Iron Fist From The Sea South Africas Seaborne Raiders 19781988 Arn Sderlund Douw Steyn by Arnè Söderlund & Douw Steyn 9781910777466, 1910777463, B00ZGOZI2A instant download after payment.

This seminal work documents the clandestine seaborne operations undertaken by SouthAfrica’s 4 Reconnaissance Commando Regiment. It breathtakingly reveals the versatilityand effectiveness of this elite unit which worked with a range of other South African and Rhodesian forces, including the Rhodesian SAS, to engage in a range of raiding and warfighting activities. These operations saw the clandestine reconnaissance of harbours, thesinking of enemy shipping and the destruction of shore installations in Angola and Mozambique. Just some of the tasks undertaken by this extraordinary maritime capabilitywhich totalled no more than 45 operators, both black and white!
With unparalleled access to previously secret material, the authors, both of whomworked to develop 4 Recce’s operating capabilities, trace the origins of the Regiment backto the 1970’s when the South Africans determined the need for a maritime force projection capability. They relate how maritime doctrine was developed within South Africa’s wider Special Forces capability and how joint operational approaches were configured with the South African Navy. This saw the development of a range of swimmer, reconnaissance, diving and boat operator training courses, along with the design of specialist raiding craftand amphibious assault platforms, which were originated to operate from the Navy’s existing ships and submarines, all of which demonstrated the immense potential of this newly emergent force and the resourcefulness of its individual operators. Required to successfully complete a gruelling selection process, the operators of 4 Recce were relentlessly tested to prove their physical and mental mettle, not to mention their leadership skills and initiative.
Steyn and Söderlund’s chronological analysis of the operations undertaken by 4 Recceand the South African Navy is stunning to behold. They impartially detail the secret andspecialised actions which saw both success and failure. From Cabinda on the West Coast
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