commando

from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines.

from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. ===Austro-Hungarian assault units=== During the winter of 1914–1915, large parts of the Eastern Front switched to trench warfare. To cope with the new situation, many Austro-Hungarian regiments spontaneously formed infantry squads called Jagdkommandos. These squads were named after the specially trained forces of the Russian army formed in 1886¹, which were used to protect against ambushes, conduct reconnaissance, and engage in low-intensity fighting in no-man's-land. The Austro-Hungarian High Army command (Armeeoberkommando, AOK) realized the need for special forces and decided to draw on German experience. Starting in September–October 1916, about 120 officers and 300 NCOs were trained at the German training area in Beuville (near the village of Doncourt) to serve as the main cadre of the newly raised Austro-Hungarian army assault battalions. The former Jagdkommandos were incorporated into these battalions. ===Finland=== The Finns fielded the Erillinen Pataljoona 4, and about 150 men were trained before the beginning of summer 1941. At first, the units had as few as 15 men, but during the war this was increased to 60. On July 1, 1943, the units were organised in the 4th Detached Battalion. In 1944, a special unit equipped with amphibious He 115 aircraft was formed to support the battalion. The total strength of the battalion was 678 men and 76 women (see Lotta Svärd). In the Battle of Ilomantsi, soldiers of the 4th disrupted the supply lines of the Soviet artillery, preventing effective fire support. The battalion made over 50 missions in 1943 and just under 100 in 1944, and was disbanded on November 30 of that same year. Sissiosasto/5.D is another Finnish Commando unit of the World War Two era. The Detachment was founded on August 20, 1941, under the Lynx Division (5th Division, Finnish VI Corps). It was a self-contained unit for reconnaissance patrolling, sabotage, and guerrilla warfare operations behind enemy lines.

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