Behind Enemy Lines by Moonlight

10th February 1941: Operation Colossus - the first Allied paratroop operation is a sabotage mission deep in enemy territory

An artist’s impression of Operation Colossus. In reality, the different ‘drops’ were difficult to coordinate and were dispersed.

The development of ‘parachute troops’ had begun in Britain in the middle of 1940, just as a similar enterprise was underway in the USA. Both were a response to the shocking success of German airborne troops when Hitler attacked…