Gulf War
The Gulf War started after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq on 2 August 1990. The British Army response to the invasion was Operation Granby, which included A, B and D squadrons 22 Special Air Service Regiment. Which was the largest SAS mobilisation since the Second World War. Initial plans were for the SAS to carry out their traditional raiding role behind the Iraqi lines, and operate ahead of the allied invasion, disrupting lines of communications. The SAS operating from Al Jawf, had since 20 January 1991, been working behind Iraqi lines hunting for Scud missile launchers in the area south of the Amman — Baghdad highway. The patrols working on foot and in landrovers would at times carry out their own attacks, with MILAN missiles on Scud launchers and also set up ambushes for Iraqi convoys,
On 22 January three eight man patrols from B Squadron were inserted behind the lines by a Chinook helicopter. Their mission was to locate Scud launchers and monitor the main supply route. One of the patrols Bravo Two Zero had decided to patrol on foot. The patrol was found by an Iraqi unit and, unable to call for help because they had been issued the wrong radio frequencies, had to try and evade capture by themselves. The team under command of Andy McNab suffered three dead and four captured; only one man, Chris Ryan, managed to escape to Syria. Ryan made SAS history with the "longest escape and evasion by an SAS trooper or any other soldier", covering 100 miles (160 km) more than SAS trooper Hugh Davidson (David) Sillito, had in the Sahara Desert in 1942. The other patrols Bravo One Zero and Bravo Three Zero had opted to use landrovers and take in more equipment returned intact to Saudi Arabia.
By the end of the war four SAS men had been killed and five captured.
Read more about this topic: History Of The Special Air Service
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