Kill Rommel! Operation Flipper 1941 Book Review
By Rachel E. Veres
| Date of Review | May 2014 | Title | Kill Rommel! Operation Flipper 1941 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Gavin Mortimer | Publisher | Osprey Publishing |
| Published | 2014 | ISBN | 9781472801098 |
| Format | 80 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $18.95 |
Review
Sutitled "Operation Flipper 1941", Osprey's Kill Rommel! examines Britain's disastrous attempt to kill or capture Afrika Korps Commander Generalfeldmarshall Erwin Rommel in November 1941.
Following a concise introduction, origins and planning of Operation Flipper consume most of the book's first half. Sections ably course through the training, preparation and departure of the British Commandos.
The ill-fated raid dominates the second half. Practically doomed from the beginning with surprise storms, faulty intelligence – British forces attacked an ordinary German headquarters, not Rommel's villa – and bad luck, only three men escaped capture or death. As Gavin Mortimer notes, although a catastrophic failure, the raid provided crucial lessons particularly for the fledgling SAS.
Photos, maps and artwork capturing the raid's events augment this useful publication. An analysis (including a translated Italian report), aftermath, bibliography and index complete contents.
Recommended.
My sincere thanks to Osprey Publishing for this review sample!