World War Two toughest fighters on the Allied Side

Discussion in 'General' started by Gerry Chester, Sep 5, 2010.

  1. phylo_roadking

    phylo_roadking Very Senior Member

    Guess that primitive living conditions, imposed by a colonial power or caused by under-development, either on their own or added to deeply-rooted traditions


    Warlord, I'm not sure to what extent the average Nisei American would recognise themselves in that description! :mellow:

    I think instead they fell into that more common category of "in proving they were as good as anyone else, they outdid them" ;) That's a category any of us could fall into.
     
  2. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    Are we just talking about ground forces?

    According to a postwar study done by the US Air Force, the 308th Bomb Group was the top rated bomb group of World War II. They were the only heavy bomb group assigned to the 14th Air Force (China) and their planes were painted with the infamous sharks mouth motif.

    Well, this blokes sure did not have it easy, being the only bombers around. In fact, as a measure of the opposition they had to face, one of their lot downed 7 Japanese fighters in a single mission!
     
  3. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Well, this blokes sure did not have it easy, being the only bombers around. In fact, as a measure of the opposition they had to face, one of their lot downed 7 Japanese fighters in a single mission!

    That appears to be excellent marksmanship.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  4. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    Warlord, I'm not sure to what extent the average Nisei American would recognise themselves in that description! :mellow:

    I think instead they fell into that more common category of "in proving they were as good as anyone else, they outdid them" ;) That's a category any of us could fall into.

    Thought of that while writing; that's why I added the reference to the deeply-rooted traditions. Just think about it: American Samurais, following the Bushido!
     
  5. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    That appears to be excellent marksmanship.

    Regards
    Tom

    In the face of swarms of meatball painted fighters.

    That was the problem of the XIV Air Force: Too little of everything, except a task to accomplish!
     
  6. phylo_roadking

    phylo_roadking Very Senior Member

    Just think about it: American Samurais, following the Bushido!


    ...who I thought prided themselves on how American they'd become! ;)
     
  7. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    ...who I thought prided themselves on how American they'd become! ;)

    America, the blending pot of the world; be as American as Broadway, live the traditions or your ancestors.
     
  8. Home Front

    Home Front Junior Member

    The 442nd RCT weren't the only Americans with something to prove.

    332nd Fighter Group:

    The combat record of the Tuskegee Airmen:

    • Over 15,000 combat sorties (Including 6000+
    for the 99th prior to July '44)
    • 111 German airplanes destroyed in the air
    • 150 German aircraft destroyed on the ground
    • 950 railcars, trucks, and other motor vehicles destroyed
    • 1 destroyer sunk by P-47 machine gun fire
    • Sixty-six pilots killed in action or accidents
    • Thirty-two pilots downed and captured, POWs
    • NO Bombers were ever lost to Enemy Aircraft while being escorted
    • 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses earned
    • 744 Air Medals
    • 8 Purple Hearts
    • 14 Bronze Stars
     

    Attached Files:

  9. Home Front

    Home Front Junior Member

    And the 761st Tank Battalion.

    As the 761st was about to enter combat, Patton reviewed the battalion and made a speech to the men which offered a guarded vote of confidence in their abilities:

    Men, you're the first Negro tankers to ever fight in the American Army. I would never have asked for you if you weren't good. I have nothing but the best in my Army. I don't care what color you are as long as you go up there and kill those Kraut sons of bitches. Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting great things from you. Most of all your race is looking forward to your success. Don't let them down and damn you, don't let me down!
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    My vote would go the the Corps Of Military Police. They proved it in town after town, every time that a couple of rival Scottish battalions found themselves on the same street at chucking-out time !
     
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  11. Erich

    Erich Senior Member

    the 332nd fg statement of never losing a US bomber on escort ops has been disproven and even the former members of the group admitted this in fact they never knew who even started this up. I know of one instance in particular where 3 B-17's were lost to Me 262's under so-called 332nd fg care. one of the few times also that the 332nd fg was able to free-lance and jump on the attacking jets............. April 10, 1945 "the massacre of the jets" both by the 8th as well as the 15th AF's.
     
