Special Air Service

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Special Air Service
- SAS -

Lineup July 1, 1941 - October 8, 1945
and since January 1, 1947
Country United KingdomUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Armed forces United Kingdom Armed Forces
Armed forces British ArmyUnited Kingdom (flag of the British Army) British Army
Branch of service United Kingdom Special Forces
Type Special unit
structure 3 regiments (including 2 reserves )
Strength approx. 500 (active)
Location Credenhill , near Hereford , Herefordshire, England
Nickname Blades
motto Who Dares Wins ( Who Dares Wins
)
Colours Blue (Pompadore blue)
march Marche des Parachutistes Belges and Lili Marleen
commander
Colonel Commandant Field Marshal Charles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank
Important
commanders

Lieutenant Colonel David Stirling

Historic SAS jeep

The Special Air Service ( SAS ) is a special unit of the British Army , which was set up in 1941 during the Second World War by the Scottish Lieutenant Colonel David Stirling . The SAS operates worldwide and is based in Credenhill near Hereford . It is considered to be one of the most experienced and oldest existing special forces in the world.

assignment

The tasks of the SAS include collecting information about the enemy ( military reconnaissance ), sabotage operations behind enemy lines, marking targets for fire and the liberation of captured soldiers or civilians. In addition to war missions, the SAS is also used as an anti-terrorist unit at home, primarily for the liberation of hostages , but also for the targeted killing of people classified as enemies of the state (e.g. formerly by members of the IRA or today by other people or groups classified as terrorists by the British government) . He trains special units from friendly countries and acts covertly if necessary so that the British government cannot be identified. The SAS, which is part of the military, also takes on the tasks of a special police unit, including the protection of high-ranking British officials. Here he can be compared with the Israeli Sajeret Matkal , with whom the SAS repeatedly holds joint exercises.

The SAS motto is: “ Who dares wins ” (German: “Who dares wins”)

structure

Today the SAS consists of three regiments:

The two regiments 21 and 23 serve as reserve units (TA SAS - Territorial Army ). In case of war they take on so-called Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols ( Fernspäh -Aufklärungseinsätze) behind enemy lines and are intended to offset the regiment 22 losses. Each of them consists of three squadrons .

The active SAS consists of the 22nd regiment, divided into four squadrons with a total of around 500 soldiers. These consist of four troops each . In theory, each squad consists of 16 soldiers, divided into four teams of four. In practice, however, the SAS does not achieve this level of deployment, as, like other special units, it often has to struggle with junior problems due to the strict selection and hard service.

The four squadrons are designated A, B, D and G (the C Squadron was disbanded in 1980). Each of the associated four troops specializes in a skill of locomotion or penetration into enemy territory. Each squadron has a Mountain Troop (mountain and winter combat), a Mobility Troop (protected vehicles, Land Rover , ATV and motorcycles), an Air Troop (free fall) and a Boat Troop (maritime deployment component with RIB storm boats).

The 22nd SAS also includes a staff group, a planning and news department, a department for investigating operations and a training train.

Every six to nine months, each of these four squadrons has its turn as a CRW wing ( Counter Revolutionary Warfare - guerrilla warfare), a subdivision that also fulfills covert military advisory functions. The wing is in constant readiness and should be ready for use in two stages within 30 minutes or two hours if necessary. It is divided into two groups, each consisting of an assault group and a sniper group:

  • Red (Airborne and Mountaineering Group)
  • Blue (combat swimmers and artillery)

In addition to the three regiments that work closely together, there are also smaller units for special tasks:

  • the 63rd SAS Signal Squadron in South East England and Eastern Wessex
  • and the L Detachment (formerly R-Squadron ), made up of former SAS members. The latter is subordinate to the TA SAS and serves as a reserve of the 22nd regiment to quickly replace losses.

The original units, the 1st Special Air Service Regiment and the 2nd Special Air Service Regiment , were disbanded in 1945.

Recruitment and training

Since 1952, the soldiers of the SAS have been selected in a special procedure introduced by the then commander Major John Woodhouse. Until then, interested parties earned acceptance in their respective units through special engagement in combat.

The selection process, the Selection , is considered the most demanding of the British Army. Only two to ten percent of the candidates pass it. It is held twice a year in the mountains of the Brecon Beacons of Wales .

Applicants must be male and have either been a member of the British Forces for at least three years or a member of Regiments 21 and 23 for 18 months (both civilians can enter directly). The SAS also accepts members of the Commonwealth armies as candidates. If a candidate fails one of the exams, they will be immediately returned to their original unit. A second attempt is possible, but no further attempts.

Female candidates for the British Special Forces are open to the Special Reconnaissance Regiment , which is often used in conjunction with the SAS for special reconnaissance in the deep.

Introduction (2 days)

For a weekend, the candidates get an insight into life in a British special unit and are informed about the requirements of the recruitment tests. They also have to prove their map and compass skills, take a swimming test, and pass a fitness and first aid test.

Fitness and orientation (4 weeks)

View from the 886 meter high Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons , the preferred terrain for field training

This training section takes place in the Brecon Beacons , u. a. in the Elan Valley in Wales. The so-called Battle Fitness Test (BFT) consists of a 2.5-kilometer run as a group in under 13 minutes, which must then be completed again in under 11.5 minutes. This first week will be followed by further cross-country runs over the mountains with light luggage, as well as orientation tasks by day and night. In the course of the selection, the weight of the backpack also increases with the rifle.

The third week is determined by orientation exercises in the field with increasing difficulty. In the fourth week there is a cross-country run against the clock every day. The soldiers are not informed of the time to be achieved, as they have to give their best on every run. Exceeding the time limit leads to elimination as well as injuries. The conclusion is a march over a distance of 65 kilometers with over 7000 meters of altitude with a backpack weight of 20 kilograms and a rifle. Anyone who takes more than 20 hours has failed. The record is 14 hours. Due to the very high physical strain, these endurance tests repeatedly lead to deaths.

Advanced training (4 weeks)

In this training phase, intensive and realistic training on handguns and explosives as well as exercises in small group tactics is carried out. This is followed by those without parachute training.

Jungle training (6 weeks)

The training takes place in a national park in Belize and is completed in small groups of four men, each group is supervised by an instructor from the Belize Defense Force. The training includes orientation and survival in the jungle, handling boats and building a jungle bivouac, as well as fighting fire in the jungle. The candidates must prove all skills in a final exercise.

Combat training (4 weeks)

This section primarily trains survival under combat conditions ( Combat Survival ) and hiding from the enemy with surviving capture and interrogation. This includes that the soldiers only eat what they find in the forest and field and also experience interrogation and torture (to a certain extent). The training ends with an exercise in E&E tactics ( Escape and Evasion ). In addition, the soldiers are given unwieldy overcoats to restrict their mobility and are hunted for five days by soldiers from other units, usually paratroopers or gurkhas , and must remain undetected in order to survive. Each of them is then interrogated for 24 hours, humiliated, verbally abused, tortured with noise or sleep deprivation. Anyone who reveals more than just their name, rank, date of birth or identification number will fail. The only allowed answer is: "I'm sorry, I can't answer this question."

Any mistake in any of these sections will result in the soldier being immediately transferred back to his regiment. If he passes, he loses his previous rank and serves as a trooper in the SAS. The ranks within the regiment must be newly acquired by NCOs and men . If a soldier leaves the troop, he gets his old rank back.

A different procedure applies to officers . From the rank of captain (captain), these retain their rank, but may serve a maximum of three years in the SAS. If they then pass the test again, they can stay for three more years.

Special training

Then the actual training begins, within which each soldier is trained in one or more areas to become an expert (specialist) for certain areas, these are:

Depending on their rank and skills, soldiers earn £ 25,000 to £ 80,000 a year. The service is so tough that many of the men drop out by their mid-30s. In addition to injuries during deployment, the long-term effects of poor nutrition, contaminated water, infections or imprisonment are also a danger. For returnees, their conditioning and experiences can also become a burden. Few manage to get used to a normal life. Many suffer from mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress syndrome or cannot control their aggressions. There are repeated reports of suicides by former SAS members. Due to the high psychological pressure, as well as the duration and frequency of the assignment, a regular family life becomes a challenge for all relatives.

Young talent problems

Due to these dangers and the high demands on the selection, the SAS has had difficulties maintaining its target strength for a long time. The British newspaper Daily Telegraph reported in 2005 that these problems had worsened since the war in Iraq . More and more soldiers would quit the service for lucrative positions with private security service providers. This caused the regiment to inform all 300 front-line soldiers of the SAS by letter that it would be in the best sense of all if they stayed.

The incentive from business is high. According to the report, an SAS sergeant can earn up to £ 14,000 a month as an advisor to a private security company in Iraq or Afghanistan .

equipment

Armament

The information about the SAS is based on books by former members or reports from journalists. Their accuracy and timeliness are therefore limited. It can be taken for granted that the SAS, like other special forces, has access to practically every weapon and that it also modifies and adapts it according to its own needs.

The standard armament for military operations is the American M16 assault rifle , which can be supplemented with the M203 grenade launcher . Both the standard MG of the British armed forces GPMG (=  General Purpose Machine Gun , called "Gimpy") in caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO and the FN Minimi in caliber 5.56 × 45 mm NATO are used as support weapons.

Since the mission in Afghanistan, the SAS has been using the Diemaco C8 SFW assault rifle with the HK AG-C / EGLM grenade launcher as a new standard weapon . The Diemaco C8 SFW is a variant of the Diemaco C7 designed for special forces and bears the designation L119A1 in the British armed forces . The HK AG-C / EGLM is a variant of the underflow grenade launcher AG36 (originally produced for the Canadian Army) and is sold in the British Army under the designation L17A1 .

MP5 SD3 with integrated silencer

The Heckler & Koch MP5 and MP7 submachine guns are used for anti-terrorist operations , similar to other special forces. The HK53 is also used, a submachine gun from Heckler & Koch in caliber 5.56 × 45 mm NATO.

For years, part of the armament was the semi-automatic Browning Hi-Power pistol in 9 × 19 mm caliber . The unit now uses the SIG Sauer P228 , which fires the same ammunition as the Browning Hi-Power and the HK MP5.

The sniper rifles of the type Accuracy International L96 A1 in caliber .300 Winchester Magnum can if necessary with a silencer be provided. In addition, so-called anti-materiel rifles in caliber .50 BMG are available from the same manufacturer .

Depending on the target, various infantry weapons such as heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, anti-tank weapons such as the M72 or directional mines such as the M18 Claymore and PARM can also be used.

A fire-retardant overall, which is camouflaged differently according to the conditions of use, serves as a combat suit . A net-like scarf is worn as a neck scarf, but is also used to camouflage the face or equipment. Depending on the order, a bullet-resistant vest can also be included, as well as a balaclava , a helmet with a visor, night vision devices or NBC protective masks .

Some Lockheed C-130s of the RAF have the same multi-sensor turret under the nose that the German Sea Lynx MK 88A have. These aircraft also have night vision cameras ( Low Light Level Television ) and light cockpit armor. The RAF's 47th squadron flies these types of aircraft for the SAS.

According to Jane’s , American-made mini drones are currently being tested in Credenhill , so-called Backpack Unmanned Surveillance Targeting and Enhanced Reconnaissance (Buster) . These look like model airplanes, can be carried in a backpack and collect information from the air. They are controlled like a model airplane and can stay in the air for up to four hours.

transport

Westland Lynx Mk.7, here one of the Royal Marines , as used by the SAS

The Mobility Troops mainly use the military version of the Land Rover Defender, the Land Rover Wolf (not to be confused with the Bundeswehr's G-Class off-road vehicle of the same name ), both with a short (TUL) and a long wheelbase (TUM) . Also the so-called Pink Panther , a patrol vehicle based on the Land Rover, and the Supacat HMT 400 .

For long-distance transport, the British Royal Air Force provides several modified Lockheed C-130J Hercules II , which are equipped with additional reconnaissance and communication systems as well as decoys for self-protection. Since 2002 the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III has also been used for this purpose. The SAS primary operations helicopter is the Westland Lynx Mk.7 / 9 . In addition, according to media reports, eight Chinook HC.2s were procured in the 1990s , which are suitable for the transport of an entire squadron including light vehicles, but were upgraded to Chinook HC.1 due to technical deficiencies .

The following helicopters are operated by the RAF especially for the SAS :

Cooperations

Since 2005, the SAS has received intelligence support from the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), which carries out surveillance and reconnaissance tasks in order to prepare and accompany operations of the SAS.

In addition to Great Britain , Australia and New Zealand also have their own SAS as former colonies . These units are closely linked to the British SAS, both in training and in global missions. The British SAS also takes on the complete training of the Sultan's Special Force in Oman .

