Hitler's Elite Special Forces: The Brandenburgers of Nazi Germany (WW2)

Hippel figured a special unit ought to be created that pushed far into enemy’s territory, ahead of the German troops and used methods that were, in Hippel’s words “not those of a Prussian gentleman”. These shock troops would stir chaos and divert attention from the frontlines. Canaris agreed to Hippels proposal, and the unit was created with its members consisting of volunteers. The majority were Germans from overseas territories that spoke foreign languages, the members ranged from Latin America to Sudeten, Volksdeutsche, Baltic and Volga Germans. In the summer of 1939, Hippel’s ‘number one construction training company’, a so-called “company of saboteurs in the West” was set up under Canaris’ supervision, with Lieutenant Siegfried Grabert as the commander.
A second company was formed in October nineteen-thirty-nine, consisting of mainly Romanian Germans from the Banat and Transylvania, Baltic Germans, and Germans that had settled in Palestine. This battalion was named “Bau Lehr Battalion eight-hundred”, Their permanent headquarters was based at an estate at Brandenburg-Havel, outside of Berlin, and because of their location, they were known as the “Brandenburgers”. Eventually, four companies were created, divided between the Baltic and Russia, Latin America and Africa, Poland and Sudeten Germans. SPC Margaret Higgins COL Mikel J. Burroughs CW5 Jack Cardwell Lt Col Charlie Brown SGT (Join to see) CPL Dave Hoover SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SSG Michael Noll SGT Steve McFarland 1SG Steven Imerman CPL Douglas Chrysler SPC Douglas Bolton PO1 H Gene Lawrence Sgt (Join to see) LTC Stephen F. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel