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

During the Cold War, two U.S. Army Special Forces detachments were stationed in West Berlin to slow the Soviet Union's advance and buy time for NATO forces to conduct a breakout. The unit, known as Special Forces Berlin, was highly trained and fluent in German and was skilled in clandestine operations, sabotage, and intelligence tradecraft. Their mission was ambitious and dangerous, and they left a legacy of a new type of soldier expert in unconventional warfare. The U.S. government officially acknowledged their existence in 2014.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 01 April 2020
Publisher: Casemate Publishers

During the Cold War, two highly classified U.S. Army Special Forces detachments were stationed far behind the Iron Curtain in West Berlin. The existence and missions of these detachments were top-secret and closely guarded. The Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies posed a significant threat to the nations of Western Europe, and US military planners devised a plan to slow down the potential juggernaut of a war. This plan was known as Special Forces Berlin.

In mid-1956, the first batch of 40 soldiers arrived in Berlin, and they were soon reinforced by another 60 men. These 100 soldiers, along with their successors, were poised to go to war at a moment's notice, in a hostile area occupied by nearly one million Warsaw Pact forces. Their mission, should hostilities commence, was to wreak havoc behind enemy lines and buy time for vastly outnumbered NATO forces to conduct a breakout from the city. In reality, it was an ambitious and extremely dangerous mission, even suicidal.

The soldiers assigned to Special Forces Berlin were highly trained and fluent in German. Each man was allocated a specific area of responsibility, and they were experts in clandestine operations, sabotage, intelligence tradecraft, and independent operation. They were capable of blending into the local population and working unseen in a city that was awash with spies looking for information on their every move.

Special Forces Berlin was a unique unit that had no parallel in the military. It left a legacy of a new type of soldier, one that was skilled in unconventional warfare. These soldiers were sought after for other deployments, including the attempted rescue of American hostages from Tehran in 1979. However, the U.S. government officially acknowledged the existence of Special Forces Berlin only in 2014.

The story of Special Forces Berlin is a remarkable testament to the bravery and ingenuity of the men who served in this unit. Their mission was a dangerous and challenging one, but they succeeded in their mission, and their legacy continues to inspire soldiers today. The existence of these two highly classified detachments behind the Iron Curtain in West Berlin was a secret that remained hidden for decades, but their incredible story is now finally being told.

Weight: 542g
Dimension: 153 x 227 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781612008431