Operation Agreement: Jewish Commandos and the Raid on Tobruk

The Special Interrogation Group (SIG)was the most exceptional of Special Forces. Created to raid behind enemy lines, posing as German troops, the SIG was largely made up of German Jews who were all too aware of the dangers they faced--capture meant either death or deportation to a concentration camp. In 1942, Operation Agreement saw the SIG tasked with taking part in a raid on Tobruk, where they were to make up the land-based element of the attack. Disguised as POWs under “escort” by German SIGs, the group covered close to 1,700 miles of desert to reach their target. The ruse worked perfectly and SIG went on to destroy a number of coastal guns before eventually being overwhelmed by Axis forces. This is the history of the SIG, revealing startling details about the group, and moving insights into the men, many of whom were Jewish volunteers who were putting their lives on the line to fight against the evils of fascism in Europe.