Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956–1990 - Hardcover

Stejskal, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 161200444X ISBN 13: 9781612004440

Publisher: Casemate Publishers, 2017

Synopsis

This book relays the history of a little known and highly classified US Army Special Forces Detachment that was stationed in Berlin, Germany from 1956 to 1990. It came into existence in response to the threat posed by the massive armies of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies to the nations of Western Europe. US military planners decided they needed a plan to slow the massive Soviet advance they expected when and if a war began. The plan was Special Forces Berlin. The first 40 men who came to Berlin in mid-1956 were soon reinforced by 60 more and these 100 soldiers (and their successors) would stand ready to go to war in a hostile area occupied by nearly one million Warsaw Pact forces until 1990. If war came, some of these men would stay in Berlin to fight the enemy, while others would cross the most heavily defended border in the world and disappear into the countryside to accomplish their tasks behind Soviet lines. The Detachment were also involved in operations elsewhere, including involvement in the attempted rescue of American hostages from Tehran in 1979. When SF Berlin was disbanded, its files and records were for the most part destroyed or lost. Written by a veteran of the unit, this narrative of the unit s activities is based on the recollections of the men who served in it, coupled with what little declassified, official documentation is available.

About this title

Review:

The reader learns not only the history, but also the individual soldier s motivations and way of thinking. The work leaves nothing to be desired and closes gaps in the history of the Cold War...I recommend this book highly. --(Colonel Friedrich Jeschonnek (German Army Retired), Editor, Hardthöhenkurier)

The Cold War in Europe is an often overlooked part of American military history because it stayed cold. But as this book shows, for the men serving on the front lines next to the Iron Curtain, conflict was always a real possibility that could happen at any time. Their sacrifice and service helped ensure the eventual collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the peaceful reunification of Germany. --(New York Journal of Books)

I strongly recommend this book...this is one of the best examples of applied unconventional warfare in special operations history. --Small Wars Journal.com

From the Publisher:

James Stejskal served for 23 years with Special Forces, including two tours in Berlin, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer 4. He then served 13 years with the CIA as a senior Operations Office (Case Officer) in Africa, Europe and Asia. He is now a military historian and conflict archaeologist. He has previously been published in journals such as the South African Journal of Military Studies and this is his second book.

About this edition

• Publisher: Casemate Publishers
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 161200444X
• ISBN 13: 9781612004440
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336