Operation Basalt

Operation Basalt PDF Author: Eric Lee
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750968729
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 198

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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.

Operation Basalt

Operation Basalt PDF Author: Eric Lee
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750968729
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 198

Get Book Here

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.

Operation Title

Operation Title PDF Author: Glyn L Evans
Publisher: Pen and Sword Maritime
ISBN: 1399050214
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
Chronicles Operation TITLE, an Allied mission led by Prime Minister Winston Churchill to sink the formidable German battleship Tirpitz. Prime Minister Winston Churchill referred to Tirpitz as ‘The Beast,’ and on 25th January 1942 he wrote, ‘The destruction or even the crippling of this ship is the greatest event at this present time. No other target is comparable to it.’ With these words the seeds were sown for Operation TITLE, an Allied mission to sink Tirpitz. Harvesting began on 19th October 1942 when the fishing boat, Arthur, sailed from Scalloway with a crew of four Norwegians, a six-man team of Royal Navy divers and two ‘chariots’ in a brave attempt to tame ‘the Beast.’ Arduous training of men, fine tuning of the experimental ‘chariots,’ and the determination of those who undertook this mission all combined in a contest comparable with the biblical tale of David and Goliath. In this case Goliath, in the form of Tirpitz, survived with, sadly, the death of one Able Seaman, Robert Paul Evans RN. This book is a tribute to him and to all those who, undertaking similar dangerous deeds of valor, shared the same fate.

The Small Scale Raiding Force

The Small Scale Raiding Force PDF Author: Brian Lett
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1781593949
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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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

A Brilliant Little Operation

A Brilliant Little Operation PDF Author: Paddy Ashdown
Publisher: Aurum
ISBN: 1781310831
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 552

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Book Description
The complete story of the remarkable canoe raid on German ships in Bordeaux Harbour – by the man who himself served in the Special Boat Squadron. In 1942, before El Alamein turned the tide of war, the German merchant fleet was re-supplying its war machine with impunity. So Operation Frankton, a daring and secret raid, was launched by Mountbatten’s Combined Operations and led by the enigmatic ‘Blondie’ Hasler – to paddle ‘Cockleshell’ canoes right into Bordeaux harbour and sink the ships at anchor. It was a desperately hazardous mission from the start – dropped by submarine to canoe some hundred miles up the Gironde into the heart of Vichy France, surviving terrifying tidal races, only to face the biggest challenge of all: escaping across the Pyrenees. Fewer than half the men made it to Bordeaux; only four laid their mines; just two got back alive. But the most damage was done to the Germans’ sense of impregnability. Paddy Ashdown, himself a member of the Royal Marines’ elite Special Boat Squadron formed as a consequence of Frankton, has always been fascinated by this classic story of bravery and ingenuity - as a young man even meeting his hero Hasler once. Now, after researching previously unseen archives and tracing surviving witnesses, he has written the definitive account of the raid. The real truth, he discovers – a deplorable tale of Whitehall rivalry and breakdowns in communication – serves only to make the achievements of the ‘Cockleshell’ heroes all the more heroic.

Special Forces Hero

Special Forces Hero PDF Author: Thomas Harder
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1526787547
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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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.

Changes in Technology and Labor Requirements in the Crushed-stone Industry

Changes in Technology and Labor Requirements in the Crushed-stone Industry PDF Author: Harry S. Kantor
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description


The Lost Band of Brothers

The Lost Band of Brothers PDF Author: Tom Keene
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750963581
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 358

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Book Description
Endorsed at the highest level by Churchill, who wanted British raiders to take the fight to the enemy shore, fifty commandos were formed into a secret army – the elite Maid Honor unit, later renamed the Small Scale Raiding Force. Created to make mayhem and sow fear in the hearts of those guarding the enemy shore, every man was a handpicked volunteer. In almost twenty daring missions to the rock-bound coasts of enemy occupied Brittany and Normandy, they kidnapped sentries, seized code books and ciphers, ransacked barracks and ambushed patrols. In doing so they wreaked havoc along the rim of Hitler's Festung Europa. In almost forensic detail, Tom Keene tells their extraordinary story of courage and daring, patriotism and friendship.

The Second World War

The Second World War PDF Author: Martin Gilbert
Publisher: Rosetta Books
ISBN: 0795337299
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1071

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Book Description
“Mr. Gilbert brings the strongest possible credentials to his history of World War II, and the result is a magisterial work” (The New York Times). In the hands of master historian Martin Gilbert, the complex and compelling story of the Second World War comes to life. This narrative captures the perspectives of leading politicians and war commanders, journalists, civilians, and ordinary soldiers, offering gripping eyewitness accounts of heroism, defeat, suffering, and triumph. This is one of the first historical studies of World War II that describes the Holocaust as an integral part of the war. It also covers maneuvers, strategies, and leaders operating in European, Asian, and Pacific theatres. In addition, this book brings in survivor testimonies of occupation, survival behind enemy lines, and the experience of minority groups such as the Roma in Europe, to offer a comprehensive account of the war’s impact on individuals on both sides. This is a sweeping narrative of one of the most deadly wars in history, which took almost forty million lives, and irrevocably changed countless more. “Gilbert’s flowing narrative is spiced with anecdotal details culled from diaries, memoirs, and official documents. He is especially skillful at interweaving summaries of military strategy with vignettes of civilian suffering.” —Newsweek “[A] masterful account of history’s most destructive conflict.” —Publishers Weekly

Mineral Technology and Output Per Man Studies

Mineral Technology and Output Per Man Studies PDF Author: National Research Project on Reemployment Opportunities and Recent Changes in Industrial Techniques (U.S.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Mineral industries
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Book Description


Dieppe

Dieppe PDF Author: Henry Buckton
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN: 139810387X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 211

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Book Description
On the eightieth anniversary of the disastrous raid on Dieppe, this is the compelling story of the failures in its planning and execution and the bitter lessons learned in advance of D-Day.