This month's book vote sees five Raid titles battling for your support. Read the full descriptions and have your say by filling out the form on the Book Vote Page. Plus, check out the results of last month's Fleet Duel (Military).

 

Singeing the King of Spain’s Beard 1587: Francis Drake’s raid on the Armada preparations

Lysanders over France: The RAF’s secret squadrons in the Resistance war

Souda Bay 1941: Italy’s MT explosive motorboats strike the Royal Navy

Operation Dragon Rouge 1964: The paracommando hostage rescue in Stanleyville

Crimea 2022–23: Ukraine strikes back

 

Singeing the King of Spain’s Beard 1587: Francis Drake’s raid on the Armada preparations

As the Spanish built up their fleet for an invasion of England, the privateer Francis Drake led a naval expedition to probe the Armada’s readiness, and if possible to disrupt and attack it. It led to a battle in the Bay of Cádiz which sank dozens of Spanish ships and captured more. It was followed by a series of successful raids along the coast, and the expedition crowned its victory with the capture of a treasure ship on their return voyage.

 

Lysanders over France: The RAF’s secret squadrons in the Resistance war

No 138 Squadron and 161 Squadron were the RAF Special Duties squadrons tasked with supplying, landing, and collecting SOE and other Allied agents in their war alongside the Resistance movements. It was a war of often treacherous flying, relying on precision, self-reliance and judgement. The units flew Whitleys and Halifaxes, and most famously the Lysander STOL aircraft, the specialist at missions to improvised airstrips in the heart of France.

 

Souda Bay 1941: Italy’s MT explosive motorboats strike the Royal Navy

Souda Bay, a natural harbour in Crete, was a busy haven for the Allies in the months before the battle of Crete. On 26 March 1941, Italy’s Xª MAS specialist commandos launched six MT explosive-packed motorboats, designed for such attacks, and armed with a 300kg warhead. The Royal Navy’s heavy cruiser York was sunk, as was a Norwegian tanker. It was the most successful of the MT raids.

 

Operation Dragon Rouge 1964: The paracommando hostage rescue in Stanleyville

During the 1960s Simba Rebellion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, rebels in Stanleyville took hostage the Belgians and Americans in the city. The military response was led by the Belgians and supported by the US, and saw 320 Belgian paracommandos airdropped onto Stanleyville airfield before seizing and evacuating most of the hostages.

 

Crimea 2022–23: Ukraine strikes back

Since the Russian invasion of 2022, occupied Crimea has been a prize target for Ukraine, not least for its military value as the home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The campaign against Crimea has involved some of the most innovative strikes of the war, including the use of sea and air drones and cruise missiles. This book would explain the tactics and weaponry employed to date.

 

Last month, we asked what you would like to see published in our Duel (Military) series. Thank you to everyone who voted and provided feedback. The results gave us a clear winner. Check out the full results below!

 

Roman Warship vs Carthaginian Warship: First Punic War 264–241 BC (21%)

Quinquereme vs Liburna: Roman Warships at Actium, 31 BC (11.4%)

Holy League Warship vs Ottoman Warship: Lepanto 1571 (22.8%)

Russian Warship vs Swedish Warship: Great Northern War 1700–21 (20%)

British Warship vs French Warship: French Revolutionary War 1793–1802 (24.8%)