British Commandos and Special Forces Order of Battle

APR I 40
Britain:
2x 0-6 Cmdo 11 IC-A, IC-B

Abbreviations: IC: Independent Companies.

Note: The British formed ten "Independent Companies," each with 290 men, for guerrilla operations. Four companies went to Norway in May 1940 and were used to hinder the German advance up central Norway. For Europa, the Independent Companies are amalgamated into two composite battalions, "A" and "B."

JUN I 40
Britain:
Convert. 2x 0-6 Cmdo II ICA IC-B to:
1x 1-8 Cmdo X Fo rf
Abbreviation: Fort Forfarforce.

Forming:
2x 1-8 Cmdo X Layf, Norf
Abbreviations: Layf: Layforce; Norf: Northforce.

Note: The British reorganized the Independent Companies and Army volunteers into the Commandos. The "Special Service Brigade" was the headquarters for the initial ten commandos (numbered 1-9 and 11) raised 1940. The brigade was an administrative unit, not a field formation. Operationally, commandos operated alone or grouped into temporary "forces."

For Europa, it seems best to organize the commandos in composite brigades, based on the longerlasting "forces." (Layforce operated in the Mediterranean and Middle East in 1941, Northforce raided Norway in 1942, and Forfarforce raided across the English Channel in 1943.) The individual commandos themselves are too weak to show as separate units.

SEP I 40
Britain:
Full:
2x 1-8 Cmdo X Layf, Norf

MAR I 41
Britain:
Transfer to Med/Middle East.
1x 1-8 Cmdo X Layf

Note: Layforce (7, 8, 11 Commandos) went to the Mediterranean and was joined there by the weak 50 and 52 Commandos (later merged as Middle East Commando), which had been forming in the British Middle East. Layforce was effectively destroyed on Crete and in Syria during May and June 1941. 7, 8, and 11 Commandos all were disbanded, and Middle East Commando went over to desert raiding.

Forming.
1x 1-8 Cmdo X Timf
Abbreviation: Timf: Timberforce.

Note: Timberforce was used to raid Norway in 1943. For Europa, it tagged with the raising of 12 Commando. With Middle East Commando represented in the desert raiding rule, there are now eight commandos (1-6, 9, 12) to allocate to brigades, which justifies three brigades.

JUN I 41
Britain:
Full.
1x 1-8 Cmdo X Ti mf

JUL I 41
Med/Middle East:

Note: British raiding forces are available per the War in the Desert rule. Due to the nature of operations in the desert, it works best to handle these forces as a raiding capability, rather than as a counter or counters. The rule represents the efforts of the Long Range Desert Group, the 62 Commando, L Detachment, and the Middle East Commando.

MAR I 42
Britain:
Forming:
1x 2-8 Cmdo X Layf
1x 1-8 Cmdo II 10 (IA)
Abbreviation: IA: Inter-Allied.

Note: Layforce 11 (formed 1943) is backdated and used to account for the increasing capabilities of the commandos. Around this time, the British raise the first Royal Marine Commando (RIVI Commando A, later 40 (RM) Commando). The 1-8 brigades now represent two (instead of three) commandos, and the 2-8 represents three commandos, with 10 Commando as a separate unit.

10 (Inter-Allied) Commando was organized into national troops, each containing volunteers from countries overrun by Germany. Over time, the 10th grew to have Belgian (4, 9, 10 Troops), Dutch (2 Troop), French (1, 8 Troops), Norwegian (5 Troop), Polish (6 Troop), and Yugolsav (7 Troop, small and later disbanded) contingents. It also had X Troop, composed of German-speaking foreign nationals from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. (An Italian-speaking troop, to be raised from Italian citizens in Britain, was planned but did not occur.) 10 Commando, at its largest, was about double the size of a regular commando, but it did not operate as a single unit. Instead, its troops were scattered across the British theaters. Some operated in conjunction with their national armies in exile, some operated with the British commandos, and some were seconded to the Special Operations Executive (used to support national guerrilla movements throughout occupied Europe). For Europa, the SOE contingents are pulled out of the 10th, as are contingents best represented as separate commando units in their various exile armies. The 10th holds the remaining troops, and the fact that some were used in France and others in Italy is conveniently ignored.

Med/Middle East:
Replacement Pool.
Remove: 1x 1-8 Cmdo X Layf

JUL I 42
Britain:
Full.
1x 2-8 Cmdo X Layf
1x 1-8 Cmdo II 10 (IA)

NOV I 42 (OPERATION TORCH)
Med/Middle East:

Note: 1 and 6 Commandos land in North Africa from Britain and then fight in Tunisia. For Europa, treat 1-8 Cmdo X Forf as participating in Torch/Tunisia, withdrawing Apr II 43 to Britain for reorganization.

MAY I 43
Britain:
Convert: 1x 2-8 Cmdo X Layf and 2x 1-8 Cmdo X Fort Norf to:
2x 3-8 Cmdo X 1,3
Convert: 1x 3-6 Marine X any (RM) to:
1x 3-8 Cmdo X 2 (RM)
Abbreviation: RM: Royal Marine.

