World war ii made him a freedom fighter, spymaster, and above all. By 1942, the german nuclear weapons programme had come. The most successful act of sabotage in world war ii took place right here in norway. The norwegian resistance commando raid that knocked out the norsk hydro heavy water plant during world war ii has become part of norways national identity. Allied hopes of stalling the nazi nuclear program soon focused. Operation freshman wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Norsk hydros vemork plant outside of rjukan, norway. The heavy water war and the wwii hero you dont know. Telemark raid abebooks abebooks shop for books, art. By 1942 the german atomic weapons programme had come close to being able to.
Operation chariot was a daring amphibious british commando raid against the heavily defended normandie dry dock in st nazaire, germanoccupied france. Next was a remarkable, successful raid on norsk hydro in the winter of 1943 by. An interesting story of the raid to blow up the heavy water plant in vemork norway. The only viable supply of the substance was a hydroelectric plant located in occupied norway. It was even one such elite commando unit, 30 commando, led by a naval officer named ian fleming that would provide reallife fodder for the literary. They became the subjects of many books, films, and documentaries. Wwii commando carried out raid on norwegian hydro plant to thwart nazis abomb plans. It was a well executed and very successful commando mission. In the front building, the norsk hydro hydrogen production plant. The plan was audacious, requiring a midnight parachute jump onto a snowcovered mountain plateau, crosscountry skiing in subzero temperatures and an assault on an isolated, heavily guarded power. It was accepted by norsk hydro, and production began in 1935. This book is the classic account of a legendary raid on the nazi war program. Joachim ronneberg, saboteur who crippled nazi atomic bomb.
Assault in norway is the classic account of a legendary raid on the nazi war program. The commando who foiled hitlers atomic ambitions has died. Operation gunnerside the telemark raid vemork hydroelectric plant at rjukan, norway in 1935. The film, although largely shot in the actual locations, took a lot of liberties with the facts.
Org for excellent articles on heavy water, discussion of this hydro plant, and british and norwegian sabotage attempts to destroy the plant. The accounts of the commando raid on the norsk hydro plant and the bombing of the ferry are particularly gripping. Tungtvassaksjonen was a series of alliedled efforts to halt german heavy water production via hydroelectric plants in norway during world war ii. By 1942 germany had a seemingly insurmountable lead over the allies in developing an atomic bomb.
The book covers the military campaign to deny the german nuclear research community the supply of deuterium oxide from the norwegian norsk hydro plant. The heroes of telemark is a 1965 british war film directed by anthony mann based on the true story of the norwegian heavy water sabotage during the second world war from skis against the atom, the memoirs of norwegian resistance soldier knut haukelid. What is the most daring commando raid ever carried out. This is a fictionalized version of how a group of norwegian patriots, with the help of the british special forces pulled off a commando raid that destroyed the heavy water and equipment at the norsk hydros vemork plant in remote rjukan and later, after the plant got into production again, sank a civilian ferry transporting a shipment of heavy. Norwegian heavy water sabotage project gutenberg self. The 10 most daring commando raids in history americas. Hours later, in one of the most celebrated commando raids of world war ii. Book raider is constantly scouring the four corners of the known world for the very best books to bring back to our readers.
On the night of 2728 february 1943, the commando team climbed the cliffs of the gorge, slipped into the norskhydro plant, set explosives that destroyed the heavy water inventory about five months production and production machinery, and quickly faded away into the surrounding mountains, skiing toward the border with sweden. Under tightened security, the german scientists doubled the heavywater production capacity and began shipping barrels of the material back to the. Eliminating germanys heavy water capability and bringing its nuclear program to a halt was an allied priority. The division was formed in late 1941 during world war ii, after the british prime minister, winston churchill, demanded an airborne force, and was initially under command of majorgeneral frederick a. A norwegian man who led a daring raid to sabotage nazi germanys nuclear weapon ambitions has died at the age of 99. The nuclear nazis identified norways heavywater as one of the best candidates to act as this neutron moderator, so when german forces invaded in 1940 the vemork plant was an asset they were quick to snatch. It was the first british airborne operation conducted using gliders, and its target was the vemork norsk hydro chemical plant in telemark county, norway which produced heavy water for nazi germany.
They knew further that the norsk hydro plant in norway, which had. The norwegian commandos destroyed the heavy water that had. Though some historians doubt its certainty, both homers illiad and virgils aeneid histories point to a daring operation conducted by a select cadre of up to 30 greek warriors who sealed themselves into the hollow body of an enormous wooden horse statue. For some reason the author spent thirteen pages describing on of the commandos.
Perhaps one of the earliest examples of a successful commando raid can be found in the 12th century b. Rolf pedersen and richard harris as knut straud, along with ulla jacobsson as anna pedersen. The norskhydro buildings were wrecked, but the actual heavy water facilities, deep inside the plant walls and at the lowest levels, were only lightly damaged. In the front building, the norsk hydro hydrogen production plant, a norwegian special operations executive soe team operation gunnerside blew up heavy water. The planning and execution of one of the most famous raids in wwii history cliffhanging suspense. Christian science monitor assault in norway is the classic account of a legendary.
