A compelling story and unique documentary for readers of local Australian history, military operations and Kayaking, this is about the amazing success of Australia’s wartime top secret commando folboats and their crew. In parts, it reads like a good novel but is 100% factual. The craft had been developed from pre-war sports kayaks proven in raging white waters of Switzerland. At the start of the Pacific War, the military version was tested by Australia’s Z Special Force Command off the Queensland coast and in New Guinea. Two were rushed to a secret camp to train commandos for Operation JAYWICK. Those same commandos later paddled in compete darkness to sink 7 enemy ships in Singapore Harbour in 1943.

Every paddle stroke is there. Accounts from actual top brass personalities include the use folboats in surf conditions and Australian Commandos’ perfection of the deployment and recovery from submarines in 1972. 87,500 words, 77 illustrations including graphic images of the sports and military versions, full A4 pages of the original folboat plans plus copies of formerly top-secret National and private archived documents tell the story.

The Australian MKIII was highly regarded, having the longest run of any military folboat during WWII. A total of 1024 were ordered by the Defence Department, vastly outnumbering those brought in and used from overseas – a fact that was not generally known until now. One of the very first of these original military MKIII folboats will be on display at the Australian War Museum soon.

The book includes 33 of accounts of over 36 Special Operations in the Pacific, including RIMAU (Book: Heroes of Rimau), MOSSTROOPS, NADZAB, PYTHON, MENZIES, POLITICIAN, PLATYPUS, COPPER (Book: The Guns of Muschu), SEMUT IVB & CROCODILE - all documented.

Merely for the price of one book, this is a valuable indexed reference for local history readers, military personnel and all kayak enthusiasts.

John Hoehn is becoming known as an author on Australian Local history, having already written several books on the subject. In this latest work he adds qualification to this by being the Australian folboat inventor’s son, with direct acces to the many private documents and images on the subject.

He grew up and was educated in Melbourne, eventually founding several enginering companies in Australia and one in Switzerland, from where his parents had emigrated. Besides writing books, some achievements include 20 patents, articles in interest group magazines and journals plus photography awards and painting.

As an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, he has lectured to industry and management. He is a keen kayaker, having experienced his first ride in one of his father’s at the age of three. Later he competed in Olympic class Flying Dutchman yachting events.