Special Boat Service
Emblem and Motto of the SBS
Active	1941-
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Marines
Type	Naval Special Forces
Role	Special operations/Maritime Counter Terrorism
Size	One Regiment
Part of	UK Special Forces
Garrison/HQ	Poole
Motto	By strength and guile
Commanders
Captain-General	HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (Captain-General, Royal Marines)

The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the British Royal Navy's special forces unit. The service's motto is "By Strength and Guile". It forms part of the United Kingdom Special Forces, alongside the Special Air Service (SAS), Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), and Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). Image File history File links SBS_badge. ... Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys Light Infantry, the United Kingdoms amphibious force and specialists in Arctic and Mountain Warfare. ... For other uses of the term, see Special forces (disambiguation). ... The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is an umbrella directorate overseeing the Special Forces units of the British Armed Forces. ... Poole is a coastal town, port and tourist destination, situated on the shores of the English Channel, in the ceremonial county of Dorset in southern England. ... HRH The Duke of Edinburgh His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Philip Mountbatten), styled HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (born June 10, 1921), is the consort of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... For other uses of the term, see Special forces (disambiguation). ... The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is an umbrella directorate overseeing the Special Forces units of the British Armed Forces. ... The Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. ... The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) is a Special Forces Regiment of the British Armed Forces, which conducts special reconnaissance, predominantly, but not exclusively, in a Counter-Terrorism posture. ... The Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) is a unit of the United Kingdom Special Forces. ...

The SBS is an independent unit of the Royal Marines and is based with 1 Assault Group Royal Marines and the British Army's 148 Commando Forward Observation Battery in Royal Marines Poole, in Poole, Dorset. Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys Light Infantry, the United Kingdoms amphibious force and specialists in Arctic and Mountain Warfare. ... 1 Assault Group Royal Marines (1AGRM) provides the Royal Marines expertise in small boat operations in support of littoral operations, both amphibious and riverine activities[1]. It is based at Royal Marines Poole in Dorset and comprises a number of individual squadrons[2]. 4 Assualt Squadron RM providing landing craft... The 148 (Meiktila) Commando Forward Observation Battery is an elite, highly trained Naval Gunfire Support Forward Observation (NGSFO) unit within 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery. ... Poole is a coastal town, port and tourist destination, situated on the shores of the English Channel, in the ceremonial county of Dorset in southern England. ... Dorset (pronounced DOR-sit or [dɔ.sət], and sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the south-west of England, on the English Channel coast. ...

Role

The roles of the Special Boat Service are predominantly focused on, but not restricted to, the littoral and riverine domains, including: A littoral is the region near the shoreline of a body of fresh or salt water. ... Categories: Geographical term stubs ...

• Coastal reconnaissance.
• Covert beach reconnaissance (Hydrographic survey) in advance of amphibious assault.
• Covert assault route preparation in advance of amphibious assault.
• Recovery or protection of ships and oil installations subject to hostile state or non-state (terrorist) action.
• Maritime Counter-Terrorism
• Support to Police and customs
• Reconnaissance and target indication in the deep battlespace
• Assault on verified targets
• Personal protection of VIPs

Units of the SBS may be allocated to 3 Commando Brigade, by DSF, as the special forces element of that formation. Natural gas drilling rig A drilling rig or oil rig is a structure housing equipment used to drill for and extract oil or natural gas from underground reservoirs. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... Her Majestys Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is a non-ministerial department of the British Government primarily responsible for the collection of taxes, some forms of state support, and import controls. ... 3 Commando Brigade is the main manoeuvre force of the British Royal Marines. ...

Organisation

The SBS is thought to have a complement of around 100 "Swimmer Canoeists" at any one time. These are split into four operational squadrons and the training wing which conducts selection and continuation training.

• C and X squadrons rotate through three specialist roles.
• M squadron is the Maritime Counter-Terrorism and shipboard operations unit. Within M-Squadron is the Black Group, the counter-terrorism team that uses helicopter-borne assaults.
• Z squadron takes care of small watercraft and minisub insertions.

Personnel have previously been required to return to the main Commando force after the first three year tour, potentially returning again after a short period, it is thought that this requirement has been relaxed with some personnel remaining with the service as required.^{[citation needed]} Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ...

