following Winston Churchill 's call for "specially trained troops of the hunter class, who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast." A staff officer , Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Clarke , had already submitted such

7560-400: The Mercenary War by making unrealistic promises to his soldiers, especially the Celts , during his command in Sicily. This event may have taken place as early as 241 BC or more likely in 237 BC. The influence Hamilcar enjoyed among the people and the opposition party enabled him to avoid standing trial. Furthermore, Hamilcar allied with Hasdrubal the Fair , his future son in law, to restrict

7700-400: The OSS. On February 16, 1942, the U.S. Marine Corps activated a battalion of Marines with the specific purpose of securing beach heads, and other special operations. The battalion became the first modern special operations force of the U.S. The battalion became known as Marine Raiders due to Admiral Chester Nimitz 's request for "raiders" in the Pacific front of the war. The history of

7840-445: The Punic army pass under the yoke. Lutatius did not press the issue further, and the Carthaginian soldiers were later allowed to leave Sicily under arms with their honor intact, and without any token of submission – a rare gesture granted by the Romans to a defeated enemy. Roman deserters may have been surrendered on a later date. Lutatius did not have the authority to ratify the agreement he made with Hamilcar, so he forwarded them to

7980-460: The Rangers helped carry out offensive strikes " frontier combat " against hostile Natives. Thus Ranger companies were formed to provide reconnaissance, intelligence, light infantry, and scouting. Colonel Benjamin Church (c. 1639–1718) was the captain of the first Ranger force in America (1676). Many Colonial officers would take the philosophies of Benjamin Church's ranging and form their own Ranger units. Several Ranger companies were established in

8120-421: The Roman garrison, and positioned his army between the Roman forces stationed at the summit and their camp at the base of the mountain. He removed the population to Drepana. Hamilcar continued his activities unhindered from his position for another two years, being supplied by road from Drepana, although Carthaginian ships had been withdrawn from Sicily by this time and no naval raids were launched. During one of

8260-404: The Romans soon after, and when the Roman consul requested a truce to bury his dead, Hamilcar replied that his quarrel was with the living only and the dead had already settled their dues, and granted the truce. The actions of Hamilcar, and his immunity to defeat, plus the stalemate at the siege of Lilybaeum caused the Romans to start building a fleet in 243 BC to seek a decision at sea. However,

8400-498: The Romans which would be independent of political interference from Carthage, and the campaigns would enhance the reputation of Hamilcar Barca. Hamilcar's political clout in Carthage may have been enough to stifle any opposition in Carthage against his Iberian venture, or he did face stiff opposition and had used the booty from his Iberian campaigns to buy his way out. Whatever the case, Hamilcar enjoyed uninterrupted command in Iberia during his stay there. Hamilcar's army either crossed

8540-527: The SAS attacked Bouerat. Transported by the Long Range Desert Group (which carried out deep penetration, covert reconnaissance patrols, intelligence missions and attacks behind the enemy lines from 1940), they caused severe damage to the harbour, petrol tanks and storage facilities. This was followed up in March by a raid on Benghazi harbour with limited success but they did damage to 15 aircraft at Al-Berka . The June 1942 Crete airfield raids at Heraklion , Kasteli , Tympaki and Maleme significant damage

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8680-450: The United States Army Rangers. These early American light infantry battalions were trained under Robert Rogers' 28 "Rules of Ranging" , which is considered the first known manual of modern asymmetric warfare tactics used in modern special operations. Various military Ranger units such as the United States Mounted Rangers , United States Rangers , Loudoun Rangers , 43rd Virginia Rangers , and Texas Military Rangers continued throughout

8820-525: The ability to outperform any of the volunteers. Training and assessment started immediately on arrival, with the volunteers having to complete an 8-mile (13 km) march with all their equipment from the Spean Bridge railway station to the commando depot. Exercises were conducted using live ammunition and explosives to make training as realistic as possible. Physical fitness was a prerequisite, with cross country runs and boxing matches to improve fitness. Speed and endurance marches were conducted up and down

8960-433: The air. Special forces have been used in both wartime and peacetime military operations such as the Laotian Civil War , Bangladesh Liberation War-1971 , Vietnam War , Portuguese Colonial War , South African Border War , Falklands War , The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the Jaffna University Helidrop , the first and second Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, Croatia , Kosovo , Bosnia , the first and second Chechen Wars ,

