As the Panzers of Rommel's Afrika Korps swept the British back into Egypt in 1941, a young commando lieutenant, David Stirling, persuaded his superiors to allow him to set up a special deep-penetration unit which could cause havoc behind enemy lines. Its first mission was a disaster but soon Stirling and the mavericks he had gathered proved that they had a valuable covert role to play.
As the Panzers of Rommel's Afrika Korps swept the British back into Egypt in 1941, a young commando lieutenant, David Stirling, persuaded his superiors to allow him to set up a special deep-penetration unit which could cause havoc behind enemy lines. Its first mission was a disaster but soon Stirling and the mavericks he had gathered proved that they had a valuable covert role to play.
After its initial and near-fatal problems the SAS changed its tactics - using its own heavily-armed jeeps to strike deep behind enemy lines attacking German and Italian airfields and supply lines. By the time the fighting in North Africa ended, the exploits of the unit were fast becoming legend - but it had lost its founder and was again struggling to survive.