Many special units around the world have taken the SAS as a model. For example, the entire training staff of the American anti-terrorist unit Delta Force was trained by a team of experts from the SAS for almost a year in the USA. This know-how formed the nucleus for the formation of all other US anti-terrorist units, such as the Seal Team 6 founded in 1980 and the Hostage Rescue Team of the FBI established in 1983 . The German KSK , the Canadian JTF2 , the Swiss AAD 10 , the Greek unit ETA, the Polish unit GROM and the Israeli Sajeret Matkal adopted the tactical structure and operational doctrine of the SAS. Later, the Sayeret Matkal developed into a valuable aid for the SAS due to the experience she had acquired in enormous numbers of operations. Many units train regularly with units of the SAS and use its training facilities, for example in Belize or Brunei .

confidentiality

The existence of the Special Air Service was already well known in Great Britain in the 1960s, but it was denied by official bodies for a long time. Even after a television team accidentally documented an anti-terrorist operation on board the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1972 , the Ministry of Defense took no position. The existence of the SAS was not officially confirmed until the 1980s, after it had successfully ended the hostage-taking in the Iranian embassy in London in front of the assembled world press .

After joining, each member is prohibited from revealing their affiliation to the SAS to anyone other than immediate family members. The Ministry of Defense ensures anonymity during the entire period of service. In publications about any medals awarded, the name of the soldier is followed by the original unit, not SAS. If he is killed in combat, no public announcement will be made unless it can be avoided. If it is inevitable, the soldier is listed as a member of his original unit.

This secrecy is still the cause of much speculation and provided material for many conspiracy theorists for their books. Most of the knowledge of the SAS comes from former members of the unit, some of whom have allegedly been tried in military courts for divulging information . The Department of Defense also tries repeatedly by court to ban veterans' books or to censor their memoirs and reports. So any report should be skeptical . It was only at the end of November 2001 that a former SAS soldier won a three-year trial against the ministry. He was then allowed to publish his book about a disastrous mission during the Second Gulf War , and he had to cede the profit to the state. Ex-members who publish reports usually do so under a pseudonym, such as Andy McNab . But the truth of these books is also unclear. In addition, there are always authors who claim to have served in the SAS without any evidence.

In 2004, the then Defense Minister Geoff Hoon reaffirmed the confidentiality policy towards the public, which is still in force today. The criticism from senior members of the government and the press that this policy could not be sustained due to the increasing involvement of special forces in warfare, commented an unnamed military source that inaccurate and erroneous reporting can amount to "useful disinformation ".

history

1941-1945

Members of the SAS after a patrol (North Africa, 1943)

The forerunner of the Regiment , as the SAS is also called, was in July 1941 during the Second World War the "Command" and the L Detachment, "Special Air Service Brigade" (SAS) under the then Lieutenant David Stirling . The original goal was to commit acts of sabotage far behind the front of the German Africa Corps in order to disrupt Rommel's supply lines. This force was only 66 men. The name Brigade, which suggested a much larger unit, was used to camouflage and deceive the Germans, as did the suffix Air . Stirling's men were trained in Kabrit, Egypt near the Suez Canal . They worked closely with the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) , an army reconnaissance unit that later became part of the SAS.

The very first mission, however, was a disaster. In November 1941, 62 parachuted men jumped from behind enemy lines to destroy an air base. However, only 22 made it to the agreed meeting point, the rest were captured or killed. Stirling then campaigned in the army leadership to be allowed to repeat the enterprise. This time the LRDG transported the soldiers to the scene of action by vehicle. The airfield was destroyed without any losses of its own. The group was named 1st SAS in October 1942 and thus also the status of an independent regiment. Stirling's brother Bill began setting up a second regiment called the 2nd SAS .

During the desert war in Africa , Stirling's soldiers carried out many successful attacks, destroyed fuel depots and airfields. They were so feared that Adolf Hitler issued the so-called command order, which said that every captured member of such a group should be shot. They perfected a tactic called hit and run , simply attacking with machine gun off-road vehicles and then disappearing back into the desert.

In January 1943, David Stirling was captured by Italians while on duty and spent the remainder of the war in a POW camp. Command was taken over by his brother Bill and Blair 'Paddy' Mayne .

Another forerunner was the Layforce , which went back to the later General Robert Laycock and covered the withdrawal of British troops in Crete via Sfakia. In British India , which included what is now India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and parts of Myanmar (formerly Burma), the Chindits were set up under Orde Wingate . Ahead of this, he had already created the Gideon Force in Sudan , which began guerrilla actions against the Italian occupying forces in Ethiopia from February 1941.

