OPERATION BITING

THE SUNDAY TIMES 1 BESTSELLER A Times Best History Book of the Year A Waterstones Best Book of the Year Reads like a thriller I couldn t put Max Hastings s new book down DAILY MAIL Hastings is a master of drama a writer intimately familiar with the mind of the soldier THE TIMES Operation Biting was one of the most thrilling British commando raids of World War II and probably the most successful In February 1942 RAF intelligence was baffled by a newly identified radar network on the coast of Nazi occupied Europe codenamed Würzburg The brilliant scientist Dr RV Jones proposed an assault to capture key components The nearest accessible enemy set stood upon a steep cliff at Bruneval in Normandy Winston Churchill enthused as did Lord Louis Mountbatten chief of Combined Operations A company of the newly formed Airborne Forces was committed to the operation which took place on the night of 27 28 February Amid heavy snow 120 men landed some of whom were misdropped almost two miles from their objective They nonetheless launched the assault dismantled the German radar and after three nail biting hours in France and a fierce battle with Wehrmacht defenders escaped in the nick of time by landing craft across stormy seas to Portsmouth Max Hastings recounts