Special Air Service
Official Unit Name
22 Special Air Service (SAS) regiment, British Army
Nicknames
The Regiment
22SAS,'
The SAS,
The sass,
Mottos
"Who Dares Wins" (official)
"Speed Aggression Surprise" (unofficial)
Description
Britain's elite counter-terrorism and special projects team.
Readiness
CRW Wing - One troop (half a squadron) on 30 minutes standby; One troop on 2 hours standby.
All other squadrons capable of being deplyed anywhere in the world within 12 hours
Specialisations
Counter-terrorism, Reconnaissance, Counter-Revolutionary Warfare, Explosive Modes of Entry, Special Projects, Training
Headquarters
Credenhill (formerly Stirling Lines),
Hereford
England
Creation date
Reason for creation
Desert raiding force to weaken German operations in North Africa.
The 22 Special Air Service (SAS) regiment is the land based special forces organisation of the British Army and one of the most elite military regiments in the world. Formed in 1941 to conduct raids behind German lines in North Africa, it today serves as a model for similar units fielded by many other countries.
Organisational Structure
In the regular army there is 1 SAS regiment. The 2 other SAS regiments are TA regiments and are not regular troops who have passed the rigourous SAS selection. The other 2 regiments are not considered to be part of the SAS. See 21SAS and 23SAS.
The 6 sections of the SAS are:
- Headquarters, Planning and Intelligence
- Operational research
- Counter-Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) Wing
- Sabre Squadrons
- Training Wing
- 264 SAS Signals Squadron
- Attached troops from units such as Delta Force and the Navy SEALs are also often attached with the SAS for a 2 year tour.
The Sabre Sqaudrons are broken down into:
- A Squadron
- B Squadron
- D Squadron
- G Squadron
Each Squadron is then made up of:
- Air Troop
- Boat Troop
- Mobility Troop
- Mountain Troop
The CRW Wing is made up of one squadron whihc roates every 6/9 months. The squadron is split up into 2 troops:
- Red Troop (Air and Mountain Troops)
- Blue Troop (Boat and Mobility Troops)
Each of the two troops is made up of an assault group and a sniper team.
Selection
SAS selection is held twice a year regardless of conditions. To apply for selection a soldier needs to have been a regular soldier in the army for 3 years or have been in 21SAS or 23SAS for 18 months. All soldiers who apply need a minimum of 39 months left to serve in the army. Selection was created by the SAS CO John Woodhouse in 1952. Selection is the most demanding military selection in the world and has a variable pass rate between 2% and 10%. A soldier who fails SAS selection is RTU'd (Returned to Unit). Soldiers are allowed two attempts at selection, after that they are deemed not good enough to be in the SAS regiment.
- Fitness and Navigation - 4 weeks
The first part of selection is held in the Brecon Beacons and Elan Valley. The weather there can change quickly. A couple of soldiers have died during selection, mainly due to hypothermia or exposure. The actual selection starts with the Standard Battle Fitness test, a 2.5km run in under 13 mins and the same distance run alone in under 11 mins 30 secs. The first week is mostly runs in the neighbourhood, up and down hills with a small load in the Bergen. Lessons in navigation and map reading are included. Navigation runs in small groups in woodland areas and night tabs follow shortly. The load in the bergen gets heavier and an SA80 rifle with no slings has to come along. Soldiers have to keep the rifle in their hands as they climb up the slopes and jog down again. In the third week navigation is alone from grid reference to other points on the map. At each rendezvous point (RVP) the soldiers have to show where he is before the next grid reference is given. The soldier will have no idea up front how long the run is and where he will end up. On the last week every day a race against the clock with each task more punishing as the distances and load of the bergen increases. The Long Drag is the last ultimate test which is about 60km over the mountains under 20 hours time.
- Continuation Training - 4 weeks
There is detailed and realistic training in weapons handling, demolition and small patrol tactics.
- Jungle Training - 6 weeks
Soldiers are divided into patrols of four and are watched over day and night by a Directing Staff (DS). Soldiers must stand to for one hour at dawn and one hour at dusk every day without fail and must also keep their knife with them at all time. After lessons in navigation, boat handling and jungle and contact drills there is a final test where all things that have been learned must be applied correctly.
