ww2's smallest army

[daveh]

Greenland had an army of 26 men surely the world's smallest. They patrolled the coast of Greenland searching for German weather stations.

see

http://www.atc.army.mil/meteorology/ww1.htm

The Sledge Patrol : A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival, and Victory
by David Howarth

Although small this was a task of some importance. given the difficulties had in getting good weather predictions. As indicted in the article above the Germans made extensive efforts to get such information. Accurate weather predictions were important to judge the likelyhood of an Allied invasion or bomber operations over Germany.

[Andy H]

Apologies daveh if this sounds ignorant but was Greenland a Sovereign nation at this time or still under Danish authority?

Andy

[AHLF]

Lemme answer that. Greenland wasn't under Danish authority at the time, yet it also wasn't Sovereign nation.
After Danmark was occupied by germany in 1940, it simply couldn't control Greenland, so the US took the oportunity and "unofficialy" occupied Greenland. Greenland (similar to Iceland) was a major US (and therefore also British) naval base during ww2, and a great help to the allies in the naval blockade of the third reich.
And of course, as daveh written, Greenland had great role in getting accurate weather predictions.

/AHLF

[Andy H]

Thanks for the clarification, so can Greenland strictly be counted as a nation and thus have a Army? and if not does this title now pass to Luxembourg?

Andy

[Lord Gort]

I imagine legally that under rights of conquest that Greenland was technically German.


What is Greenlands present situation?

[daveh]

As AHLF said

Greenland wasn't under Danish authority at the time, yet it also wasn't Sovereign nation.

so I am uncertain of the exact status of the 26 man unit. However as
Greenland is at present not an independant nation I guess Luxembourg has it for the smallest national army.

The political situation is in part covered by:

http://home6.inet.tele.dk/ron/greenland/geen_main.htm

After months of indecision, officials of the State, War, and Navy Departments agreed early in February 1941 that airfields and other facilities in Greenland would be needed for hemisphere defense, and that in view of the Monroe Doctrine the United States could permit no other power - not even friendly Canada - to take the initiative there. A survey expedition sailed in March. Less than a month later, on 9 April, the project received formal sanction when the Danish Minister in Washington (still recognized by the United States) and the Secretary of State signed an agreement under which the United States guaranteed the security of Greenland in return for the right to construct, maintain, and operate the required facilities.

The above is an interesting site including details of German weather flights, US bases on and operations around Greenland.

The site notes a "Greenland Army" see under Danish forces, Northeast Greenland Sledge Patrol

Police force: Aug 1941 - Mar 1943
Military unit - "Greenland Army" Danish members only
Mar 1943 - May 1945
and lists its members.

[Lars EP]

I imagine legally that under rights of conquest that Greenland was technically German.


What is Greenlands present situation?

Greenland is now part of the Danish Kingdom, not to be confused with Denmark. Like the Faroe Islands they have extensive home-rule. As an example, they are not part of the E.U.

The is some movement towards complete independence, but an economy that support the population needs to be created. This is currently not the case, and Greenland is still heavily dependant on Danish economic support.

Regards --- Lars

[JBbelgium]

Did Luxemburg have an army? In the books that I have read (not all that detailed) they simply say that Luxemburg had no army at all on 10th of May 1940.

[Ironmachine]

Did Luxemburg have an army? In the books that I have read (not all that detailed) they simply say that Luxemburg had no army at all on 10th of May 1940.

Yes, Luxemburg had an army:

The Gendarmes and Volunteers Corps (Corps des Gendarmes et Volontaires) (1881-1944)
The new corps established under the law of 16 February 1881 marked the beginnings of the wholly national Luxembourg Army ("Force Armée Luxembourgeoise"). This national characteristic of the corps explains why the centenary of the Armed Force was celebrated in 1981.
The Gendarmes and Volunteers Corps comprised two companies under a single command:
a.a 125-strong company of gendarmes;
b.a company of volunteers garrisoned in Luxembourg comprising 140 - 170 privates and NCOs.
In times of crisis, the strength could increase to 250.
The officer corps numbered 9 officers, to whit:
1 major (commanding officer)
2 captains (company commanders)
4 - 6 subalterns.
The military band comprised 39 musicians including its director of music.
After 1881, the military organization remained unchanged until 1938 when the Grand Ducal decree of 30 September increased the number of volunteers to 300.
The Grand Ducal decree of 24 February 1939 provided for yet another reorganization of the company of volunteers, its establishment being augmented to include 6 officers, 2 warrant officers, 2 staff sergeants, 12 sergeants, 24 corporals, 57 lance-corporals and 200 privates. The Grand Ducal decree of 15 September 1939 established a 125-strong corps of auxiliary volunteers which was attached to the company of volunteers.
When in 1940 the international situation further deteriorated on the eve of the Second World War, the Luxembourg Army comprised 13 officers and 255 gendarmes in the gendarmes company and the 425 men of the volunteers company augmented by the auxiliary volunteers.

http://www.mnhm.lu/pageshtml/luxembourgarmy.php#4A

Regards.

[JBbelgium]

Thanks, for the answer.

[phylo_roadking]

Looking at the Greenland example...remember that Iceland raised an armed force immediately after the occupation of Denmark! IIRC 12-16 policemen were undergoing training in the use of rifles when the British landed...which potentially (and for a very short time of course) makes Iceland's "army" even smaller than Greenland's! Iceland however had specifically announced its intention to "go it alone" after the conquest of Denmark, unlike Greenland...

However - there's another potential contender - how large was the palace guard in Monaco when the Italians invaded in 1940??? IIRC they took casualties during that invasion....

[Loïc]

If I remember ~60 Carabiniers traditionally chosen in the French Gendarmerie, not only a palace guard
because before 1904 there was also a Guard (1871-1904)

Costa Rica in war since december 1941 had only an artillery battery and one infantry company : 334 men

in the Italian Peninsula the other fascist State, San Marino with a militia reaching 989men and the Vatican (Swiss, Noble, Palatine Guards & Gendarmerie) had more soldiers than Costa Rica

[phylo_roadking]

....and the Vatican (Swiss, Noble, Palatine Guards & Gendarmerie) had more soldiers than Costa Rica

FIGHT!!!!