SAS Shadow Raiders: the ultra-secret mission that changed the course of WWII

The Special Air Service - SAS - in Britain was established in 1941 to go into enemy territory on special missions. SAS Shadow Rangers by Damien Lewis looks at the first operations of SAS. The first excursion into Italy was not a success but in 1942 when the British were sent a photograph of a radar unit on a beach in France it was decided to stage a raid to capture the radar equipment.

Groups of paratroopers landed near Bruneval and then proceeded to secure the beach from the Germans stationed there. One team of paratroopers dismantled the radar and packed it into carts to transport the equipment to the sea where boats were waiting to collect the soldiers and equipment to return to England. Unfortunately all did not go to plan but the English scientists and engineers did eventually receive the equipment enabling them to become aware of how the Germans were using radar. The expedition was declared a success.

Information learned about the construction of the German radar unit assisted the TRE staff in Malvern in their work on projects to improve radar surveillance of the coast warning of approaching enemy aircraft. They were also creating radar units for use in aircraft to alert them of approaching enemy planes and also to assist in navigation, especially when on bombing raids. The author also discusses the implementation of Windows, a system to confuse enemy radar.

SAS Shadow Raiders by Damien Lewis is an informative book about this important mission during the Second World War told from the viewpoint of the many men involved in this courageous and dangerous undertaking.