Operaciones especiales del US Army en la Segunda Guerra Mundial

The special operations (in this context, commando or guerrilla activities) carried out by the US Army in World War II have been the subject of many exciting adventure stories, but few sober historical analyses. Only a handful of works have examined the critical issues underlying special operations, and the Army's historical series on World War II deals with the subject only in passing. However, special operations played an important role that should not be ignored. Rangers units captured critical positions for successful amphibious landings in the Mediterranean, France, and the Philippines. Partisans advised by US military personnel provided critical intelligence to US forces and harassed enemy troops in support of their operations in Italy, France, the Philippines, and Burma. As special operations forces grow in importance within the US Army, we must review our experience with such activities in World War II. This study fills a gap in the history of the World War II Army and honors individuals whose often unrecognized efforts nevertheless made a significant contribution to American and Allied victory in this conflict.