The raid has been a long time interest of mine, initially kindled by by the kirk douglas film. Joachim ronneberg, leader of raid that thwarted a nazi atomic. Norwegian heavy water sabotage military wiki fandom. Lengthy titles explain that in view of the frequency and increasing importance of british raids on norway, we are about to see a complete reel of the commandos raid on. The secret race to stop the nazi bomb isbn 9781786482082, also published that year, details the raid and the sinking of the sf hydro.
The 1st airborne division was an airborne infantry division of the british army during the second world war. Joachim ronneberg, leader of raid that thwarted a nazi. The division was one of two airborne divisions raised by the british army. Kurzman, who has written several books on wartime events, eventually. In 1943, as a world war ii resistance fighter, he commanded a daring mission to blow up a heavywater plant in norway, helping sabotage hitlers nuclear program. Kurzman stages the military operations from a disastrous british commando raid into norway, with a focus on the allnorwegian parachuting, skiing, and mountainclimbing commandos crippling raid. Watch wwiis most daring raids episodes online season 1. Operation gunnersid, a 1943 attack on the norsk hydro plant in norway by six norwegian commandos, is recalled.
Brilliantly written, the winter fortress cinematically captures a commando teams efforts to destroy one of the most important secret facilities of world war ii. It was the first british airborne operation conducted using airspeed horsa gliders, and its target was the vemork norsk hydro chemical plant in telemark, norway which produced heavy water for nazi germany. The heavy water war and the wwii hero you dont know leif tronstad was a standout scientist. Bascombs riveting prose puts the reader into one of the more daring missions of the war and the allies efforts to sabotage a crucial aspect of germanys nuclear program. It was celebrated in books, documentaries and films, notably anthony manns. An me 109 fighter attempts to take off as the norwegian airfield of herdla comes under low level attack, bombs can be seen exploding. The heroes of telemark is a 1965 british war film directed by anthony mann based on the true. Hydro sunk in norway 20th february 2017 les the hydrogen plant at vemork in norway, some 50 miles west of oslo, was a mass producer of heavy water deuterium oxide, an essential component in the creation of plutonium for early atomic weapons. It was after all the royal marine commandos who perfected the art of slipping ashore from ships to wreak havoc on an enemy coast through the use of what became known as a commando raid. Contributing to this situation was its access to a crucial ingredient, heavy water, found in great abundance at a fortresslike factory in occupied norway. The source of the heavy water was the norsk hydro plant, which had been occupied in 1940. In the front building, the norsk hydro hydrogen production plant, a norwegian special operations executive soe team operation gunnerside blew up heavy water production cells on the night of 2728 february 1943 in order to sabotage the efforts of. Sabotaging hitlers atomic bomb, norway 194244 by david greentree isbn 9781472827678, describes the operations planning, execution and aftermath.
The most available source was norsk hydros vemork plant, outside rjukan in. Dahl also has a talent for sketching characters, and portrays a much more interesting and diverse cast than the 1962 movies composite presentation of kirk douglas a the playboy scientist. The only plant capable of manufacturing it in 1942 was the norsk hydro works at telemark in occupied norway. After the war, the daring saboteurs of the heavy water facility were hailed as heroes, and the story of their raid was told and retold for years thereafter, in eight books, four films, and three tv documentaries. As far as direct destruction, the november 1943 bomber raid had far less impact than gunnerside. When the nazis captured a heavy water facility in norway, the chemist who helped. The more complex story of norsk hydros wartime production partnership with german companies was another matter. The story of the world war ii operation has been retold in books, tv series and. Inside the daring mission that thwarted a nazi atomic bomb. By 1942, the german nuclear weapons programme had come close to. The norwegian resistance sabotage the vemork norsk hydro plant in the town of rjukan in.
There are many popular articles written about the raid on the norsk hydro heavywater plant. Operation freshman was the codename given to a british airborne operation conducted in november 1942 during world war ii. Norsk hydro electric owned the hugely important hydroelectric plant at vemork, near the village of rjukan. Memorialized in movies, books and tv miniseries, the winter sabotage of. Heavy water and the wartime race for nuclear energy. Operation chariot, the raid on st nazaire, france 28th march 1942. It was successfully undertaken by norwegian commandos and allied bombing raids. Keeping the atom bomb from hitler the new york times.
Assault in norway goodreads meet your next favorite book. Christian science monitor assault in norway is the classic account of a legendary raid on the nazi war program. The hero of your book is a norwegian whose code name was the mailman. The norwegian resistance hero claus helberg, who has died aged 84, took part in one of the most daring and important commando raids of the second world war. Some articles suggest that the raid prevented the nazis from getting the atomic bomb before the allies and winning the war. Contributing to this situation was its access to a crucial ingredient. Wwii resistance fighter who thwarted nazi nuclear plan. For some reason the author spent thirteen pages describing on of the commandos hunt for reindeer, maybe gallagher likes hunting. World war ii europe norway the norsk hydro and vemork raids allied efforts to interrupt heavy water production at the norsk hydro plant near rjukan in germanoccupied norway included a failed glider assault by british commandos in november 1942, the destruction of a portion of the plant by an soe team of norwegians in february 1943, an eighth air force bombing raid in november 1943 that left.
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