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00:03It was Hitler's deadliest secret.
00:07His scientists told him that they could make an atomic bomb.
00:11If he got it first, then victory would be his.
00:20To make the Nazi bomb, German scientists needed a supply of heavy water,
00:24and this came from Norway.
00:27So in 1943, a group of Norwegian raiders set out to destroy it.
00:32The very fact the Germans were showing so much interest,
00:36and although the chances seemed rather slim
00:38that a bomb might be produced before the end of the war,
00:42the prize was so great,
00:43it was very likely to be worth our while to wreck it.
00:49The success or failure of this raid
00:51could determine the outcome of World War II.
01:05The End
01:20During the 1920s and 30s,
01:23German scientists were at the forefront of nuclear research.
01:28Werner Heisenberg was a key figure.
01:32As the discoverer of quantum mechanics,
01:35he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1932.
01:42He was then put in charge of German atomic research
01:44at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin.
01:49When Hitler began to persecute Germany's Jewish citizens in the 1930s,
01:54many distinguished scientists fled abroad.
02:02One of them was Albert Einstein.
02:08Inventor of nuclear physics,
02:10he wrote a letter to President Roosevelt in 1939
02:13warning him that splitting the atom could lead to a weapon of unprecedented destruction.
02:20If the democratic nations did not act quickly enough,
02:24German scientists would get to it first,
02:26and Hitler would have an atomic bomb.
02:31But America was not at war.
02:36As Einstein's warning was discussed,
02:39Heisenberg's team designed a nuclear reactor,
02:42the first step towards creating a nuclear arsenal.
02:47A crucial part of the process required a substance known as deuterium oxide,
02:51heavy water.
02:55Hitler's atomic bomb program could not function without it.
03:03The Norsk Hydro Factory near Ryukam in Norway
03:06was the largest manufacturing plant of heavy water in Europe.
03:11And when Nazi Germany invaded the country in April 1940,
03:15it took control of this.
03:21In May 1940, the Germans rolled into Belgium
03:24and seized the uranium supplies from its colony in the Congo.
03:30Two days later, they charged into France
03:32and captured the world's first cyclotron in Paris.
03:35Hitler now had all the basic ingredients for a nuclear weapon.
03:42In the summer of 1940,
03:44in the shadow of a Nazi invasion of Britain,
03:47Prime Minister Winston Churchill
03:48was more concerned about Hitler's nuclear threat than the Americans.
03:54He set up the Maud Committee to investigate the potential threat of a Nazi atomic bomb.
04:00Its report concluded that a uranium bomb was scientifically feasible.
04:08Then, in late 1941,
04:10British intelligence learned that the Germans had massively increased their production of heavy water.
04:16The information arrived on the desk of Professor R.V. Jones,
04:20Chief Scientific Advisor to the Air Ministry's Department of Scientific Intelligence.
04:24It was a completely, as it were,
04:28Bakshi signal from Norway
04:30that came into the headquarters of MI6
04:34and it went round the office and finally came to me
04:37because I was the one scientist,
04:39almost the one scientist there,
04:40and it said that the Germans were increasing their heavy water production
04:48and immediately I started inquiries of the origin of the telegram
04:51and it happened,
04:52the head of the Norwegian section,
04:54when I sent for him,
04:55he said,
04:57you want to see me about this telegram?
04:59He said,
04:59bloody silly telegram,
05:00who ever heard of such a thing as heavy water?
05:03And I said,
05:03now don't you laugh.
05:05You see,
05:05this is really quite serious.
05:09The intelligence was passed to the governments of Britain
05:11and the United States.
05:14America was now suddenly very interested.
05:18In the wake of Pearl Harbor,
05:20Hitler had declared war on the USA.
05:23The race for the atomic bomb was on.
05:28In 1942,
05:30American and British scientists
05:31began the largest military industrial project ever.
05:34Based in Los Alamos, New Mexico,
05:37the top-secret Manhattan project
05:39involved more than 100,000 scientists.
05:48Churchill knew that if Hitler built the atomic weapon,
05:51London would be his first target.
05:58The British had to shut down his main source
06:00of the key ingredient,
06:02heavy water,
06:03the Norse hydro factory
06:04at Vermork in Norway.
