Author: Brian Lett
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473830001
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
The Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) was formed in February 1942 by Gus March Phillips with Major General Gubbins SOE European chief's approval. March-Phillips and his Maid of Honor Force had just had complete success with their operation (POSTMASTER) off West Africa.Equipped with a specially adapted motor torpedo boat, the SSRF immediately started planning for operations. Op FROUDESLEY, with the aim of destroying the battleship Tirpitz ran into technical problems and was delayed but, in August and September, three daring cross Channel missions were successfully carried out without loss. The author describes these and the disastrous fourth operation (ACQUATINT) when all 10 SSRF men, including March-Phillips were killed or captured.Despite this hammerblow, SSRF now commanded by Geoffrey Appleyard made two raids on Sark a week later. Again their story is fully told in this fascinating book along with those of three further 1942 raids.Inter-service rivalry ('the war within') led to the break-up of the SSRF in early 1943. The Author describes the many colourful characters who made up this special force including Anders Lassen VC, Graham Hayes and Andre Desgranges, the Free Frenchman whom the Gestapo 'turned'.This superbly researched book lifts the veil on a little known but highly effective special force unit and the gallant individuals who served in it.As seen in Dorset Magazine.Book of the Month - Britain at War Magazine, April 2014
The Small Scale Raiding Force
Author: Brian Lett
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473830001
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
The Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) was formed in February 1942 by Gus March Phillips with Major General Gubbins SOE European chief's approval. March-Phillips and his Maid of Honor Force had just had complete success with their operation (POSTMASTER) off West Africa.Equipped with a specially adapted motor torpedo boat, the SSRF immediately started planning for operations. Op FROUDESLEY, with the aim of destroying the battleship Tirpitz ran into technical problems and was delayed but, in August and September, three daring cross Channel missions were successfully carried out without loss. The author describes these and the disastrous fourth operation (ACQUATINT) when all 10 SSRF men, including March-Phillips were killed or captured.Despite this hammerblow, SSRF now commanded by Geoffrey Appleyard made two raids on Sark a week later. Again their story is fully told in this fascinating book along with those of three further 1942 raids.Inter-service rivalry ('the war within') led to the break-up of the SSRF in early 1943. The Author describes the many colourful characters who made up this special force including Anders Lassen VC, Graham Hayes and Andre Desgranges, the Free Frenchman whom the Gestapo 'turned'.This superbly researched book lifts the veil on a little known but highly effective special force unit and the gallant individuals who served in it.As seen in Dorset Magazine.Book of the Month - Britain at War Magazine, April 2014
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473830001
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
The Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) was formed in February 1942 by Gus March Phillips with Major General Gubbins SOE European chief's approval. March-Phillips and his Maid of Honor Force had just had complete success with their operation (POSTMASTER) off West Africa.Equipped with a specially adapted motor torpedo boat, the SSRF immediately started planning for operations. Op FROUDESLEY, with the aim of destroying the battleship Tirpitz ran into technical problems and was delayed but, in August and September, three daring cross Channel missions were successfully carried out without loss. The author describes these and the disastrous fourth operation (ACQUATINT) when all 10 SSRF men, including March-Phillips were killed or captured.Despite this hammerblow, SSRF now commanded by Geoffrey Appleyard made two raids on Sark a week later. Again their story is fully told in this fascinating book along with those of three further 1942 raids.Inter-service rivalry ('the war within') led to the break-up of the SSRF in early 1943. The Author describes the many colourful characters who made up this special force including Anders Lassen VC, Graham Hayes and Andre Desgranges, the Free Frenchman whom the Gestapo 'turned'.This superbly researched book lifts the veil on a little known but highly effective special force unit and the gallant individuals who served in it.As seen in Dorset Magazine.Book of the Month - Britain at War Magazine, April 2014
Ian Fleming and SOE's Operation POSTMASTER
Author: Brian Lett
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
ISBN: 1783030798
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 455
Book Description
The true story of the force of “licensed to kill” secret agents who became the basis for the James Bond spy series. Brigadier Colin Gubbins was M. The Special Operations Executive was his Secret Service. Professor Dudley Newitt was Q. Capt. Gus March-Phillips commanded “Maid of Honor Force,” the team of “James Bonds” who, in a daring operation, sailed a ship to West Africa and stole three enemy ships from a neutral Spanish port on the volcanic island of Fernando Po. Ian Fleming worked closely with M to oil the wheels that made the operation possible, and prepared the cover story, in which the British government lied in order to conceal British responsibility for the raid. M’s agents prepared the ground on Fernando Po, even enmeshing the governor in a honey trap. March-Phillips and his team carried out the raid successfully in January 1942, despite much opposition from the local regular Army and Navy commanders, and in the face of overwhelming odds. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden told Fleming’s lies on the international stage, denying any British complicity in the operation. As a result, a secrecy embargo enveloped Operation POSTMASTER until recently. This gripping book proves beyond doubt that this thrilling operation, and the men who carried it out, were the inspiration for Fleming’s fictional 007.