9100-603: The aircraft were shot down. Some 300 commandos managed to land in the Burauen area on Leyte. The force destroyed some planes and inflicted numerous casualties, before they were annihilated. During World War II, the Finnish Army and Border Guard organized sissi forces into a long-range reconnaissance patrol ( kaukopartio ) units. These were open only to volunteers and operated far behind enemy lines in small teams. They conducted both intelligence-gathering missions and raids on e.g. enemy supply depots or other strategic targets. They were generally highly effective. For example, during

9240-440: The area between Gades and Cape Nao. In the process, Hamilcar created a professional army of Iberians, Africans, Numidians and other mercenaries that Hasdrubal the Fair would inherit and Hannibal would later lead across the Alps to immortality. By 231 BC, Hamilcar Barca had consolidated his Iberian territorial gains and established the city of Akra Leuke ( Alicante ), probably in 235 BC, to guard Punic holdings, and possibly took over

9380-527: The area of Massalian colonies near the mouth of Sucro River. Massalia, probably alarmed by the Carthaginian advance towards their area of influence, mentioned this expansion to the Romans, who decided to investigate the matter. While Hamilcar campaigned in Iberia, Rome was entangled in Sardinia, Corsica and Liguria, where the natives had put up stiff resistance against Roman occupation – campaigns had been fought in these areas between 236 – 231 BC to retain and expand Roman dominion. Rome suspected Carthage of aiding

9520-436: The army of Matho at Tunis. He divided his army: Hannibal took half of the soldiers and camped to the north of Tunis, while Hamilcar camped to the south, thus hemming in Matho's army in Tunis. Hamilcar crucified Spendius and other rebel hostages outside Tunis to terrorize Matho, but this backfired when the rebels were able to surprise and defeat Hannibal's army due to their lax discipline. Punic survivors fled, and all their baggage

9660-544: The army of Spendius. The rebel loss was 8,000 dead with 4,000 captured. Hamilcar offered the prisoners a choice – to join his army, or leave Africa with the condition never to take up arms against Carthage. The new joiners were armed with equipment captured from the rebels. By winter of 240 BC, the situation had improved for Carthage. Rebel leaders feared mass desertions might result because of Hamilcar's policy towards prisoners. To forestall any such event, rebels committed an act of cruelty unpardonable by Carthage. Autaritus spread

9800-570: The bridge, fled to Tunis. Hamilcar's victory opened communication with Utica , and gave Hamilcar the chance to bring nearby towns under Carthaginian control by force or negotiations. He made no attempt to join Hanno near Utica. Spendius rallied his forces, was reinforced by a detachment largely made of Gauls under Autaritus and shadowed Hamilcar as he advanced south east, keeping to the high ground to avoid Carthaginian elephants and cavalry and harassing their enemy at every possible opportunity. These " Fabian tactics " continued until Hamilcar encamped in

9940-483: The command of the divisional cavalry regiments that were re-designated as cavalry commando regiments. As a part of this structure, a total of 11 commando squadrons were raised. They continued to act independently and were often assigned at brigade level during the later stages of the war, taking part in the fighting in New Guinea, Bougainville and Borneo , where they were employed largely in long-range reconnaissance and flank protection roles. In addition to these units,

10080-592: The conflict known as the Mercenary War . The rebels, under Spendius and Matho , were joined by 70,000 African subjects of Carthage. The rebels divided their forces: detachments were sent to besiege Utica and Hippo , while others cut Carthage off from the mainland, probably in the winter of 241 BC or spring of 240 BC. Hanno the Great was given command of the Punic army, which was raised from Carthaginian citizens and mercenaries recruited from abroad, plus cavalry squadrons and 100 elephants. Hanno sailed to Utica in

10220-449: The constant skirmishing without ultimate victory may have caused the morale of some of Hamilcar's troops to crack and 1,000 Celtic mercenaries tried to betray the Punic camp to the Romans, which was foiled. Hamilcar had to promise considerable rewards to keep the morale of his army up, which was to produce near fatal problems for Carthage later on. The Roman Republic was nearly bankrupt and had to borrow money from wealthy citizens to fund

10360-571: The construction of a fleet of 200 quinqueremes , which blockaded Carthaginian positions in Sicily in 242 BC by seizing the harbour of Drepana and anchorages at Lilybaeum, while Roman soldiers built siege works around Drepanum. The better-trained Roman fleet defeated a hastily raised, undermanned and ill-trained Punic fleet at battle of the Aegates Islands in 241 BC, cutting Sicily off from Carthage. Carthaginian leadership requested terms to