The regiment was not only active in Africa, but also during the invasion of Italy . Italian partisans and escaped Soviet prisoners of war were also used. They served in the Allied SAS Battalion and, among other things, disrupted the communication lines of the German Commander-in-Chief of the front, Albert Kesselring . Between 1943 and 1945 a total of three of these foreign battalions were set up:

  • 3rd SAS , consisting of French soldiers,
  • 4th SAS , consisting of French soldiers,
  • 5th SAS , consisting of Belgian soldiers.

On April 1, 1944, all previous units were combined under the name Special Air Service Regiment and incorporated into the Army Air Corps . Together with the American OSS and the French Maquis, the SAS supported the Allied landing in Normandy in 1944 with attacks on supply facilities behind the front. After the end of the war, the SAS was used to track down and arrest former SS and Gestapo members. At that time the unit already consisted of five regiments, two of which had mainly French and one Belgian members.

Other companies include Operation Loyton from August 12 to October 9, 1944.

1946-1979

The two French battalions and the Belgian one were disbanded after the war, the soldiers returned to their home countries and were integrated into the armies there. The French-born units formed this:

  • 2e Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes and that
  • 3rd Regiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes .

These two regiments later merged with the 1er régiment de parachutistes d'infanterie de marine (1er RPIMa) , the French counterpart to the SAS, which still sees itself today in the tradition of the SAS and regularly holds joint exercises with it.

In the Belgian army, the returnees grew into this

The rest of the troop did not exist in the previous form either. The SAS was officially separated from the army and dissolved. On July 1, 1947, however, it was at least partially reorganized as a Special Air Service Regiment in the Army Air Corps . It consisted of a reserve regiment (Territorial Army - TA) : the 21st Battalion, Special Air Service Regiment (Artists Rifles) . In August 1949, this unit was spun off from the Army Air Corps and run as an independent corps .

In 1950, Brigadier Mike Calvert rebuilt the SAS as a command unit. The reason was a crisis in Malaysia , where rebels were trying to fight for independence. As an anti-guerrilla unit, the so-called Z Squadron was formed, which fought under the name Malayan Scouts in Malaysia. The squadron consisted of former members of the SAS, recruits from other units, as well as inmates of army prisons. In addition, the still existing Regiment 21 was sent to the jungles of Malaysia. By the end of 1955 the entire force consisted of five squadrons again and stayed in Malaysia up to and including 1958.

In 1952 the existing groups were reorganized into two units:

  • 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Artists Rifles), (TA)
  • 22nd Special Air Service Regiment , in which the Malayan Scouts were absorbed.

In 1959 a second SAS unit was created in the Territorial Army :

  • 23rd Special Air Service Regiment (TA) .

The last reorganization took place on April 1, 1967. At the headquarters in Hereford, a new squadron was set up: The R Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment (V) , which was composed of selected members of Regiments 21 and 23 and was attached to the 22nd SAS as a rapid reinforcement. The unit was later given a new name, the historical name:

  • L Detachment

The deployment in Malaysia was followed by others. SAS teams fought against the Sultan putsch rebels in today's Oman (1958–1959) or guerrillas in Borneo, today's Brunei (1963–1966). They were also in service in Aden from 1964 to 1967 before the British left the country. From 1970 to 1977 there were again unofficial and top secret operations in Oman. In general, the SAS changed more and more from a regular army unit to a secret special force. This also changed the tasks, which now included personal protection and the fight against terrorists. Civilian clothing or uniforms from other army units were now also worn as camouflage.

Northern Ireland

From 1969 the British government also used the SAS in Northern Ireland, which quickly led to criticism. The British Army officially began its operation in the province to support the local police, the Royal Ulster Constabulary . However, the missions in which "the regiment" was involved were combat missions against the IRA from the outset . Unarmed civilians were killed several times. At first the soldiers appeared openly in their uniforms and sand-colored berets , later they operated more and more often undercover.

In the fight against the IRA, the SAS worked very closely with the 14 Intelligence Company , established in 1970 , a special unit of the British Army for intelligence reconnaissance and surveillance.

The SAS became one of the most important tools in the search for information against terrorist groups in Northern Ireland in the 1970s. In order to accomplish this task, the commandos acted more and more offensively, crossing the border with the Republic of Ireland in pursuit . For example, in March 1976, the IRA commander Seán MacKenna was kidnapped from his home in the Republic of Ireland and handed over to a patrol of the British Army.

Irish nationalists believe that the SAS actually executed IRA members according to plan in the 1980s. In 1984 he is said to have wounded two men in Dunloy, County Antrim, and then shot them. In Loughgall in 1987, eight IRA men who tried to blow up a police station were ambushed by the SAS and killed. In 1988, in the British exclave of Gibraltar, three unarmed members who were planning a bomb attack were shot dead by a SAS team in Operation Flavius on the street.

