97-666: The Regional Force Surveillance Units ( RFSUs ) are specialised infantry units of the Australian Army Reserve responsible for patrolling northern Australia . Collectively, the RFSUs form the Regional Force Surveillance Group commanded by a Colonel based at the 2nd Division Headquarters in Sydney. The RFSUs conduct regular operational patrols during peacetime, and are composed primarily of Reservists who live within
194-744: A sidearm or ancillary weapons . Infantry with ranged or polearms often carried a sword or dagger for possible hand-to-hand combat. The pilum was a javelin the Roman legionaries threw just before drawing their primary weapon, the gladius (short sword), and closing with the enemy line. Modern infantrymen now treat the bayonet as a backup weapon, but may also have handguns as sidearms . They may also deploy anti-personnel mines, booby traps, incendiary, or explosive devices defensively before combat. Infantry have employed many different methods of protection from enemy attacks, including various kinds of armour and other gear, and tactical procedures. The most basic
291-426: A volcano section roughly 6 km (3.7 mi) south of Rabaul, where they would hide out until they could safely rendezvous with the submarine. Blamey was sure that the unit would be captured and shot, but he authorised the operation, and issued Carey carte blanche authority to perform whatever actions he deemed necessary during the planning of the proposed operation, which was codenamed Operation Scorpion . By
388-889: A central part of "The Airmen and the Headhunters," an episode of the PBS television series Secrets of the Dead . Throughout June and July 1945, several operations under the aegis of Operation Platypus were launched in the Balikpapan area of Borneo. During the southern winter of 1944, twenty-two New Zealand soldiers, based at Trentham Military Camp , 30 km (19 mi) north of Wellington , New Zealand, were sent to train with Z Special Unit in Melbourne, Australia. They were then sent to Fraser Commando School , on Fraser Island , Queensland, to be trained in using parachutes, unarmed combat, explosives and
485-610: A few exceptions like the Mongol Empire , infantry has been the largest component of most armies in history. In the Western world , from Classical Antiquity through the Middle Ages ( c. 8th century BC to 15th century AD), infantry are categorised as either heavy infantry or light infantry . Heavy infantry, such as Greek hoplites , Macedonian phalangites , and Roman legionaries , specialised in dense, solid formations driving into
582-512: A full suit of attack-proof armour would be too heavy to wear in combat. As firearms improved, armour for ranged defence had to be made thicker and heavier, which hindered mobility. With the introduction of the heavy arquebus designed to pierce standard steel armour, it was proven easier to make heavier firearms than heavier armour; armour transitioned to be only for close combat purposes. Pikemen armour tended to be just steel helmets and breastplates, and gunners had very little or no armour at all. By
679-501: A further attack on Japanese shipping at Singapore Harbour. Rimau (Malay for "tiger") was again led by Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Lyon , a British officer on secondment from the Gordon Highlanders. Originally named Operation Hornbill , the goal of "Rimau" was to sink Japanese shipping by placing limpet mines on ships. It was intended that motorised semi-submersible canoes, known as Sleeping Beauties , would be used to gain access to
776-417: A hundred meters wide and a dozen rows deep. Maintaining the advantages of heavy infantry meant maintaining formation; this became even more important when two forces with heavy infantry met in battle; the solidity of the formation became the deciding factor. Intense discipline and training became paramount. Empires formed around their military. The organization of military forces into regular military units
873-650: A naval lieutenant in command and an army captain as chief officer. The boats were officially commissioned ships and were outfitted with two 300–320- horsepower diesel engines and armed with one 20mm Oerlikon as well as a number of assorted smaller machine guns. Of the Snake -class boats that saw service, at least three were used to deploy Z operatives with Hoehn military folboats in enemy occupied areas for reconnaissance or small scale raids. HMAS River Snake went to Portuguese Timor , to deploy SUNCHARLIE operatives. HMAS Black Snake deployed GIRAFFE and SWIFT operatives in
970-503: A patrol will infiltrate the area of operations by small boat at night, hide their boats, carry out their tasks and then exfiltrate the same way. At other times they may be airlifted in by chopper or small aircraft or perhaps a patrol will choose to drive in, hide their vehicles or just jump out the back of a moving vehicle and disappear into the bush. To be effective, RFSU patrols must remain completely undetected, so bushcraft skills, particularly camouflage and concealment, are very important to
1067-399: A problem. This can be avoided by having shield-armed soldiers stand close together, side-by-side, each protecting both themselves and their immediate comrades, presenting a solid shield wall to the enemy. The opponents for these first formations, the close-combat infantry of more tribal societies , or any military without regular infantry (so called " barbarians ") used arms that focused on
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#17328548232541164-479: A proposition for a raid on the Japanese-occupied port at Rabaul , New Guinea . One submarine, with a small group of commandos on board, would be involved. The commandos would be dropped 16 km (9.9 mi) off Rabaul. They would then use their Hoehn military folboats ( collapsible kayaks ) to travel into the harbour and attach limpet mines to as many enemy ships as possible. They would then retreat to
