Company 4000

'''Company 4000''', also known as '''Kompania 4000''', was a covert paramilitary organization established in West Germany in 1950, initiated by the American intelligence services in collaboration with the "Free Albania" committee and the CIA. It was initially a labour battalion.<ref>{{cite book |last1=West |first1=Nigel |title=Historical Dictionary of Cold War Intelligence |date=15 April 2021 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-2032-3 |page=22 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WzwfEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Company+4000%22+albania&pg=PA22 |language=en}}</ref> Its primary mission was to deploy paratroopers into Albania to undermine and overthrow Hoxha's regime.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-14 |title="From Greece, we were sent to the secret base of West Germany, Vekterhof, where the Americans trained us and sent us to Al |url=https://memorie.al/en/from-greece-we-were-sent-to-the-secret-base-of-west-germany-vekterhof-where-the-americans-trained-us-and-sent-us-to-albania-for-the-overthrow-of-enver-hoxha-but-the-rare-testimony-from-th/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=Memorie.al |language=en-US}}</ref>

They were initially trained in Karsfeld near Munich.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Krishnan |first1=Armin |title=Why Paramilitary Operations Fail |date=25 April 2018 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-71631-2 |page=23 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YUVYDwAAQBAJ&dq=Kompania+4000&pg=PA23 |language=en}}</ref>

{{Infobox military unit | unit_name = Company 4000 | native_name = {{Langx|sq|Kompanija 4000}}<br>{{Langx|de|Kompanie 4000}} | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | dates = 1949–1958<br>(Cold War–era) | disbanded = | country = {{flag|West Germany}} | allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | branch = | type = | role = Covert operation | size = 250 | command_structure = | garrison = | garrison_label = | nickname = | patron = | motto = | colors =  | colors_label =  | march = | mascot = | anniversaries = | equipment = | equipment_label = | battles = Cold War *Operation Valuable *Landing in Vlorë (1949) | battles_label = | decorations = | battle_honours = | battle_honours_label = | flying_hours = | website =  | Commander = {{flagicon|United States}} Colonel F. H. Dunn | commander1 = | commander1_label = | commander2 = | commander2_label = | commander3 = | commander3_label = | commander4 = | commander4_label = | commander5 = | commander5_label = | commander6 = | commander6_label = | commander7 = | commander7_label = | commander8 = | commander8_label = | commander9 = | commander9_label = | notable_commanders =  | identification_symbol = | identification_symbol_label = | identification_symbol_2 = | identification_symbol_2_label = | identification_symbol_3 = | identification_symbol_3_label = | identification_symbol_4 = | identification_symbol_4_label = | identification_symbol_5 = | identification_symbol_5_label = | identification_symbol_6 = | identification_symbol_6_label =  | aircraft_attack = | aircraft_bomber = | aircraft_electronic = | aircraft_fighter = | aircraft_helicopter = | aircraft_helicopter_attack = | aircraft_helicopter_cargo = | aircraft_helicopter_multirole = | aircraft_helicopter_observation = | aircraft_helicopter_trainer = | aircraft_helicopter_utility = | aircraft_interceptor = | aircraft_patrol = | aircraft_recon = | aircraft_trainer = | aircraft_transport = | aircraft_tanker = | aircraft_general = }}

==See also== *Operation Valuable

==References== <references/>

== External links ==

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHVEp7QySqw Documentary about Kompania 4000 by Top Channel]

Category:20th century in Albania Category:Anti-communist organisations in Germany Category:Paramilitary organisations based in Germany