Although the SAS is subject to the same legal provisions as the British Army when it comes to the use of weapons, a war operation situation is generally assumed during operations and the procedure is based on martial law .

Due to its aggressive and uncompromising way of fighting, the SAS was feared and got a downright mythical reputation. An example of this was the Balcombe Street siege on December 6, 1975. On the run from the police, two IRA men holed up in an apartment on Balcombe Street in London and took two residents hostage. The negotiations lasted six days. The men surrendered when the media reported that the SAS would be used to free the hostages.

1980-2001

In the 1980s, “the regiment” became more and more visible to the public. The government's new openness to dealing with the SAS began in April 1980, when six Iraqi terrorists occupied the Iranian embassy in London . The police negotiated in vain for six days with the occupiers, who killed a hostage in support of their demands. On May 5, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered the attack. At 7:26 p.m., more than 30 members of the SAS stormed the building and some of them were filmed by the BBC . During the 17-minute mission, the terrorists shot another hostage. All but one of them were killed. According to witness statements, this hostage-taker only survived because he immediately threw himself to the ground and disposed of his weapon, so that the emergency services held him hostage.

After the mission, the safety-first approach of the SAS led to a public controversy in the British press. Due to the uncompromising approach during the action, it was suspected that something like a general order to fire had been given. One of the soldiers involved, Robin Horsfall , said in an interview 20 years later: “We were trained to kill. When the SAS comes into action, you have to come to terms with the fact that there are dead people. We wanted to kill the terrorists. We hoped they wouldn't surrender. That's what we lived for, that's what we trained for. ”The original order had been to kill as few people as possible on both sides.

Despite the controversy, the storming of the embassy was considered a success. In addition to the media presence , the debate also meant that the existence of the unit was no longer officially denied.

The next known mission came during the Falklands War in 1982. Several SAS teams fought in preparation for and during the landing on South Georgia (Operation Paraquat), the Falkland Islands (West Falkland Operation Corporate), often in cooperation with units of the Special Boat Service and the Deployment on the Argentine mainland (Operation Mikado).

The unit was not only needed for wars and counter-terrorism. In 1987 Prime Minister Thatcher ordered a SAS team to storm the maximum security prison in Peterhead , Scotland, to quell a revolt by inmates. The soldiers used batons, stun grenades and CS gas . The mission was successful and a prisoner guard was released.

After the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia had been overthrown by the use of Vietnamese armed forces, the British government used the SAS in a covert operation from 1983 to train resistance fighters in the use of mines and other explosive devices. This resistance movement also included the remaining Khmer Rouge, who wanted to take power again. The mines laid by the guerrillas are still a serious problem for the population decades later. Around 15% of Cambodians are affected by landmine accidents.

In the Second Gulf War in 1991, the SAS took on similar tasks as it did in World War II: sabotage operations far behind enemy lines. The primary objective was to destroy the launch pad for Iraqi R-17 missiles. The troops also suffered one of their biggest failures: Two members of the "Bravo Two Zero" command under Steven Billy Mitchell alias Andy McNab later described this mission in books. Your eight-man team was supposed to neutralize take-off positions deep in the Iraqi desert, but it was sighted and tracked as it penetrated Iraqi airspace. The soldiers withdrew fighting for several days, killing an estimated 250 Iraqis . Only one of the eight managed to get through to the Syrian border, 190 kilometers away. Three others were killed in action, the remaining four captured and tortured during interrogation .

present

In addition to the classic tasks of sabotage, secret service work and hostage rescue, another one has become increasingly important for the SAS since September 2001 : the global fight against terrorist groups. Based on the experiences made in Northern Ireland, the SAS is considered to be one of the most important weapons in this undeclared war. Large-scale operations in Afghanistan and Iraq are just as much a part of this as small actions by individual teams.

In contrast to similar units in allied countries, such as the Delta Force or the KSK ( Special Forces Command ), the SAS always works closely with the police. According to British media reports, in July 2005 members of the SAS were involved in the surveillance of Jean Charles de Menezes , who was wrongly pursued as a terrorist suspect by the London Metropolitan Police and who was ultimately shot in the subway. Also, some members are said to have been involved in both the manhunt for the masterminds of the bombings on the London transport network in July 2005, and in the storming of several homes of backers in West London. As usual, there was no official confirmation of these reports.

