Mission Iran: Special Forces Berlin & Operation Eagle Claw, JTF 1-79

by James Stejskal

On 4 November 1979, “student” supporters of the Ayatollah seized the U.S. Embassy with over 60 hostages. Although the Cold War was in full swing, the Iran hostage crisis was a watershed for the United States. The counterterrorism learning curve, both political and military, would be steep and often deadly.

Detachment A had been established in Berlin early in the Cold War to harass and delay any Soviet military advance west. This Special unit trained relentlessly for every aspect of unconventional warfare, and was later assigned a second mission of counterterrorism. Due to this mix of skills, Det A would be called upon to undertake additional missions, including providing protection to General Al Haig and General Frederick Kroesen following assassination attempts. When American planners were trying to work out how to rescue hostages being held at two sites in the middle of a hostile country, it became apparent that the unit—the only US military dual-capability unit—would be integral to the effort.

The plan for Operation Eagle Claw , as it became known, was extremely complex. The first stage was intelligence gathering—no mean feat as most of the CIA’s capabilities in the country had been eliminated. With operatives trained in intelligence work, fluent in many languages and adept at blending in, Det A took on the advanced recon of the targets. Then, when Delta Force admitted that it could only manage the assault of the Embassy, Det A volunteered to rescue the three Americans at the Foreign Ministry. Meanwhile for security purposes, all existing training and exercise commitments in Berlin would continue with no Teams broken up. This caused some consternation as none of the men wanted to miss out on this mission reminiscent of Son Tay.

Veteran and historian James Stejskal details Det A’s unique and integral role in Operation Eagle Claw , based upon firsthand accounts of the operatives involved.

Table of Contents

Introduction
A Short History of Detachment “A” Berlin (39th SFD)

Part I — Eagle Claw
1. Where it Tehran, November 4, 1979
2. Clem & Scotty
3. The Ground Force Prepares
4. The Second Insert
5. From Egypt to Masirah
6. Desert One to Abort
7. Desert Two & Escape
8. Home Again

Part II — Storm Cloud
1. The New Plan
2. Berlin’s Plan (Revised)
3. FOG
4. Little Birds
5. Florida
6. It’s All Over but the Shouting

Appendices
Bibliography
Index

192 pages, Paperback

Published June 30, 2024

About the author

James Stejskal spent 35 years as a soldier and intelligence officer working in far off places with interesting people, which gives him inspiration for his writing.

As a novelist, he writes 'the Snake Eater Chronicles' tales of Cold War special operations and espionage carried out by an eclectic band of Green Berets.

He also is a military historian and author of "Special Forces Berlin" and "Masters of Mayhem," a study of Lawrence of Arabia and the inception of modern British unconventional warfare, a Military History Matters Silver Medal winner.

Reviews

[Joan Kopczynski]

Stejskal is an excellent historian and this 153-page book about Special Forces Berlin & Operation Eagle Claw, a rescue mission to free the sixty hostages in Tehran, is an extremely well-written, page-turner. He deftly immerses the reader into the story and is one of the best books I’ve read about a military or unconventional operation. I felt as though I was experiencing it along with the men in Detachment “A.” and was amazed at the level of detail in the book about the many men who took part, the planning, preparation and intelligence collection that went into the operation, the weapons and aircraft used, and the various parts of the globe where it took place. Truly a remarkable moment in history. Kudos to Stejskal for getting it through the CIA’s Publication Review Board. I highly recommend it.

[Maresa]

A gripping and sobering account of one of the most complex special operations ever attempted, the author manages to make the technical aspects of the mission feel as high-stakes as a thriller novel. This book does a fantastic job of breaking down the "Swiss cheese effect" of failures—from the haboob sandstorms to the mechanical issues with the RH-53D Sea Stallions—that led to the tragedy at Desert One. It’s a masterclass in military planning, the necessity of joint-force synergy, and a poignant tribute to the eight servicemen who lost their lives. It’s a brutal look at how even the best-laid plans can be derailed by bad luck and bureaucratic friction. It really makes you appreciate how this failure eventually paved the way for the elite special ops units we see today. A must-read for anyone interested in Cold War history or the origins of USSOCOM.

[Richard Berry]

Thoroughly enjoyed this insider account of Army Special Forces planning, tradecraft, and operations to free the American hostages in Iran. Stejskal applies a historian's craftsmanship to bring out the depth of knowledge and the personal stories that only come with living and working in a high-stakes environment. An extra bonus is the inclusion of several personal photographs and interview transcripts providing firsthand accounts from behind the curtain of special operations. Looking forward to reading his Special Forces Berlin to learn more about this little-known slice of Cold War history.

[Clayton Le]

Excellent narrative read of not-well-known (to general public) of SF Berlin Det-A and their involvement in Rice Bowl/Eagle Claw/Honey Badger. Some of the redactions are silly: “SoF” throughout the manuscript — especially since Delta is mentioned specifically by name as such (and “SFOD-D”) in the declassified operational notes featured in the book.

The appendices with interview notes from main players has a lot of redundancy to the narrative, but overall very good background information for the reader. Extensive bibliography.

[Mattster]

The book tells the story before only known as “Det A had the duty to get those at the MFA/Chancellery.”

It also goes into how Det A became a CT asset and told the to me, previously untold story of the plan for the follow on to Eagle Claw.

A teaser about Orange’s founding is in there for those that know what is being hunted.

The only negative comment about the book, there are interviews at the end almost word for word as chapters in the story line of the book.