1261-522: A proud record in Australia assisting colonial and modern-day law enforcement and military operations. As Army Reserve units, the make-up of the RFSUs' personnel reflects the ethnic make-up of their area of operations. As a result, a high proportion of the RFSUs' personnel are Indigenous Australians , making the Australian Army one of the largest single employers of Indigenous Australians. NORFORCE has
1358-440: A return to body armour for infantry, though the extra weight is a notable burden. In modern times, infantrymen must also often carry protective measures against chemical and biological attack, including military gas masks , counter-agents, and protective suits. All of these protective measures add to the weight an infantryman must carry, and may decrease combat efficiency. Early crew-served weapons were siege weapons , like
1455-578: A trained Z Special Unit operative in Platypus VII, parachuted into enemy-held territory near Semoi on 30 June 1945, but landed with two other operatives inside a Japanese camp area. They resisted strongly, but the Australian in the party was killed and Myers was captured along with the Malay interpreter of the group. Both men were tortured for three days, before being beheaded. Their bodies were recovered soon after
1552-463: Is personal armour . This includes shields , helmets and many types of armour – padded linen , leather, lamellar , mail , plate , and kevlar . Initially, armour was used to defend both from ranged and close combat; even a fairly light shield could help defend against most slings and javelins, though high-strength bows and crossbows might penetrate common armour at very close range. Infantry armour had to compromise between protection and coverage, as
1649-419: Is a specialization of military personnel who engage in warfare combat . Infantry generally consists of light infantry , irregular infantry , heavy infantry , mountain infantry , motorized infantry , mechanized infantry , airborne infantry , air assault infantry , and naval infantry . Other types of infantry, such as line infantry and mounted infantry , were once commonplace but fell out of favor in
1746-735: Is first noted in Egyptian records of the Battle of Kadesh ( c. 1274 BC ). Soldiers were grouped into units of 50, which were in turn grouped into larger units of 250, then 1,000, and finally into units of up to 5,000 – the largest independent command. Several of these Egyptian "divisions" made up an army, but operated independently, both on the march and tactically, demonstrating sufficient military command and control organisation for basic battlefield manoeuvres. Similar hierarchical organizations have been noted in other ancient armies, typically with approximately 10 to 100 to 1,000 ratios (even where base 10
1843-654: The Celebes and HMAS Tiger Snake sailed out of Sarawak to set down operatives of SEMUT IVB. After the war, the Anaconda remained in service until November 1946 when she was sold and converted into a fishing boat. The fate of the Mother Snake is unknown, although it is believed that she remained in Borneo after the war. The six Snake-class boats, however, along with the Krait were sold to
1940-533: The Lae War Cemetery , where the other five men from Operation Copper are buried. During 1943–45, Z Special Unit conducted surveillance , harassing attacks and sabotage behind Japanese lines in Borneo , as well as the training of natives in resistance activities . The first of these operations was Operation Python . Few details of these operations have been officially released, although details have emerged from
2037-745: The Malay language . Four New Zealanders were killed during operations in Borneo . Major Donald Stott and Captain McMillan were both presumed drowned in heavy seas while going ashore in a rubber boat from the submarine USS Perch (SS-313) in Balikpapan Bay on 20 March 1945. Their bodies were never found. Warrant Officer Houghton made it to shore in a second boat but was captured ten days later and languished in Balikpapan Prison where he died of beriberi about 20 April 1945. Signalman Ernie Myers,
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#17328548232542134-621: The Mustika neared its target. On the day of the planned attack, 10 October 1944, disaster struck. A Japanese patrol boat from the Malay Heiho challenged the Mustika and someone on board opened fire, killing three Malays. Their cover blown, Lyon had no option but to abort the mission. After scuttling the junk and the Sleeping Beauties with explosives, he ordered his men back to Merapas. Unbeknownst to Lyon, two Malays had escaped overboard during
2231-887: The New Zealand Special Air Service memorial at Papakura Military Camp in New Zealand. The Z Special Unit Association (NSW Branch) was disbanded in March 2010 due to a decline in members and the Association's last Sydney ANZAC Day march was held in 2010. Commemorative plaques to Z Special Unit have been placed on each lamp post on the new jetty at Rockingham , Western Australia , and the activities of Z Special Unit have been depicted in several Australian films, TV series, and documentaries including Attack Force Z , The Highest Honor , The Heroes , Heroes II: The Return , and Australia's Secret Heroes . As of 2022, there
2328-547: The Porpoise , Lieutenant Walter Carey, remained on Merapas as a guard. The party then commandeered a Malay junk named Mustika , taking the Malay crew aboard the submarine. The SRD men transferred their equipment to the junk and the Porpoise departed. Lyon decided to drop off four more men with Carey: Corporal Colin Craft, Warrant Officer Alf Warren and Sergeant Colin Cameron. Meanwhile,