10500-414: The consuls of 245 BC, Marcus Fabius Bueto and Atilius Bulbus, fared no better. In 244 BC, Hamilcar transferred his army at night by sea to a similar position on the slopes of Mt. Eryx (Monte San Giuliano), from which he was able to lend support to the besieged garrison in the neighbouring town of Drepanum ( Trapani ). Hamilcar seized the town of Eryx, captured by the Romans in 249 BC, after destroying

10640-494: The crisis, going as far as to release all Punic prisoners without ransom and refuse to accept offers from Utica and Rebels mercenaries based in Sardinia to incorporate these territories into the Roman domain, seized Sardinia and Corsica and forced Carthage to pay 1,200 talents for her initial refusal to renounce her claim over the islands. This probably dealt a fatal blow to any chance of permanent peace between Rome and Carthage and

10780-423: The disorderly rebels closed on his formation. As the cavalry and then the elephants came closer to the infantry Hamilcar ordered each in turn to also wheel about to face the rebels. The modern historian Dexter Hoyos stresses that "[s]uch manoeuvres were about the simplest that any army could learn, once it mastered the absolute basics of marching in formation". It is not exactly known how Hamilcar managed to outwit

10920-671: The early 20th century, with a significant growth in the field during World War II , when "every major army involved in the fighting" created formations devoted to special operations behind enemy lines. Depending on the country, special forces may perform functions including airborne operations , counter-insurgency , counter-terrorism , foreign internal defense , covert ops , direct action , hostage rescue , high-value targets / manhunt , intelligence operations , mobility operations , and unconventional warfare . In Russian-speaking countries, special forces of any country are typically called spetsnaz , an acronym for "special purpose". In

11060-880: The end of World War II, the US Army created the Special Forces Tab . It was later decided that personnel with at least 120 days' wartime service prior to 1955 in certain units, including the Devil's Brigade, the Alamo Scouts and the OSS Operational Groups, would receive the Tab for their services in World War ;II, placing them all in the lineage of today's U.S. and Canadian (via Devil's Brigade) Special Forces. The Axis powers did not adopt

11200-738: The establishment of Massalia by Phocaean Greeks in 600 BC had created a rival that eventually came to dominate trade in Gaul and to plant colonies in Catalonia , at Mainke near Málaga , three colonies near the mouth of Sucro, and at Alalia in Corsica . Greek piracy had forced Carthage to team up with the Etruscans to drive the Greeks from Corsica, and destroy the colony at Mainke in Iberia. By 490 BC, Massalia had managed to defeat Carthage twice, and

11340-432: The fleet carrying supplies and elephants along the coast, keeping pace with the army. Hamilcar, on his own responsibility and without the consent of the Carthaginian government, ferried the army across to Gades to start an expedition into Hispania (236 BC), where he hoped to gain a new empire to compensate Carthage for the loss of Sicily and Sardinia . Iberia would also serve as a base for any future conflicts against

11480-473: The following Carthaginian victory at the Battle of Phintias ; the Romans were all but swept from the sea. It was to be seven years before Rome again attempted to field a substantial fleet. The Carthaginians had gained command of the sea after their victories in 249 BC, but they only held two cities in Sicily: Lilybaeum and Drepanum by the time Hamilcar took up command. The Carthaginian state

11620-497: The government could pay them off without trouble. However, the Carthaginian authorities waited until the whole army had gathered at Carthage, probably by the summer of 241 BC. As the strain on the Punic population increased, Carthaginian authorities then sent them off to Sicca, planning to plead with the whole army to forgo their unpaid wages by pointing out the dire financial situation of Carthage. Hamilcar's former soldiers, who had been kept together only by his personal authority and by

11760-670: The grave. A famous LRRP commander was Lauri Törni , who later joined the U.S. Army to train U.S. personnel in special operations. In June 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War , the World Bank sent a mission to observe the situation in East Pakistan . The media cell of Pakistan's government was circulating the news that the situation in East Pakistan was stable and normal. Khaled Mosharraf ,

11900-583: The hazardous situation prevailing in East Pakistan and urged ending the military regime in East Pakistan. The Crack Platoon carried out several successful and important operations. The power supply in Dhaka was devastated which caused severe problems for the Pakistan Army and the military administration in Dhaka. Stemming from Resolution 598 , Operation Prime Chance was the first deployment of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) troops, which were

