Death Before Dishonour - True Stories of The Special Forces Heroes Who Fight Global Terror

by Nicholas Davies

  Tercio de Armada (TEAR) (A Marines brigade)

  1st Airborne Bandera (Free-fall parachutists)

  Unidades de Operaciones Especiales (UOE) (Three separate forces involved in anti-terrorism, anti-guerilla warfare and commando operations)

  Greece

  Special Forces Directorate

  1 Parachute Regiment

  1 Marine Brigade

  1 Special Operations Command

  1 Ranger Regiment

  Turkey

  1, 2 and 3 Airborne Platoons of the Guards Regiment (All three platoons are battalion-strength commandos, marines and paratroopers)

  1st Commando Brigade (Underwater defence)

  2nd Commando Brigade (Underwater attack)

  3rd Commando Brigade (Long-range amphibious intelligence-gathering and sabotage)

  Israel

  202nd Parachute Regiment (Spearheads every war against Arab nations)

  Sayaret (Deep-penetration raids, anti-commando missions and reconnaissance)

  Golani Brigade (Infantry brigade – Israel’s premier elite unit)

  Parachute Reconnaissance

  Sayaret Matkal (GHQ Reconnaissance, unofficially called Unit 269 –

  special commando force under GHQ Intelligence Corps)

  Israeli Border Guard (Anti-terrorist and special operations)

  Yamam (Counter-terrorist and hostage-rescue unit)

  Yamas (Highly secret unit which conducts undercover operations against Palestinian fighters in the West Bank and Gaza Strip)

  The Naval Commando (13th Flotilla) (Based on Britain’s Special Boat Service)

  Egypt

  A-Saiqa (Lightning) Commandos

  130th Marine Brigade

  182nd Paratrooper Brigade

  Force 777 (counter-terrorist unit)

  Syria

  Al-Wahdat al-Khassa (Special Units – elite forces similar to Britain’s Special Air Service)

  14th Special Forces Division (four regiments)

  Saraya al Difa (paratroopers)

  North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

  Rapid-reaction special forces are available at all times to the Supreme

  Allied Commander Europe

  Immediate-reaction forces are on three-day deployment

  Rapid-reaction forces are on seven-day deployment

  Elite Commando, Paratroop and Special Forces forces from all

  NATO countries

  APPENDIX 2

  SPECIAL FORCES WEAPONS

  Revolvers and Pistols

  Smith & Wesson Model 624

  Made in USA. Double-action personal defence revolver. Operation: manual, single shot only. Calibre: .44. Length: 9.13in. Weight: 36oz. Magazine: six-chamber rotating cylinder. Muzzle velocity: 1470ft/sec.

  FN Browning GP-35

  Made in Belgium. Semi-automatic pistol. Operation: recoil, semi-automatic only. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 7.75in. Weight: 35oz. Barrel: 4.72in. Magazine: thirteen-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1148 ft/sec.

  CZ-85

  Made in Czech Republic. Semi-automatic pistol. Operation: recoil, semi-automatic only. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 8in. Weight: 35oz. Barrel: 4.72in. Magazine: fifteen-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1300 ft/sec.

  Walther P88

  Made in Germany. Semi-automatic pistol. Operation: recoil, semi-automatic only. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 7.13in. Weight: 29oz. Barrel: 3.82in. Magazine: fourteen-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1148 ft/sec.

  Beretta Model 92F Compact

  Made in Italy. Semi-automatic pistol. Operation: recoil, semi-automatic only. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 7.76in. Weight: 32oz. Barrel: 4.29in. Magazine: thirteen-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1280 ft/sec.

  Desert Eagle

  Made in Israel. Semi-automatic pistol. Operation: gas, semi-automatic only. Calibre: 0.357. Cartridge: 0.357 Magnum, rimmed. Length: 10.24 in. Weight: 60oz. Barrel: 5.91in. Magazine: nine-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1430 ft/sec.

  Ruger P95

  Made in USA. Semi-automatic pistol. Operation: recoil, semi-automatic only. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 7.3in. Weight: 27oz. Barrel: 3.9in. Magazine: ten-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1148 ft/sec.

  Glock 17

  Made in Austria. Semi-automatic pistol. Operation: recoil, semi-automatic only. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 7.32in. Weight: 22oz. Barrel: 4.50in. Magazine: seventeen-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1263 ft/sec.

