Special Forces in the Second World War
The Second World War forced Allied militaries to confront operational problems that conventional forces were ill-suited to solve. Amphibious assaults, deep reconnaissance, sabotage, and irregular warfare required small, highly trained formations operating with speed, secrecy, and initiative. From this necessity emerged a range of special forces and elite units whose influence extended well beyond their relatively small numbers.
Defining “special forces” and elite units in the Second World War
The term special forces was not used consistently during the war, and many units now retrospectively grouped under that label were described at the time as commandos, raiders, or special service troops. For inclusion in this category, several criteria are generally applied:
- Selective recruitment. Personnel were volunteers subjected to rigorous screening, often favoring physical endurance, initiative, and psychological resilience.
- Specialized training. Units underwent training beyond that of conventional infantry, including amphibious operations, parachuting, demolition, reconnaissance, and survival behind enemy lines.
- Unconventional missions. Their tasks included raids, sabotage, intelligence gathering, guerrilla warfare, and direct action in support of larger campaigns.
- Small-unit autonomy. These formations operated in platoon- or company-sized elements, frequently detached from normal chains of command.
- Strategic or operational impact disproportionate to size. Their missions aimed at disrupting enemy logistics, morale, or command rather than holding territory.
Using these criteria, several Allied units clearly qualify as special forces or elite formations.
British and Commonwealth units
British Commandos
The British Commandos were among the first purpose-built Allied special forces. Formed in 1940 at the direction of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, they were intended to carry out raids along the Axis-occupied coast of Europe. Recruited from across the British Army and Commonwealth, commandos trained in amphibious assault, close-quarters combat, and demolition.
They conducted raids in Norway, France, and the Mediterranean, and later played major roles in large-scale operations such as the Normandy landings. After the war, the commando tradition was preserved primarily within the Royal Marines Commandos, which continue to exist today.
Special Air Service (SAS)
Founded in 1941 by David Stirling in North Africa, the SAS was created to disrupt Axis air operations behind the front lines. Operating in small teams, often inserted by parachute or long-range desert vehicles, they specialized in sabotage, reconnaissance, and deep penetration raids.
The SAS proved remarkably effective in the Western Desert and later in Europe. Disbanded briefly after the war, it was reconstituted in the late 1940s and remains one of the world’s premier special forces units.
Special Boat Service (SBS)
The SBS evolved from early wartime experiments in maritime raiding, including the Special Boat Section and Combined Operations Pilotage Parties. Its operators conducted covert amphibious reconnaissance, beach surveys, and raids, particularly in the Mediterranean and Aegean.
The SBS survived postwar restructuring and continues today as a maritime-focused special forces unit within the United Kingdom.
American special operations forces
U.S. Army Rangers
The Rangers drew inspiration from British Commandos, with whom American volunteers trained in 1942. Ranger battalions conducted amphibious assaults and raids in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Normandy. Their most famous action was the assault at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day.
Although most Ranger units were disbanded after the war, the Ranger lineage was preserved. The modern 75th Ranger Regiment traces its heritage directly to these WWII formations.
Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
The OSS, established in 1942 under William J. Donovan, served as America’s wartime intelligence and special operations agency. It organized and supported resistance movements, conducted espionage, and trained paramilitary units for sabotage and guerrilla warfare in Europe and Asia.
The OSS was dissolved in 1945, but its functions were divided among successor organizations. Its intelligence role laid the groundwork for the Central Intelligence Agency, while its paramilitary traditions influenced later U.S. special operations forces.
Marine Raiders
Formed in 1942, the Marine Raiders were intended as light infantry for amphibious raids in the Pacific. They conducted operations in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, emphasizing speed, initiative, and jungle warfare.
Despite their effectiveness, the Raiders were disbanded in 1944 as the Marine Corps standardized its force structure. Their legacy has been formally revived in the modern Marine Raiders of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.
Other Allied special and elite units
First Special Service Force
This joint U.S.–Canadian unit, sometimes called the “Devil’s Brigade,” was trained for extreme environments and specialized missions, including mountain and winter warfare. It distinguished itself in Italy and southern France through aggressive night assaults and infiltration tactics.
The unit was disbanded in 1944, but it left a lasting imprint on North American special operations doctrine.
Resistance and special operations support units
Although not uniformed special forces in the traditional sense, Allied-supported resistance organizations—such as the French Resistance and Polish Home Army—worked closely with special operations units. Allied operatives trained, armed, and coordinated these movements, making irregular warfare a central component of the Allied strategy.
Impact during the war
Special forces and elite units played a critical enabling role. They gathered intelligence ahead of major invasions, disrupted enemy supply lines, destroyed key infrastructure, and forced Axis powers to divert troops to rear-area security. While they did not win the war independently, their actions multiplied the effectiveness of conventional forces and shaped the modern understanding of joint and irregular warfare.
Postwar legacy and continued existence
Many wartime units were disbanded as militaries demobilized, but the lessons they provided endured. The Cold War revived interest in unconventional warfare, leading to the reestablishment or institutionalization of special forces across Allied nations.
Today, units such as the SAS, SBS, Royal Marines Commandos, U.S. Army Rangers, and modern Marine Raiders explicitly trace their lineage to World War II formations. Even where organizational continuity was broken, doctrinal inheritance remained strong.
Conclusion
Allied special forces and elite units of the Second World War emerged from necessity, innovation, and experimentation. Defined by selective recruitment, specialized training, and unconventional missions, they delivered strategic effects disproportionate to their size. Their success reshaped military thinking and ensured that special operations would become a permanent and essential component of modern armed forces.
