The Terrible Viking, A Danish War Legend
Anders Lassen's actions in Italy in World War II earned him the Victoria Cross.
The Terrible Viking
Anders Lassen was known amongst his comrades as a no-nonsense man. He was tall, athletic, and demonstrated courage, endurance, and keenness. These attributes earned him the nickname ‘The Terrible Viking.’
He would live up to that nickname in Italy during World War II. And what he would do as a British commando would earn him the British Victoria Cross. He was the only non-Commonwealth recipient of the award.
Bored on the Estate
From the beginning, Lassen was not like other boys his age. Born in a wealthy family, Lassen was raised on a Danish estate. But his fortunate upbringing did not make him soft.
At the age of 19, he left home. He needed more. He wanted adventure. Like many men his age then, he sought it through service on the high seas.
Serving in the Danish Navy, Lassen developed a strong hate for Nazis. In 1940, when Roger Courtney formed the Special Boat Section (SBS), Lassen wanted in. The Nazis had recently invaded Denmark. This would be an opportunity to act on that hate.
The Perfect Fit
Lassen bumped into a British Special Operations Executive. The officer quickly learned of Lassen’s reputation as a brawler. He was further impressed with how he handled himself. For the officer, Lassen was exactly the sort of man he’d been looking for.
Not long after they crossed paths, Lassen was participating in secret, small-scare raids. The SBS targeted railways, ports, and airfields across Europe and North Africa.
Lassen’s reputation as a fierce fighter grew. He earned Military Cross awards for his efforts. Moreover, the hand-to-hand combat instincts he possessed were exceptional in support of covert efforts.
Immortalized in Italy
In April of 1945, at the age of 24, Lassen would immortalize himself. Now a major, Lassen’s mission was to take a small force and harass Germans along Lake Comacchio in Italy. The hope was by applying enough chaos, they could convince the Germans an amphibious assault was forthcoming.
Lassen and seventeen other commandos posed as fishmermen. They were stopped on patrol as they approached the small town. A fist fight broke out when their true identity came into question.
Germans on post by watched the melee. They then opened fire on the group. Lassen tossed grenades at the gunmen, destroying two machine guns. He then ran to a second nest and engaged German troops manning its machine guns.
He wasn’t done. Next he rallied with other commandos and headed towards a third enemy position. He tossed grenades at every gun burst he saw. Upon taking the third position he yelled for any surviving Germans to come out.
As he did so, machine gun fire struck Lassen. Though wounded, he hurled another grenade. The grenade struck its target and allowed the British force to capture its final position.
Lassen refused medical evacuation for fear of endangering his comrades. Before he succumbed to his wounds, Lassen had single-handedly destroyed six machine gun nests, killed eight Germans, and taken two more prisoner.
For his bravery, Lassen posthumously received the Victoria Cross. It is the equivalent of America’s Medal of Honor. Today, a bust of Lassen stands at Churchill Park. His Victoria Cross medal can be seen at the Museum of Danish Resistance.
History for the Hurried:
March 15, 44 B.C.: Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Senate chamber in Rome by Brutus and fellow conspirators.
March 16, 1968: The My Lai Massacre is carried out by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Five hundred and four Vietnamese men, women, and children were murdered. Twenty-five U.S. Army officers were later charged with complicity in the massacre and subsequent cover-up, but only one was convicted, and later pardoned by President Richard Nixon.