  12. jobee

    jobee Member

    My vote goes to:

    1. Gurkhas
    2. Goums
    3. Nagas

    Gerry


    Little Boy.=Hiroshima.
    Fat Man.=Nagasaki.
     
  13. Jaeger

    Jaeger Senior Member

    British Tankies.
     
  14. Cobber

    Cobber Senior Member

    IMO all nations involved in WW2 had troops, sailors and airmen as well as assets who/that could be rated as amongst the best and very toughest. Most especially once they had been trained and then blooded.
    I do agree that some groups such as Maoris and others were excellent fighters and should be regarded as amongst the best and the toughest troops in WW2.
    Allied Troops especially those who fought from 1940 till mid late 1942 fought a enemy who seemed to have the upper hand with equipment and supplies' as well as trained and experienced and in many cases tough troops many of these Allied and Axis units showed through this period just how tough they were and that includes units that had yet to be blooded in battle.They came out of the many battles battle hardened and amongst the toughest. Those who fought after the Japanese/USA entry both Axis and Allied troops also showed just how good they were and their are many units and other groupings of these troops from all nations that could only be regarded as being amongst the very best and toughest during WW2.

    My biased list with out wanting to name individual Regts (Gurkha's excepted), and not listed in any particular order.
    Brits,
    Aussies,
    New Zealanders (Esp Maoris)
    Gurkha's. As usual they are in these kind of lists.
    USA.
    Germany
    Rusia (imo you had to be tough just to survive the Eastern front.)

    {Edit}: I forgot to list "The Canadians" they were a tough bunch. {End Edit}

    All of these and other nations had units that were imho amongst the toughest soldiers.
     
  15. IrishSoldier

    IrishSoldier Member

    A veteran of the battle for Crete once told me he witnessed a Maori battalion making a counter attack to take back the village of Malame... they all did the haka and fixed bayonets then charged the elite German Paratroopers holding the village and in his own words they rooted them out with the three "B's"... the bayonet, the boot and the butt of their rifles! They took the village back, killed over 300 German Para's and left the rest running for their lives. Sounds like these guys were tough as they come!!
     
  16. Cobber

    Cobber Senior Member

    Yeah during the Battle for Crete their were a number of Bayonet charges however one of the larger one's I am aware of happened at 42nd Street and included elements of a Maori Btn other NZ'ers and elements of two (2) Companies of Aussies.

    Apparently some New Zealanders predominately Maori's were near a well when the Germans were observed moving down a valley towards them and became quite close to the ANZAC positions. While this was happening a Maori who was observed holding a Bren Gun magazine stood up under fire and started a Haka.
    With bullets whizzing around them the Haka was continued to the finish and then the ANZAC troops charged. The Germans at only a hundred metres away, were confronted with this spectacle and then were charged upon. 'The southern hemisphere blokes' over run the Germans section by section, the ANZACs fanned out and started to sweep around the German positions and then the troops went in for the kill and the fighting became what is described as primitive. Many ANZACS had personal scores to settle from the previous weeks of withdrawal fighting in Greece and Crete. They pushed the Germans out of their positions and some German troops were observed to be in full flight.
    The ANZACs charged with what ever they could use, some used helmets, or gun magazines, lumps of wood what ever. Some when over running German positions helped themselves to German weapons including Spandaus

    The German propaganda machine spoke about this event saying that with the Maori's attacking with tongues dancing in and out of their mouth and the Aussies apparently with those old time full face wryly smiles on their faces it confused the Germans they were not expecting such a full on hand to hand combat action as in the past many other troops had surrendered by this time. The ANZACs were allways well trained in the use of the bayonet.

    Different figures show that something like 70 to 80 Germans were killed during this action with a number wounded.
    I have read that the Germans initially treated the Australian who was in command quite roughly as at that time they assumed that the bayonet chargers had killed men who were allready wounded. However after a search of the dead showed that very few if any Germans had been seriously wounded before being bayoneted. I though believe that in such a battle it is very possible for a wounded man to be killed especially if a man chooses to fight on after being wounded
     
  17. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Cobber -
    the 28th Maori bde didn't do so badly either at the Station at Cassino
    Cheers
     

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