2425-1133: The Royal Dragoon Guards , Royal Lancers , and King's Royal Hussars . Similarly, motorised infantry have trucks and other unarmed vehicles for non-combat movement, but are still infantry since they leave their vehicles for any combat. Most modern infantry have vehicle transport, to the point where infantry being motorised is generally assumed, and the few exceptions might be identified as modern light infantry . Mechanised infantry go beyond motorised, having transport vehicles with combat abilities, armoured personnel carriers (APCs), providing at least some options for combat without leaving their vehicles. In modern infantry, some APCs have evolved to be infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), which are transport vehicles with more substantial combat abilities, approaching those of light tanks . Some well-equipped mechanised infantry can be designated as armoured infantry . Given that infantry forces typically also have some tanks, and given that most armoured forces have more mechanised infantry units than tank units in their organisation,
2522-442: The ballista , trebuchet , and battering ram . Modern versions include machine guns , anti-tank missiles , and infantry mortars . Beginning with the development the first regular military forces, close-combat regular infantry fought less as unorganised groups of individuals and more in coordinated units, maintaining a defined tactical formation during combat, for increased battlefield effectiveness; such infantry formations and
2619-534: The defence of continental Australia . In line with this shift, the Australian military began to explore new ways of patrolling the Australian coastline. In the late 1970s the Special Air Service Regiment conducted a number of exercises in northern Western Australia which aimed to assess the ability of unconventional units to patrol the long and sparsely populated coastline of northern Australia. These trials indicated that recce patrols, operating in much
2716-469: The 1800s with the invention of more accurate and powerful weapons. In English, use of the term infantry began about the 1570s, describing soldiers who march and fight on foot. The word derives from Middle French infanterie , from older Italian (also Spanish) infanteria (foot soldiers too inexperienced for cavalry), from Latin īnfāns (without speech, newborn, foolish), from which English also gets infant . The individual-soldier term infantryman
2813-536: The 2nd Division. As of December 2014, the RFSUs had 200 Active and 1,350 Reserve personnel. On 4 October 2018, all three RFSUs were grouped together as part of a new formation headquarters, the Regional Force Surveillance Group . The new formation came into being at a parade held at Larrakeyah Barracks in Darwin. Historically, the units draw on a long-time practice in Australia of using Aboriginal trackers . Indigenous skills of patrol, pathfinding and outback survival have
2910-522: The American all-purpose lightweight individual carrying equipment (ALICE). Infantrymen are defined by their primary arms – the personal weapons and body armour for their own individual use. The available technology, resources, history, and society can produce quite different weapons for each military and era, but common infantry weapons can be distinguished in a few basic categories. Infantrymen often carry secondary or back-up weapons, sometimes called
3007-805: The British Civil Administration in Borneo. The MV Krait was originally restored in 1964 and used for training and recreation purposes by the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol. The vessel is part of the Australian War Memorial 's collection, on loan to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. There is now a public memorial to the Z Special Unit on the esplanade in Cairns. It
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3104-601: The Hill" or ZES) near Cairns , Queensland, Fraser Commando School (or FCS) on Fraser Island , Queensland where a commemorative monument stands on the mainland overlooking the island. As a training exercise, one group led by Samuel Warren Carey paddled folboats between Fraser Island and Cairns. Another training school was the Special Boat Section at Careening Bay Camp, on Garden Island , Western Australia. Another, in Darwin on
3201-514: The Japanese in New Guinea in several significant engagements, escaped after fighting his way through Japanese patrols. He swam the channel to Wewak while being pursued by the Japanese and made his way through enemy territory to eventually meet up with an Australian patrol on 20 April. The information he returned with proved vital to keeping the guns out of action and in preventing the Japanese from using
3298-577: The Japanese surrender when Lieutenant Bob Tapper, another New Zealander who was working with the War Graves Commission , discovered their remains. Evidence given to the commission by native witnesses ensured that the Japanese involved paid the penalty for this atrocity. The SRD used a number of vessels for its operations in South East Asia. Over the course of 1944–45 SRD took control of four 20 metres (66 ft) trawlers that were constructed at
3395-504: The RFSU also are commanded and staffed by Royal Australian Regiment personnel. The command concepts, training continuum and even the capacity of the RFSU to focus on the generation of sustained and widespread operations in remote Australia differentiates the RFSU distinctly from the SASR. Each patrolling task is different, and RFSU patrols tailor their plans to the task they have been assigned. Sometimes
3492-565: The RFSU concept lies in the unit which was formed to patrol northern Australia during the Second World War. The 2/1st North Australia Observer Unit conducted horse and vehicle mounted patrols across northern Australia with the goal of observing and reporting on enemy movements on land, sea and in the air. These patrols were conducted in extremely harsh conditions, with little or no support or resupply - so this unit needed men who were very resourceful, independent, motivated and positive. Many of
