WW2 Which job would be most dangerous?

[David Johansen]

Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade

Most dangerous job of WWII? Kamikaze pilot.

(I know; you said "on foot patrol.")

In a pulp context, the guy who delivers messages to the Red Skull or any other supervillain.

[mr beer]

Originally Posted by Anders

Sven Hassel was a member of the Hilfspolizei in Denmark and spent no time on the Eastern Front. His novels are good pulp war story, but they're not real history.

Yeah apparently his books are loaded with factual errors e.g. penal battalions equipped with top-of-the line tanks.

[Michele]

If the question is about "foot patrolling" in WWII, then the flamethrower would not be there, and the radio would not be there 90% of the time. Patrols were meant for recon, chiefly, and they travelled light, and preferably avoided clashes with the enemy. A subset of this was recon by capture, in which case they did look for the enemy, but success was capturing a sentry with no fuss or noise. On a static front, and/or on a thinly held one, a patrol might be somewhat more offensive and go looking for trouble, but again they would only seldom carry heavy and expensive equipment.

That said, the point man was the most dangerous job in a patrol, naturally. He'd be out ahead, scouting for the patrol, so he'd be the first to walk into an unmarked minefield, an enemy ambush, a sniper's scope, the field of fire of a MG, etc.

The next most dangerous position is that of the leader of the patrol. A sane man would not go on patrol with visible insignia of rank, but he'd still act as the leader. Then, there's the LMG gunner.
We're now talking about pinpoint danger: a sniper, skilled marksman, or well-sited, long-range MG in the hands of a skilled gunner. Dangers that are able to select a target among several.

But that sort of danger was an exception. The main danger to infantrymen was area-effect danger. General small-arms fire by riflemen, MG bursts aimed at the group of enemy soldiers as a whole, sudden mortar attacks. In the face of all of that, it did not matter much whether you were the sergeant, the man carrying the LMG, or any of the grunts.

[Tessen]

Scottish Highlanders...the Bagpipe guy. Shoot him then is there another guy to pick up the tune?

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Tessen

SOE spy working in france?

About the same casualty ratio as infantry without unpleasant surroundings like New Guinea of Ill Fame.

The main disadvantage is that you are pretty much sure to be tortured if captured. Whether or not you are wearing an armband (remember the commando order?).

On the other hand Japanese tortured regular troops too, apparently to take out on someone what their officers had dished out to them. Or just for kicks. Or whatever.

A lot of the uncomfortable elements of war were at least not in a spies line of work simply because they had to look normal.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade

Most dangerous job of WWII? Kamikaze pilot.

(I know; you said "on foot patrol.")

Are you counting the ones that never found a target, and those that never took off before the war was over? Not to mention the ones who chickened out which is, under the circumstances, kind of their business.

[Tessen]

I had to look up the commando order, interesting. Would surely motivate you to keep on fighting.

[Anders]

British officers had a higher casualty rates than the troops, mostly because they thought it was unsporting to duck. "It doesn't do much good anyway, and the troops don't like it."

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Anders

British officers had a higher casualty rates than the troops, mostly because they thought it was unsporting to duck. "It doesn't do much good anyway, and the troops don't like it."

It sounds stupider than it was because a lot of times there would have been a need to expose themselves for their commands to be understood. Sometimes it probably did partake something of Honor Before Reason.

A lot of it was that the WW2 generation did not want the charge of Chateau generalship dumped on them and to be fair did about as well as they could have done to prevent it, though there was always an ambiguity between leadership and C3 responsibilities. Rommel for one, liked to have a forward command vehicle while an underling handled headquarters details. Interestingly some of the best probably would qualify as chateau generals: I can't remember Zhukov doing anything quixotic. He just was so good it didn't matter.

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by Tessen

Scottish Highlanders...the Bagpipe guy. Shoot him then is there another guy to pick up the tune?

Shoot the bagpipes instead. Then even if they do have another piper, he can't pick the pipes up.

Definition of a Scots gentleman: A Scot who knows how to pipe, but doesn't.