The battle for heavy water in Norway

The attacks were directed against the Vermork Hydroelectric Plant and the Riukane Plant, Telemark County.

Since 1942, until 1944 the Norwegian resistance movement and its allies perpetrated bombings and sabotage, and destroyed the heavy water plant. This Allied Military Operation Is Considered One Of The Most Successful Of The Second World War

When Nazi Germany conducted research on the creation of a nuclear bomb, it is known that l & rsquo; Heavy water (deuterium) is obtained by electrolysis. Production is complex, slow and long, requiring a lot of electricity. Germany has produced this water in very small quantities. All of the world's heavy water sources have been produced in Norway.

Heavy water is a byproduct of the production of ammonia fertilizers. At that time, the hydrogen was recovered by electrolysis, and ammonia was produced by the Haber-Bosch process, when the molecular nitrogen taken from the atmosphere was linked to the Hydrogen to form a nitrogen compound. The main supplier of ammonia in Europe was the Norwegian plant next to the Wemorco hydroelectric plant. 1934 The Norsk Hydro ammonia plant was built and fed with heavy water (D2O).

The heavy water was first discovered in the United States in 1933. It was found that in ordinary water, it is 0.02%. heavy water. The heavy water has a boiling point of 101.40 ° C and freezes at 3.82 ° C. The smell and taste, as well as the appearance, looks like Ordinary water, such as hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen element is of a special type, which is twice the normal content of hydrogen. It gives 10% heavy water. weight more than ordinary water. Normal electrolysis of water is used for the production of heavy water. This method retreats up to 99%. heavy water. It is widely used in all research.

However, his special discovery during the Second World War was his request t for a new science in nuclear physics. It can usually be said that heavy water is used as a brake fluid during "atomic disintegration". It has been found that the neutron bombardment rate can be slowed down, which means that decomposition can be easier. These experiments were useful for the development of an atomic bomb

If the Germans were to continue conducting heavy water studies, they could create an atomic bomb. This could mean the defeat of the Allies and the blow to their scientists, who worked intensively on the atomic bomb. When the World War began, both parties were far from having created an atomic bomb, but all available heavy water resources were produced at Riukane, occupied by Norway.

It all started in 1942. March 19, when the parachuting mission was ejected.

October 19 In the Songadal region in the west of Riyakan, four Norwegian orders were lowered. The tasks of this group, which were given the code name "Grouse" (Tetervin), were the basis of the operation. They were to maintain radio communications with the United Kingdom and gather information on heavy water production

First Failure

The Grouse Group was having serious difficulties in reaching the departure desired. Many days have pbaded, the radio batteries have been discharged and have not been replaced, so they were out of touch with the outside world. After overcoming the difficulties, they were able to contact London and the operation was continued

. A month later, Nov. 19 The diverse group of Bratty was sent from England. The group consisted of 34 men, all specially trained. They were flown by two sailors from England. Their task was to attack the Vermork heavy water plant and destroy it. The Grouse Group was to serve as an "Admissions Committee" and prepare for a landing at Skoland near Lake Masvan. This operation ended in a catastrophe, the two gliders and the plane that agitated them crashed in the mountains of the west coast of Norway. The soldiers who survived the accident were arrested by Germans, interrogated and executed.

The Grouse group was still intact, but now its code name has been changed to Swallow. They had to go to Hardanger Square, where they spent the winter. Surviving had what the planter could offer. People have been forced to eat deer sharks.

1943 February 16 The new group Gunnerside (Riflemen) was shot down on the Hardangero Plateau

They landed more than thirty miles from the designated descent zone, and took several days to join forces with the four Swallow men.

1943 February 27 In the night of the night, I descended from the steep river My River (Norma Måna), the tributary and the peripheral river, the main group descended the steep hill, and through the Neglected north gate of the factory has entered its territory. Norway, through the shaft of the electric cable, went into the factory and used explosives in the main electrolysis tank. After starting to screw up the factory alarm for the siren, a danger was reported in the Rukan area, with the launch of a machine-to-machine operation with soldiers on the way to the factory. But the drifting runway quickly swept the puddles and they managed to reach the hunter's house by the lake. March 1st the groups separate. The "Sagittarius", in two weeks, reached 400 km, reached Sweden, the others continued to participate in the Norwegian resistance movement

Bomber of Riukan and Vemork

1943. in August the factory Vemorko was rebuilt and strengthened by the protection of the factory, and new diversions were abandoned. 1943 November 16 140 heavy bombers B-17 33 min. bombed the factory. 711 units were abandoned. Bombs of 200 kg.

The smoke generator released by smoke prevents more severe damage. With a direct hit, the bridge was destroyed, 4 bombs hit the central, 2 in the electrolysis workshop. The first floor of the heavy water plant has not suffered. 22 people were killed

Railroad Ferry

Soon the opposition received the information that the Germans decided to transfer all the water reserves heavy semi-processed Ruukan in Germany. The weakest means of transport was a ferry, which married the railway through Lake Tinnsjø. Orders have been given from London that a ferry should be destroyed at all costs. The night before the departure of the ferry. The Norwegian diving team managed to help with a surveillance bomb. Sunday 1944 On February 20th, the ferry shattered and drowned in a few minutes, carrying all the heavy water containers at the bottom. Eighteen people died – four German tutors and fourteen Norwegian civilians.

The battle for Norwegian heavy water has come to an end. This is how the program of the German nuclear bomb was stopped. During the last months of the Second World War, the components of the Vermork factory were dismantled in southern Germany. For more information, see the brochure distributed by the museum located at the Vermork Hydroelectric Power Station.