3589-465: The RFSU patrolman. In the event of a small or large scale insurgency in the north, the RFSUs role would be to detect enemy landings, especially near the important economic and defence infrastructure in their areas of operation. In the extremely unlikely event of an invasion of northern Australia the RFSUs would operate in a ' stay-behind ' capacity. Patrols remaining in the field deep behind enemy lines would inevitably end up supplementing their diets from
3686-572: The RFSUs existence is national defence through remote surveillance, but the nature of their work means patrols can often provide valuable intelligence to civilian agencies such as Australian Customs , State and Federal police forces, and the intelligence community. Prior to the existence of the RFSUs, surveillance in the remote north was carried out by the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). The SASR's primary specialty as reconnaissance and surveillance soldiers made them ideally suited to
3783-499: The RFSUs have proven highly successful and have made a significant contribution to the security of northern Australia. All three RFSUs contribute patrols to Operation Resolute , the Australian Defence Force's contribution to patrolling Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone and coastline. The RFSUs were incorporated into the 6th Brigade on 1 March 2010 as part of its re-raising. On 1 September 2014, they were transferred to
3880-503: The Swiss, English, Aragonese and German, to men-at-arms who went into battle as well-armoured as knights, the latter of which at times also fought on foot. The creation of standing armies —permanently assembled for war or defence—saw increase in training and experience. The increased use of firearms and the need for drill to handle them efficiently. The introduction of national and mass armies saw an establishment of minimum requirements and
3977-444: The area of operations. There are currently three battalion-sized RFSUs: The RFSUs are unique unconventional units whose mission is to conduct long range reconnaissance and surveillance patrols in the sparsely populated and remote regions of northern Australia . Unlike most Australian Army units, the RFSUs are on a permanent operational footing, conducting real patrols with real world objectives during peacetime. The primary reason for
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4074-443: The arms they used developed together, starting with the spear and the shield. A spear has decent attack abilities with the additional advantage keeping opponents at distance; this advantage can be increased by using longer spears, but this could allow the opponent to side-step the point of the spear and close for hand-to-hand combat where the longer spear is near useless. This can be avoided when each spearman stays side by side with
4171-411: The carrying burden is spread across several infantrymen. In all, this can reach 25–45 kg (60–100 lb) for each soldier on the march. Such heavy infantry burdens have changed little over centuries of warfare; in the late Roman Republic, legionaries were nicknamed " Marius' mules " as their main activity seemed to be carrying the weight of their legion around on their backs, a practice that predates
4268-492: The chief of the Services Reconnaissance Department , suggested that they should test the effectiveness of the plan by making a mock raid on a tightly guarded Allied port. Townsville , Queensland was chosen for the location of the attack. In January 1943, Lieutenant Samuel Warren Carey , a Z Special Unit officer based at Z Experimental Station , Cairns , Queensland, approached General Thomas Blamey with
4365-463: The distinction between mechanised infantry and armour forces has blurred. The first military forces in history were infantry. In antiquity , infantry were armed with early melee weapons such as a spear , axe , or sword , or an early ranged weapon like a javelin , sling , or bow , with a few infantrymen being expected to use both a melee and a ranged weapon. With the development of gunpowder , infantry began converting to primarily firearms . By
4462-469: The end of March 1943, Carey had assembled a team of nine men on their base at Magnetic Island . Lyon and Mott arranged to have Carey's unit perform a mock attack on Townsville, although they were careful not to commit anything to paper. Townsville was a busy harbour full of troop transports , merchantmen and naval escort vessels, and tight security was maintained due to the constant threat of Japanese air and submarine attack. At midnight on 22 June 1943,
4559-455: The enemy to prepare for the main forces' battlefield attack, protecting them from flanking manoeuvers , and then afterwards either pursuing the fleeing enemy or covering their army's retreat. After the fall of Rome, the quality of heavy infantry declined, and warfare was dominated by heavy cavalry , such as knights , forming small elite units for decisive shock combat , supported by peasant infantry militias and assorted light infantry from
4656-442: The eponymous Gaius Marius . When combat is expected, infantry typically switch to "packing light", meaning reducing their equipment to weapons, ammunition, and other basic essentials, and leaving other items deemed unnecessary with their transport or baggage train , at camp or rally point, in temporary hidden caches, or even (in emergencies) simply discarding the items. Additional specialised equipment may be required, depending on
4753-400: The existence of any organised military, likely started essentially as loose groups without any organisation or formation. But this changed sometime before recorded history ; the first ancient empires (2500–1500 BC) are shown to have some soldiers with standardised military equipment, and the training and discipline required for battlefield formations and manoeuvres: regular infantry . Though
