Real X-Men- Heroic Story of the Underwater War 1942-945

Review Heroism, adventure, tragedy, a superman hero and the loathsome Boche. This comprehensive retelling of the story has not lost any of its firepower.--Daily Mail Unbearably tense . . . will make you feel proud to be British.--Daily Express Product Description The thrilling and true story of the development and operational deployment of human torpedoes - 'Chariots' - and 'X-craft' midget submarines in British naval service during WWII, and of the extraordinary men who crewed these dangerous vessels. The commando frogmen who rode the Chariots and operated as divers from the X-craft were the forerunners of today's Special Boat Service, the SBS. Their aim was to attach an explosive charge underneath an enemy ship to destroy the vessel. Their hope was to return to their submarine unscathed. The Real X-Men tells the story of the sacrifice and heroism of the individual men, many of them little more than teenagers, who volunteered for this dangerous duty and who crewed both the Chariots and the X-craft without knowing the full extent of the risks entailed, nor indeed the very small chances they had of coming back alive. Book Description The next piece of thrilling WW2 history from acclaimed author Robert Lyman From the Inside Flap This is the thrilling story of the development and operational deployment of human torpedoes - 'Chariots' - and 'X-craft' midget submarines in British naval service during WWII, and of the extraordinary men who crewed these dangerous vessels. The commando frogmen who rode the Chariots and operated as divers from the X-craft were the forerunners of today's Special Boat Service, the SBS. Their aim was to place explosive charges underneath - or attached to - an enemy ship to destroy the vessel. Their hope was to return to their parent submarine unscathed. The Real X-Men relates the sacrifice and heroism of these men, many of them little more than teenagers. They volunteered without knowing the full extent of the risks entailed, nor indeed the very small chances they had of coming back alive. Yet their bravery played a vital, and secretive, part in Britain's fight to win the war. £20 Price in the UK From the Back Cover [quote to come] Non-fiction/Military History 978 1 78429 993 4 £20 About the Author Robert Lyman is a respected military history specialist and his previous books include The Longest Siege: Tobruk; Slim, Master of War; Operation Suicide and Into the Jaws of Death. He lives in Berkshire, England.