Most challenging armed rescue operation in Modern history (successes only)?

[No Bias FTW]

What would your nominations and votes be? For me, I would have to say OPERATION THUNDERBOLT 'without a doubt' but I could be wrong.

If you have time, please enjoy the movie below. The relatable drama was so well balanced that the accuracy of the factoids presented in the film was not compromised. The film has made an everlasting impact on my perception of the most liberating nation in the Middle East today. Seriously, skip to the part where Yonatan 'Yoni' Netanyahu died.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM54svwzY-c

The force of Israel had to fly all the way to Uganda while avoiding detection in order to rescue a sizeable group of individuals that weren't completely Jewish. Meanwhile, the great USA - with a policeman's control of international waters- failed in the Iran Hostage Crisis. True, America killed Osama bin-Laden much later, but killing someone is not as difficult and epic for the public as is rescuing a sizeable group of Internationals under armed terrorists' control.

Have other countries been inspired by and truly learned from the awesomely correct methodologies of the Israelites after the (very brilliant) success of Operation Thunderbolt?

[Dick Cheney.]

Thunderbolt would have been one of my picks too. Definitively one of the most daring rescues in history.

Here are a few others:

Gran Sasso Raid -1943
Rescue of Mussolini led by legendary SS commander, Otto Skorzeny. Raid consisted of German Paratroopers and Waffen-SS commandos. Most impressive was the risky glider insertion and small plane extraction from the Italian ski resort where Mussolini was being held captive.

Battle for Castle Itter -1945
Fought near the end of the war, an American infantry regiment, along with Wehrmacht soldiers, defended French VIPs and a famous French tennis star from Waffen SS soldiers until reinforcements arrived. Popular accounts have called this the strangest battle of WWII, the only one where Americans fought alongside Germans.

Battle of Mogadishu - 1993
Also known as Black Hawk Down - US Delta Force operators and Rangers are extracted by a two mile long armored convoy made up APCs, mountain infantry, and main battle tanks. The armored response prevented a botched special operations mission from turning into an even greater catastrophe.

Operation Nimrod - London 1980
Elite SAS soldiers free 24 hostages from the Iranian Embassy after a 6 day standoff with the DRFLA. Not really a text-box operation though in my view. The raid itself took 17 minutes -which was far too long- and two hostages were killed.

Jessica Lynch - Iraq War 2003
Army Prvt Jessica Lynch became the first successful rescue of an American POW since WWII. Credit goes to JSOC and the US Marines who led a successful nightime raid on an Iraqi hospital. Also noteworthy are the Iraqi doctors who helped protect Prvt Lynch from Iraqi henchmen and the media sensation that followed.

Captain Philips - Somali Pirates 2009
DEVGRU operators from SEAL Team 6 end a three day standoff at sea by sniping all three pirate captors – freeing Captain Philips.

Operation Redwings – 2005
Famous rescue of US Navy Seal and lone survivor, Marcus Lutrell. Extracted by US Army Rangers with the aid of an Afghan villager who protected Lutrell from the Taliban.

Moscow Theater Crisis - 2002
Russian special forces (including Spetsnaz) rescue over 700 people after Chechen separatists took over control of a theater in Moscow. Interesting part of the operation was an undisclosed chemical agent that Spetsnaz used to help subdue the separatists prior to infiltrating the theater. Of course, an intense firefight still followed, and Russian operators left no terrorist alive.

Battle of Ia Drang – 1965
If this counts as a rescue (and it should be because Broken Arrow was a distress call), then this is my number one pick. While not exactly a raid, an Army air cavalry brigade in Vietnam was prevented from being overrun by the awesome and overwhelming display of American air power. This was absolutely incredible, army field artillery combined with B-52s, F-4s, and F-100s in close air support, doesn’t get any more ridiculous or destructive than this.

[Diocle]

In my opinion Dunkirk, June 1940, is absolutely the most astonishing rescue operation of mankind history! 300,000 men were extracted and saved at the cost of 61,774 killed and wounded. No words, just .. incredible! It's incredible for it was not just a military operation, it was the showdown of the will of a whole nation.

[No Bias FTW]

Thunderbolt would have been one of my picks too. Definitively one of the most daring rescues in history.

Here are a few others:







Moscow Theater Crisis - 2002
Russian special forces (including Spetsnaz) rescue over 700 people after 40-50 Chechen separatists took control of a theater in Moscow. Interesting part of the operation was an undisclosed chemical agent that Spetsnaz used to help subdue the separatists prior to infiltrating the theater. Of course, an intense firefight still followed, and Russian operators left no terrorist alive.

Lots of good choices Cheney, but for this one many of the hostages died directly from the chemicals afterwards

[Morifea]

Lots of good choices Cheney, but for this one many of the hostages died directly from the chemicals afterwards

At least they didn`t use thermobaric munition during this action...

@Dick Cheney: Good list, have some rep. Ia Drang was really a interesting action.