SBS: The Invisible Raiders

by James Ladd

Shrouded in secrecy, the Special Boats Squadron, the SBS, has always been the subject of much conjecture and speculation. An elite, semi-clandestine yet military body of men, their reputation is as formidable as that of their Army counterpart, the SAS. Now, following the format of the bestselling Who Dares Wins, James Ladd has succeeded in penetrating beyond the mythology to reveal hitherto little-known aspects of Britain’s premier seaborne ‘special force’. He outlines its activity during the Second World War and traces its next movements, when it became part of the Royal Marines, where the author served. They can infiltrate enemy harbours, marine installations and coastlines held by hostile troops. Armed with the most sophisticated weapons and communications systems, their objectives are as carefully defined as a surgeon’s sabotage, kidnap, reconnaissance or, that vital but rarely-recognised contribution to warfare, intelligence gathering. James Ladd was a Royal Marine before he became a journalist and naval historian.

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 15, 2015

Reviews

[RONALD PEYTON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on Kindle eReader. Always have had an interest in small canoes etc. and special camando units. This book was interesting in all the different units that were formed, disbanded, and reformed over the years depending on the equipment that was available at the time and the specific mission. The appendix of abbreviations was extremely helpful, although it was still difficult for me to remember that when reading the book. A map of the various deployments would have been helpful.