Note: The original Special Service Brigade is reorganized, starting the process that will create four field commando brigades, each containing four commandos. In late 1942 and early 1943, the British formed six new commandos, 14 Commando from the Army and 41-45 (RM) Commandos from Royal Marine battalions. The commando force eventually comes to be roughly half Royal Marine and half British Army in origin.

Accordingly, two of the four brigades are shown as Royal Marine brigades. (The actual compositions of the brigades were: 1st: 3, 4, 6, 45 (RM) Commandos; 2nd: 2, 9, 40 (RM), 43 (RM) Commandos; 3rd: 1, 5, 42 (RM), 44 (RM) Commandos; 4th: 41 (RM), 46 (RM), 47 (RM), 48 (RM) Commandos.)

In addition to the individual commandos in the brigades, several small special operations and amphibious units are factored into the commando brigades. These units, much too small to show by themselves, include the Royal Marine Engineer Commando (141 men), LCOCUs (Landing Craft Obstruction Clearance Units), COPPs (Combined Operations Assault Pilotage Parties), Royal Navy Beach Commandos (or RN Beach Parties).

The 2nd (Royal Marine) Commando Brigade was actually formed in July. It is backdated for Europa to May, to absorb the first batch of Royal Marine commandos and to provide a HQ to contain the commandos used in the Sicily landings.

Note that Timberforce does not reorganize. This now represents 12 and 14 Commandos, both of which continued to raid Norway and did not enter the newly formed brigades.

Transfer to Med.
1x 3-8 Cmdo X 2 (RM)
Med/Middle East:
Reorganize: British raiding forces per WitD rules are no longer available. Receive:
2x 1-5 Para Cmdo II 1 SAS, 2 SAS
1x 1-5* Marine Cmdo II RFME
Abbreviations: SAS: Special Air Service; RFME: Raiding Forces Middle East.

Note: 1 SAS formed in October 1942 from the former L Detachment (390 men), plus 110 men from Middle East Commando, which was disbanded in November 1942. Attached to 1 SAS were the French SAS Squadron (94 men) and the Greek Sacred Company (or Squadron, 114 men). 1 SAS operated as Ost) Special Raiding Squadron in Sicily and Italy.

62 Commando became 2nd SAS. 2 SAS raided Sardinia, Sicily, and Italy.

RFME represents the Raiding Support Regiment (600 men with mountain, antitank, and AA guns, 75mm mortars, medium MGs; the Raiding Support Regiment was used to support commando operations in the Aegean and Adriatic) plus miscellaneous small units, such as COPPs, 30 Commando (a special engineering unit) while it was in the Med, some Combined Operations Scout Units (aka "Camouflage B"), and the SBS (Special Boat Service). RFME was officially formed in November 1943 and is backdated for Europa to account for these units.

JUL I 43
Britain:
Convert. 2x 3-6 Marine X any (RM) to:
1x 3-8 Cmdo X 4 (RM)

Note: 46 (RM) and 47 (RM) Commandos were formed around this time, justifying the appearance of the 4th Brigade. (its last unit, 48 (RM) Commando formed in early 1944.)

Transfer to Med.
1x 1-8 Cmdo II 10 (IA)

SEP I 43
Britain:
Presumed Eliminated or Disbanded.
1x 1-8 Cmdo X Ti mf

Note: The last recorded actions of 12 and 14 Commandos occur in September. I presume both these commandos are then disbanded, perhaps due to cumulative losses or to provide replacements for other Commandos.

OCT I 43
Britain:
Withdraw to Far East.
1x 3-8 Cmdo X 3

MAR I 44
Med:
Transfer to Britain:
2x 1-5 Para Cmdo II 1 SAS, 2 SAS

APR I 44
Med:
Transfer to Britain:
1x 1-8 Cmdo II 10 (IA)

SEP I 44
Med:
Transfer to Balkans:
1x 3-8 Cmdo X 2 (RM)
Note: Returns to the Med Feb I 45

OCT I 44
Northwest Europe:
Transfer to Italy.
1x 1-5 Para Cmdo II 2 SAS

Summary List of Units
2x 3-8 Cmdo X 1,3
2x 3-8 Cmdo X 2, 4 (RM)
1x 2-8 Cmdo X Layf
4x 1-8 Cmdo X Forf, Layf, Norf, Timf
1x 1-8 Cmdo II 10 (IA)
2x 0-6 Cmdo II IC-A, IC-B
2x 1-5 Para Cmdo II 1 SAS, 2 SAS
1x 1-5* Marine Cmdo II RFME

Abbreviations:
Forf Forfarforce
IA Inter-Allied
IC Independent Companies
Layf Layforce
Norf Northforce
RFME Raiding Forces Middle East
RM Royal Marine
SAS Special Air Service
Timf Timberforce

Historical Background