4850-434: The expected duration of time operating away from their unit's base, plus any special mission-specific equipment. One of the most valuable pieces of gear is the entrenching tool —basically a folding spade —which can be employed not only to dig important defences, but also in a variety of other daily tasks, and even sometimes as a weapon. Infantry typically have shared equipment on top of this, like tents or heavy weapons, where
4947-534: The firing and had made their way ashore to report the incident. The Hoehn Mk III folboats stored in the Mustika were deployed to make the party's way to Merapas. Using these folboats, Lyon led a small force of six other men—Lieutenant Commander Donald Davidson, Lieutenant Bobby Ross, Able Seaman Andrew Huston, Corporal Clair Stewart, Corporal Archie Campbell and Private Douglas Warne—into Singapore Harbour, where they are believed to have sunk three ships. Lyon and twelve others were killed in action soon afterwards, and
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#17328548232545044-495: The forthcoming invasion of Wewak , as they had sufficient range to fire into the proposed landing areas and, while they would not stop the Australian invasion, they could cause significant casualties. Caught by unexpected currents the four folboats were pushed south of their landing area and came ashore amid a surf break . All boats were swamped and some items of equipment lost, but they made it ashore and harboured up until morning. At daybreak they commenced their reconnaissance of
5141-435: The harbour and placed limpet mines on several Japanese ships. The mines sank or seriously damaged four Japanese ships, amounting to over 39,000 tons. The raiders waited until the commotion had died down before returning to the Krait . On 19 October the Krait arrived back at Exmouth Gulf having achieved a great success. Operation Rimau was a follow-up to the successful Operation Jaywick , which had taken place in 1943, being
5238-465: The harbour. Lyon led a Services Reconnaissance Department party of twenty-two men. They left their base in Australia aboard the British submarine HMS Porpoise (N14) on 11 September 1944. When they reached the island of Merapas , which was to be their forward base, it was discovered to be inhabited. To ensure that their stores would remain undiscovered by the natives one of the officers from
5335-488: The highest proportion of Indigenous soldiers, with 60% of the unit's personnel being Indigenous. About 30% of 51 FNQR's personnel are Torres Strait Islanders or other Indigenous Australians. The Pilbara Regiment reportedly has relatively few Indigenous soldiers. The RFSUs are highly regarded by many Indigenous community leaders as the units provide employment and training opportunities to young Indigenous people living in remote communities. Infantry Infantry
5432-889: The individual – weapons using personal strength and force, such as larger swinging swords, axes, and clubs. These take more room and individual freedom to swing and wield, necessitating a more loose organisation. While this may allow for a fierce running attack (an initial shock advantage) the tighter formation of the heavy spear and shield infantry gave them a local manpower advantage where several might be able to fight each opponent. Thus tight formations heightened advantages of heavy arms, and gave greater local numbers in melee. To also increase their staying power, multiple rows of heavy infantrymen were added. This also increased their shock combat effect; individual opponents saw themselves literally lined-up against several heavy infantryman each, with seemingly no chance of defeating all of them. Heavy infantry developed into huge solid block formations, up to
5529-422: The introduction of special troops (first of them the engineers going back to medieval times, but also different kinds of infantry adopted to specific terrain, bicycle, motorcycle, motorised and mechanised troops) culminating with the introduction of highly trained special forces during the first and second World War. Naval infantry, commonly known as marines , are primarily a category of infantry that form part of
5626-683: The island as a launching point for attacks against the Australian forces during the Wewak landings a month later. In 2010 and 2013, expeditions to Muschu Island were conducted by MIA Australia, leading to the discovery of the remains of four of the Z Special Commandos lost on the Muschu raid. In late February 2014 it was announced that the remains of former St George first grade rugby league player, Lance Corporal Spencer Henry Walklate, and Private Ronald Eagleton, would be laid to rest in May 2014 with full military honours at
5723-520: The island, soon encountering Japanese who, unbeknownst to them, had found equipment that was washed ashore further along the island. Thus alerted, the island became a hunting ground, with almost 1,000 Japanese searching for the patrol. Attempts to communicate by radio with the HDML patrol boat failed, as their radios had been swamped and the batteries ruined. Of the eight men, only one survived. Sapper Mick Dennis, an experienced commando who had previously fought
5820-624: The islands of the former Dutch East Indies . The unit carried out a total of 81 covert operations in the South West Pacific theatre , with parties inserted by parachuting or submarine to provide military intelligence and conduct direct action, irregular warfare (e.g. guerrilla warfare), long-range penetration, and special reconnaissance. The best known of these missions were Operation Jaywick and Operation Rimau , both of which involved raids on Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour ;
5917-405: The land in order to survive and complete their mission as the first line of defence for continental Australia. Tasks for such a scenario are reporting on enemy movements, calling in airstrikes, killing and capturing the enemy in close quarter combat or sniping roles, demolition by explosive or sniping to impede enemy advance, and disrupting enemy supply lines for as long as possible. The genesis of