On September 19, 2005, an incident occurred in Basra, Iraq , which attracted international attention. Two members of the SAS, whose unit operated against arms smugglers from Iran, were disguised as Arabs in a civilian vehicle when they ran into an Iraqi police check and were apparently arrested after an exchange of fire. After the men were overwhelmed, various weapons and equipment were found in their vehicle. Before their identities or intentions could be determined, the two prisoners were forcibly released from their Iraqi prison by British forces on the grounds that the local police had turned the men over to terrorist militias and that their lives were in danger. According to the British Ministry of Defense, however, the men were released after negotiations.

After a deployment in Iraq in 2006, a member of the SAS left the unit and the army on “moral grounds”. 28-year-old Ben Griffin resigned at his own request , according to the Sunday Telegraph . He observed dozens of “illegal” interrogation methods in Iraq and saw how Iraqis were treated as “ subhumans ” by US troops . According to the report, Griffin is the first soldier ever to leave the SAS on moral grounds.

On February 26, 2011, during the civil war in Libya, SAS soldiers supported the evacuation of 150 British citizens with two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft south of Benghazi . On March 6, 2011, it was reported that eight SAS soldiers were captured by insurgents in Libya while accompanying a British diplomat. According to the Times and the Daily Telegraph, members of the SAS participated in the search for Muammar al-Gaddafi within Libya.

At the beginning of December 2014 it emerged that the SAS was fighting against IS in Iraq . The missions are said to have started in November 2014 and are directed against the IS supply lines. They are flown with Boeing-Vertol-CH-47 helicopters near the operation area and are then supposed to drive independently with quads to their missions. Until then, however, it was assumed that the SAS would only conduct reconnaissance in Iraq.

In Syria, British special forces were involved in the training and leadership of rebels (including Jaysh Suriyah al-Jadid alias NAF, 2016). In April 2018, SAS forces were reportedly picked up by government troops in Duma (Syria) .

Missions (selection)

Others

According to the British SAS Qualification Statement , members of the SAS are not allowed to accept awards for their duties.

"I agree to carry out arduous duties with no recognition, no rewards, no promotions, and no medals"

"I will perform arduous duties without recognitions, rewards, promotions, or medals."

