For several years, the details of Prince Harry's deployment to Afghanistan were shrouded in secrecy and dominated by speculative tales. 

But when the Duke of Sussex released his tell-all memoir Spare in early 2023, he disclosed striking new information about his two tours of duty in the war-torn nation, including a controversial 'kill count' of 25 Taliban fighters during his second visit. 

Known by his fellow combat members as 'Captain Wales', Harry first served in the Helmand Province as a forward air controller in late 2007, before returning to the frontline in December 2012 after retraining as an Apache helicopter pilot.

Yet one lesser-known military operation held particular prominence for the prince - his first ever airstrike on New Year's Eve in 2012, which he believed killed at least ten Taliban fighters. 

The plan was executed after Harry had shared a fond moment with a female pilot in the early hours of December 30.

As the pair peered through one of the holes in the walls of their base to gaze at the moon, Harry shared how the other 'guys' had quipped '"get a room"'.

'I felt myself blushing,' Harry recalled. 'I hoped the pilot hadn't thought I was flirting.' 

After a moment of 'brief awkwardness', Harry and the unnamed female officer got to work - and soon located what they strongly believed to be a bunker occupied by Taliban fighters. 

Known by his fellow combat members as 'Captain Wales', Prince Harry (pictured in Afghanistan in January 2013) first served in the Helmand Province in late 2007, before returning to the frontline in December 2012

One lesser-known military operation held particular prominence for the prince - his first ever airstrike on Taliban fighters on New Year's Eve in 2012 which he believed killed at least ten members of the insurgency

Almost certain they had correctly identified the target, the prince planned a strike for the following day, with the help of two American pilots - known as 'Dude Zero One and Dude Zero Two'.

Harry, now 41, recalled being insistent that the trio use a 2,000-pound JDAM bomb (Joint Direct Attack Munition), a specialist weapon with radar-controlled guidance systems with the weight of a black rhino. 

Yet his fellow pilots were sceptical of the prince's plans and saw 'no need' for the use of a bomb of such magnitude. 

'I felt very strongly that I was right, and I wanted to argue, but I was new and lacked self-confidence. 'This was my first airstrike, So I just said: "Roger that"', wrote Harry.

Reluctant to cause a fuss, Harry agreed with the pair to scale back his initial plans, with it settled that the pilots would instead drop two 500-pound bombs.