Great Raids of World War II episode 6 - Arctic Commando Assaults: As Britain faced Nazi Germany alone in July 1940, Winston Churchill's response was to set up the Commandos - an elite fighting force to raid enemy coasts. In December 1941 on his orders a major assault on Vaagso in northern Norway, convinced Hitler that the country was a vital strategic target. Subsequently more than 250,000 Nazi troops were pinned down there uselessly for the rest of the war.