Brandenburg Kommando
- Player Pack, Scenario Mission Briefings and
map available for download
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Brandenburg Kommando
- Player Pack, Scenario Mission Briefings and
map available for download
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Platoon Details Team Colour: Field Grey Commander: Captain TBA Strength: 25
Unit History In 1935, German Intelligence (the Abwehr) initiated the creation of the world’s first full-fledged special forces organization. Although the Brandenburg soldiers were called commandos, they were far more than that. Among the missions undertaken were: long range reconnaissance, long range direct action, the recruitment and formation of indigenous troop units, decapitation operations, spearhead or advanced detachment operations, and a variety of coup de mains. The unit consisted mainly of former German expatriates fluent in other languages. The Brandenburgers were initially organised into
four companies based on language and custom knowledge.
In action, a Brandenburger unit could consist of
2 or 200 men, depending on the mission requirements. At this stage in the war,
virtually all Brandenburger operations took place behind enemy lines. The units
operated along the lines of the SAS teams, but unlike their allied counterparts,
the Brandenburgers were very particular about donning another nation's uniform.
This chivalric code, while perhaps rather anachronistic, required that men
always wore their German uniform beneath the enemy's. Before combat the men
would hold fire until they made their own uniforms visible. While this led
credence to the claim that Brandenburgers were soldiers, not spies, it also led
to the capture of several units who refused to break these orders and open fire
before revealing their 'true colours'. Despite these precautions to remain
within the rules of war, all Brandenburgers carried a suicide pill when
operating behind enemy lines.
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The
Brandenburgers’ initial campaigns in 1939-40 relied on surprise and subterfuge
to achieve their objectives. They wore enemy uniforms over their Wehrmacht
uniforms and would penetrate enemy lines using their language skills and local
knowledge to get close to their objectives, before taking them by surprise. They
would then hold on until the advancing main thrush would catch up. This allowed
them to capture bridges and other vital instillations before the enemy could
destroy them. They took part in operations in Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands
and Belgium in 1940. During the invasion of the Netherlands they captured the
bridge over the Meuse at Gennep on May 8. Early in the morning a group of
Brandenburgers under the command of Leutnant Wilhelm Walther advanced on the
defenders of the bridge disguised as Dutch military police escorting German
prisoners. Before the Dutch realised the truth the Brandenburgers were on them.