12040-683: The history of warfare, whenever the aim was to achieve disruption by "hit and run" and sabotage , rather than more traditional conventional combat. Other significant roles lay in reconnaissance , providing essential intelligence from near or among the enemy and increasingly in combating irregular forces, their infrastructure and activities. Chinese strategist Jiang Ziya , in his Six Secret Teachings , described recruiting talented and motivated men into specialized elite units with functions such as commanding heights and making rapid long-distance advances. Hamilcar Barca in Sicily (249 BC) had specialized troops trained to launch several offensives per day. In

12180-557: The invitation from Utica, Hippo and Sardinia to occupy these areas. Finally, when the Carthaginian Senate was unable to decide between Hamilcar and Hanno, the people's assembly left it to the army to decide on their Commander in Chief, and Hamilcar Barca was elected to sole command. The people's assembly chose Hannibal of Paropos, son of another Hamilcar and a veteran of the First Punic War as Hamilcar's deputy. While Carthage

12320-405: The last clause after the initial conditions, which were more favorable to Carthage, was altered by Rome with a harsher one. Hamilcar Barca gathered the Carthaginian soldiers from Drepana and Eryx at Lilybaeum, surrendered his command, returned to Carthage and retired to private life, leaving Gisco and the Carthaginian government to pay off his soldiers. Whatever was the motivation behind this act, it

12460-1011: The late Roman or early Byzantine period, Roman fleets used small, fast, camouflaged ships crewed by selected men for scouting and commando missions. In the Middle Ages , special forces trained to conduct special operations were employed in several occasions. An example of this were the special forces of Gerald the Fearless , a Portuguese warrior and folk hero of the Reconquista . Muslim forces also had naval special operations units, including one that used camouflaged ships to gather intelligence and launch raids and another of soldiers who could pass for Crusaders who would use ruses to board enemy ships and then capture and destroy them. In Japan , ninjas were used for reconnaissance , espionage and as assassins , bodyguards or fortress guards, or otherwise fought alongside conventional soldiers. During

12600-575: The latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, special forces have come to higher prominence, as governments have found objectives can sometimes be better achieved by a small team of anonymous specialists than a larger and much more politically controversial conventional deployment. In both Kosovo and Afghanistan , special forces were used to co-ordinate activities between local guerrilla fighters and air power . Typically, guerrilla fighters would engage enemy soldiers and tanks causing them to move, where they could be seen and attacked from

12740-470: The latter stages of the First Punic War . He kept his army intact and led a successful guerrilla war against the Romans in Sicily. Hamilcar retired to Carthage after the peace treaty in 241   BC, following the defeat of Carthage. When the Mercenary War broke out in 239   BC, Hamilcar was recalled to command and was instrumental in concluding that conflict successfully. Hamilcar commanded

12880-658: The loss of men who required such extensive and expensive training limited their operations to only the most critical ones. Two regiments of Teishin Shudan were formed into the 1st Raiding Group, commanded by Major General Rikichi Tsukada under the control of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group , during the Philippines campaign . Although structured as a division, its capabilities were much lower, as its six regiments had manpower equivalent to

13020-479: The natives, and had sent embassies to Carthage in 236, 235, 233 and 230 BC to accuse and threaten the Punic state. Nothing had come of these supposed episodes and some scholars doubt their authenticity. In 231 BC, a Roman embassy visited Hamilcar in Spain to inquire about his activities. Hamilcar simply replied that he was fighting to gather enough booty to pay off the war indemnity. The Romans withdrew and did not bother

13160-400: The nearby mountain ranges and over assault courses that included a zip-line over Loch Arkaig , all while carrying arms and full equipment. Training continued by day and night with river crossings, mountain climbing, weapons training, unarmed combat , map reading, and small boat operations on the syllabus. Reaching a wartime strength of over 30 individual units and four assault brigades ,

13300-503: The need for more specialised units. Scouting units such as the Lovat Scouts , a Scottish Highland regiment made up of exceptional woodsmen outfitted in ghillie suits and well practised in the arts of marksmanship , field craft , and military tactics filled this role. This unit was formed in 1900 by Lord Lovat and early on reported to an American, Major Frederick Russell Burnham , the Chief of Scouts under Lord Roberts . After