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#17328548232546014-421: The latter of which resulted in the deaths of 23 commandos either in action or by execution after capture. Although the unit was disbanded after the war, many of the training techniques and operational procedures employed were later used during the formation of other Australian Army special forces units and they remain a model for guerrilla operations to this day. The Inter-Allied Services Department (IASD),
6111-707: The lower classes. Towards the end of Middle Ages, this began to change, where more professional and better trained light infantry could be effective against knights, such as the English longbowmen in the Hundred Years' War . By the start of the Renaissance , the infantry began to return to a larger role, with Swiss pikemen and German Landsknechts filling the role of heavy infantry again, using dense formations of pikes to drive off any cavalry. Dense formations are vulnerable to ranged weapons. Technological developments allowed
6208-417: The main enemy lines, using weight of numbers to achieve a decisive victory , and were usually equipped with heavier weapons and armour to fit their role. Light infantry, such as Greek peltasts , Balearic slingers , and Roman velites , using open formations and greater manoeuvrability, took on most other combat roles: scouting , screening the army on the march, skirmishing to delay, disrupt, or weaken
6305-447: The main force of the army, these forces were usually kept small due to their cost of training and upkeep, and might be supplemented by local short-term mass-conscript forces using the older irregular infantry weapons and tactics; this remained a common practice almost up to modern times. Before the adoption of the chariot to create the first mobile fighting forces c. 2000 BC , all armies were pure infantry. Even after, with
6402-487: The mid 17th century began replacement of the pike with the infantry square replacing the pike square. To maximise their firepower, musketeer infantry were trained to fight in wide lines facing the enemy, creating line infantry . These fulfilled the central battlefield role of earlier heavy infantry, using ranged weapons instead of melee weapons. To support these lines, smaller infantry formations using dispersed skirmish lines were created, called light infantry, fulfilling
6499-465: The mines were dummies, they refused to allow him to leave or to allow the removal of the mines, which the RAN feared were real and might accidentally detonate. Mott was able to arrange Carey's release, but only on the condition that he left Z Special Unit. Operation Scorpion was scrapped due to a lack of submarine transport, but Mott and Lyon had learned many valuable lessons from the raid. Operation Jaywick
6596-595: The mission or to the particular terrain or environment, including satchel charges , demolition tools, mines , or barbed wire , carried by the infantry or attached specialists. Historically, infantry have suffered high casualty rates from disease , exposure, exhaustion and privation — often in excess of the casualties suffered from enemy attacks. Better infantry equipment to support their health, energy, and protect from environmental factors greatly reduces these rates of loss, and increase their level of effective action. Health, energy, and morale are greatly influenced by how
6693-470: The naval dockyard in Williamstown , Victoria. These vessels were modified with more powerful engines and alterations were made to their superstructures in order to disguise them and make them look more like the types of vessels that were operating in the waters around South East Asia. They were designated "Snake-class" boats. Later, two more were built but they were not completed in time to see service during
6790-637: The naval forces of states and perform roles on land and at sea, including amphibious operations , as well as other, naval roles. They also perform other tasks, including land warfare, separate from naval operations. Air force infantry and base defense forces are used primarily for ground-based defense of air bases and other air force facilities. They also have a number of other, specialist roles. These include, among others, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defence and training other airmen in basic ground defense tactics. Infentory Z Special Unit Z Special Unit ( / z ɛ d / )
6887-535: The nucleus of the Inter-Allied Services Department (ISD) which was based in Melbourne. In June 1942, an ISD raiding/commando unit was organised—designated Z Special Unit. Several training schools were established in various locations across Australia, the most notable being Camp Z in Refuge Bay , an offshoot of Broken Bay to the north of Sydney, Z Experimental Station (also known as the "House on
6984-400: The others in close formation, each covering the ones next to him, presenting a solid wall of spears to the enemy that they cannot get around. Similarly, a shield has decent defence abilities, but is literally hit-or-miss; an attack from an unexpected angle can bypass it completely. Larger shields can cover more, but are also heavier and less manoeuvrable, making unexpected attacks even more of
7081-611: The personal accounts of some Z Special Unit personnel. On 25 March 1945, Tom Harrisson was parachuted with seven Z Special operatives from a Consolidated Liberator onto a high plateau occupied by the Kelabit . An autobiographical account of this operation (SEMUT I, one of four SEMUT operations in the area) is given in World Within (Cresset Press, 1959); there are also reports—not always flattering—from some of his comrades. His efforts to rescue stranded American airmen shot down over Borneo are
