The Vaagso Raid was not one of the epic operations of World War II. It was undertaken on a fairly modest scale, using limited resources to achieve a limited end, and was originally intended as nothing more than a demonstration that the offensive spirit still flourished in Britain even though the empire had fallen on dark days. But since earlier more tentative thrusts by British raiding parties had deliberately avoided heavily defended areas, this was to be the first real coup-de-mine raid of the war. The objective chosen was one well worth the trouble of attacking, and the Germans counted it well worth defending. German blood would be spilled, British troops would gain valuable combat experience, and (if the raid were successful) some minor economic damage might be wrought upon the German war effort; only this and nothing more. But in the end the small raid had consequences reaching far beyond the rocky and snow-covered mountainsides which reverberated that Saturday with the thunder of explosions and the crack and rattle of rifles and machine-guns. For the shockwave generated by the engagement at Vaagso was to reach all the way to Berlin and ultimately into the mind of Adolf Hitler himself, who as a result of this relatively minor action would make certain major decisions destined to have a critical effect on the course of the war. Vaagso was the first real trial of a new force of amphibious assault troops whom the British chose to call commandos.

Prologue; Scene of the raid; Special service brigade; Anklet-Archery plan; Number 3 Commando formed; “Kompani Linge”; Operation Archery; Mission unknown; Final rehearsals; Stormy crossing; Surprise landing; Battle of Maaloy; Group I advances; Battle through the streets; Requests for help; O’Flaherty’s section; Enemy resistance grows; Demolitions; Interlude. Herdla; Destroyers in action; Unwanted attentions; Mission completed; Parting shots; Triumphant return; Ruffled ally; Aftermath in Norway; Reactions in Berlin; The lessons of Vaagso.