Favorite Mercenaries?

[ELITEOFKINGWARMAN8]

I say Swiss!

[Rapax]

Think you can do a little bit better than that as a setup?
Favorite Mercenaries and then randomly listing some Nationalities; no time frame, no conflict, no reason...!?

[konny]

Yes, rather strange setup with none of the Ancient mercs being listed. English and Dutch mercenaries in larger numbers? When and where did that happen?

[Barry Ferguson]

Yes, rather strange setup with none of the Ancient mercs being listed. English and Dutch mercenaries in larger numbers? When and where did that happen?

During the Middle Ages English mercenaries were much prized, most famously John Hawkwood. I couldn't swear to it, but I think the Black Prince fought as a mercenary in Spain

[konny]

During the Middle Ages English mercenaries were much prized, most famously John Hawkwood.

hmm... don't know. Besides from English MA soldiers winning much fame in service of their king, I can't recall them to appear frequently as mercenaries in other crown's armies. Hawkwood's company, for example, was mostly composed of Germans and Italians, ASFAIK.

I couldn't swear to it, but I think the Black Prince fought as a mercenary in Spain

You better don't swear to it: Edward commanded the English contingent allied to Peter of Castile, so not as a mercenary but as an 'offical' commander of his country's forces.

[6th Vigil]

Xenophon's 10,000?

[knight of virtue and valor]

my favorite mercenairy, is Mattais...LOL, but in medieval times, I would say swiss.

[shadyrome]

British Sas

[Yorkshireman]

If we're talking upto the modern day I'll say 'Mad' Mike Hoare, only because I read his book a long time ago. Also the film "The Wild Geese" was based on his exploits in the Congo.

Hoare was born in Dublin, Ireland. He served in North Africa as an Armour officer in the British Army during World War II, and achieved the rank of Captain. After the war, he emigrated to Durban, South Africa, where he ran safaris and became a soldier-for-hire in various African countries.

During the Congo Crisis Mike Hoare organised and led two separate mercenary groups:

• 1960–1961. Major Mike Hoare's first mercenary action was in Katanga, a province trying to break away from the newly independent Congo. The unit was called "4 Commando". During this time he married Phyllis Simms, an airline stewardess.
• 1964. Congolese Prime Minister Moïse Tshombe hired "Colonel" Mike Hoare to lead a military unit called "5 Commando (Congo)" made up of about 300 men most of whom were from South Africa. The unit's mission was to fight a breakaway rebel group called Simba. Later Hoare and his mercenaries worked in concert with Belgian paratroopers, Cuban exile pilots, and CIA hired mercenaries who attempted to save 1,600 civilians (mostly Europeans and missionaries) in Stanleyville from the Simba rebels in Operation Dragon Rouge. This operation saved many lives.[1] However, Congolese in Maniema and other provinces remember Hoare's mercenaries driving through villages and shooting randomly at huts and people.

The epithet "Mad" Mike Hoare comes from broadcasts by Communist East German radio during the fighting in the Congo in the Sixties. They would precede their commentary with "The mad bloodhound, Mike Hoare".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hoare

If anybody has seen the film "Wild Geese" they might remember the character played by Hardy Kruger an ex Wehrmacht soldier who wears his Iron Cross whilst in Africa. This character was based on one of Mike Hoares commanders in the Congo, Siegfried 'Congo' Muller.

Siegfried Müller was born in Crossen an der Oder, Germany, now Poland in 1920. After Hitler Youth and Reich Labour Service, Müller joined the Wehrmacht in 1939, fighting in the campaigns in Poland, France, and on the Russian Front. He claimed to end the war as a 1st Lieutenant, but this cannot be verified. He was seriously wounded and captured by the Americans.

Released in 1947, he enlisted in the US Army Civilian Labor Group (CLG), an American Labor Service Unit of Germans; then became a Lieutenant in a CLG security unit. He was denied entry to the Bundeswehr in 1956, but found employment with British Petroleum, clearing mines planted by the Afrika Korps in the Sahara Desert during World War II.

Müller emigrated to the Republic of South Africa in 1962 and was recruited as a mercenary with the rank of Lieutenant for the Congo Crisis in 1964. At 44, Müller was the oldest of Mike Hoare's soldiers.[1]He was promoted to Captain after a successful operation to seize Albertville (now Kalemie) and led 52 Commando, a sub unit of No 5 Commando comprising approximately 50 soldiers. He was later promoted to Major.

Siegfried 'Congo' Muller.

[hellheaven1987]

If we're talking upto the modern day I'll say 'Mad' Mike Hoare, only because I read his book a long time ago. Also the film "The Wild Geese" was based on his exploits in the Congo.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hoare

If anybody has seen the film "Wild Geese" they might remember the character played by Hardy Kruger an ex Wehrmacht soldier who wears his Iron Cross whilst in Africa. This character was based on one of Mike Hoares commanders in the Congo, Siegfried 'Congo' Muller.




Siegfried 'Congo' Muller.

Lol, you are not happened to be boofhead's best friend right (We have a discussion about how to improve Africa last year and we all favor a military interception; boofhead used Mike Hoares as example and said he was his favor)??

Either way, for mercenary history in modern Africa, "Mercenaries" by Guy Arnold would be a good reading, despite he is heavily biased against mercenaries and ignored the brutality mercenaries did were also common, if not worse, done by both government and rebel troops.

[Yuiis]

The Catalan Company.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalan_Company

[clandestino]

No Italian condottieri? No Catalan company? No most famous of all, king John of Bohemia? Sir you have little knowledge of mercenaries then. Of Italian condotierri I would go for Giovanni Acuto, but generaly my favourite mercenary is of course blind king John of Bohemia, example of honour and virtue.

[tullyccro]

Blackwater

[Monarchist]

I voted for the "German" category, because ... well, I love the Hessians and earlier Landsknechts.

[motiv-8]

I voted for the "German" category, because ... well, I love the Hessians and earlier Landsknechts.

Hessians = owned.

Spoiler for Owned: 

The Catalan Company.

Bah, little better than brigands I say, preying on weak Aegean despots.

Swiss FTW. Although if I were going to sea, I'd historically want a Dutch crew.

[Gromovnik]

Let's put it this way: If you were a peaseant in medieval Europe (or modern Africa, just look at that nazi guy), you wouldn't want to meet any mercenaries.

[knight of virtue and valor]

oh, and I like gesteate....boy are those guys good...I mean, it like "you can be covered with great armor and I can STILL whoop your but without even skibbies!'

[Romanos IV]

Swiss mercenaries. They ruled the mid 15th - early 16th century battlefields of Europe.

[Frederich Barbarossa]

Modern age I like Swiss, but in Ancient, I say Illyrians, or Aegenians.

[Aru]

Whatever Croatian mercenary company wore a tie in Paris, thus starting a new era a wearing ties in the World, thus actually making biggest impact on history then all other mercenaries