Reinhardt Heydrich

Who was he? One of Adolf Hitler's most feared henchmen.

When was he assassinated? May 27, 1942.

Where was he assassinated? Nazi-occupied Prague.

Who did it? British-trained Free Czech agents, Josef Gabcik, Jan Kubis and Josef Valcik.

Why? The Allies needed to demonstrate that Czechoslovakia had not been totally cowed by Germany.

What happened? Heydrich was the region's brutal governor. The Free Czech team ambushed his car as it slowed at a hairpin bend. Gabcik's sub-machine gun jammed but Kubis threw a grenade at Heydrich, who later died of his injuries.

What was the consequence? Nazi reprisals for Heydrich's assassination were appalling. More than 1,500 people were killed, over 10,000 were sent to concentration camps and two villages were completely destroyed. But the Allies had proved that the Nazi leadership was not invulnerable.