I am going with a no on this one.  A better question would be to ask if they were the best guerilla force ever  It cold be argued by some that they never beat the US in  battle and ceased to exist as a effective force after the 1968 TEt offensive, probaly set up for a fall by North Viet Nam.

  The VC were never really able to pul off the transition from a G force to a conventional force.  I wold puthem more on th elevel of some native American tribe like the Apache, who preferred to fight on foot.

 

 My nominee would be along the lines of the 1800s UK Army or better still the BEF that went over to Europe in 1914 before it was bled white.

Don't ever compare the VC to the Apaches. The Apaches were truly the best light infantry this world has seen, and that is no lie. Do some research into them, they were absolute bad-a**es. They were EXTREMELY ferocious, and the 1800's British had nothing on them. It took a couple of months for our forces to force the British to withdraw...it was several years until our forces eventually overwhelmed them and outnumbered them.

  It was not meant as an insult only has a means of comparison of category not quality levels.  Not many people think of the Apache as an Infantry force but because of TV and movies  think of them as cavalry.  They were tough  within their limits and within the proper terrain. 

The Comanche managed to drive the Apache out of most of Texas because their horse-mounted tactics on the plains were superior to the foot fighting Apache. On the other hand Comanche and other tribes got their rears handed to them when trying to fight them in the mountains of the Southwest or West Texas.

 The being said the Apache and Comanche could be handled if fought using similar tactics like the Texas Rangers did at Plum Creek and Eagle Mountain for example.

 I would put he Apache up their in my top 5 Guerilla forces but not among conventional forces.

The modern US Army Infantry Soldier or US Marine is without question the best trained, best equipped, best supported, most educated,  most experienced, most dedicated, most motivated and most effective infantry force the world has ever known PERIOD. There isnt a single force in the history of war that the Modern US Infantryman could not defeat on a battlefield.

The modern US Army Infantry Soldier or US Marine is without question the best trained, best equipped, best supported, most educated,  most experienced, most dedicated, most motivated and most effective infantry force the world has ever known PERIOD. There isnt a single force in the history of war that the Modern US Infantryman could not defeat on a battlefield.

Not to mention the highest paid and most pampered grunt among the large, "real" armies. 

 

 

Apparently not the highest paid.  Someone posted something on pay on one of the other boards and the US was not the top.  It's not bad, but apparently others pay more.  But, I can't deny there are a lot of side benefits in US military.

 

That being said, you say that like its a bad thing.    

 

Not to mention the highest paid and most pampered grunt among the large, "real" armies. 

uh when was this you forced the british to withdraw in a couple of months?

Last week. You didn't hear about that?

Seriously, I was think war of 1812, but it was probably more like 2-3 years (I don't know much about that conflict).

only time that sorta fits into what you were thinking that comes to mind is new orleans right at the tail end of the war.  brits pulled out of there quite shortly after their defeat.

interesting what ifs with that battle.  i think i would have tried to reduce the forts obstructing my path instead of bypassing them.  then when i made my assault on the city i would have had my artillery which would have been quite helpful.

 

the british commander tried an end run around the forts by marching his army through the swamps where a large number of soldiers and porters were eaten by gators and his arty train bogged hopelessly.  it's actually surprising the brits managed to get an attack going at all given the terrain they had to cross to reach new orleans.

The War of 1812 was, for most intents and purposes, a tie. The Treaty of Ghent established that everything would stay the way it was ante-bellum, but it is taught in the United States as an American victory. Most of the history I've read on it focuses on the Battle of New Orleans, but tend to neglect how we got our butts handed to us in the invasion of Canada. The British learned that taking back their American colonies was a no-go (it had been some 30 years after they were kicked off the Continent) particularly as they had bigger things to worry about (that damned Corsican Corporal)

Also, don't forget Plattsburg.  Brits got knocked back there as well.

 

That said, stupid war for both sides.  Hard to believe we never fought again.