06:12The factory lay close to Ryukkan,
06:15an industrial town deep in a valley
06:16to the west of Norway's capital, Oslo.
06:22It was not easy to reach,
06:23surrounded by the bleak mountains
06:25of the Telemark province.
06:30The coast and the border of neutral Sweden
06:33were more than 100 miles away.
06:35Despite these problems,
06:37the factory was now the prime target of SOE.
06:45Britain's special operations executive
06:46had been set up to encourage resistance
06:48and sabotage in Nazi Europe.
06:50For this mission,
06:52its Norwegian section
06:53had to get accurate information.
06:59They had already set up
07:00a shuttle service of fishing boats
07:02between Norway and the Shetland Islands
07:03to run agents.
07:06On one trip,
07:08Einar Skinnerland,
07:09a foreman from the Norsk hydro plant,
07:11was brought out to be briefed.
07:14And on his return,
07:15he sent back precise and detailed information
07:17about the factory.
07:19From this,
07:20SOE worked out a sabotage plan.
07:26Colonel Jack Wilson,
07:27head of SOE's Norwegian section,
07:29dispatched a team of four agents
07:31codenamed Krauss.
07:38In October 1942,
07:40they parachuted onto the Hardanger Plateau.
07:43Their task was to prepare
07:45for the arrival of a party of commandos
07:47in the following month.
07:50The grouse team set up its base
07:52at the Sandvatten hut,
07:54only a few miles west
07:55of the Norsk hydro factory.
08:00Then, 34 commando combat engineers
08:03took off in two gliders,
08:05towed by Royal Air Force bombers.
08:12The weather conditions were poor,
08:14worsening as the aircraft
08:15approached Norway.
08:19One of the bombers had no choice
08:21but to cast off its glider.
08:26It crashed north of Stavanger.
08:29Of the 17 commandos on board,
08:31eight were killed
08:32and the remainder injured.
08:39The second team continued flying across Norway
08:42towards the landing zone.
08:43Minutes later,
08:44their aircraft flew into a mountainside.
08:49Amazingly, 14 men survived the crash,
08:51but they were swiftly hunted down
08:53by the Germans
08:54and murdered
08:55on Hitler's instructions.
09:00With the failure of Operation Freshman,
09:03SOE had to start again.
09:06Another conventional attack
09:07using British commandos
09:08would be suicidal.
09:11Instead, they chose a team of saboteurs
09:14drawn from Norwegians
09:15who had escaped the Nazis.
09:1821-year-old Joachim Ronneberg
09:21was selected as their leader.
09:24And then I was told
09:25that we were going to Weymourg
09:27to blow up this heavy water factory.
09:30And we were also told
09:31about the trial
09:35which had been done already
09:37by British commandos
09:38with the two gliders.
09:40And we were told
09:41about the little group of Norwegians
09:43who had been back in Norway
09:44as a reception committee.
09:46Ronneberg chose five men
09:48from the many Norwegians
09:49in SOE and the British Army.
09:55The team's code name
09:57was Gunnerside.
10:01All of them knew
10:02that the odds were against them
10:03since the Germans
10:04had found a map
10:05with Norse hydro marked on it
10:07in one of the crashed gliders
10:08and greatly increased
10:10the number of guards.
10:12Each member of the team
10:13was issued with a cyanide pill
10:15in case of capture.
10:18If they failed
10:19not only would they die
10:20but what remained
10:21of a free Europe
10:22could well perish
10:23under the cloud
10:24of a Nazi nuclear bomb.
10:34Planning for Operation Gunnerside
10:37went ahead with Ronneberg's team
10:38training in Scotland.
10:41While the Grouse team
10:42at Sandvattenhut
10:43had to survive
10:44the harsh Norwegian winter.
10:46Their supplies were exhausted
10:48and they had to use
10:49all their survival skills.
10:53The Gunnerside team
10:54was keen to get on
10:55with the mission
10:55but it had to be delayed
10:57several times
10:58because of poor weather.
11:03Finally the go-ahead
11:04came through.
11:05On the 17th of February
11:071943
11:07they parachuted
11:09into Norway.