Selection

Main article: United Kingdom Special Forces Selection

To be eligible for SBS selection, a candidate must have at least two years regular service. Formerly candidates were from the Royal Marines or the Royal Navy, but now volunteers are taken from any arm of the services. In order to qualify as a Swimmer Canoeist, Candidates must first undergo Special Forces Selection with the SAS before continuing to SBS selection. United Kingdom Special Forces Selection is the selection and training process for members of the United Kingdoms three Special Forces formations; Special Air Service, Special Boat Service and Special Reconnaissance Regiment. ... The armed forces of the United Kingdom are known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majestys Armed Forces, sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown[2]. Their Commander-in-Chief is the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II and they are managed by the Defence Council of the... United Kingdom Special Forces Selection is the selection and training process for members of the United Kingdoms three Special Forces formations; Special Air Service, Special Boat Service and Special Reconnaissance Regiment. ...

There is also an SBS Reserve (SBS(R)), and candidates must have previous military experience or have served at least two years in the Royal Marines Reserve before attending a Specialist course and gaining the specialist qualification of swimmer canoeist. SBS(R) provides individual reservists to serve with the regular SBS rather than forming independent teams. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Training

Qualification as an SBS Swimmer Canoeist involves an extensive training course, building on the skills gained during SF Selection at Hereford. Training includes: Statistics Population: 50,154 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO515405 Administration District: Herefordshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Herefordshire Historic county: Herefordshire Services Police force: West Mercia Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: West Midlands Post office and telephone Post town: HEREFORD Postal...

• Diving both closed and open circuit - candidates swim underwater for miles in poor visibility completing complex navigational tasks and employment exercises
• Parachuting static line
• Demolition
• Infiltration of ships, in harbour and whilst under way, and oil platforms
• Canoeing - Use of the Klepper canoe during selection is extensive
• Further survival training in the wilds of Scotland
• Beach reconnaissance including photography
• Maritime Counter-Terrorism activities

Those who pass the selection course qualify as a Swimmer Canoeist (SC3) and are then probationers, advancement to Corporal and Sergeant are predicated on qualification as an SC2 and SC1 respectively. Advancement to Sergeant also requires completion of the Senior Command Course at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, mandatory for all Royal Marines at this stage. Scuba divers exploring fish and coral. ... Skydiver about to land Parachuting, or skydiving, is an activity involving the breaking of a free-fall from a height using a parachute. ... Demolition of the Old Myer Building, Perth, Western Australia. ... Canoeing is the recreational or sporting activity of paddling a canoe or kayak. ... A folding kayak is a direct descendant of the original Inuit kayak made of animal skins stretched over frames made from wood and bones. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... Cameron Frost is a good photographer! Photography is the process of making pictures by means of capturing light on a film. ... The Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) is the principal military training centre for the Royal Marines. ...

On qualification marines of the SBS wear the branch badge on the left cuff of lovat green and blue uniform jackets, the letters SC over a wreath, Officers wear no branch designators. On qualification as an advanced parachutist, personnel are awarded the SBS variant of special forces parachute wings, worn on the shoulder of the right sleeve. Marines continue to wear the commandos green beret. Skydiver about to land Parachuting, or skydiving, is a recreational activity, competitive sport and method of deployment of military personnel (and occasionally, firefighters). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Former members

SBS veterans include:-

• Politician Paddy Ashdown, former leader of the Liberal Democrat political party.
• Earl Jellicoe. Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords, 1970-1973.

Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon GCMG KBE PC (born 27 February 1941), commonly known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician native of British India. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... George Patrick John Rushworth Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, KBE, DSO, MC, PC (born April 4, 1918), is the longest serving member of the House of Lords, having succeeded his father as Earl Jellicoe in 1935 and come of age and taken his seat in 1939. ...

