War is inarguably a horrific thing. Stories about war or fighting remain very popular even today. Many famous movies like Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, and Dunkirk center around war and the brave heroes who serve in them. But there were some very unusual armies which fought silently and used the most bizarre tactics that you might not believe to achieve victory.
Ghost Army
Despite its really cool name, this unit didn’t have anything to do with ghosts but had this name for a reason. The Ghost Army was the nickname for the U.S. Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, an Allied deception unit in World War II made up of just 1,100 men. However, this unit scared their enemies into thinking that they had way more men than they really did.
The Filthy Thirteen
You would think that a group of rowdy soldiers who refused to adhere to the rigid military discipline would never be sent out into battle, much less survive World War II. But the U.S. Army’s 1st Demolition Section of the Regimental Headquarters Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division was no ordinary band of misfits. They were assigned to set up powerful explosives behind enemy lines, making their jobs extremely dangerous.
The British Paradogs of D-Day
A dog parachuting out of a plane may sound like the beginning of an odd joke, but, back in World War II, the British army actually trained dogs to do just that. These days’ militaries all over the world raise and train dogs to help them out on all sorts of missions, but back in the 1940s it was a relatively new concept.
Israel’s Autistic Intelligence Unit
People on the autism spectrum often get a bad rap. They are either treated as if they are perpetual children or shunned simply because the majority of neurotypical people don’t understand why they act the way they do. It can be quite frustrating to deal with, but Israel is offering autistic teens and young adults jobs in an elite intelligence unit known simply as Unit 9900.
Russian Northern Fleet Motorized Rifle Brigade
Take a moment to imagine a man riding on a sleigh covered in jingling bells and pulled by reindeer. It kind of sounds like Santa right? Now just imagine machine guns strapped to the sleigh. Wait a minute… .
Scallywags
It was a frightening time to live in Europe during World War II. Countries were either under Nazi control or under siege by them, and it seemed that the Germans would soon control the whole continent. Enter the United Kingdom’s Auxiliary Units, better known as the Scallywags.
Jessie Scouts
The strange exploits of this American Civil War army have the makings of a great comedy movie under their belt. The Jessie Scouts were a small group of about 60 Union soldiers who went undercover as Confederates to collect valuable information from enemy forces.
The Monuments Men
The Monuments Men were made up of 345 men and women from 14 different countries, all of whom were accomplished museum directors, curators, art historians, archivists, educators, and artists who had a single goal: to save as much art as they could from being destroyed at the hands of the Nazi regime.
61st Cavalry Regiment
It should come as no surprise that horses have largely become outdated in modern warfare. With the development of armored vehicles, drones, and other forms of technological warfare, there really is no need for them to be used in the military anymore. However, the 61st Cavalry Regiment in India seems to think otherwise.
North Korean Women Army
Not much is known about this army other than what the few lucky deserters have had to say about it. This army isn’t so much unusual as it is tragic.
We hope you enjoyed the video, let us know which one of these armies was your favorite!
