Ian McPhedran is the author of The Amazing SAS and other books, and he knows a lot about special forces. His new book centres on the little Japanese-built fishing trawler called the Krait that was at the centre of one of WW2’s most audacious and successful Allied commando raids. In 1943 she carried 14 operatives from the top-secret “Z” Special Unit from Australia to Japanese occupied Singapore and back again. While there, they destroyed 30,00 tonnes of enemy shipping. In August 1945 The Krait, in the company of HMAS Bundaberg, attended the formal surrender of the Japanese forces to General Blamey at Ambon – a fitting tribute. After the war the Krait was used by smugglers, and then as a work boat, and now it’s in the hands of the Australian War Memorial. A great story of a feisty little boat and lots of derring do.
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