Margry, Karel The French SAS in Holland

Operation "Amherst", the Last Airborne Operation of WW2

On the night of April 78, 1945, the Allies launched Operation Amherst in the West. In this final airborne operation of the war in Europe, approximately 700 men from the 3rd and 4th French SAS battalionspart of the Special Air Service Brigadeparachuted into northeastern Holland. Their mission was to support the First Canadian Armys advance to the North Sea by sowing maximum confusion behind German lines and securing key road bridges. Because the drop took place from a high altitude amidst strong winds and navigation difficulties, the men were widely scattered and often landed off-target. Nevertheless, the French troops fought with vigor and daring, laying ambushes, attacking headquarters, and seizing bridges. Although they were originally scheduled to be relieved by ground forces within 72 hours, some units had to hold out significantly longer before ground troops reached them. It was not until April 14a full week after the landingthat the last of the men reported back. Amherst was an operation that resulted in heavy casualties for both sides. The two SAS battalions reported a total of 269 enemy soldiers killed, 70 wounded, and 187 captured; however, the actual number of Germans killed was far lower, at around 40. In terms of material damage, they recorded 29 enemy vehicles destroyed or captured and three railway lines severed. Casualties among the French paratroopers themselves amounted to 33 killed, 35 wounded, and 92 missinga total of 160 men, representing a casualty rate of nearly one-quarter of the force. While Allied commanders at the time largely deemed the operation a success, post-war assessments were more critical. This book tells the complete story of this little-known SAS operation. It is an account illustrated by a remarkable collection of rare combat photographs, each paired with a modern-day comparison shotthe format for which "After the Battle" is known.