World Battlefronts: BATTLE OF EUROPE: Raid at Dawn

The first officially announced British landing in many months on the continent of Europe was made last week by a joint force of the Royal Navy, R.A.F. and British Army Commandos.

Germany said the raid failed, that a British destroyer was sunk, that up to a score of British planes were downed. The story, when it finally came from Britain:

At dawn invasion barges filled with Commandos put off from warships, streaked toward the rocky shores of the Norwegian islands of Vaagsoy and Maaloy, assembly point for German troop and supply ships bound for the Russian front. The warships poured broadsides of 50 shells a minute into German gun positions; overhead R.A.F. planes dodged German tracer bullets. Fires blazed on ammunition dumps hit by shells and bombs.

The Commandos waded ashore, up the snow-covered ledges, began a house-to-house struggle with the 200 soldiers of the German garrison. In the harbor five German vessels ran on the beach and were destroyed. Farther south the R.A.F. discovered a German convoy, sank at least one ship. The British planes also bombed the German airdrome at Herdla, 100 miles to the south.

When the raid ended six hours later, the German center lay in ruins. The British killed 120 German soldiers, captured 95 others and nine Norwegian quislings, destroyed oil tanks, ammunition stores, a factory, a radio station, five merchant ships, two armed trawlers, an armed tug, four planes, a lone Nazi tank. British losses; eleven planes, "superficial" damage to warships, "extremely light" casualties.