--- title: "The reason the British military formed the Special Air Service" date: "2019-01-28" modified: "2020-10-22" authors: - name: "Logan Nye" job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/logan-nye/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/the-reason-the-british-military-formed-the-special-air-service/" categories: - "History" - "War History" - "World War II" --- # The reason the British military formed the Special Air Service ![]() In World War II, the British needed a special group of men to tip the scales in North Africa and they came up with the Special Air Service. --- The SAS, originally put together as L Detachment of the Special Air Services Brigade in an effort to mislead the Germans and Italians as to the size of the unit, was tasked with conducting desert raids behind enemy lines. ![]() *An SAS jeep manned by Sgt. Schofield and Trooper Jeavons of 1st SAS near Geilenkirchen, Germany, on November 18, 1944. (Photo: British Army Sgt. Hewitt)* The paratroopers of the SAS failed in their first mission but were stunningly successful in their second when they destroyed 60 enemy aircraft on the ground with no casualties. As the unit continued to rack up victories, they were given more daring missions and better equipment. One team was [even tasked with assassinating German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel]() in France but was unable to reach him before he was injured and evacuated in an unrelated incident. The SAS history is clearly and quickly laid out in this video from Simple History. Check it out below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHR_X_JYorU ## Author Logan was an Army journalist and paratrooper in the 82nd. Now, he's a freelance writer covering military history, culture, and technology. He has two upcoming podcasts and a Twitch channel focused on basic military literacy. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Facebook]()