This article lists the Military operations carried out by the Allies during the second world war in order to destroy a producing heavy water factory in Norway, within the framework of the race to the bomb.

In fact of a “Battle of the heavy Water” , was held four successive operations.

General situation

In February 1942, the allies learn that the Germans try to develop a atomic bomb. To carry out this project, the specialists consider that it is essential to have oxide of Deutérium, more known under the name of heavy water. It precisely proves that the Germans produce some in a factory located in Norway, with Vemork, located at 120 km in the west of Oslo.

A Norwegian agent, on the spot, informs the British authorities of the evolution of the situation. The decision is made to make destroy the factory by a commando.

The British operation (Freshman and Grouse)

October 19th 1942, four parachutists norvégies formed by the Executive Special Operations in Scotland join the local staff in order to prepare the arrival of a British commando made up of personnel of the genious of British airborne division.

The November 19th, two Planeur S try a landing in the zone of the factory. The first which broke its cable manages to be posed in distress. The survivors are shot by the Germans. The second is crushed with his plane Remorqueur against a mountain.

The Germans reinforce their defense. The four Norwegian parachutists and their local staff hide all the winter in a hut.

The Norwegian operation (Gunnerside)

In February 1943, six other Norwegian parachutists are released in the zone, carrying the manpower of the group with eleven men. The February 27th, nine parachutists manage to infiltrate by climbing the mountain and reach the factory. They succeed in placing their loads and destroying vital parts of the factory.

The air operation

In November 1943, the production of heavy water, although strongly slowed down, began again. The Allies are informed by it and make bombard the factory by aviation. The result is hardly convincing; the proximity of the mountains does not facilitate the approach of the bomber S. the raid of the bombers was a failure, indeed, many civilians deaths were to regret.

The final operation

In February 1944, the Germans decide to transfer by sea stock from heavy water in Germany. Two of the Norwegian parachutists remained on the spot make jump the boat with its loading, on the lake Tinnsjø. Research of Germany to conceive the atomic bomb will be definitively dammed up.

Inspiration

Implied agents SOE Norwegian

; the agent infiltrated in the factory

Einar Skinnarland

; the team Grouse/Swallow

Jens Anton Poulsson
Arne Kjelstrup
Knut Haugland
Claus Helberg

; the team Gunnerside

Joachim Rønneberg
Knut Haukelid
Fredrik Kayser
Kasper Idland
Hans Storhaug
Birger Strømsheim
(Leif Tronstad) (planning, in the United Kingdom)

; the team of the lake Tinnsjø

Knut Haukelid, alias " Bonzo"
Rolf Sørlie (local resistance)
Einar Skinnarland (wireless operator bases)
Gunnar Syverstad (seedling lab assistant)
Kjell Nielsen (seedling manager transport)
(“Larsen”) (engineer machines senior)
(NR) (procurator of car and pilot)
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