  FN Five-seveN

  Made in Belgium. Semi-automatic pistol. Operation: delayed blowback. Calibre: 5.7mm. Cartridge: 5.7mm x 28mm P90. Length: 8.19in. Weight: 21.8oz. Barrel: 4.82in. Magazine: twenty-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 2133 ft/sec.

  Heckler & Koch USP

  Made in Germany. Semi-automatic pistol. Operation: recoil, semi-automatic only. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 7.64in. Weight: 25.4oz. Barrel: 4.25in. Magazine: fifteen-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1148 ft/sec.

  Shotguns

  Franchi SPAS-12

  Made in Italy. Auto-loading/slide-action shotgun. Operation: gas or manual, single shot only. Calibre: 12-bore. Cartridge: 12mm x 70mm, rimmed. Length: 36.61in. Weight: 9.15lb. Barrel: 18in. Magazine: six-round tube beneath barrel. Muzzle velocity: N/A.

  Mossberg Model 500 Persuader

  Slide-action shotgun. Operation: manual, single shot only. Calibre: 12-bore. Cartridge: 12mm x 70mm, rimmed. Length: 38.5in. Weight: 6.75lb. Barrel: 18.5in, smooth-bore. Magazine: six-round tube beneath barrel. Muzzle velocity: N/A.

  Infantry Rifles

  AK74M

  Made in Russia. Combat rifle; current version of the legendary AK47. Operation: gas, selective fire. Calibre: 5.45mm. Cartridge: 5.45mm x 39mm M74, rimless. Length: 37.64in. Weight: 10.69lb. Barrel: 16.34in. Magazine: thirty-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 2953 ft/sec.

  M16A2

  Made in USA. Combat rifle. Operation: gas, selective fire. Calibre: 5.56mm. Cartridge: 5.56mm x 45mm, rimless. Length: 39.37in. Weight: 7.50lb. Barrel: 20in. Magazine: thirty-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 3110 ft/sec.

  Beretta AR70/90

  Made in Italy. Operation: gas, selective fire. Calibre: 5.56mm. Cartridge: 5.56mm x 45mm, rimless. Length: 39.17in. Weight: 8.69lb. Barrel: 17.72in. Magazine: thirty-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 3052 ft/sec.

  Light Automatic Weapons

  L2A3 Sterling

  Made in Britain. Sub-machine gun. Operation: blowback, automatic or selective fire. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 27.17in. Weight: 6.0lb. Barrel: 7.8in. Magazine: thirty-four-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1280 ft/sec.

  Beretta M12S

  Sub-machine gun. Operation: blowback, selective fire. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 25.40in. Weight: 6.56lb. Barrel: 7.9in. Magazine: twenty-thirty-two-or forty-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1250 ft/sec.

  Heckler & Koch MP5A4

  Sub-machine gun. Operation: delayed blowback, selective fire. Calibre: 9mm. Cartridge: 9mm x 19mm, rimless. Length: 26.77in. Weight: 5.60lb. Barrel: 8.86in. Magazine: fifteen-or thirty-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 1313ft/sec.

  Light Machine Guns

  FN Minimi

  Made in Belgium. Light support weapon. Operation: gas, selective fire. Calibre: 5.56mm. Cartridge: 5.56mm x 45mm, rimless. Length: 40.94in. Weight: 15.06lb. Barrel: 18.35in. Feed: Two hundred-round metal-link belt or thirty-round, detachable. Muzzle velocity: 3035 ft/sec.

  Negev

  Made in Israel. Light support weapon. Operation: gas, selective fire. Calibre: 5.56mm. Cartridge: 5.56mm x 45mm, rimless. Length: 40.16in. Weight: 15.87lb. Barrel: 18.11in. Feed: metal-link belt or detachable box. Rate of fire: 650–850 or 750–950 rnds/min. Muzzle velocity: 3117 ft/sec.

  Colt LMG M16A2

  Made in USA. Light support weapon. Operation: gas, automatic fire only. Calibre: 5.56mm. Cart
ridge: 5.56mm x 45mm, rimless. Length: 39.60in. Weight: 12.75lb. Barrel: 20in. Magazine: thirty-round, detachable. Rate of fire: 600–750 rnds/min. Muzzle velocity: 3250 ft/sec.

  SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Adams, James, The Financing of Terror – Behind the PLO, IRA, Red Brigades and M19 Stand the Paymasters, Simon & Schuster, 1986

  Adkin, Mark, Urgent Fury – The Battle for Grenada, Leo Cooper, 1989

  Arostegui, Martin C., Twilight Warriors – Inside the World’s Special Forces, Bloomsbury Publishing, 1995

  Becker, Jillian, Hitler’s Children – The Story of the Baader-Meinhof Terrorist Gang, Pickwick Books, 1989

  Betser, Colonel Muki, and Rosenberg, Robert, Secret Soldier,

  Simon & Schuster, 1996

  Billiere, General Sir Peter de la, Looking for Trouble – SAS to Gulf Command, HarperCollins, 1994

  Bowden, Mark, Black Hawk Down, Bantam Press, 1999

  Clutterbuck, Richard, Living with Terrorism, Arlington House, 1975

  Darwish, Adel, and Alexander, Gregory, Unholy Babylon – The Secret History of Saddam’s War, Victor Gollancz, 1991

  Follian, John, Jackal – The Secret Wars of Carlos the Jackal, Orion, 1999

  Geraghty, Tony, Who Dares Wins – The Special Air Service 1950 to the Gulf War, Little, Brown, 1992

  Harclerode, Peter, Secret Soldiers, Cassell, 2000

  Harnden, Toby, Bandit Country – The IRA and South Armagh,

  Hodder & Stoughton, 1999

  Hastings, Max, Yoni – Hero of Entebbe, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1979

  Hunter, Robin, True Stories of the Foreign Legion, Virgin, 1997

  Hunter, Robin, True Stories of the SBS, Virgin, 1998

  Jeapes, Major-General Tony, SAS Secret War, HarperCollins, 1996

  Kennedy, Michael Paul, Soldier I SAS, Bloomsbury Publishing, 1990

  Landau, Alan M., and Frieda W., U.S. Special Forces,

  MBI Publishing, 1999

  Lucas, James, Kommando, Arms and Armour Press, 1985

  Neillands, Robin, In The Combat Zone, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1997

  Owen, David Lloyd, Providence Their Guide, Harrap, 1980

  Parker, John, SBS – The Inside Story of the Special Boat Service, Headline, 1997

  Seale, Patrick, Abu Nidal: A Gun for Hire, Random House, 1992

  Seymour, William, British Special Forces, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985

  Sterling, Claire, The Terror Network – The Secret War of International Terrorism, Holt, Rhinehart & Winston, 1981

  Tophoven, Rolf, GSG-9 – German Response to Terrorism,

  Bernard & Graefe Verlag, 1984

  White, Terry, Fighting Skills of the SAS and Special Forces, Century Random Press, 1993

  INDEX

  1st Marine Division (USA) 1

  1st Special Forces Operational Detachment (USA) 1

  2nd Marine Division (USA) 1

  2 Parachute Regiment (Britain) 1

  2 SBS (Britain) 1, 2

  3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines (Britain) 1, 2

  3 SBS (Britain) 1

  6 SBS (Britain) 1

  10th Mountain Division, 75th Ranger Regiment (USA) 1, 2, 3

  22 Marine Amphibious Unit (USA) 1

  25th Infantry Regiment (Argentina) 1

  35th Parachute Brigade (Israel) 1

  42 Commando, SBS (Britain) 1

  55th US Special Forces Group 1

  75th Ranger Regiment (USA) 1, 2

  82nd Airborne Division (USA) 1

  101st Air Assault Division (USA) 1

  A-10 Thunderbolt 11 (‘Warthog’) aircraft 1, 2, 3, 4

  Abwehr (German Counter-Intelligence) 1

  AC-130 Spectre helicopter gunship 1, 2

  Active Service Unit (ASU) 1, 2, 3

  Adam, General Yekuti 1, 2

  Aden 1, 2

  Afghanistan 1, 2 British in 1

  opium trade in 1

  Russians in 1

  Afrika Kompanie (Germany) 1

  Aidid, Mohammed Farah 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Akache, Zohair Yousif 1

  Al Fatah 1

  Al Qatrun 1

  Alameh, Hind 1, 2

  Algeria 1, 2

  American Civil War (1861–5) 1

  Amin, President of Afghanistan 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  Amin, Idi, President of Uganda 1, 2, 3, 4

