The Sledge Patrol: A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival, and Victory - Couverture souple

In 1943, a group of brave Danish and Norwegian hunters carried out one of the most dramatic operations of World War II. Using dogsleds to patrol a stark 500-mile stretch of the Greenland coast, their wartime mission was to guard against Nazi interlopers an unlikely scenario given the cruel climate. But one day, a footprint was spotted on desolate Sabine Island, along with other obvious signs of the enemy. Not expecting to find the trouble they did, the three Sledge Patrol members escaped to the nearest hunting hut only to have the Germans pursue them on foot. In the dead of the Arctic night, the men escaped capture at the last instant and, without their coats or sled dogs, walked fifty-six miles to get back to base. While the Sledge Patrol had only hunting rifles, resilience, and their knowledge of outdoor survival, the Germans were armed with machine guns and grenades and greatly outnumbered them. David Howarth skillfully relates the tensely exciting true tale of how the men of the Sledge Patrol fought capture or death in desolation by outwitting and outlasting the enemy. This is a saga of human skill, faith, and endurance and one of the most remarkable Allied victories ever recorded. The Sledge Patrol tells the tale of brave men forced to take desperate measures against a powerful enemy during the dark days of World War II. Perfect for any history or WWII buff. Told by a former British naval officer who experienced the war first-hand.

David Howarth served as a British naval officer during World War II, running the Norwegian-mannered spy ring whose name became the title of his first best-selling book. The author of two dozen majoy works of history, including We Die Alone and The Shetland Bus, also available from The Lyons Press, he died in 1991.