"During World War II, Combined Operations and the Special Operations Executive (SOE) were briefed with planning and carrying out countless daring raids, acts of sabotage, and strike missions, many of which were kept shrouded in secrecy until well after the war. From the famous 'Dambusters' raid on the dams of the Ruhr to the brazen kidnap of General Kreipe by two British SOE agents in 1944, these operations served a variety of functions, disrupting the enemy through industrial sabotage, destroying key assets like the battleship Tirpitz, eliminating key leaders such as Reinhard Heydrich, or simply causing distraction and embarrassment to the Axis forces. Using hundreds of rare documents and images from The National Archives, including some that have never before been seen in print, this book reveals the stories of some of the most inventive and bold military missions ever taken."--Back cover.