13440-574: The newly established special operations Army Ranger Battalion . The United States and Canada formed the 1st Special Service Force as a sabotage ski brigade for operations in Norway. Later known as the "Devil's Brigade" (and called "The Black Devils" by mystified German soldiers), the First Special Service Force was dispatched to the occupied Aleutian Islands, Italy and Southern France. Merrill's Marauders were modeled on

13580-508: The outnumbered Carthaginians against the river with his two forces, pinning them with one and out-flanking them with the other. When his troops rushed towards the retreating Carthaginians, Spendius was either unable to control them or believed that the Carthaginians were fleeing and encouraged his forces' pursuit. Hamilcar had managed to train his new recruits in some drill and basic battlefield maneuvers before they left Carthage. As

13720-631: The platoon split and deployed in different areas surrounding Dhaka city. The basic objectives of the Crack Platoon were to demonstrate the strength of Mukti Bahini, terrorising Pakistan Army and their collaborators. Another major objective was proving to the international community that the situation in East Pakistan was not normal. That commando team also aimed at inspiring the people of Dhaka, who were frequently victims of killing and torture. The Crack Platoon successfully fulfilled these objectives. The World Bank mission, in its report, clearly described

13860-402: The possibility of prosecution if the Roman terms turned out to be harsh enough for Carthaginian authorities to seek a scapegoat. This treaty replaced all previous treaties between the two powers. The initial conditions laid out by Lutatius to Gisco were: Hamilcar Barca refused the demand to surrender Roman deserters or disarm Carthaginian soldiers, despite being threatened by Lutatius to have

14000-582: The power of the aristocracy, which was led by Hanno the Great , as well as gain immunity from prosecution. Hamilcar's faction gained enough clout, if not supreme power in Carthage, for Hamilcar to implement his next agenda. Hamilcar's first priority, probably, was to ensure that the war indemnity was paid regularly so the Romans had no excuse to interfere in Carthaginian affairs. His second was to implement his strategy for preparing Carthage for any future conflict with Rome, or enable Carthage to defend itself against any aggression. Hamilcar obtained permission from

14140-435: The promise of good pay, broke out into open mutiny once Hanno the Great tried to impose this, and marched on Carthage and encamped at Tunis . The soldiers refused to accept Hamilcar as an arbitrator, angered by his refusal to accompany his army from Sicily and retiring to Carthage as soon as the treaty with Rome was formalized, and although Carthage at this point conceded to all their demands, things soon boiled over and started

14280-411: The raids, when troops under a subordinate commander named Bodostor engaged in plunder against the orders of Hamilcar and suffered severe casualties when the Romans caught up to them, Hamilcar requested a truce to bury his dead. Roman consul Fundanius (243/2 BC) arrogantly replied that Hamilcar should request a truce to save his living and denied the request. Hamilcar managed to inflict severe casualties on

14420-424: The rebel army and the truceless war began in earnest. Carthage was hit by a series of disasters in 239 BC: her fleet and supply flotilla bringing supplies from Empoia was sunk in a storm, the mercenaries in Sardinia rebelled and the cities of Utica and Hippo Acra killed their Punic garrisons and defected to the rebels. Carthage sent an expedition to Sardinia under Hanno, but this force killed their officers and joined

14560-479: The rebel army. The cavalry and light infantry were in the middle, while the heavy infantry was posted furthest from the rebel army. Through brilliant maneuvering, Hamilcar inflicted a heavy defeat on the rebel forces, leading to the killing of 8,000 mercenaries and the capturing of 2,000 men. Hamilcar occupied the bridge, then established control over the surrounding region. Some of the surviving rebels fled towards Utica; others, after being driven from their camp near

14700-435: The rebels to depart freely with a single garment, but retained the right to detain 10 persons. When the rebel leaders agreed to the terms, Hamilcar detained the rebel delegation. Deprived of leadership, and unaware of the pact, the mercenaries suspected treachery; the Libyans were the first to attack Hamilcar's positions. The rebel army was slaughtered, with the elephants trampling most to death. Hamilcar next moved to confront

14840-522: The rebels were placed in a state of siege. Spendius and Matho were joined by a force commanded by a Libyan chief named Zarzas, and the 50,000 strong army under Spendius moved away from Carthage. Using tactics later made famous by Q. Fabius against Hannibal, Hamilcar's eldest son, the rebels shadowed Hamilcar's army, while moving south, harassing his soldiers and keeping to the high ground to avoid Carthaginian elephants and cavalry. After weeks of maneuvering, Hamilcar finally managed to trap about 40,000 rebels in