- British SAS Qualification Statement

literature

  • Ken Connor: Ghost Force. The Secret History of the SAS. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1998, ISBN 0-297-84080-0 .
  • Barry Davies: The Complete Encyclopedia of the SAS. 2nd edition. Virgin, London 2001, ISBN 0-7535-0534-7 .
  • General Sir Peter De La Billiere: Looking For Trouble. SAS To Gulf Command - The Autobiography. HarperCollins, London 1995, ISBN 0-00-637983-4 .
  • Tony Geraghty: This is the SAS. A pictorial History of the Special Air Service Regiment. Arco, New York 1983, ISBN 0-668-05725-4 .
  • James D. Ladd: SAS Operations. More than daring. 2nd edition. Hale, London 1999, ISBN 0-7090-6043-2 .
  • Peter Macdonald: SAS in action. The history of the British special forces. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01602-8 .
  • Andy McNab : The men of Bravo Two Zero. (= dtv 12281) Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-423-12281-1 .
  • Andy McNab: Seven Troop. Corgi, London 2009, ISBN 978-0-552-15627-1 .
  • Andy McNab: Immediate Action. Dell, New York 1996, ISBN 0-440-22245-1 .
  • Kaj-Gunnar Sievert: Command Company. Special units deployed around the world. Mittler, Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-8132-0822-2 .
  • Kaj-Gunnar Sievert: Command Company. Covert access - Special Forces on duty. Mittler-Verlag, Hamburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-8132-0916-7
  • Sören Sünkler: Europe's elite and special units. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-613-02853-1
  • Ian Wellsted: SAS with the Maquis . In Action with the French Résistance , June - September 1944. Greenhill, London 1994, ISBN 978-1-85367-186-9 ; and exp. and changed in the cards. TB edition: ibid. 1997 & Stackpole, Mechanicsburg (Pennsylvania) 1997 ISBN 1-85367-285-8 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The SAS: The Special Air Service, Hereford's Regiment. In: news.bbc.co.uk. May 6, 2010, accessed January 11, 2016 .
  2. ↑ SAS Weapons - C8 SFW Carbine (L119A1). In: Elite UK Forces. Retrieved October 25, 2014 .
  3. ↑ SAS Weapons - UGL Grenade Launcher. In: Elite UK Forces. Retrieved October 25, 2014 .
  4. ↑ The Canadian C7 is similar to the American Colt M16A2 though with a few notable alterations to suit the Canadian military. August 17, 2012, accessed October 25, 2014 .
  5. ^ The Heckler & Koch HK AG36 single-shot grenade launcher is steadily replacing the well-entrenched American M203 series. May 15, 2014, accessed October 25, 2014 .
  6. ^ Ian V. Hogg, John Walter: Pistols of the World . 4th edition. Krause publications, Iola 2004, ISBN 0-87349-460-1 , p. 282 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  7. ^ Mobility Troop - Supacat HMT 400. In: Elite Forces UK. Retrieved August 20, 2014 .
  8. ^ Richard Norton-Taylor: Hoon blocks move to openness on SAS. In: Guardian Online . March 27, 2009. Accessed May 13, 2009.
  9. ^ [1] The Taking of South Georgia Island 1982 with Alan Bell of the SAS June 30, 2015
  10. ↑ John Pilger , How Thatcher gave Pol Pot a hand. In: New Statesman April 17, 2000 (English)
  11. ↑ Craig Guthrie: Trial and error in Cambodia. In: Asia Times Online . February 19, 2009
  12. ↑ filmed as Bravo Two Zero - Behind Enemy Lines Bravo Two Zero The Real Story
  13. ^ SAS in secret war against Iranian agents. In: The Sunday Times. September 25, 2005.
  14. ^ Iraq probe into soldier incident. on: BBC news. September 20, 2005.
  15. ↑ Petrol bombs fly as 'tanks' free SAS men. In: Sydney Morning Herald. September 20, 2005.
  16. ^ Troops free SAS men from jail. on: telegraph.co.uk September 20, 2005.
  17. ^ British SAS and Boat Service - Daring Rescue in the Desert. ( Memento of February 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) February 26, 2011.
  18. ↑ Libya: Rebels capture British elite soldiers. on: Spiegel online. March 6, 2011.
  19. ^ Fight in Libya: British elite soldiers help with Gaddafi hunt. They wear Arab clothing and the same weapons as the rebels: According to London newspapers, around 30 elite soldiers from the British SAS are involved in the hunt for Gaddafi. Some of his opponents suspect the fugitive despot in his hometown - there they are increasing their troop presence. In: Spiegel.de. August 25, 2011, accessed August 20, 2014 .
  20. ↑ Iraqi raids by SAS leave 200 enemy dead in just four weeks. (No longer available online.) December 3, 2014, archived from the original on November 4, 2015 ; accessed on October 24, 2015 .
  21. ↑ Louisa Loveluck and Josie Ensor: US jets in showdown with Russian warplanes over Syria after bombing of Pentagon-backed rebels. Telegraph dated June 20, 2016.
  22. ^ Iain Burns: Ministry of Defense denies Iranian reports British special forces soldiers have been captured after 'infiltrating' into Syria. Mail Online, April 11, 2018.
  23. ^ Mike Blair: Military Unit Responsible at Waco. An elite US Army military unit was responsible for the massacre of 76 Branch Davidians after a 51-day siege by federal officers of their compound at Waco, Tex., In 1993. (No longer available online.) In: The Spotlight. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000 ; accessed on September 3, 2014 .
  24. ^ At Special Air Service (SAS) - Operation Barras - Sierra Leone. on: eliteukforces.info. Accessed August 14, 2008
  25. ↑ More British Special Forces Head For Iraq. In: Elite UK Forces. August 19, 2014, accessed August 20, 2014 .
  26. ^ Sara Elizabeth Williams, Jerome Starkey: British intelligence flights helped retake Mosul dam. In: The Times. August 19, 2014, accessed August 20, 2014 .
  27. ↑ British Special Forces Deploy To Northern Iraq. In: Elite Forces UK. August 13, 2014, accessed August 20, 2014 .
  28. ↑ Chris Hughes: SAS deployed in Iraq: British special forces sent to hunt down Islamist militants. The Daily Mirror understands plans for British special forces to go to northern Iraq have been underway for some weeks but they have only recently been sent. (No longer available online.) In: MIRROR.CO.UK. MGN Ltd, August 8, 2014, archived from the original on August 19, 2014 ; accessed on August 20, 2014 .
  29. ^ The British Special Air Service. Retrieved December 5, 2014 .
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on October 26, 2005 .