History

• 1941: The Special Air Service was formed in World War II during the north African conflict. The SAS later formed a unit comprising eight-man sections of divers and canoeists to reconnoitre enemy fortifications from land or sea, raid enemy ports, and conduct sabotage operations against merchant shipping. Originally this unit was named the Special Boat Section to fool German radio operators listening in on British military communications. It was assumed that Wehrmacht operators would have little interest in a "Special Boat Section" when there was so much else going on.
• 1942 April: The British Royal Navy formed a frogman and manned torpedo unit called "Experimental Submarine Flotilla": see British commando frogmen for more about them and their deeds in 1942 to 1945.
• 1946: The SBS became part of the Royal Marines. It became part of the School of Combined Operations under the command of Blondie Hasler.
• 1951: Another two squadrons were formed from British troops in West Germany.
• Two volunteer squadrons were later added. Their first missions were in Palestine (ordnance removal) and in Haifa (limpet mine removal from ships).
• 1950–1953: In the Korean War the SBS were in action along the North Korean coast. They gathered intelligence and destroyed railways and installations. The SBS operated first from submarines, and later from islands off Wonsan, behind enemy lines. They used two-man canoes and motorised inflatable boats.
• 1952: SBS teams were held at combat readiness in Egypt in case Gamal Abdal Nasser's coup turned more violent than it did.
• 1956: The SBS were alerted during the Suez Crisis, but did not see action.
• 1959 September: The SBS were alerted during a coup against king Idris I of Libya, but did not see action. Similar situations followed.
• 1961: SBS teams carried out reconnaissance missions during the Indonesian Confrontation.
• 1961: The SBS primarily gathered intelligence and trained other special forces during the Vietnam War.
• 1961: Iraq threatened to invade Kuwait for the first time, so the SBS put a detachment at Bahrain.
• later: The SBS was stationed in Gibraltar, where they gathered intelligence in case Franco's Spain decided to invade.
• The SBS were involved in anti-drug operations in the Caribbean.
• 1972: The SAS and SBS came into the spotlight for a moment during their involvement with a bomb threat (which later proved to be a hoax) onboard the Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth II, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
• 1977: The SBS changed its name to Special Boat Squadron.
• 1979: 5 SBS became part of the Comacchio Company, which protected North Sea oil rigs.
• 1980: SBS members played a part in the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege.
• 1982 March-June: In the Falklands War, 2 SBS took part in the liberation of South Georgia and 6 SBS reconnoitered in East Falkland. Their only losses were to friendly fire from the SAS.
• 1987: The SBS became part of the UK Special Forces group alongside the Special Air Service and 14 Intelligence Company.
• 1987: The SBS changed its name to Special Boat Service and was brought under the command of the Director of Special Forces.
• 1991: During the Gulf War, the SBS made raids on the Kuwaiti coast to draw Iraqi troops away from the land attack. The liberation of the British embassy in Kuwait was one of their most high-profile operations.
• 1999 or later: The SBS were involved in operations in East Timor.
• 2001 October: The SBS took part in the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, where they secured Bagram Airbase.
• 2003: The SBS took part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
• 2005 March 14: The commanding officer of the SBS, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Van Der Horst^[1], was killed in a training accident in Norway.
• 2006 June 27: Captain David Patten PARA and Sergeant Paul Bartlett, Royal Marines, were killed and another serviceman seriously injured in a Taliban ambush in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan^[2]. It was reported by some sources that the ambushed vehicle was part of an SBS patrol and further sources reported that it was a special forces patrol^[3].