There is another month of training in survival skills, living ofs the land and using escape and evasion tactics. There are lessons and lectures in interrogation techniques from people who have been POW's. The last few days is the escape and evasion stage, in groups the soldiers are dressed in greatcoats to slow them down and have to evade capture from the Hunter Force which is usually comprised of Para's or Gurkhas. When captured every soldier has to withstand tactical questioning (TQ). The soldiers are blindfolded, put in stess positions, subjected to white noise, dehydrated and not fed. The soldiers are only allowed to respond to questions with:
- Name
- Rank
- Number
- DOB
- 'I'm sorry I cannot answer that questiion'
(In practise soldiers are also allowed to tell their captor their blood type and previous medical history).
After all of that the soldiers may still fail if they give up during TQ. If the soldiers are then accepted into the SAS they become a trooper, losing their previous rank if one was held (such as corporal). Officers do not lose their rank but are only allowed to do a 3 year tour in the SAS. Troopers who leave the SAS or who are RTU'd revert to their original rank (with appropriate promotions for length of service) in the regular army.
Troopers are then on probation for four years before they are fully trained in the SAS.
Specialist training includes:
- A week in a mortuary
- Signals
- HAHO
- HALO (High Altitude Low Opening), a type of parachuting insertion technique;
- Sniping - all SAS snipers are trained by the Royal Marines at the Sniper course at CTCRM (Commando Training Centre Royal Marines)
- Languages
- CRW Training
On completion of SAS parachute training troopers are awarded SAS Wings.
Secrecy
World War Two
The SAS was founded by then Lieutenant David Stirling during World War II. It was originally created to conduct raids and sabotage far behind enemy lines in the desert, and operated in conjunction with the existing Long Range Desert Group (LRDG). Stirling (formerly of No.8 Commando) looked for recruits with rugged individualism and initiative and recruited specialists from Layforce and other units. The name "Special Air Service" was already in use as a deception.
Their first mission, parachuting behind enemy lines in support of General Sir Claude Auchinleck's attack in November 1941, was a disaster. Only 22 out of 62 troopers reached the rendezvous. Stirling still managed to organise another attack against the German airfields at Aqedabia, Site and Agheila, this time transported by the LRDG. They destroyed 61 enemy aircraft without a single casualty. 1st SAS earned regimental status and Stirling's brother Bill began to organise a second regiment, 2 SAS.
During the desert war the SAS performed many successful and daring long range insertion missions and destroyed aircraft and fuel depots. Their success contributed towards Hitler issuing his Kommandobefehl order to execute all captured Commandos. When the Germans stepped up security, the SAS switched to hit-and-run tactics. They used jeeps armed with Vickers K machine guns and used tracer ammunition to ignite fuel and aircraft. They took part in Operation Torch.
Lieutenant David Stirling was captured by the Italians in January 1943 and he spent the rest of the war as a POW in Colditz Castle. His brother Bill Stirling and 'Paddy' Blair Mayne took command of the SAS.
The SAS were used in the invasion of Italy. At the toe of Italy they took the first prisoners of the campaign before heading deeper into Italy. At one point four groups were active deep behind enemy lines laying waste to airfields, attacking convoys and derailing trains. Towards the end of the campaign Italian guerrillas and escaped Russian prisoners were enlisted into an "Allied SAS Battalion" which struck at Kesselring's main lines of communications. In 1945 Major Farran made one of the most effective raids of the war. His force raided the German Fifth Corps headquarters burning the buildings to the ground and killing the General and some of his staff.
Prior to the Normandy Invasion, SAS men were inserted into France as 4-man teams to help maquisards of the French Resistance. In a reversal of their by now customary tactics, they often travelled during the day, when Allied fighter bombers drove enemy traffic off the roads and then ambushed enemy troops moving in convoy under the cover of darkness. In Operation Houndsmith, 144 SAS men parachuted with jeeps and supplies into Dijon, France. During and after D-Day they continued their raids against fuel depots, communications centres and railways. They did suffer casualties—at one stage the Germans executed 24 SAS soldiers and a US Army Air Force pilot. At the end of the war, the SAS hunted down SS and Gestapo officers. By that time the SAS had been expanded to five regiments, including two French and one Belgian.
