Great Raids of World War II episode 5 - Cockleshell Raiders: The French port of Bordeaux was vital to Hitler's war machine. Through it came many of the vital raw materials from the Far East essential to keep the Nazi armies fighting. But Bordeaux was 90 miles up the heavily-guarded Gironde river and seemingly unassailable. Then Royal Marine Major 'Blondie' Hasler came up with the idea of a sending a special raiding force in canoes.