Author(s): Ken Ford

War/Military

Operation Archery was the first true combined operation by British forces involving the Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. The Islands of Vaagso and Maaloy on the Norwegian coast were selected because they offered a perfect opportunity to damage German installations and morale. The raiding force consisted of No. 3 Commando, two troops of No. 2 Commando, a medical detachment from No. 4 Commando and a Royal Norwegian Army detachment totalling 51 officers and 525 men. To support the amphibious raid there was a flotilla of warships and low-level bomb attacks by the RAF. German resistance was stiff, however, and a fierce firefight ensued.