Post-war: 1940s to 1970s
After the war, the British War Office did not entirely disband the SAS regiments, but the French and Belgians returned to their own countries. The British SAS was no longer a regular army unit but Territorial Army Unit 21SAS still existed. However, in April 1948, the Malay Races Liberation Army began an insurrection which transformed into the Malayan Emergency. Two years later Brigadier Mike Calvert practically re-created the SAS as a commando unit reminiscent of jungle troops like Chindits. Territorial Unit 21 SAS was redeployed from the Korean War and sent to Malaya. Many other members were recruited from the original SAS, other units, Rhodesia, and even army prisons. The intended unit name "Malay Scouts" was scrapped for the reborn SAS.
Training new recruits took time. They learned tracking skills from Iban soldiers from Borneo. They began to patrol in teams of 2 or 4 men. Less than sanitary conditions forced them to learn first aid. They also learned local languages and respect for the local customs and culture. Patrol periods in the jungle were progressively extended to three months. Soldiers unsuitable for jungle warfare were RTU'd. At that stage some troopers were armed with pump-action shotguns. They also earned the respect of some of the indigenes by helping them. By the end of 1955 there were 5 SAS squadrons in Malaya. They stayed in mopping up operations until the end of 1958.
Strings of other missions followed. The SAS fought anti-sultan rebels in Jebel Akhdar, Oman in 1958-1959. They fought Indonesian-supported "guerillas" during the Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak in 1963-1966. They also tried to pacify the situation in Aden in 1964-1967 before the withdrawal of British troops. They fought against another insurrection in Dhofar, Oman in 1970-1977.
Most of these deployments were clandestine. Membership, missions, and the whole existence of SAS became a secret. The SAS's role was expanded to bodyguard training, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism. They also began to work in civilian clothes on missions unless they could use uniforms of some other unit as a ruse. The British Secretary of State for Defence still does not discuss the SAS or its operations.
Counter-terrorism
The SAS's counter-terrorism role began in the 1950s, indeed they were reformed for deployment in the Malayan Emergency against the mainly ethnic Chinese MPABA (Malayan Peoples Anti British Army) led by Chin Peng. However the regular SAS did not obtain special financing to develop this capability until the 1970s.
In Northern Ireland the SAS was involved from the early days in what became known as ‘The Troubles’ which started in 1969. Indeed in the early days of The Troubles they operated openly in uniform wearing the SAS sand coloured beret with the SAS cloth winged dagger cap badge. They were involved in several incidents in which unarmed IRA members (including a woman) were killed, a tactic also used by the IRA on off-duty British soldiers and RUC men. The most notable of these were at Loughgall and Gibraltar. As supposedly the British army was in Northern Ireland to provide support for the Royal Ulster Constabulary, these killings generated some controversy. In 1977, Captain Robert Nairac, an undercover SAS officer, was abducted and beaten to death in Armagh by a low-level IRA operative and his friends who had begun to suspect him after overhearing him in a bar.
In the Northern Ireland Troubles the SAS were given priority in the intelligence pecking order and supplied the most credible or ‘hard’ intelligence. This gave the SAS the all too rare opportunity in a CRO (Counter Revolutionary Operations) campaign to act proactively and aggressively by laying ambushes and placing COPs (Covert Observation Posts). SAS actions were almost always directed against the IRA, with some against the smaller INLA. Many SAS men, although forbidden to follow suspects into the Republic of Ireland, had no compunction about doing so. Some were caught and arrested by Irish police. Controversially, they were never charged with firearms offences, but returned to the British authorities.
Lesser quality intelligence was supplied to infantry COP teams, who because of the tenuous quality of this intelligence were unlikely to get a contact (armed encounter) with the Players (British forces colloquialism for Terrorists), even though these COP teams operated in very similar ways to SAS teams. It was common for SAS trained soldiers to serve with 14 Intelligence Company (known colloquially as 14 Int or often simply as The Det because its members were volunteers who were detached from other units). A specialist unit set up specifically for Northern Ireland, 14 Int is an all arms unit. That means they recruit from all branches of the armed services, including women. They served in The Province in an intelligence gathering role, mainly operating in plain clothes. 14 Int liased closely with the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) Special Branch and other SF (Security Force) formations. The SAS's reputation, or rather mystique, grew to the extent that during the Balcombe Street siege, the IRA surrendered once the SAS deployment was publicised. This was a pragmatic move on their part, given the SAS's penchant for killing unarmed republicans. The regiment were brought sharply to the public's attention during the Iranian embassy siege in London on April 30 1980. The live televising of Operation Nimrod brought the SAS much publicity.
