Greatest military units of all time

Winged Hussars

I agree with Panzercracker that the Winged Hussars really where badass.
But still I like the Old Guard of the Imperial French army much more.

I will also mention the Jannisary warriors from Turkey and the Immortals from Persia.
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hi to everyone
i think the best army of all times which fight and win was the Athinean army during the battle of Marathon(this year 2010 all the western world must honor this brave men because 2500 years ago fought and win the Persian army and the Europe stayed free).the greeks lost only 192 men but the barbarians(Persian army) lost over 6400.
men.
Also i think that the Byzantium army was one of the greatest because the Byzantine Empire role in Mediterrane and Middle East for almost 1000 years(from the Emperor Constantine the Great to Emperor Consatine Paleologos
 
Easy-8 said:
WWII

- Finns in Winter/Continuation/Lapland War
- Wehrmacht in France and low countries during the 1940 invasion
- RAF during the Battle of Britian
- Afrika Korps and Desert Rats in the African theater
- Soviet Snipers at Stalingrad
- 62nd Army at Stalingrad (and later on as 8th Tank Army)
- II SS Panzer Korps at Kharkov, Prochorovka and Market Garden
- 82nd Airborne in Italian and Normandy Campiagns
- FallshirmJaeger at Mount Cassino
- Großdeutschland on the Eastern Front
- 12th SS Panzer Division at Caen
- British Paras during Market Garden
- US Marines in Pacific Theater
- US Navy at Midway
- Japanese in Malaysia and Philippines
- 1st Special Service Force in Italy
- US Army Rangers at Normandy
- 101st Airborne at Bastogne
- Tuskegee Airmen in the air war over Europe
- 6th Ranger Battalion in the Pacific War

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82nd Airborne at St. Vith during the Battle of the Bulge.
Patton's 4th Armored Division "Roosevelt's Butchers"
99th ID during the Battle of the Bulge
The US 7th Fleet at the Battle of Leyte Gulf
the 442nd Infantry Regiment (Nisei) the most decorated regiment in US military history (among those decorations were 21 medals of honor.)
 
The Turkish Infantry Brigade code named "North Star", in Korea. They defended Kunuri and completed the delay mission successfully in Battle of Wawon and saved Americans.

FuSFFujg.jpg


"As the Turkish Brigade withdrew at night, the PVA 342nd Regiment followed closely behind. Upon arriving at Sinim-ri, the Chinese immediately cut off the brigade by launching surprise attacks on the rear artillery units and the 3rd Battalion.At the same time, communication was lost between the Turkish headquarters and its battalions, leaving the rest of the brigade isolated from the outside world. Undaunted by the difficulties, the trapped Turks fought back stubbornly and, once out of ammunition, the Turks continued to resist with fists, swords and rocks. The fierce fighting forced the Chinese to call in the 340th Regiment to reinforce the 342nd. Despite the hard fighting, the Turks were close to being overrun by the morning of November 29, and only a timely air strike allowed the Turks to escape encirclement. In the aftermath of the fighting, the Turkish Brigade was completely fragmented, with most of their equipment and vehicles lost, but Yazıcı still remarked: "Withdraw? Why withdraw? We are killing lots of them." With the US 2nd Infantry Division entering Kunu-ri on the night of November 28, the Turks had successfully covered the withdrawal of the US IX Corps. The remnants of the Turkish Brigade fell back towards Kunu-ri and joined up with the US 38th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division."
 
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I'd add Lisowczycy to post middle-ages. This light, irregular mercenary/cavalary unit mostly from Poland/Lit has beaten regular russian army on numerous occasions. Called by germans "horsemen of the apocalypse", they didn't ask for any renumeration for thier participation in wars. They were simply allowed to plunder and pillage anything on thier way, and to take any spoils of war they can. They participated in nearly every conflict in middle-eastern europe at that time. They travelled without any supplies - simply plundering what they need as they went.
They fought dirty, like outlaws should - often breaking enemy morale causing much larger forces to flee from the field. Taking no pride in fighting, they avoided contact until they found suitable battlefield, or simply used thier speed to cause havoc behind enemy lines. Commando unit of 17th century.
Painting of Lisowczyk by Rembrant:
File:Rembrandt_-_The_Polish_Rider_-_WGA19251.jpg
Rembrandt_-_The_Polish_Rider_-_WGA19251.jpg

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In 1615, Lisowski gathered many outlaws and invaded Muscovy with 6 companies of cavalry. He besieged Bryansk and defeated the Muscovite relief force of a few thousand soldiers under Kniaz Yuri Shakhovskoy near Karachev. Lisowski moved on to defeat the Muscovite advance guard of a force (several times larger than his) under the command of Kniaz Dmitry Pozharsky, who decided to not to attack and fortified his forces inside a camp. Lisowski's men broke contact with other forces, burned Belyov and Likhvin, took Peremyshl, turned north, defeated a Muscovite army at Rzhev, turned towards the Kara Sea coast, then to Kashin, burned Torzhok, returned to Commonwealth without any further contact with Muscovy forces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisowczycy
 
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Good list.

I would question the “Texans at the Alamo” - despite the hype they were overwhelmed in what was really a very short battle.

I would add the Hussites under Jan Ziska (1360-1424) and the 3rd Century Palmyrenes under Zenobia.

Also for consideration S. Koreans in VN.
 
Australian Light Horse Brigade World War 1.

The Australian Corps and Canadian Corps breaking the Hindenburg Line and saving Amiens and the Channel Ports in August 1918 ("the Black Day for the German Army" that virtually ended World War 1.)

The Royal Australian Regiment and PPLI ay Kapyong 1951 and RAR at Battle of Coral.

RAR at Long Tan

The Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) 1960-1970. Most highly decorated unit in the ADF.
 
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The Mosquito Squadrons of 464 Squadron RAAF, 487 Squadron RNZAF, and 21 Squadron RAF that attacked the Gestapo prison at Ameins on 18 February 1944,Operation Jericho, allowing 255 prisoners to escape, though 182 were recaptured.
 
Couple from my country,not the greatest of all time.But most of the best have arleady been posted here.
101
Sayert Matkal
Shaytet 13
Golani,givati,paratroopers(tzanchanim).(all battelions).
 
Buenos Aires citizens during the British invasions of the Río de la Plata. Poorly armed, barely trained and suffering from a numerical disadvantage, they were able to repel what was then the largest and most powerful empire in the world.
 
Légionnaire said:
And what's about the Fallschirmjäger in WW2 who fought at Crete, in North Africa or in Italy???

Glück ab!
Légionnaire
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The also fought in Normandy. One of my father's buddies fought them at Ortona. He said they were fiercest troops he had ever gone up against. After 40 years he only had respect for the Fallschirmjager.
 
Turkish Janissaries, South American Infernale cavalry, Paraguayan soldiers of the Chaco War. Little known but, very capable.
 
5th Marine Division

The 5th Marine Division participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima where they sustained the highest number of casualties of the 3 Marine divisions that fought there. The 5th Division received the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism on Iwo Jima. Hell on Earth.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBuXgQRz3II"]www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBuXgQRz3II[/ame]
 
I would also have to say the 1st Mar Div in WWII with Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa to their credit. All these battles were brutal and the division recieved 3 Presidential Unit Citations from these campaigns.

I would also give a shout out to the 3rd Marine Division from 66-68 in Vietnam that fought a constant, brutal, and largely conventional fight against what was considered the best light infantrymen in the world at the time, the North Vietnamese Army.

I may be a soldier, but I certainly give respect to my Marine brothers in combat....even with their bombastic propaganda machine.
 
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