14980-494: The rebels, and the generals probably extended Carthaginian territory in Africa at the same time. Carthage now began to fit out an expedition to recover Sardinia, with Hamilcar commanding Punic forces. Punic Mercenaries stationed in Sardinia had rebelled in 239 BC, besieged Boaster and all Carthaginians in a citadel and later executed them after the fort fell. They managed to take over all Punic territories in Sardinia. Carthage sent

15120-478: The rebels. According to one line of thought, the Carthaginian army order of march had the War Elephants leading the column, with the light troops and cavalry behind the elephants. Heavy infantry formed the rearguard, and the whole army marched in a single file in battle formation. According to another line of thought, Hamilcar’s army marched in three separate columns, with the war elephants placed nearest

15260-531: The rebels. Furthermore, Hamilcar had invited Hanno the Great to join forces and try to end the rebellion as quickly as possible, but the generals failed to cooperate. The gloomy situation changed when first Syracuse and then Rome came to the aid of Carthage. Syracuse redoubled the volume of supplies sent to Carthage. Rome forbade Italian traders to trade with rebels and encouraged trade with Carthage, freed Punic prisoners without ransom, and allowed Carthage to recruit mercenaries from Roman territories and flatly refused

15400-546: The regular Filipino army soldiers. Most of the members of this unit came from the old Spanish Army filipino members which fought during the Philippine Revolution . The sharpshooters became famous for their fierce fighting and proved their worth by being the usual spearheading unit in every major battle in the Philippine–American War . In the Battle of Paye on December 19, 1899, Bonifacio Mariano,

15540-451: The river routes of Guadalquivir and Guadalete giving access to the mining area, Gades began to mint silver coins from 237 BC. Carthaginians may have taken control of the mining operations and introduced new technologies to increase production. Hamilcar now had the means to pay for his mercenary army and also to ship silver ore to Carthage to help pay off the war indemnity. Hamilcar was in a secure enough position in Iberia to send Hasdrubal

15680-418: The rumor that Carthaginian prisoners led by Gisco were plotting to escape. Rebels opposing this were stoned and Gisco and his fellow prisoners were tortured to death. Autaritus announced that he would do the same with all Punic prisoners that fell into rebel hands in future. Hamilcar killed his prisoners and announced a policy of equal measure toward future rebel prisoners, thus ending any chance of desertion from

15820-491: The spirit of the army, and succeeded in creating a highly disciplined and versatile force. While Hamilcar won no large-scale battle or recaptured any cities lost to the Romans, he waged a relentless campaign against the enemy, and caused a constant drain on Roman resources. However, if Hamilcar had hoped to recapture Panormus , he failed in his strategy. Roman forces led by the consuls Manius Otacilius Crassus and Marcus Fabius Licinus achieved little against Hamilcar in 246 BC, and

15960-414: The spring of 241 BC, obtained siege equipment from the city and overran the rebel camp, the rebels fleeing before the charging Punic elephants. Hanno, accustomed to fighting Libyans and Numidians, did not anticipate any further trouble and left his army for Utica. However, the rebels regrouped, and observing lax discipline among the Punic troops, launched a surprise sortie and routed the Punic army while Hanno

16100-549: The start of World War II “September campaign,” the Polish Government did not sign the capitulation, but moved to Paris and then to London. In an attempt to achieve its aims the government in exile gave orders to the Polish resistance and formed a special military unit in Britain with the soldiers called Cichociemni (“silent and unseen”) paratroopers to be deployed into Poland. The Cichociemni were trained similar to

16240-417: The summer of 247 BC, punished the rebellious mercenaries (who had revolted because of overdue payments) by murdering some of them at night and drowning the rest at sea, and dismissing many to different parts of northern Africa. With a reduced army and fleet, Hamilcar commenced his operations. The Romans had divided their forces: Consul Lucius Caelius Metellus was near Lilybaeum , while Numerius Fabius Buteo

16380-535: The true situation of East Pakistan and to stop sanctioning the aid. Khaled, along with A. T. M. Haider , another sector commander, formed the Crack Platoon . Initially, the number of commandos in the platoon was 17, trained in Melaghar Camp . From Melaghar, commandos of Crack Platoon headed for Dhaka on 4 June 1971 and launched a guerrilla operation on 5 June. Later, the number of commandos increased,