Military operations from the 1980s onwards
During the Falklands War 1982, SAS teams worked, with their SBS counterparts, in many operations before the main force landings at San Carlos and after the landings ahead of the FEBA (Forward Edge of Battle Area- the front line). These included operations in South Georgia, guiding Harrier attacks on Port Stanley airport to destroy Argentine helicopters, and the destruction of 11 Pucará attack aircraft on Pebble Island. During the war the SAS under the commmand of Lt. Col. Mike Rose were the only land formation that had their own satellite communications back to the UK.
In the Gulf War, the SAS's role was similar to their forerunners in World War Two: they deployed deep into Iraqi territory to gather intelligence and destroy mobile Scud missile launchers. They did the job with anything from explosives to jackhammers.
The most famous mission of the war, known as Bravo Two Zero, was popularised by books written by two participants in the mission. Their accounts describe an 8 man SAS patrol cut off deep in Iraq during a scud-busting raid. Discovered by the Iraqis they supposedly fought their way to the border over the distance of 120 miles, killing 250 Iraqi soldiers along the way. 4 were eventually captured having run out of ammunition, 3 were killed in action and one managed to escape to Syria. These accounts have received severe criticism from a former member of the SAS [1].
Allegedly some troopers (officially ex-members of the Regiment) fought in the Vietnam War and helped Mujahedeen in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. There was also official SAS training of Mujahadeen in Scotland in the 1980s, with particular emphasis on shooting down Russian helicopters. Some ex-members have also become mercenaries.
They were also involved in the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. When Taliban and Al-Qaida prisoners tried to escape in Afghanistan, the SAS was reputedly called in. They also rescued two CIA men who were trapped behind enemy lines. Operation Trent employed half the Regiment in a successful attack on a $85million opium storage plant in Helmand province, which doubled as an Al-Qaida local command centre.
The SAS in popular culture
The SAS has since the mid-1970s built up an almost mythical reputation.
It is the prime ingredient for a regular fare of heroic exploits of almost superhuman dimensions in the British tabloid press. This press obsession increased enormously following the dramatic 1980 hostage rescue at the Iranian Embassy siege in London, which was seen live on television.
The enigma, misinformation and myth surrounding the SAS has been exacerbated by government secrecy in all matters related to the Regiment aided by a good deal of government propaganda relating to the SAS, much released in behind the scenes press briefings resulting in press speculation about the Regiment's deployments.
The SAS was greatly popularised among young people all over the world in the extremely popular online game Counter-Strike. The SAS were added as part of the Counter-Terrorism units a player could chose to play as during the game's development.
Adding to all this there is a constant stream of fictional depictions of the SAS Regiment and of former SAS soldiers.
Blurring the line between fiction and fact are a number of supposedly factual accounts which, some allege, are in reality highly dramatised accounts based very loosely on actual events. Perhaps the two most well known examples being two books written under pseudonyms by two ex-SAS soldiers who served together on a patrol into Iraq in the first Gulf war of 1991:
- Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab
- The One That Got Away by Chris Ryan
Both of these works have subsequently been criticised by authoritative sources (including the Regimental Sergeant Major of 22 SAS at the time of the first Gulf war, Peter Ratcliffe DCM) as being highly embellished dramatisations of actual events with only a tenuous relation to reality.
Despite the alleged embellishments, these books sold very well and consequently started a me-too publishing bonanza by ex SAS soldiers cashing in on this clear public appetite. The British government has since moved to prevent this in future by insisting that all who serve with the Regiment sign an agreement not to publish details of their service with the Regiment.
As a result of the plethora of exaggeration, myth and plain falsehood put out as fact in relation to the British SAS and its methods of operation, anything written about the SAS should perhaps be treated with a very healthy dose of skepticism.
There is even the surprisingly common phenomenon of individuals attempting to bask in the reflected glory of the SAS by claiming to have served with the Regiment, when in reality they have had little or even no connection whatsoever with the SAS. This 'wannabe' phenomenon also occurs in relation to other special force units, both British and foreign.
This is all perhaps indicative of aspects of the human condition and psychology and tells us something about the birth of myth and legend.
