Janisaries in reverse

[Brian Williams]

Old sci fi plot some VietNam soldiers are zpped back to help some poor fighters win some battles....

Reverse that and;

Who would you not want to fight if they were brought foward in time and armed with modern weaponery and why??????

What would you arm them with to support their strategy and tactics.

 

[OEF_VET]

I wouldn't want to fight against the Roman Legionairres. Those guys knew how to soldier. They were extremely disciplined and well-trained.

Now, if they were on my side, I coldn't think of any better soldiers to fight with. I'd give them some modern artillery to fit in with their tactics of siege warfare. I'd arm their archers with sniper rifles, as they were the long-range engagement experts of their day. The common foot soldier would be given M4A1 SOPMODS and some training in modern small-unit tactics. Crew-served weapons would include M-240's and Mk-19's.

With modern weapons, training in modern techniques and their discipline, Roman Legions would be some of the fiercest combatants the world has ever seen.

Frank

 

[buzz_knox]

I would not want to fight anyone. Even the least capable soldier can get lucky once in a while.

That being said, Hoplites would be right up there as no. 1 to avoid. Dedicated and well-trained. Roman soldiers were comparable.

 

[Daniel T]

Interesting question. The problem is, most of the "elite" fighting forces of the past were elite because of the tactics and weapons they used and the enemies they were fighting at the time. Now, the Roman Legion might be just like an modern army where every soldier just does what he's told to.

I think numbers and attitude would more dangerous, so I'm going to nominate the Mongol Horde. Evil, evil men, and countless numbers of them. Bad news.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Native Americans. Leave a track and they'll find you. Many tribes believed in honoring their captives by allowing them to display their bravery under torture. I don't deserve such honor and being a sissy, I'll save my last bullet for myself.

 

[eoR]

I think numbers and attitude would more dangerous, so I'm going to nominate the Mongol Horde. Evil, evil men, and countless numbers of them. Bad news.

It's been done; Ghengis Khan served with valor in Vietnam.

 

[Sunspot]

Please read David Drake's "Foreign Legions"
It's about Roman soldiers used by aliens to fight wars for them.
It is a series of related stories writen by Mr. Drake and others like David Weber, S.M. Sterling and David Flint. It's a very nice read.
Here is a short review.
Anyone who likes alternate history novels or enjoys reading anything pertaining to the Roman Empire, or both, will enjoy Foreign
Legions, a collection of novellas based on David Drake's 1975 short story -- and later novel -- Ranks of Bronze. Drake's original short
story begins the collection: As his fans already know, the story was based on an actual battle that occurred in 53 B.C., when Marcus
Crassus led his Roman army into Parthia and was soundly defeated. Crassus was killed, and his tens of thousands of legionnaires
were sold into slavery or used as mercenaries. In Drake's story, the legionnaires are sold to aliens, who use them as galactic
butt-kickers. It seems the aliens are part of a United Nations-type organization that has outlawed the use of modern technology against
primitive races. The aliens make the soldiers almost indestructible and use them to fight their wars.

 

[Brian Williams]

I have read the above stories by Drake and have enjoyed them.

I think the Plains Apache mounted on modern dirt bikes with some SOPMOD M4's would be terrifing, Throw in a few LAAWS, RPGs, M203s.

 

[Ivanimal]

Give the Vikings a PT boat and we would all be speaking Scandanavian languages.

 

[CMcDermott]

Spartans - the whole culture was based on military training from childhood. This produced elite soldiers - at least for the 50% who survived the training to become adults. Sparta fell as much from losing population as any other reason - just not enough adult men to sire the following generations. Yes, they had lots of slaves to help fight - but just not enough Spartan citizen soldiers to hold everything together.

 

[Stickjockey]

Well Perfessr, I'd have to say you hit the nail on the head. Those Ottoman Janissaries were a pretty impressive crowd. Discipline and religious zealotry. Although the Knights of Malta were fearsome in their own right. Accounts I've read about the Siege of Malta read much like high fantasy in places.