Why speed mattered more than a delayed landing force

The campaign rewarded rapid deployment because every delay let Germany move supplies and troops north from Denmark. Britain was assembling Royal Marines into larger formations, but those forces were not concentrated and ready for the campaign that most clearly required them. A brigade, or at least substantial shipborne detachments under a joined-up command, could have seized useful positions before German consolidation. The harsh terrain and limited landing locations made a slow response especially costly. Norway shows that amphibious readiness depends on a standing combination of command, transport, and trained troops rather than manpower that exists only on paper.