Drawing upon unpublished accounts from SAS soldiers, along with previously classified information, this vivid book reveals what SAS operations were like behind Iraqi lines. Read about the special relationship between SAS soldiers and the Royal Air Force helicopter crews; the heartrending story of the patrol code-named "Bravo Two Zero"; breathtaking tales of combat; and more. A definitive guide that covers every aspect of SAS operations in the Gulf War.
With the outbreak of Gulf War hostilities a unit from 22 SAS slipped quietly over the border and into the enemy's backyard. It would be six weeks before any of the patrol again reached safety. Sabre Squadron recounts in graphic detail their scud-busting operations deep inside Iraq. They were operating alone and out of reach of reinforcements, with the threat of detection and its fatal consequences ever present. Yet their determination to wreak havoc behind enemy lines remained undimmed, culminating in an attack that decisively reconfirmed the regiment's awesome reputation. Cameron Spence, a senior NCO on the operation, takes you as close to the fighting SAS as you are ever likely to get, conveying the relentless tension, black humour and camaraderie punctuated by explosive, nerve-shredding action that characterized the mission. This is the true story of an SAS operation of breathtaking audacity and flair, carried out under unimaginable pressure, in the face of impossible odds. _____________ 'A brilliantly authentic account of war with an SAS patrol, it's a fantastic read' - ANDY MCNAB, bestselling author of Bravo Two Zero 'Tense and at times terrifying... a well told action story' - SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A terrific read' - THE TIMES 'Blood, guts and military macho - as authentic as anything you are likely to read' - MAIL ON SUNDAY
The Israeli government was persuaded at the last minute not to enter the Gulf War when they were told that it was the SAS who were hunting for Scud missiles and disrupting Iraqi communications. The SAS forces inside Iraq comprised two half-squadrons (30 men each with vehicles) and three much smaller foot patrols, one of which had the call sign, "Bravo Two Zero".;Corporal Terence Clayton, known as "Yorky", was a member of one of the half-squadrons. His group played a crucial role by destroying microwave communications lines, Scud missiles, weapons dumps and Iraqi soldiers. His 42-day story ricochets between stunning successes and extraordinary cock-ups, moving from corpse-strewn battlefields to stealthy operations at the dead of night.
The British Army's SAS--the Special Air Service--is recognized as one of the world's premier special operations units. During the Gulf War, deep behind Iraqi lines, an SAS team was compromised. A fierce firefight ensued, and the eight men were forced to run for their lives. Only one, Chris Ryan, escaped capture--by walking nearly 180 miles through the desert for a week. The One That Got Away is his breathtaking story of extraordinary courage under fire, of narrow escapes, of highly trained soldiers struggling against the most adverse of conditions, and, above all, of one man's courageous refusal to lie down and die.
A concise illustrated history of the Special Air Service's lightweight, heavily armed vehicles and their combat use. The SAS, the world's most famous special operations unit, made its name in the desert of North Africa, shooting up Axis airfields from specially modified Willys jeeps. Following the start of the El Alamein offensive in October 1942, the SAS used jeeps effectively in reconnoitring and ambushing the retreating Afrika Korps. After the conclusion of the North African campaign, the Willys underwent several small but significant changes, including the introduction of the .303 Browning machine gun. Between June and October 1944, the SAS brigade operated deep inside Occupied France, harassing Germans reinforcements heading to Normandy, calling up air strikes on installations, and carrying out reconnaissance missions - all made possible with jeeps dropped by the RAF. Jeeps were also used in the push into Germany in the spring of 1945. Transported across the Rhine in 'Buffalo' amphibious landing craft, they formed part of the vanguard of the Allied advance, and their agility, speed and firepower proved crucial in crushing fanatical pockets of Nazi resistance. 22SAS in 1952, the regiment adopted the Series 1 Land Rover - introduced in 1948 - as the successor to the Willys jeep. A decade later the Regiment updated to the Series IIA 90 Land Rover, which saw service in the Oman and Aden, where its distinctive colour led to the 'Pink Panther' nickname. In the 1970s, the SAS begin using Range Rovers for covert operations while the Land Rover 110 HCPU became the SAS's new Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV) in the 1991 Gulf War. This book describes the successful deployment of these combat vehicles in SAS operations from the Second World War to the present day and gives a rare insight into one of the most prestigious and secret forces of modern times.
Incorporating first-hand accounts of SAS operations in the Gulf War, including revelations of Iraqi cruelty to Western prisoners, this book also discusses aspects such as the co-operation between the British and American special forces during the campaign, and the strategic role of the SAS.
February 24th, 1991: It's the first day of the ground war in Operation Desert Storm. To support the massive attack, an eight man US Army Special Forces team is inserted 150 miles inside Iraq to covertly reconnoiter a key highway connecting Baghdad and Kuwait. The members of the team--designated "Operational Detachment Alpha-525"-are known among their peers as "The Sharkmen." This is their first combat mission in Desert Storm. If this had been a perfect mission no one would have known they were there. They would have dropped in, done their job for a week, then exited under cover and returned to base. But this isn't a perfect mission. Within hours it will all go to hell. This is the true story of the improbable rescue of ODA-525, told in the words of the men who were there, on the ground and in the air.
SOLDIER FIVE is an elite soldier's memoir of his time within the Special Air Service (SAS) and, in particular, his experiences during the Gulf War. As a member of the Special Forces patrol now famously known by its call sign Bravo Two Zero, he and seven others were inserted hundreds of kilometres behind enemy lines. Their mission was to reconnoitre targets, undertake surveillance of Scud missile sites and sabotage Iraqi communications links, but was to end in desperate failure.From the outset the patrol was dogged by problems that contributed both directly and indirectly to the demise of the mission. The patrol's compromise, and subsequent attempts to evade Iraqui troops, resulted in four members of Bravo Two Zero being captured and a further three killed. One escaped. But the story goes further than the Gulf War itself. Despite numerous books, films and articles on the same subject, the British Government has done its utmost to thwart the release of Soldier Five, at one stage claiming the book in its entirety was confidential. A campaign of harassment that took some four-and-a-half years of litigation to resolve has now resulted in this explosive publication. SOLDIER FIVE is a gripping and suspenseful account of one man's experiences as a Special Forces soldier. Revealing his conflicts, loyalties and relationships forged, it is the resolution of a soldier's determined fight to see his story told.