In 2002 and 2003, BBC Television further exploited the success of the SAS with a series of programmes which showcased ordinary members of the public being subjected to training routines and survival exercises normally undergone by prospective members of the organisation for selection purposes, as well as a documentary featuring former SAS members explaining general combat and survival tactics.
Some written books about the SAS include:
- The Phantom Major by Virginia Cowles (out of print) reconstructs the formation and early years of the SAS from accounts by Stirling and other members of the unit, written in the 1950s.
- SAS: Borneo Story by James Albany (now out of print) semi official account of the SAS in the 1960s conflict with Indonesia
- Eye of the Storm by Peter Ratcliffe DCM, who served with the Regiment for 25 years and became its Regimental Sergeant Major
- SAS Operation Oman by Colonel Tony Jeapes, former SAS Commanding Officer during the Oman campaign of the early to mid 1970s
- Who Dares Wins (The Special Air Service-1950 to the Gulf War) by Tony Geraghty, who has written much about the history of the SAS and its operations clearly with the help of current and ex-SAS members.
- Where Soldiers Fear To Tread by Ranulph Fiennes (out of print) 1975. ISDN 0340147547 A fascinating and often deeply moving personal account of the author's experiences on active service with the SAS in Oman in the late '60s and early '70s.
- He Who Dares (apa Soldier I SAS) by Michael Paul Kennedy (out of print) Autobiographical account of service in the SAS, including accounts of the battle of Mirbat and the author's role in the storming of the Iranian Embassy in London.
SAS Operations
- Amherst April 1945 SAS airborne raid in The Netherlands.
- Archway March 1945 SAS reconnaissance in support of the crossing of the Rhine.
- Baobab January 1944 SAS raid on rail targets serving Anzio Italy.
- Begonia/Jonquil October 1943 SAS rescue of POWs in Italy.
- Bravo One Zero January 1991, Iraq
- Bravo Two Zero January 1991, Iraq
- Bravo Three Zero January 1991, Iraq
- Candytuft October 1943 SAS raid on railroad targets in Italy.
- Canuck January 1945 SAS operation in Northern Italy.
- Chestnut July 1943 SAS raids supporting Sicily invasion.
- Claret June 1964 series of SAS patrols into Indonesia.
- Cold Comfort/Zombie February 1945 failed SAS raid on railroad targets near Verona.
- Colossus February 1941 first airborne raid, raid on Italian aqueduct, origin of the term 'SAS' (but not the organisation).
- Condor May 2002 operation in Afghanistan.
- Defoe July 1944 SAS patrols in Normandy.
- Driftwood 1944 SAS raid of railroad targets in Italy
- Dunhill August 1944 SAS raid in support of the breakout from the Normandy beachhead.
- Flavius March 1988 SAS operation against the IRA in Gibraltar.
- Gaff July 1944 SAS attempt to kill Erwin Rommel.
- Keyhole 1982 operations on South Georgia Island.
- Keystone April 1945 SAS operation near Ijsselmeer.
- Loyton August 1944 SAS operations neas the Belford Gap.
- Narcissus July 1943 SAS capture of lighthouse in Sicily.
- Nelson Planned June 1944 SAS operation in the Orleans Gap.
- Newton August 1944 SAS attacks on German rear areas.
- Nimrod April 1980 SAS rescue of hostages in the Iranian embassy in London.
- Noah August 1944 SAS attack on retreating Germans in Belgium.
- Savannah March 1941 attempt to kill German pilots and aircrew by pre SAS French paratroops.
- Tombola March 1945 major SAS operation around Bologna
Other Special Forces
British - Special Boat Service (SBS)
USA - Delta Force, Navy SEALs, especially Team SIX
Israel - "The Unit" Sayeret Matkal
South Africa - "The Recces" South African Special Forces Brigade
Canada - JTF2 (Joint Task Force 2)
Russia - Spetsnaz
Rhodesia - SAS (disbanded)
References
- Warner, Philip (1983): The SAS. The Official History. Sphere. ISBN 0722189109
- Connor, Ken (1998): Ghost Force - The Secret History of the SAS. London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson. ISBN 0297840800 [unofficial history]
- McNab, Andy (1994) : Bravo Two Zero Corgi Adult . ISBN 0552141275
- McNab, Andy (1996) : Immediate Action Corgi Adult. ISBN 055214276X
- Ryan, Chris (2003): The One That Got Away Arrow. ISBN 0099460157
