Post-WW2 Axis Special Forces

  • Thread starter Deleted member 1487
  • Start date

Deleted member 1487

Assuming that by some miracle the Germans survive WW2 and dominate Europe minus Britain and the Soviets survive, but in a Brest-Litovsk sized USSR, what would the German (Nazi?) special forces look like?
There basically is a multi-polar cold war with Britain a neutral state, but economically tied into Europe, with much of its Empire breaking away postwar (India on time; Canada, Australia, and South Africa going their own way); Japan never having attacked the US, so it still a power in East Asia, but is locked in China fighting everyone there; and the USSR having clawed back from the brink and locked in an uneasy peace with Axis Europe, with an undeclared war raging in the ceded Eastern European territories with guerillas and various groups fighting one another for control (Axis Cossacks, various Ukrainian groups, Jews, Communists, pro-Axis Russians like Vasilov's group, etc.), while Yugoslavia is a mess too. Italy retains Libya and its oil, but loses East Africa.

The Abwehr is pretty much subsumed into the SS, which is now run by a surviving Reinhard Heydrich (not assassinated ITTL), as Canaris has been caught and executed for working with the British, and the SS maintains their IOTL late war 'pan-European' recruitment. Italy is in alliance with Germany and is caught up in maintaining the Axis Empire.
Spain is also involved to a degree in the Axis, never abandoning the 'Blue' (Azul) Division, but isn't a formal member in the East, nevertheless still sends 'volunteers' to fight communism in Eastern Europe.

What special forces the Axis field in this environment?

brest2qu0.jpg
 
For one, you'll probably see an expanded roll of the Italian Naval X MAS unit. Historically, they fought pretty well in WW2.
 

Kongzilla

Banned
Einzatkruppen are probably going to be one of the main ones as they will deal with the Guerrillas, Partisans, Jews, Slavs and anyone else not wanted by the Nazis.
 
Einzatkruppen are probably going to be one of the main ones as they will deal with the Guerrillas, Partisans, Jews, Slavs and anyone else not wanted by the Nazis.
More like Jagdkommandos. They were on covert ops, working under cover or in enemy uniforms.
 

Deleted member 1487

More like Jagdkommandos. They were on covert ops, working under cover or in enemy uniforms.

Pretty much operating as the partisan bands did. I think they were like the Green Berets in Vietnam, but in WW2 were formed from regular combat units, rather than being a 'special force' as we understand them today.
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=163546&sid=1e6d00ded9500dd16b626aa4fef9a32e
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=35684
http://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Bandit-Hunters-Occupation-Europe/dp/159797157X/ref=pd_cp_b_1
 
Last edited by a moderator:
post ww2 axis forces

KG 200 to do reconnaisance and agent transport, flying captured aircraft, hubschrauber(helo) operations also, Fritz-X strikes.
Fallschirm JagdKommando Kampfgruppen stiffening partisan groups.
LuftSturm Grenadier Divisionen 'Herman Goring', a Tri-Cap Division(helo brigade, panzer brigade and panzergrenadier brigade)for the core of a Rapid Deployment Force(possibly including 90th Leichte Motorsiert and 5th Gebirgsjager Divisions)
SS Penal Battalions(mixed to&e-think Sven Hassel)
Totenkopfverbande Motorsiert-Kavallerie Legion(Armored Cars, motorised infantry, a armored train or two) for territorial patrol sweeps.
Kriegsmarine SeeKommando-obvious
Brandenburgers for infiltration ops-more like a Reich Foreign Legion
Walkurie Liebstandarte-Heydrich was a sex maniac...
Hunyadi Magyar motorised commandos for Hungary
Iron Guard Special Purpose Detachments for Rumania
Sissi 'Ghost Recon' for Finland
Blackshirt Blood-Commando for Italy
Legion Azul from Spain
a SNLF on loan from Imperial Japan(Manchurian/Russian border experience)
a 'Antarctic Korps'

and don't forget Hanna Reisch taking everyone's picture from orbit...:)
 
Any other ideas about Axis minor special forces?
Well Hungarians, Romanians and Slovaks fielded para units of various size. Part of Hungarian fought in Budapest. How well they did I do not know. Romanian fought pretty well. Against... German paratroopers when they switched sides. Same goes for Slovak ones. Most of them fought in Uprising against pro nazi regime and German Forces from end of August to end of October 1944 and did very well.
All this axis allies units, if if not considered special forces in today sense were best trained with high moral. Even if two of them used this training and esprit to fight Germans. ;)
On Axis side, Slovak pro nazi regime used during Uprising specialy organized units of Hlinka Guards. So called POHG (Fast reaction Hlinka Guard units) mostly to hunt downs partisans. Considering the side they fought on they did pretty good, but they operation could be mostly compared to Jagdcommandos. And of course they were involved in various war crimes against Slovak civilian population, Jews, anti fascist etc.
 

abc123

Banned
IMO Brandenburgers ( as part of Wehrmacht ) and Otto Skorzeny's Jaeger Battalion ( as part of SS ) would have the main role in Germany. Maybe establishing German naval commandos with X-Flotilla as role-model...
 
IMO Brandenburgers ( as part of Wehrmacht ) and Otto Skorzeny's Jaeger Battalion ( as part of SS ) would have the main role in Germany. Maybe establishing German naval commandos with X-Flotilla as role-model...
Almost forgot when Wiking was asking about Minor Axis special Forces. End of the August 1939, September, there was element of Brandenburgers?? Operating from Slovakia against railway tunnel at Jablunkovo Pass on Slovak Polish border.
 

Deleted member 1487

According to one of those links I posted, it seems that the Jagdkommandos often used light infantry units that were highly trained in small unit tactics and were highly motivated:
Fallschirmjäger

It seems that they were often used in this role and may well be the very best force to accomplish this mission. Beyond that they could be the best force for anti-guerilla work when the helicopter enters a major transport role, could jump into areas needed quickly, or land with gliders (some were machine gun equipped for 'hot' landings).

Also Gebirgsjäger would fit the bill in some areas, specifically Yugoslavia, Greece, or really anywhere in the Balkans.

But would it make more sense to set up specific units that are tasked and trained for that mission? Maybe police units, which IOTL were often used in that role and were specifically created for rear area security.

And a quote about the Jagdkommando in Yugoslavia:
A highly effective offensive weapon was found in the Jagdkommando (ranger detachment), designed to seek out and destroy guerrilla bands. Personnel of the detachments were usually young and combatwise veterans of German campaigns on other fronts. Physically hardy and trained to live in the open for extended periods of time, they depended little on supply columns and could pursue the guerrillas, often burdened down with wounded, families. and impedimenta, into the most inaccessible areas. When the situation required, the rangers would put on civilian clothing, disguising themselves as Chetniks or Partisans, to work their way closer to their wary enemy. In the event they came upon major guerrilla forces, the ranger detachments, seldom more than a company in strength, would keep them under observation and inform battalion or other higher headquarters. While awaiting reinforcements, they would attempt to gather additional information on the guerrilla strength and dispositions. As successful as they were in many small-scale operations; however, the ranger detachments were not numerous enough to affect decisively the outcome of the antiguerrilla campaign.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Deleted member 1487

Any ideas about Japan or Axis counterintelligence forces?
 
Top