11:12Bad weather meant
11:13that the team
11:14had to be dropped
11:14well to the north
11:15of the Sandvattenhut
11:16and high winds
11:17made the landing tricky.
11:24And we landed all right.
11:29Nobody was hurt
11:30during the jump.
11:32Immediately after landing
11:33it started
11:35blowing a little bit
11:36and one of our packages
11:39with three rucksacks
11:40were taken away
11:41by the wind
11:42by the parachute
11:44so fast
11:45that we just
11:46couldn't make up with it.
11:48Fortunately
11:48we found it
11:49in an open piece
11:50of water
11:52and if we hadn't
11:54found them there
11:55I don't know
11:55if we should have
11:56managed the whole job
11:57at all
11:58because these rucksacks
11:59were already packed
12:00with equipment,
12:02food,
12:02what we needed.
12:05the team
12:06was well equipped
12:07Canadian ski boots
12:08Norwegian skis
12:10Tommy guns
12:10plastic explosives
12:11and a large quantity
12:13of dried meat.
12:21as they set off
12:22to meet the other
12:22SOET
12:23a severe storm
12:24broke.
12:25The men were forced
12:26to take shelter
12:27in a fishing hut
12:27until it subsided.
12:33Two days later
12:34when they set off
12:35for the rendezvous point
12:36they saw two skiers
12:37approaching.
12:45At first
12:46they could not tell
12:46if the figures
12:47were German patrolmen
12:52but then
12:53they were able
12:53to identify them
12:54and after 130 days
12:56in the wilderness
12:57the Norwegians
12:58were united.
13:02They were now
13:03ready for the raid
13:04on the Norse hydrofactory
13:05at Vermork.
13:08On the 27th of February
13:101943
13:11nine of the raiders
13:13set out
13:13on their mission.
13:18Only the radio operator
13:20remained behind
13:20at their hiding place.
13:23All the raiders
13:24wore British battle dress.
13:26They did not want
13:27to be mistaken
13:27for Norwegian
13:28resistance fighters
13:29as innocent civilians
13:31might then suffer
13:31from Nazi reprisals.
13:39when they arrived
13:40on the opposite side
13:41of the 300 foot
13:42deep gorge
13:43near the factory
13:44they had a choice
13:45of action.
13:46Did they kill the guards
13:48and cross the bridge
13:48or climb down
13:50by the more difficult route
13:51through the gorge?
13:55Anxious not to give
13:55the Germans
13:56any excuse
13:57for reprisals
13:57they chose the gorge.
14:06And in pitch darkness
14:07began their slippery
14:09descent into the ravine.
14:16after an exhausting climb
14:18they emerged
14:18onto the factory side
14:19and worked their way
14:21along a railway track
14:22to avoid the minefields.
14:23At the perimeter fence
14:25they found the gate
14:26was unguarded
14:27and secured
14:28by a simple chain
14:29and padlock.
14:35Hitler's vital facility
14:36for the production
14:37of his atom bomb
14:37was breached
14:38with a simple pair
14:39of bolt cutters.
14:43Once inside the compound
14:45the raiders split
14:46into two teams.
14:47One was the demolition party
14:49the other
14:49covered the German guardhouse.
14:55The demolition team
14:56found the door
14:57to the heavy water plant
14:58was securely locked.
14:59As they searched
15:00for an alternative
15:01point of entry
15:02the party became separated.
15:09Gronenberg and his companion
15:10found a narrow cable duct
15:11that led to the heavy water cells.
15:18Once inside
15:19they began to lay
15:20the explosive charges
15:21and were soon joined
15:22by the rest of the demolition team
15:24who had broken a window
15:25to get in.
15:30The fuses were set
15:31for just 30 seconds.
15:42then the demolition party
15:44made a rapid exit.
15:49To ensure
15:50that the Germans
15:50knew it was
15:51a British military operation
15:52a tommy gun
15:53was deliberately
15:54left behind.
16:03When the explosion came
16:04it was surprisingly muffled.
16:06The German guards
16:07were not even aware of it
16:09and the raiders
16:10got away undetected
16:11back across the gorge.
16:16Almost a tonne
16:17of heavy water
16:18was obliterated
16:19and the concentration cells
16:21completely destroyed.
