Commandos face summary execution

18th October 1942: Hitler issues his notorious 'Commando Order', making 'special forces' operations ever more perilous

British commandos attack under cover of a smoke screen, during Operation Archery, the raid on Vaagso.

By 1942 Britain's 'Special Forces', mainly the Commandos, were beginning to become established and were mounting an increasing number of raids on occupied Europe and behind enemy lines in the desert. Some raids had had spectacular successes such as at St Nazaire, others were more important as propaganda spectacles - such as the raid on Vaagso - but even small raids such as Operation Muskatoon were disrupting the German armaments industry and distracting their defences.

HMS Campbeltown wedged into the dock at St Nazaire.

German troops were crawling all over the Campbeltown on the morning of the 28th March, they did not guess that she was packed with explosives. Around 360 men died when she exploded at noon.

By 1942 Britain's 'Special Forces', mainly the Commandos, were beginning to become established and were mounting an increasing number of raids on occupied Europe and behind enemy lines in the desert. Some raids had had spectacular successes such as at St Nazaire, others were more important as propaganda spectacles - such as the raid on Vaagso - but even small raids such as Operation Muskatoon were disrupting the German armaments industry and distracting their defences.

At the time they provided much needed demonstrations that Britain was capable of hitting back and attracted considerable publicity. The US military had also decided they needed their Ranger units for particularly hazardous missions

‘all enemies on so-called commando missions … even if they are to all appearances soldiers in uniform or demolition troops, whether armed or unarmed, in battle or in flight, are to be slaughtered to the last man.’

They also attracted the personal attention of Hitler who was enraged by some of them. He did not distinguish between those raids undertaken by men belonging to the 'Commandos' or other units such as the the Parachute Regiment.