Throughout the Cold War, the SBS was organised to perform a "conventional " special forces role for the 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. However, in recent decades the SBS's role has become more and more devoted to counter-terrorist operations. The Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. ... Combatants Allied Powers: United Kingdom France Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Axis Powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Charles de Gaulle Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33... A wood-and-canvas canoe evokes the heritage of canoeing in North America A canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, but also commonly sailed. ... Wehrmacht troops of the Heer (military land forces) marching at a military parade in honour of the 50th birthday of Adolf Hitler, on April 20, 1939. ... // This page describes a type of scuba diver. ... CGI image of two frogmen with Siebe Gorman CDBA rebreathers riding a human torpedo. ... Britains commando frogman force is now the SBS, which is part of the Royal Marines. ... Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys Light Infantry, the United Kingdoms amphibious force and specialists in Arctic and Mountain Warfare. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Lt. ... Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A naval mine is a stationary self-contained explosive device placed in water, to destroy ships and/or submarines. ... Combatants United Nations: Republic of Korea  Australia  Belgium Canada  Colombia Ethiopia  France Greece  Netherlands  New Zealand  Philippines South Africa  Thailand  Turkey  United Kingdom United States Medical staff:  Denmark  India  Italy  Norway  Sweden Communist states: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea People’s Republic of China  Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia... German UC-1 class World War I submarine A model of Günther Priens Unterseeboot 47 (U-47), German WWII Type VII diesel-electric hunter Typhoon class nuclear ballistic missile submarine USS Virginia, a Virginia-class nuclear attack (SSN) submarine A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate... Wonsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. ... Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: جمال عبد الناصر) Gamal Abdel Nasser (January 15, 1918 - September 28, 1970) was the second President of Egypt after Muhammad Naguib and is considered one of the most important Arab leaders in history. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... Combatants Israel United Kingdom France Egypt Commanders Moshe Dayan Charles Keightley Pierre Barjot Gamal Abdel Nasser Strength 175,000 Israeli 45,000 British 34,000 French 300,000 Casualties 197 Israeli KIA 56 British KIA 91 British WIA 10 French KIA 43 French WIA 650 KIA 2,900 WIA 2... Idris I (Arabic: إدريس الأول) (March 12, 1890 - May 25, 1983) was the first King of Libya, reigning from 1951 to 1969. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... The Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation was an intermittent war over the future of the island of Borneo, between British-backed Malaysia and Indonesia in 1962-1966. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Francisco Yannick Kneusje Tengo Angel Fernandez Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo (4 December 1892 – 20 November or possibly 19 November[1] 1975), abbreviated “Francisco Franco y Bahamonde” and commonly known as “Generalísimo Francisco Franco” (pron. ... West Indian redirects here. ... The Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. ... Cunard may refer to: Samuel Cunard (1787–1865), British shipping magnate. ... The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth. ... The Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines (FPGRM), formerly Comacchio Company Royal Marines (1980-1983) and Comacchio Group Royal Marines (1983-2001), is a specialist unit of the Royal Marines responsible for the guarding and protection of the United Kingdoms nuclear deterrent and other security-related duties. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... Natural gas drilling rig A drilling rig or oil rig is a structure housing equipment used to drill for and extract oil or natural gas from underground reservoirs. ... The Iranian Embassy Siege of 1980 was a terrorist siege of the Iranian Embassy in London, United Kingdom. ... Combatants United Kingdom Argentina Casualties 258 killed [3] 777 wounded 59 taken prisoner 649 killed 1,068 wounded 11,313 taken prisoner The Falklands War (Spanish: ) was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. ... South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, also claimed by Argentina. ... East Falkland (beige) shown within Falkland Islands East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, has an area of 6,605 square kilometres. ... For other uses, see Friendly Fire (disambiguation). ... The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is an umbrella directorate overseeing the Special Forces units of the British Armed Forces. ... The Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. ... 14 Intelligence Company is or was a UK special forces unit, operating in Northern Ireland from the 1970s onwards. ... The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is an umbrella directorate overseeing the Special Forces units of the British Armed Forces. ... Combatants UN Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf Saddam Hussein Strength 883,863 360,000 Casualties 378 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 dead, 75,000 wounded The Gulf War (2 August 1990 – 28 February 1991) was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of approximately 30 nations... Combatants al-Qaeda, Taliban Northern Alliance, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, Italy, Germany Commanders Mohammed Omar Osama bin Laden Tommy Franks Mohammed Fahim Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} The United States invasion of Afghanistan occurred in October 2001, in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on... Bagram Air Base is located near Charikar in Parvan, Afghanistan. ... Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ... March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ... In military organizations, the commanding officer (CO) is the officer in command of a military unit. ... Lieutenant Colonel (Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grades spelling) is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine corps and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a Major and below a Colonel. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... The Parachute Regiments display team, the Red Devils at an American airshow The Parachute Regiment is the main body of elite airborne troops of the British Army. ... Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys Light Infantry, the United Kingdoms amphibious force and specialists in Arctic and Mountain Warfare. ... Flag flown by the Taliban. ... Helmand province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... The Cold War was the period of conflict, tension and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies from the mid 1940s until the early 1990s. ... 3 Commando Brigade is the main manoeuvre force of the British Royal Marines. ...

References

1. ^ Sky News, SBS Chief Killed on Excercise in Norway. Retrieved 05 October 2006.
2. ^ Captain David Patten And Sergeant Paul Bartlett Killed In Afghanistan On 27 June 2006.
3. ^ Killed NI soldier 'was due home' On the trail of Taliban: As two SBS soldiers die in Afghanistan, we visit British troops charged with keeping the peace ... and fighting a resolute enemy.

See also

• United Kingdom Special Forces
• British Commandos

The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is an umbrella directorate overseeing the Special Forces units of the British Armed Forces. ... The British Commandos were first formed by the Army in June 1940 during World War II as a well-armed but unregimented raider force employing unconventional and irregular tactics to assault, disrupt and reconnoitre the enemy in mainland Europe and Scandinavia. ...

External links