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
ISBN: 1783030798
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 455
Book Description
The true story of the force of “licensed to kill” secret agents who became the basis for the James Bond spy series. Brigadier Colin Gubbins was M. The Special Operations Executive was his Secret Service. Professor Dudley Newitt was Q. Capt. Gus March-Phillips commanded “Maid of Honor Force,” the team of “James Bonds” who, in a daring operation, sailed a ship to West Africa and stole three enemy ships from a neutral Spanish port on the volcanic island of Fernando Po. Ian Fleming worked closely with M to oil the wheels that made the operation possible, and prepared the cover story, in which the British government lied in order to conceal British responsibility for the raid. M’s agents prepared the ground on Fernando Po, even enmeshing the governor in a honey trap. March-Phillips and his team carried out the raid successfully in January 1942, despite much opposition from the local regular Army and Navy commanders, and in the face of overwhelming odds. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden told Fleming’s lies on the international stage, denying any British complicity in the operation. As a result, a secrecy embargo enveloped Operation POSTMASTER until recently. This gripping book proves beyond doubt that this thrilling operation, and the men who carried it out, were the inspiration for Fleming’s fictional 007.
The Commandos
Author: Charles Messenger
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages : 472
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages : 472
Book Description
Those Who Dare
Author: Phil Ward
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
ISBN: 1608320405
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
John Randal, an American lieutenant serving in the British Army, joins the first British commando troop during World War II, but must face grueling training in Scotland and growing pains with his comrades during their first missions.
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
ISBN: 1608320405
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
John Randal, an American lieutenant serving in the British Army, joins the first British commando troop during World War II, but must face grueling training in Scotland and growing pains with his comrades during their first missions.
Operation Basalt
Author: Eric Lee
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750968729
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
German soldiers assigned to guard the tiny Channel Island of Sark described it as a ‘little Paradise’ and, because it was never bombed by the RAF, the best air-raid shelter in all of Europe. But paradise for them came to a bloody end in October 1942 when a small group of British Commandos raided the island, capturing one German soldier and killing several others. Operation Basalt would have been a footnote in history but for the reaction of Hitler, who believed that British soldiers executed several Germans who had already surrendered and whose hands were bound. Days after the raid, he issued the infamous ‘Commando Order’, a death sentence for those Allied commandos who fell into German hands.Drawing on extensive archival research and interviews with survivors of the period, Eric Lee has written the definitive account of the raid, putting it into the context of the German occupation of British lands during the war.
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750968729
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
German soldiers assigned to guard the tiny Channel Island of Sark described it as a ‘little Paradise’ and, because it was never bombed by the RAF, the best air-raid shelter in all of Europe. But paradise for them came to a bloody end in October 1942 when a small group of British Commandos raided the island, capturing one German soldier and killing several others. Operation Basalt would have been a footnote in history but for the reaction of Hitler, who believed that British soldiers executed several Germans who had already surrendered and whose hands were bound. Days after the raid, he issued the infamous ‘Commando Order’, a death sentence for those Allied commandos who fell into German hands.Drawing on extensive archival research and interviews with survivors of the period, Eric Lee has written the definitive account of the raid, putting it into the context of the German occupation of British lands during the war.
Small Wars
Author: Sir Charles Edward Callwell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 592
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 592
Book Description
Special Forces Hero
Author: Thomas Harder
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1526787520
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 554
Book Description
Until the German occupation of his native Denmark in April 1940 Anders Lassen had no interest in the War. Yet over the next five years he became a highly decorated Special Forces legend and the only non-Commonwealth recipient of the Victoria Cross. After taking part in a mutiny on board a Danish ship, he made his way to Scotland. He first joined the Special Operations Executive before serving with the Small Scale Raiding Force, Special Air Service and Special Boat Service. He took part in the daring Operation Postmaster, off West Africa, and raided the Channel Islands and the Normandy coast. He saw most action in Eastern Mediterranean, fighting in Crete, the Dodecanese, Yugoslavia, mainland Greece and finally Italy. In April 1945, now a major aged 24, he was killed at Lake Comacchio, where his gallantry earned him his posthumous VC. This superb biography is not just a worthy tribute to an outstanding soldier, but a superb account of the numerous special force operations Anders was involved in.
