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Description of  Shock Troops: The History of Elite Corps and Special Forces

0861241266 pdf The US Marines. The French Foreign Legion. The Red Baron's Flying Circus. The Escadrille Lafayette. The British Commandos. The Waffen SS. The US Rangers. Chennault's Flying Tigers. The Green Berets. The Special Air Service, SAS. Today nearly every advanced army has its shock troops. They are better trained, fitter and tougher than the ordinary infantry and the most arduous and dangerous tasks are normally reserved for them. The US Marines are one of the oldest surviving formations of elite soldiers. Their illustrious history runs from their formation during the War of Independence through to their heroic deeds in the Pacific in World War II and their recent service in Vietnam. The French Foreign Legion is another long established body of men. They have fought from the jungles of West Africa to the sands of the Sahara, from France's colonial adventures in Mexico to that country's brave but humiliating defeat at Dien Bien Phu. Their illustrious followers include the British SAS (Special Air Service) who gained recent fame from their brilliantly executed rescue of hostages from the Iranian Embassy in London. Certain units of the Waffen-SS, the Commandos and the US Rangers can also be included in the category of shock troops. The author, David C Knight, traces the development of these and other elite units throughout the world. More than 200 illustrations show them in training and in action, from colonial wars of the last century to the antiterrorist operations of today.