The Brandenburgers were made up initially from Abwehr volunteers, as a commando force to seize vital objectives such as bridges and tunnels, until the arrival of leading units of the German main force. This book covers organization and actions, including a pre-war action in Poland in August 1939, their assault on the Low Countries in 1940, on the Eastern Front, operations in Iraq and Iran, Afghanistan and India and use in North Africa. The 'Spearhead' series is designed to look at the cutting edge of war, dealing with units capable of operating completely independently in the forefront of battle. Each volume in the series examines the chosen unit's origins and history, its orgainzation and order of battle, it's battle history theater by theater, its insignia and its markings. Also covered are biographies of the most important commanders of each unit. Each title ends with an assessment of unit effectiveness-as seen by the unit itself, by its opponents and the light of more recent historical research.