This is coolbert: Hunter/Killer III.

This book Devil's Guard, written by George Robert Elford, as told to him by Hans Wagemueller, is a very self-serving description of the German French Foreign Legion battalion in Indo-China.

It seems that Hans [Hans describes himself as a Waffen SS officer with extensive anti-partisan experience in the Soviet Union], as you might expect, has a very high opinion of himself and his German compatriots. Was this deserved or not? I just cannot say. But what you read in this book just has to have you sit up and take notice. Especially when you keep in mind all the failures of the French and subsequently the American militaries in Vietnam.

According to Hans:

His battalion [900 men, all German nationals], were always victorious.

Never caught off guard, never surprised, never ambushed.

Did missions the French [or anyone else for that matter] would not or could not do. And were always successful too.

Killed just extraordinary numbers of the enemy for miniscule losses on their own side [10,000 Viet Minh killed by this battalion alone compared to losses of 500 Germans].

Set an example for the French to emulate. Alas, the French were too proud and never did follow the lead of the German battalion.


Hans is also not hesitant about describing some of the less savory aspects of the way the German battalion waged war in Indo-China. Hans describes how the German battalion made use of:

Torture.

Mass executions of captured "terrorists". [Viet-Minh].

Human shields.

Poison.

Of course, Hans is careful to clarify that his battalion only used these "methods" in retaliation for the Viet Minh using such methods first. To teach the Viet Minh a "lesson".


Some methods/techniques/procedures/organization, etc., mentioned in the book, however, would lead you to believe that the actions of the German battalion provided inspiration for the concept of the hunter/killer battalion as a means of combating and defeating guerilla forces all over the world.

Among these methods/techniques/procedures/organization were:

Use of only troops that were experienced. No man could be a member of the battalion unless he had already spent one year as a combat soldier in Vietnam. According to Hans, it was only after one year that a soldier was experienced and proven enough to engage in counter-guerilla warfare of the nature engaged in by the German battalion.

A reconnaissance platoon specially trained in the detection of ambushes, booby traps, land mines, man-tracking. This platoon used the services of defecting Viet Minh, who proved to be of inestimable value. [this sort of service was rendered to U.S. forces in Vietnam by Kit Carson Scouts, VC defectors willing to fight for the U.S.].

A unit of snipers.

A pathfinder unit. Troops skilled at cartography, and blazing a trail through the jungle.

Use of cross-country movement, facilitated by the pathfinder unit. The German battalion was also able to sustain themselves in the field for long period of time without external support.

Extraordinarily armed for a battalion of it's size. Possessed an inordinate amount of firepower. Hans says that in one battle with the Viet Minh, a hilltop was defended by a platoon of twenty men using twelve machineguns??!!

Given great flexibility and authority in performing a mission. Was just told to do the mission and the rest was left to the battalion commander [Hans], and his staff.


With regard to all the above, you can very well see the genesis of the hunter/killer battalion as being the means for fighting guerilla adversaries. How much did this German battalion influence development of the concept? I just cannot say! It might be, quite a bit!

[There is a sequel to the original book, this sequel titled "Recall to Inferno, Devil's Guard TWO". But I have not seen a copy. Should make for good reading.]

[Again, according to Hans, this battalion was only disbanded when communists in France found out such a battalion of Germans had been formed, and were having great success against the Viet Minh].

End of Hunter/Killer series.

coolbert.