16520-734: The tutelage of British instructors. With an establishment of 17 officers and 256 men, the independent companies were trained as "stay behind" forces, a role that they were later employed in against the Japanese in the South West Pacific Area during 1942–43, most notably fighting a guerrilla campaign in Timor , as well as actions in New Guinea . In all, a total of eight independent companies were raised before they were re-organised in mid-1943 into commando squadrons and placed under

16660-430: The two rebel forces came into clear sight the Carthaginians wheeled, and marched away . The Carthaginians were marching in good order so they could perform a pre-planned manoeuvre which they had practiced in Carthage, but the rebels, many of whom were inexperienced soldiers, believed that the Carthaginians were running away. Shouting encouragement to each other they broke into a run to pursue. Hamilcar unleashed his trap as

16800-575: The use of special forces on the same scale as the British. The German army's Brandenburger Regiment was founded as a special forces unit used by the Abwehr for infiltration and long distance reconnaissance in Fall Weiss of 1939 and the Fall Gelb and Barbarossa campaigns of 1940 and 1941. Later during the war the 502nd SS Jäger Battalion , commanded by Otto Skorzeny , sowed disorder behind

16940-464: The victorious Roman commander, Gaius Lutatius Catulus and authorised Hamilcar Barca to open negotiations, probably to avoid the responsibility of the defeat. Hamilcar in turn nominated Gisco, the Carthaginian commander of Lilybaeum , to conduct the talks. Carthage often hauled defeated generals and admirals before the Tribunal of 100 and had them crucified, so Hamilcar probably distanced himself from

17080-623: The war, Lovat's Scouts went on to formally become the British Army's first sniper unit. Additionally, the Bushveldt Carbineers , formed in 1901, can be seen as an early unconventional warfare unit. The Luna Sharpshooters , also known as the " Marksmen of Death " ( Spanish : Tiradores de la Muerte ), was an elite unit formed on 1899 by General Antonio Luna to serve under the Philippine Revolutionary Army . They became famous for fighting fiercer than

17220-420: The war, and would be marginalized by the abandonment of overseas operations, also supported this faction. People disenfranchised by the ruin of the navy and disruption of trade might have thrown in their lot with this group and eventually Hasdrubal the Fair emerged as the leader. Hamilcar, furious that Sicily had been given up too soon, while he had been undefeated, could rely on support from this party. There

17360-581: Was "re-establishing Carthaginian authority in Iberia". Phoenician colonies were strung along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of southwestern Spain and exercised some degree of control over their immediate areas, but only had trading contacts, not direct control, over the tribes of Iberia at that time. Iberian and Celtiberian tribes were not under any unified leadership at this time and were warlike, although some had absorbed varying degrees of Greek and Punic cultural influence. Carthage's failure to prevent

17500-442: Was absent, driving the survivors to Utica and capturing all the baggage. Hanno marshaled his soldiers, but twice failed to engage the rebels under favorable conditions and twice failed to surprise them on other occasions. The Carthaginian government then raised an army of 10,000 soldiers and 70 elephants and put Hamilcar Barca in command. This army was small for leading a sortie against the stronger rebel forces, especially to lead into

17640-630: Was besieging Drepanum at that time. Hamilcar probably fought an inconclusive battle at Drepanum , but there is cause to doubt this. Hamilcar next raided Locri in Bruttium and the area around Brindisi in 247 BC. On his return he seized a strong position on Mount Ercte ( Monte Pellegrino , just north of Palermo or Mt. Castellacio, 7 miles north-west of Palermo), and not only maintained himself against all attacks, but carried on with his seaborne raids ranging from Catana in Sicily to as far as Cumae in central Italy . He also set about improving

17780-416: Was busy settling state affairs, Spendius and Matho decided to blockade the city from the landward side. However, as the rebels had no navy, Carthage could draw supplies from the sea and so did not face the threat of starvation. But the rebels would sally out from their camp at Tunis and approach the city walls to cause terror inside the city. In response, Hamilcar began to harass the rebel supply lines and soon

17920-551: Was captured along with Hannibal and thirty Carthaginian senators. Hamilcar retreated north near the mouth of the Bagradas River, while Matho crucified his prisoners on the same crosses Hamilcar had used to crucify the rebel leaders, then retreated out of Tunis and moved south. At this point, the Carthaginian senate reinstated Hanno and forced Hamilcar to share command. The Punic generals pursued Matho's army and won several small-scale engagements. After mustering their forces,

