The British showed how commandos could pin down vast numbers of troops during WW2.
Their commando raids on German air bases in North Africa caused Rommel to have to commit so many men to security that he wrote that he would need one soldier per plane per shift for adequate security.
Of course Colonel John Mosby kept an entire Union army pinned down defending Washington D.C. because of his raids.
The raid on Entebbe was my favorite.
A small force from a small country flies half-way around the world to rescue their countrymen.
Such balls!
The raid on Cabanatuan to rescue US POWs from the Japanese deserves mention as well.
There were many raids throughout history. Hard to put an order to them due to personal preferences and the periods of history they occurred in.
Operation Thunderball, starring Charles Bronson and featuring a young James Woods, did a great job telling the story of the raid on Entebbe. Woods played a sniper and when asked what he’d do if he had a terrorist in his sight. “I’ll kill him.” What if he’s holding a hostage? “I won’t miss.” Classic.
The C-130 was THE perfect plane for that raid.