  AN/PVS-7 night-vision goggles 1

  Angola 1

  Anti-Terrorist Squad 1

  Antrim, HMS 1, 2, 3, 4. 5

  Arabia 1, 2

  Arafat, Yasser 1

  Argentina 1, 2, 3

  Armagh 1

  Auchinleck, Sir Claude John Eyre 1, 2, 3

  Australia 1

  Awale, Mohammed Hassan 1

  Axis 1, 2

  ‘brick’ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Baader, Andreas 1, 2

  Baader-Meinhof Gang 1, 2, 3

  Bahia Paraiso 1

  Bakara Market 1, 2

  Barre, Siad, President of Somalia 1

  BBC 1, 2

  BBE (Bijzondere Bijstands Eenheid) (Netherlands) 1, 2

  Beckwith, Colonel Charles 1, 2, 3

  Beirut 1, 2, 3, 4

  Belfast 1, 2, 3

  Belgium 1, 2

  Belgrano 1

  Beretta pistol 1, 2

  Billiere, Captain Peter de la 1

  Bishop, Maurice 1, 2, 3

  Black Hawk Down 1, 2

  Black Hawk helicopter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

  Black September 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  Blitzkrieg 1, 2, 3

  Boat Troop, SAS 1, 2, 3

  Boeing 707 1, 2

  Boer War (1899–1902) 1

  Boers 1

  Boese, Wilfried 1, 2, 3, 4

  Bonn 1, 2

  Borneo 1

  Bouchiki, Ahmed 1

  Boudia, Mohammed 1

  Bouvier, Antonio Degas 1, 2

  Bowden, Mark 1, 2

  Boyarinov, Colonel 1, 2

  Brandenburgers (Germany) 1 600 Brandenburg Paratroop Battalion 1

  Brilliant, HMS 1

  Britain 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

  British Army 1, 2 Intelligence 1, 2

  British Empire 1

  Browning 9mm pistol 1, 2, 3

  Browning machine gun 1, 2, 3, 4

  Brunei 1

  BTR-60 armoured personnel carrier 1, 2

  BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training programme 1

  Buenos Aires 1, 2

  Burma 1

  Bush, George, President of the United States 1

  Búzo Táctico (Argentina) 1, 2, 3

  ‘Carlos the Jackal’ 1, 2

  Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBRA) 1, 2

  Cairo 1, 2, 3

  Canaris, Wilhelm 1

  Car-15 rifle 1

  Carabinieri 1, 2

  Carley, Commander Norman 1

  Carter, Jimmy, President of the United States 1, 2, 3

  Castries, Colonel de 1

  Castro, Fidel, Prime Minister of Cuba 1

  Central Intelligene Committee 1

  Chad 1, 2, 3, 4

  Chechnya 1

  Chindits 1

  Chinook helicopter 1

  Churchill, Sir Winston 1

  CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

  Cleveland, Staff Sergeant Bill 1

  Clinton, Bill, President of the United States, 1

  Cold War 1

  Colt M16A2 assault rifle 1, 2

  Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC) 1, 2, 3

  Congolese National Liberation Front 1

  Cossacks 1

  CSAR (Combat, Search and Rescue) team 1, 2, 3

  Cuba 1, 2, 3

  Cyprus 1

  Czechoslovakia 1

  Darsh, Dr Sayyed 1

  David, King of Israel 1

  Davies, Staff Sergeant Barry 1, 2

  Delta Force (USA) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in Chad 1

  in Grenada 1

  in Somalia 1

  in
US Embassy siege in Tehran 1

  Democratic Revolutionary Movement for the Liberation of Arabistan (DRMLA) 1

  Dien Bien Phu 1

  Direct Action (Action Directe) 1

  Dozier, Brigadier General James 1, 2, 3

  Draeger rebreathing system 1

  Dudaev, Dzhokar, President of Chechnya 1

  Dunkirk 1, 2

  Durant, Chief Warrant Officer Mike 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  East Africa 1

  East Tyrone Brigade (Provisional IRA) 1

  EC-130 transport plane 1, 2

  Egypt 1, 2, 3, 4

  Eighth Army (Britain) 1, 2

  El Alamein 1

  Elgin Air Force Base 1

  Endurance, HMS 1, 2

  Entebbe 1, 2, 3, 4

  ETA (Euzkadi ta Azkatasuna: Basque Nation and Liberty) 1

  Eversmann, Staff Sergeant Matt 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  F-104 Starfighter fighter aircraft 1

  Falkland Islands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 East Falkland 1

  Governor-General of 1, 2, 3

  Pebble Island 1, 2

  West Falkland 1

  Falklands War (1982) 1

  Farrell, Maraid 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  FBI 1

  FN rifle 1

  Foreign Office 1, 2, 3

  Fort Benning 1, 2

  Fort Rupert 1, 2

  France 1, 2, 3, 4