Missing from the list is an even more daring raid, circa 1,130 BC: Biblical Gideon's raid & victory over the Midianites.
And these are the ones we know about. The truly remarkable ones are those we’ll never hear about.
One more and one of the most amazing was the mountaintop rescue of Mussolini by Germans. He was being kept in a castle thought to be secure.
I am not sure how to spell the German commando leader’s name but it is something like Skorzeny.
Taking nothing away from the bravery and technical competence of those who participated, I don’t think the Osama raid merits inclusion in this list. Osama was hiding out in a virtually unguarded house in a country that was at least a semi-ally of the US. An American soldier standing in dress blues two houses away would not have been shot at by the Pakistani police or army (probably!). And of course Obama ordered Osama killed despite the possible loss of intelligence that entailed. I think this raid has been puffed up to boost B. Hussein Obama’s near record low machismo level.
James J. Andrew’s raid on the Memphis & Charleston railroad in N. Georgia in April of 1862. AKA the Great Locomotive Chase. Eight members were hanged as spies. Four of the raiders were awarded the MOH
In August 2014 the brigade conducted a raid behind the separatist lines. The 95th Airmobile Brigade, which had been reinforced with armor assets and attachments, launched a surprise attack on separatist lines, broke through into their rear areas, fought for 450 kilometers, and destroyed or captured numerous Russian tanks and artillery pieces before returning to Ukrainian lines. They operated not as a concentrated brigade but rather split into three company-sized elements on different axes of advance. According to Phillip Karber, it was one of the longest raids in the military history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/95th_Air_Assault_Brigade_(Ukraine)
The Raid on Son Tay Prison Camp.
Sorry folks, this one is a fraud.
ReCon with the White Horse division had visited the site 3 days prior and informed comment that the camp was empty.
They told him to shut up and just get on the chopper when they landed and sent him on R&R to Australia for 30 days.
After that “rescue team” was decorated, the ReCon soldier threw away all his medals, as they became meaningless.
Nothing on this thread about the British? My goodness, did they ever pull some hair-raising commando raids in WW2.
I'd have to include Skorzeny's raid, though. Jethro Tull did a song about Nimrod - "Caught In The Crossfire". Somewhere there are Brownings in a two-hand hold --- cocked and locked, one up the spout. There's nothing for it but to sit and wait for the hard men to get me out.
Good post!
-PJ
George Rogers Clark and his capture of Vincennes.