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1526787520
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 554
Book Description
Until the German occupation of his native Denmark in April 1940 Anders Lassen had no interest in the War. Yet over the next five years he became a highly decorated Special Forces legend and the only non-Commonwealth recipient of the Victoria Cross. After taking part in a mutiny on board a Danish ship, he made his way to Scotland. He first joined the Special Operations Executive before serving with the Small Scale Raiding Force, Special Air Service and Special Boat Service. He took part in the daring Operation Postmaster, off West Africa, and raided the Channel Islands and the Normandy coast. He saw most action in Eastern Mediterranean, fighting in Crete, the Dodecanese, Yugoslavia, mainland Greece and finally Italy. In April 1945, now a major aged 24, he was killed at Lake Comacchio, where his gallantry earned him his posthumous VC. This superb biography is not just a worthy tribute to an outstanding soldier, but a superb account of the numerous special force operations Anders was involved in.
Tip of the Sword
Author: Phil Ward
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781732766921
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 328
Book Description
Raiding Forces Small Operations Group with Colonel John Randal in command makes a night drop on the Italian held Island of Castelrozzo. The plan is to capture the island in order to use it as a base of operations for Commando raids on Axis held islands in the Aegean Sea. Admiral Sir "Razor" Ransom, the Deputy Commander of Operations (Irregular), wants Raiding Forces to reorganize into a small scale amphibious raiding unit. With Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps driven off the continent of Africa, gun jeep desert patrolling has come to an end. Instead of jeeps, the Raiders will transition to high speed MAS Boats, PT Boats and caiques. Major the Lady Jane Seaborn is shot outside the Gizera Restaurant. Commander Ian Fleming arrives and tasks Raiding Forces to carry out a Top Secret Golden Fleece mission. And, Raiding Forces carries out a night combat jump on Sicily to capture a vital bridge at Gela for Major General George S. Patton.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781732766921
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 328
Book Description
Raiding Forces Small Operations Group with Colonel John Randal in command makes a night drop on the Italian held Island of Castelrozzo. The plan is to capture the island in order to use it as a base of operations for Commando raids on Axis held islands in the Aegean Sea. Admiral Sir "Razor" Ransom, the Deputy Commander of Operations (Irregular), wants Raiding Forces to reorganize into a small scale amphibious raiding unit. With Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps driven off the continent of Africa, gun jeep desert patrolling has come to an end. Instead of jeeps, the Raiders will transition to high speed MAS Boats, PT Boats and caiques. Major the Lady Jane Seaborn is shot outside the Gizera Restaurant. Commander Ian Fleming arrives and tasks Raiding Forces to carry out a Top Secret Golden Fleece mission. And, Raiding Forces carries out a night combat jump on Sicily to capture a vital bridge at Gela for Major General George S. Patton.
Toward Combined Arms Warfare
Author: Jonathan Mallory House
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1428915834
Category : Armies
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1428915834
Category : Armies
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Cloak of Enemies
Author: Tom Keene
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752483757
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
SOE was born from Churchill’s vision to set ‘Europe ablaze’. However, Tom Keene’s book reveals for the first time how close it came to never existing at all. Many saw SOE as a threat to the existence of MI5 and other intelligence agencies, and some in the armed forces refused to work with the new agency, fearing its broad remit and lack of experienced operatives. SOE, in turn, became ever more secretive, hiding details of their operations from anyone outside the agency. This backstabbing climate of rivalry, confusion and secrecy, not only nearly destroyed SOE, but also had tragic repercussions for the daring Commandos who took part in the legendary ‘Cockleshell Raid’.Cloak of Enemies exposes the secret war within Whitehall and its far-reaching consequences.
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752483757
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
SOE was born from Churchill’s vision to set ‘Europe ablaze’. However, Tom Keene’s book reveals for the first time how close it came to never existing at all. Many saw SOE as a threat to the existence of MI5 and other intelligence agencies, and some in the armed forces refused to work with the new agency, fearing its broad remit and lack of experienced operatives. SOE, in turn, became ever more secretive, hiding details of their operations from anyone outside the agency. This backstabbing climate of rivalry, confusion and secrecy, not only nearly destroyed SOE, but also had tragic repercussions for the daring Commandos who took part in the legendary ‘Cockleshell Raid’.Cloak of Enemies exposes the secret war within Whitehall and its far-reaching consequences.