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Operation Basalt: The Complete History of the British Commando Raid on Sark: The Small Scale Raiding Force, German Occupation, and Hitler's Commando O
Paperback
Series: Operations of History, Book 5
General Military HistoryBritish HistoryWorld War II
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Sep 6 2026
Pages: 120
Weight: 0.38
Height: 0.25 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Includes mini historical photographs that bring the people, places, and atmosphere of Operation Basalt closer to the reader.
On the night of October 3-4, 1942, twelve British commandos crossed the English Channel toward the German-occupied island of Sark. Their mission was small, dangerous, and precise: enter enemy territory, gather intelligence, capture German soldiers, and return before the island could fully react.
What followed became one of the most unusual British commando raids of the Second World War.
Operation Basalt tells the complete story of the raid in a flowing, accessible, and engaging style, from the German occupation of the Channel Islands and the creation of the Small Scale Raiding Force to the difficult landing at the Hog's Back, the encounter with Frances Pittard, the action at Dixcart, and the controversial fate of the captured German soldiers.
Along the way, the book explores the men behind the mission, including Geoffrey Appleyard and Anders Lassen, the role of MTB 344, the intelligence value of prisoner capture, and the complicated relationship between Basalt and Hitler's later Commando Order.
Rather than turning the raid into a simple adventure story, this book also examines the uncertainty, civilian consequences, and conflicting accounts that still surround parts of the operation.
If you enjoy overlooked Second World War operations, British commandos, special forces history, the Channel Islands under occupation, and carefully reconstructed military history, Operation Basalt offers a focused look at one remarkable night on Sark-and the much larger story surrounding it.
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