7178-496: The plan, and Lyon was sent to Australia to organise the operation. Bill Reynolds was in possession of a 21.3 m (70 ft) long Japanese coastal fishing boat, the Kofuku Maru , which he had used to evacuate refugees out of Singapore. Lyon ordered that the boat be shipped from India to Australia. Upon its arrival, he renamed the vessel MV Krait , after the small but deadly Asian snake . Lieutenant-Colonel G. Egerton Mott ,
7275-458: The raising of large numbers of light infantry units armed with ranged weapons, without the years of training expected for traditional high-skilled archers and slingers. This started slowly, first with crossbowmen , then hand cannoneers and arquebusiers , each with increasing effectiveness, marking the beginning of early modern warfare , when firearms rendered the use of heavy infantry obsolete. The introduction of musketeers using bayonets in
7372-599: The remaining ten men were captured and later executed by beheading in July 1945. Operation Copper was one of the last Z Special operations in New Guinea. On the night of 11 April 1945, eight operatives were landed near Muschu Island by HDML patrol boat. Their mission was to paddle ashore and reconnoitre the island to determine the status of Japanese defences and validate reports that two 140 mm long-range naval guns were still in position. Intelligence suggested that these weapons were back in service and could prove dangerous during
7469-1041: The same multiple roles as earlier light infantry. Their arms were no lighter than line infantry; they were distinguished by their skirmish formation and flexible tactics. The modern rifleman infantry became the primary force for taking and holding ground on battlefields as an element of combined arms . As firepower continued to increase, use of infantry lines diminished, until all infantry became light infantry in practice. Modern classifications of infantry have since expanded to reflect modern equipment and tactics, such as motorised infantry , mechanised or armoured infantry , mountain infantry , marine infantry , and airborne infantry . Beyond main arms and armour, an infantryman's "military kit" generally includes combat boots , battledress or combat uniform , camping gear , heavy weather gear, survival gear , secondary weapons and ammunition , weapon service and repair kits, health and hygiene items, mess kit , rations , filled water canteen , and all other consumables each infantryman needs for
7566-495: The same way as an SAS patrol could provide a very useful capability. Following this finding, it was decided in the early 1980s to establish three battalion -sized Regional Force Surveillance Units in northern Australia. These units would be manned by Army reservists who, it was hoped, would be able to use their local knowledge to enhance the effectiveness of the units' patrols. Each RFSU was formed by expanding and re-designating an independent rifle company: Since their establishment
7663-788: The site of the Quarantine Station, was named the Lugger Maintenance Section to disguise its true purpose. In 1943, a 28-year-old British officer, Captain Ivan Lyon of the Allied Intelligence Bureau and Gordon Highlanders , and a 61-year-old Australian civilian, Bill Reynolds, devised a plan to attack Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour . Z Special Unit would travel to the harbour in a disguised fishing boat. They would then use folding kayaks to attach limpet mines to Japanese ships. General Archibald Wavell approved
7760-723: The soldier is fed, so militaries issue standardised field rations that provide palatable meals and enough calories to keep a soldier well-fed and combat-ready. Communications gear has become a necessity, as it allows effective command of infantry units over greater distances, and communication with artillery and other support units. Modern infantry can have GPS , encrypted individual communications equipment, surveillance and night vision equipment, advanced intelligence and other high-tech mission-unique aids. Armies have sought to improve and standardise infantry gear to reduce fatigue for extended carrying, increase freedom of movement, accessibility, and compatibility with other carried gear, such as
7857-669: The soldiers from the NAOU later went on to join Z Special Unit and fought (and died) conducting commando operations against the Japanese in South East Asia. While the concept of the North Australia Observer Unit proved very successful, the Army's role in patrolling northern Australia ceased with the disbandment of 2/1 NAOU in 1945. Following the Australian withdrawal from Vietnam the national defence strategy changed from forward defence through stationing military units in South East Asia to
7954-428: The task. However, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the SASR responded to the changing global security environment and identified counter-terrorism as the second area that they needed to specialise in. This, coupled with the possibility of overseas deployments, meant that the SASR would be hard pressed to maintain an effective domestic reconnaissance force whilst also fulfilling their other (new) roles. The basic concept
8051-420: The team, including irritation and reactions in adverse amounts of sunlight). They also wore sarongs , so that they resembled Indonesian fisherman. They arrived off Singapore on 24 September and that night six men left the boat. They paddled 50 km (31 mi) to a small island near the harbour where a forward base was established in a cave. On the night of 26 September, using folboats the party paddled into
8148-464: The time of Napoleonic warfare , infantry, cavalry and artillery formed a basic triad of ground forces, though infantry usually remained the most numerous. With armoured warfare , armoured fighting vehicles have replaced the horses of cavalry, and airpower has added a new dimension to ground combat, but infantry remains pivotal to all modern combined arms operations. The first warriors, adopting hunting weapons or improvised melee weapons, before
