Horn - Shadow Warriors / Les Guerriers de lOmbre

Copyright Bernd Horn, 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.

Editor: Cy Strom

Interior design: Laura Boyle

Cover design: Laura Boyle

Cover image: courtesy of CANSOFCOM / DND

Epub Design: Carmen Giraudy

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Horn, Bernd, 1959-, author

Shadow warriors : the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command / Bernd Horn = Les guerriers de lombre : le Commandement des Forces doprations spciales du Canada / Bernd Horn.

Issued in print and electronic formats. Text in English and French.

ISBN 978-1-4597-3640-5 (paperback).--ISBN 978-1-4597-3641-2 (pdf).--ISBN 978-1-4597-3642-9 (epub)

1.Canada. Canadian Special Operations Forces Command--History. 2.Special forces (Military science)--Canada--History. I. Horn, Bernd, 1959- . Shadow warriors. II. Horn, Bernd, 1959- . Shadow warriors. French. III.Title. IV.Title:Guerriers de lombre.

UA602.C36H67 2016 355.460971 C2016-900868-1E C2016-900869-XE

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and Livres Canada Books, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.

J. Kirk Howard, President

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Copyright Bernd Horn, 2016

Tous droits rservs. Aucun extrait de cette publication ne peut tre reproduit, stock dans un systme lectronique dextraction ni transmis sous quelque forme que ce soit (lectronique, mcanique, photocopie, enregistrement), sauf pour de brefs passages des fins de compte-rendu, sans lautorisation pralable de Dundurn Press. Toute demande de photocopie doit tre adresse Access Copyright.

diteur : Cy Strom

Conception graphique de lintrieur : Laura Boyle

Conception de la couverture : Laura Boyle

Photographie sur la couverture : provien du COMFOSCAN /de la MDN

Catalogage avant publication de Bibliothque et Archives Canada

Horn, Bernd, 1959-, auteur

Shadow warriors : the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command / Bernd Horn = Les guerriers de lombre : le Commandement des Forces doprations spciales du Canada / Bernd Horn.

Publi en formats imprim(s) et lectronique(s). Texte en anglais et en franais.

ISBN 978-1-4597-3640-5 (couverture souple).--ISBN 978-1-4597-3641-2 (pdf).--ISBN 978-1-4597-3642-9 (epub)

1.Canada. Commandement des Forces doprations spciales du Canada--Histoire. 2.Forces spciales (Science militaire)--Canada--Histoire. I. Horn, Bernd, 1959- . Shadow warriors. II. Horn, Bernd, 1959- . Shadow warriors. Franais. III.Titre. IV.Titre:Guerriers de lombre.

UA602.C36H67 2016 355.460971 C2016-900868-1F C2016-900869-XF

Nous remercions le Conseil des Arts du Canada et le Conseil des Arts delOntario de laide accorde notre programme de publication. Nous reconnaissons aussi laide financire du gouvernement du Canada par lentremise du Fonds du livre du Canada et Livres Canada Books, ainsi que laide financire du gouvernement de lOntario par lentremise du crdit dimpt pour ldition de livres et de la Socit de dveloppement de lindustriedes mdias de lOntario pour nos activits ddition.

Des mesures ont t prises afin didentifier les propritaires du matriel protg par copyright qui figure dans cet ouvrage. Le cas chant, lauteur et les diteurs accueilleront toute information leur permettant de rectifier les rfrences ou les mentions de provenance dans des ditions subsquentes.

J. Kirk Howard, prsident, Dundurn Press

Lditeur nest pas responsable des sites Internet ou de leur contenu moins quils ne soient la proprit de lditeur.

Imprim et reli au Canada.

INTRODUCTION: THE CANADIAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS LEGACY

On February 1, 2016, the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) celebrated its tenth anniversary. This anniversary passed largely unheralded. After all, few Canadians even realize their nation possesses special operations forces. Even fewer yet understand that Canada has a long and distinguished history with forces capable of conducting special operations.

Indeed, Canadas history with special operations goes back to its beginnings as a French colony. Specifically, Canadas SOF traditions can be traced back to la petite guerre conducted by the French-Canadian raiders during the struggle for colonial North America. Their daring and aggressive raids allowed the embryonic nation to punch above its weight in the battle for North America. During these conflicts, small teams of French-Canadian raiders and Natives struck deep into the Anglo-American colonies, creating terror and often paralyzing their opponents and preventing any retaliatory response. In due course, in response to the threat Britain created Gorehams Rangers and Rogers Rangers. They, together with the French-Canadian warriors, carved out the Ranger tradition, which embodied the concept of individuals who were seen as mavericks when set against the conventional military institution and its mentality men who were adaptable, robust, and unconventional in their thinking and war fighting; men who could persevere against the greatest hardships and, despite an inhospitable environment and a merciless enemy, achieve mission success.

This tradition created a legacy that lives on to this day in the nations SOF forces. It was next resurrected in the Second World War as Canadians wrote a new chapter of national SOF history. Canadian participation in the British Special Operations Executive, responsible for sabotage and subversion in Occupied Europe, was the earliest example. Canada also created the Viking Force, its own version of the famous British Commandos, as well as the Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando W. Also sent into action were the 1 st Canadian Parachute Battalion, which boasted a 30 percent selection rate, as well as the Canadian component of the First Special Service Force, known as the Black Devils. All contributed to a proud national record in the conduct of special operations.