Brandenburgers!

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The Brandenburgers!

Elite German special operations unit of the Second World War [WW2].

Able to operate in the manner of the pseudo-force. Wear the uniform of the enemy, speak the language of the enemy, use enemy equipment, impersonate an enemy soldier in the furtherance of behind-the-lines action of the most dangerous sort!

And were quite successful at doing so too! An elite and dedicated military special operations unit of the highest quality and trained to a measure of preparedness beyond normal measure!

Under the command of the German military intelligence, the Abwehr, and given the missions and tasks of seizing by coup de main bridges, river crossings, railroad and road junctions of importance, attacking the enemy command and control complex, committing acts of sabotage and infiltrating behind-the-lines EVEN PRIOR TO AN OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES!

"The Brandenburgers were members of the Brandenburg German Special Forces unit during World War II."

"Units of Brandenburgers operated in almost all fronts . . . The unit had stunning successes early in the war acting as advance units that captured strategic bridges, tunnels and rail yards"

"small, élite units, highly trained in sabotage and fluent in foreign languages, could operate behind enemy lines and wreak havoc with the enemy's command, communication and logistical tails."

Recruits to the Brandenburger unit predominantly what were called Volksdeutsch! Persons of German ethnicity who were born and raised in the various nations of eastern Europe. German ethnics for a period of 1,000 years living in all of the Slavic nations, forming and constituting their own communities, prospering, able to speak in the local language as a native, understanding the host culture in the absolute. Brandenburgers able to pass with ease as a local - - EVEN PERHAPS MORE SO THAN A LOCAL!

This map of eastern Europe presumably prior to 1939 shows the red areas and dots as having a predominantly ethnic German population. Quite substantial in some cases! It is from that 15 million strong ethnic German populace living in eastern Europe prior to WW2 that Brandenburgers would have been recruited from. Those insets show Latvia, Estonia and the Russian territory around Saratov, inhabited by the Volga German. That 15 million is now near ZERO! Subsequent to the end of the war forcibly repatriated to Germany proper, about 1 million to 2 million perishing during the movement of peoples!

"Every recruit had to be fluent in at least one foreign language. However, many recruits were fluent in several. The recruits were also schooled in the customs and traditions of their specific region. Knowing every habit and mannerism in their area of operations would enable the men to blend in and operate as effective saboteurs."

The ability of the Brandenburger to accomplish a mission NOT in favor with the German High Command? Tactics, means and methods felt to be underhanded and NOT in keeping with German military tradition? NOT even felt to be chivalrous, and even if effective doubt still existing in the ranks of the most senior German commanders.

And those Brandenburgers in the aftermath of WW2 significant numbers of them enlisting in the French Foreign Legion [FFL], the Brandenburg fighting a peculiar form of warfare OFTEN not in keeping with the various conventions of the time, the rank and file having no other option than to fight a proxy war far from home [French Indo-China]?

coolbert.