8245-445: The time of the musket, the dominance of firepower shifted militaries away from any close combat, and use of armour decreased, until infantry typically went without wearing any armour. Helmets were added back during World War I as artillery began to dominate the battlefield, to protect against their fragmentation and other blast effects beyond a direct hit. Modern developments in bullet-proof composite materials like kevlar have started
8342-526: The tribal host assembled from farmers and hunters with only passing acquaintance with warfare and masses of lightly armed and ill-trained militia put up as a last ditch effort. Kushite king Taharqa enjoyed military success in the Near East as a result of his efforts to strengthen the army through daily training in long-distance running. In medieval times the foot soldiers varied from peasant levies to semi-permanent companies of mercenaries, foremost among them
8439-465: The unit left Magnetic Island and paddled by folboat through the heavily mined mouth of Townsville Harbour. Dummy limpet mines were attached to ten ships, including two destroyers . The men rowed into Ross Creek, dismantled and hid their folboats, then travelled into Townsville to find a place to sleep. Around 10:00 am, the limpets were discovered, and panic ensued. Carey was arrested, and despite producing Blamey's letter and earnest assurances that
8536-522: The war. On operations the Snake-class vessels operated in tandem with a mother-ship. SRD operated two such vessels— HMAS Anaconda and HMAS Mother Snake —both of which were 38 metres (125 ft) long wooden motor vessels. There was a third vessel laid down—AV 1358 (Greenogh)—but it did not see service with SRD during the war. With a crew of 14, these vessels were mainly crewed by a mixture of Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army personnel with
8633-596: The weapon speciality; examples of infantry units that retained such names are the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Grenadier Guards . Dragoons were created as mounted infantry , with horses for travel between battles; they were still considered infantry since they dismounted before combat. However, if light cavalry was lacking in an army, any available dragoons might be assigned their duties; this practice increased over time, and dragoons eventually received all
8730-452: The weapons and training as both infantry and cavalry, and could be classified as both. Conversely, starting about the mid-19th century, regular cavalry have been forced to spend more of their time dismounted in combat due to the ever-increasing effectiveness of enemy infantry firearms. Thus most cavalry transitioned to mounted infantry. As with grenadiers, the dragoon and cavalry designations can be retained long after their horses, such as in
8827-525: Was a joint Allied special forces unit formed during the Second World War to operate behind Japanese lines in South East Asia . Predominantly Australian, Z Special Unit was a specialist clandestine operation, direct action, long-range penetration, sabotage, and special reconnaissance unit that included British, Dutch, New Zealand, Timorese and Indonesian members, predominantly operating on Borneo and
8924-636: Was an Allied military intelligence unit, established in March 1942. The unit was created at the suggestion of the commander of Allied land forces in the South West Pacific area , General Thomas Blamey , and was modelled on the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in London. It was renamed Special Operations Australia (SOA) and in 1943 became known as the Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD). It contained several British SOE officers who had escaped from Singapore, and they formed
9021-523: Was an Inter-Allied Services Department operation to infiltrate the Japanese-occupied Singapore Harbour and destroy shipping. On 2 September 1943, the Krait , with a crew of eleven Australian and four British personnel, left Exmouth Gulf , Western Australia. The group, commanded by Ivan Lyon, dyed their skin brown and hair black (the skin dye later caused many skin problems for the members of
9118-501: Was moved from the naval base HMAS Cairns and rededicated on 26 October 2007. Those present at the ceremony were original unit members George Buckingham, John Mackay and the then commander of Special Operations of the Australian Defence Force , Major General Mike Hindmarsh . The RSL plans to erect a permanent display of military equipments nearby. Z Special Unit is one of the various special forces units commemorated on
9215-564: Was not coined until 1837. In modern usage, foot soldiers of any era are now considered infantry and infantrymen. From the mid-18th century until 1881, the British Army named its infantry as numbered regiments "of Foot" to distinguish them from cavalry and dragoon regiments (see List of Regiments of Foot ). Infantry equipped with special weapons were often named after that weapon, such as grenadiers for their grenades , or fusiliers for their fusils . These names can persist long after
9312-399: Was not common), similar to modern sections (squads) , companies , and regiments . The training of the infantry has differed drastically over time and from place to place. The cost of maintaining an army in fighting order and the seasonal nature of warfare precluded large permanent armies. The antiquity saw everything from the well-trained and motivated citizen armies of Greece and Rome,
9409-443: Was to raise and train a reconnaissance and surveillance unit that would take over the SASR's tasks in northern Australia. Because the RFSUs receive SASR training support, the small unit tactics of the two units are similar and there are regular personnel exchanges - especially with regard to SASR personnel being posted to RFSU to keep the SASR 'up to speed' with the skills required to train indigenous peoples in guerilla warfare. However,
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