On June 6, just 48 hours after the completion of the Dunkirk evacuation, Prime Minister Winston Churchill composed a memorandum to Gen. At the same time, it was vital to rebuild the morale of the British army and to maintain its offensive spirit. If any threat, however slight, could be brought against the long Axis front that ran from Narvik, Norway, to Biarritz, France, the Wehrmacht would be forced to divert its attention from invasion preparations to organize some form of defensive system. After the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, the whole attention of the German high command was directed at the defeat of the United Kingdom.

The commandos-a term applied to individual combatants as well as the administrative and tactical units within which they operated-were organized in June 1940, when Britain’s wartime fortunes were at their lowest ebb.

© Imperial War Museum (B 5245) Creation and organization of the commandos Special Service troops of 47 Royal Marine Commando land at Gold Beach near Le Hamel on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.

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Commandos 1 vs 2 vs 3