Blenheim Posted April 10, 2001 Share Posted April 10, 2001 OK, grognards ready.... shoot !!! Any Swiss regiments in WW II fighting along the germans? Volunteers, I mean. Swiss were "neutral" (read it as "bankers") during the war. Just curious if any of them joined any cause. :confused: BTW... (stupid questions ahead) were they dressed and armed as those funny vatican Swiss guards ? (long history, not really "army-like" dress) Did the carry their famous Swiss army knives? How could be the knife represented in a CMBO enviroment? Does the cockscrew makes any difference in combat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASL Veteran Posted April 10, 2001 Share Posted April 10, 2001 I think a few Swiss regiments made it to the Eastern Front, but the Soviets turned them into Swiss Cheese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sig Posted April 10, 2001 Share Posted April 10, 2001 Well, I know that quite a few (don't have the number, sorry) joined the Republicans during the spanish civil war. They were all sentenced to jail when they returned home since swiss law forbids foreign military service for citizens. However, the sentences were not very severe, if I recall correctly. More symbolic than else. If you ask if many Swiss joined nazi Germany in a structured unit (like the Wiking division for "Nordics" or the Azul division for Spanish), the answer is no. However, at that time, in the country some people were quite enthousiastic about nazi ideology (a small minority, but very vocal and very anti-bolchevik), so I guess some of them joined the German army in the fight against USSR. OTOH I remember that others joined the Allies in the fight against nazisme, so... Sorry for the lack of precise numbers but I'm not an historian and I don't know very well this particular part of Swiss history. I will try to ask for more precise information. BTW, concerning the legendary corkscrew, take a look at the topic "A sad day in history..." in the General Discussion forum, and you will see the Light! :cool: Sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blenheim Posted April 11, 2001 Author Share Posted April 11, 2001 Oh my god !!! A myth has been shattered to pieces. No ****ing corkscrew. Damm. Man, It is a really sad day. Now you'll tell me that Santa Claus does not exist... Man, I can believe it. [edit: spelling of corkscrew. I wrote cockscrew, whatever this means...] [ 04-10-2001: Message edited by: Blenheim ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted April 11, 2001 Share Posted April 11, 2001 By a curious coincidence, just this afternoon I heard on the news that Switzerland has disbanded its last three bicycle regiments. It's truly the end of an era. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragoon2/1 Posted April 11, 2001 Share Posted April 11, 2001 WHAT NO MORE BICYCLE BRIGADE!!!! This is indeed a sad day,,,as the Swiss have put paid to their cavalry!!! Imagine using that Halberd as a tank-opener! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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