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About this book:
The First Special Service Force was formed with three battalions in July 1942 for special operations in occupied Norway. US and Canadian volunteers were handpicked and trained in parachute, amphibious, ski, mountain, and demolition operations. The force first saw combat in Italy where they distinguished themselves, at heavy cost, in the battles of La Difensa (Dec 1943), Mte Majo (Jan 1944), the Anzio beachhead (Feb–May 1944) and the race to Rome. They fought with a ferocious skill that earned them a fearsome reputation. The Germans named them “Die Schwartze Teuflen” – the Black Devils due to their nightime fighting ability. This book covers this famous, but little explored unit.