Sabre Squadron

by Cameron Spence

In the first week of Operation Desert Storm, four SAS convoys slipped across the Saudi border into Iraq. Their mission was to destroy Saddam's mobile scud missiles. The author of this book recounts in graphic detail the untold story of the SAS convoys. It includes an account of the successful attack on Victor Two, an Iraqi command facility central to Saddam's Scud operations. Owing to intelligence mistakes in Saudi, a handful of SAS soldiers found themselves pitched against a force of 300 Iraqis.

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Biography, War, Military History, History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1997

Reviews

[David Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reviewing the war memoir book Sabre Squadron by Cameron Spence which is a very good book which I bought from a local secondhand bookstore. This is a true story of an SAS mission that occurred during the First Gulf War and was the longest mission ever undertaken by SAS soldiers at 6 weeks. The mission was part of the search for Scud missiles in the wake of Iraq attacking Israel with these in the hope of breaking the Arab part of the coalition which was essential if the armed forces amassed in Saudi Arabia were going to oust Iraq from Kuwait. It was ultimately successful and Israel wasn't drawn into the war but SAS soldiers on the ground in Iraq had to find the mobile Scud sites. The permanent Scud missile sites were taken out quite early on and the Iraqis smuggled the missiles to the sites in buses under the Allied Forces noses. Once they SAS found the sites they often had to use a laser guider to guide the bombs in. In this particular mission they thought they were dealing with 30 soldiers and it was actually more like 300 and one of the land rovers thought a place with barbed wire and concrete structures which are always bad signs was deserted and it turned out they got ambushed and if they had turned around would have been killed so had to slam the vehicle in reverse and make a speedy exit. I think if you enjoy books by Chris Ryan and Andy McNab you will be in your element. It has lots of delicious details about warfare and I think will especially appeal to anyone considering a career in the army or soldiers. I really enjoyed this book and Cameron Spence was a NCO in the SAS who carried out this mission. It rivals books like Bravo Two Zero. It's an enjoyable read and is a decent length at around 400 pages.

[Scottnshana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it; the autobiographical account of SCUD hunting in DESERT STORM has, of course, been done before--controversially--in "BRAVO TWO ZERO" (and Andy McNab moves around on the edges of this narrative, as well, because it's a small community). "Sabre Squadron" reads a lot like accounts of the Long Range Desert Group in World War Two--navigating over the sand for thousands of miles and hide-siting during the days to avoid detection, only in an era with laser target designators, anti-tank missiles, Chinooks, and satellite communications. It is also a testament to good field craft and adapting to being dirty, cold, and fatigued for weeks on end. There are the inevitable pranks and tensions one sees when a bunch of folks are enduring all this together in dangerous conditions, as well as the repeated admonitions to check and re-check small details in performing the mission right. Certainly, maps would have been a nice addition, but the work stands on its own as a good first-person account of the SOF community's effort to take Saddam's SSMs off-line during the fight.

[Pete · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was rather disappointed with this effort. The first 9 chapters are basically filler as the Sabre Squadron doesn't see any action against the enemy during that time. We learn that the unit likes to make a brew of tea as often as possible and the proper procedure for taking a dump in the desert but I had higher expectations. Things improve somewhat over the finally 100 pages but by then it's too late. The author made mention of Andy McNab - and his "Bravo Two Zero" is actually a better account of the same operation.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I liked this one, despite seeing other people's reviews - which goes to show that reviews don't mean much. Apart from this one, this one is great.

So, what is this book about? Well, it's about a team of SAS sent into Iraq during the first Gulf War.

Yes, they're sent in later than other squadrons, yes their mission isn't Bravo Two Zero-esque, nor is their experience not BTZ-esque (lucky for them).

However, it's still a well written, humorous book about their mission in Iraq.

I've certainly read worse war accounts.

[Richard Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A personal insight into SAS operations in Iraq in the lead up to the first Gulf War. An easy read but some knowledge of military jargon helpful, I found the list of military slag at the back of the book after reading it.
There has been some debate about details of the operation and how the author has recalled them, I put this aside and just enjoyed it for what it was. Each person's experience and recollection of the war will have been different even when deployed together.

[Peter McMullan · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you read 'Eye of The Storm' by Peter Ratcliffe DCM, you will discover that not everything written by Cameron Spence is correct. Ratcliff was the SAS RSM who led the action that Spence was involved in.

[Brian Carrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good account of SAS during the Gulf War, behind enemy lines.

[Damien Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and only the first
S.A.S book I have read since the initial release of Bravo Two Zero.
Cameron "Cammy" a.k.a "Crap Hat" kept me turning the page from the start. No real action until well into 280+ pages, but thats the beauty of this book. it's everything else that goes on, and off course the humour of the guys is first class.
The author clearly shows that life in the "Regiment" is not glamorous, but far from it. It's a hard life. would you pull your pants up with a turd still hanging half way out your ass? "its a wind up mate" had me in tears.
Highly Recommend.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very interesting story of the SAS behind Iraqi lines during the Gulf war.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OK, no as good as other book about Iraq that I have read.