18060-544: Was caused, and raids at Fuka and Mersa Matruh airfields destroyed 30 aircraft. In the Burma Campaign , the Chindits , whose long-range penetration groups were trained to operate from bases deep behind Japanese lines, contained commandos ( King's Regiment (Liverpool) , 142 Commando Company) and Gurkhas . Their jungle expertise, which would play an important part in many British special forces operations post-war,

18200-546: Was feeling the strain of the prolonged conflict. In addition to maintaining a fleet and soldiers in Sicily, they were also fighting the Libyans and Numidians in northern Africa. As a result, Hamilcar was given a fairly small army and the Carthaginian fleet was gradually withdrawn; Carthage put most of its ships into reserve to save money and free up manpower, so by 242 BC, Carthage had no ships to speak of in Sicily. The Carthaginian leadership probably thought Rome had been defeated and invested little manpower in Sicily. With

18340-528: Was formed in 1943, with four Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks. The paratroop brigades were organized into the Teishin Shudan as the first division-level raiding unit, at the main Japanese airborne base, Karasehara Airfield, Kyūshū , Japan. However, as with similar airborne units created by the Allies and other Axis powers , the Japanese paratroops suffered from a disproportionately high casualty rate, and

18480-762: Was formed under Cavalry Major Antonios Stefanakis in Palestine, with 200 men. In 1942, the unit was renamed Sacred Band . In close cooperation with the commander of the British SAS Regiment, Lt. Colonel David Stirling , the company moved to the SAS base at Qabrit in Egypt to begin its training in its new role. The special forces unit fought alongside the SAS in the Western Desert and the Aegean . During

18620-534: Was in command, reduce the navy and support Hanno the Great's conquests in Africa, all of which were causes for the ultimate defeat of Carthage in the First Punic War. They had remained in power throughout the Mercenary War and had advocated Hanno's position over Hamilcar's more than once. Their opponents probably had the support of people who had wanted to continue the war even after the defeat at Aegates Island. The Mercantile Class, whose interests were hurt by

18760-711: Was learned at a great cost in lives in the jungles of Burma fighting the Japanese. Immediately after the German occupation of Greece in April–May 1941, the Greek government fled to Egypt and started to form military units in exile. Air Force Lt. Colonel G. Alexandris suggested the creation of an Army unit along the lines of the British SAS. In August 1942 the Company of Chosen Immortals ( Greek : Λόχος Επιλέκτων Αθανάτων )

18900-417: Was led by the landed aristocracy at the time, and they preferred to expand across northern Africa instead of pursuing an aggressive policy in Sicily. Hanno "The Great " was in charge of operations in Africa since 248 BC and had conquered considerable territory by 241 BC. Carthage did not take advantage of their naval supremacy and carry the war to Italy other than launching a few raids. Carthage at this time

19040-481: Was quickly expanded to 12 units which became known as Commandos. Each Commando had a lieutenant colonel as the commanding officer and numbered around 450 men (divided into 75 man troops that were further divided into 15 man sections ). In December 1940 a Middle East Commando depot was formed with the responsibility of training and supplying reinforcements for the Commando units in that theatre. In February 1942

19180-432: Was resented by the mercenaries left behind in Sicily. The "Undefeated" army now created a unique problem for Carthage. Had Hamilcar suffered a decisive defeat, casualties and prisoners would have diminished their numbers and Carthage would have had an excuse not to pay anything. But now the 20,000 man army had to be paid their full due. Gisco sensibly sent the troops to Carthage in small groups with intervals in between so

19320-557: Was responsible for the sinking and damage of considerable British tonnage in the Mediterranean . Also there were other Italian special forces like A.D.R.A. ( Arditi Distruttori Regia Aeronautica ). This regiment was used in raids on Allied airbases and railways in North Africa in 1943. In one mission they destroyed 25 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. The Imperial Japanese Army first deployed army paratroops in combat during

19460-435: Was similar to the one employed by Fabius Maximus during the Second Punic War , ironically against Hannibal , Hamilcar's eldest son. The difference was that Fabius commanded a numerically superior army to his opponent, had no supply problems, and had room to manoeuvre, while Hamilcar was mostly static, had a far smaller army than the Romans and was dependent on seaborne supplies from Carthage. Hamilcar, upon taking command in

19600-582: Was unsuccessful. The United States formed the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II under the Medal of Honor recipient William J. Donovan . This organization was the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and was responsible for both intelligence and special forces missions. The CIA's elite Special Activities Division is the direct descendant of

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