16:26Hitler's A-bomb program
16:27had been dealt
16:28a heavy blow.
16:32The team of saboteurs
16:34now split into two.
16:36One group
16:37made the 200 mile journey
16:38across country
16:39to neutral Sweden
16:40and were back in Britain
16:41within 10 days.
16:42The other raiders
16:43stayed in Norway
16:44to help the resistance.
16:49For the next three weeks
16:5012,000 German troops
16:52combed the Hardanga Plateau
16:54in the hunt
16:55for the raiders.
17:00Luftwaffe planes
17:01flew hundreds of sorties
17:03in a futile search.
17:06But one of the raiders
17:08did have a lucky escape.
17:11Klaus Hellberg
17:12one of the original
17:13grouse team
17:13went back to the hut
17:15in which the team
17:16had originally sheltered.
17:20The Germans
17:21had ransacked the place
17:23and as he was leaving
17:24a group of them approached.
17:29Helberg dashed off
17:31with the Germans
17:31in hot pursuit.
17:36I was a little
17:37not very scared
17:39but I thought
17:40well this is
17:40this is the end
17:41for me.
17:44But in a way
17:45I was glad
17:45that we had succeeded
17:46at Weimark.
17:49And after a while
17:51quarter of an hour
17:52maybe
17:52most of the Germans
17:54fall behind
17:56so they didn't
17:57keep up
17:59my speed
18:00except for two of them
18:01and they chased me
18:03for about one hour
18:04maybe two hours.
18:09And then
18:10one of them
18:11was probably exhausted
18:13so after that
18:15one was
18:16chasing me
18:17for still an hour
18:19maybe two hours.
18:23Helberg skied
18:24towards the setting sun
18:25so as to spoil
18:26the aim
18:26of his pursuit.
18:30Finally
18:31the German
18:31was so close
18:32that he pulled out
18:32his pistol
18:33and cried
18:33hands up.
18:35Helberg reacted
18:36instinctively.
18:39When I took
18:40my pistol
18:40on
18:41shot
18:42two shots
18:43didn't hit
18:45and he started
18:46shooting at me
18:46he didn't hit me
18:48and
18:50when he had
18:51no more shots
18:51he turned
18:53as quickly
18:54as he could
18:55I
18:56sent him
18:57two shots
18:58here and away
19:01and now it was dark
19:03so I continued
19:04skiing
19:05in darkness
19:07looked at the stars
19:10so I could
19:11when I looked
19:12at the stars
19:12I saw the north stars
19:13and I knew
19:14exactly the direction.
19:19Helberg remained
19:20in Norway
19:20for the rest
19:21of the war
19:22as one of the
19:22leading resistance
19:23coordinators
19:24for SOE.
19:27In England
19:28Winston Churchill
19:29was delighted
19:30with the result
19:30of the raid.
19:33It was the only
19:34operation of
19:35World War II
19:35in which every
19:36participant
19:37won a gallantry award.
19:45but the Nazi
19:46nuclear project
19:47was not finished
19:48by the raid.
19:49Production of
19:50heavy water
19:50at Vermork
19:51was resumed
19:52by installing
19:52new concentration
19:53cells.
20:00The news
20:01reached London
20:02and SOE
20:03came under
20:04pressure
20:04to mount
20:04another raid
20:05but this time
20:06it was by air.
20:10on the 16th
20:11of November
20:111943
20:13160 B-17s
20:15of the 8th
20:15US Army Air Force
20:16took off
20:17for Norway.
20:23In a matter
20:24of minutes
20:24the flying
20:25fortresses
20:26unleashed
20:26over 700
20:271,000 pound
20:28bombs
20:29but not a
20:30single one
20:31hit the
20:32production plant.
20:34Although damage
20:35to the factory
20:36was insignificant
20:37the Germans
20:38decided to take
20:39all the remaining
20:39stocks of
20:40heavy water
20:40back to the
20:41Reich.
20:46The task
20:47of preventing
20:48this was given
20:49to Knut
20:49Haukelit
20:50one of the
20:51gunner side
20:51team
20:52who had
20:52stayed behind.
20:58The Germans
20:59had decided
20:59to transport
21:00the remaining
21:01stock
21:01of 4,000
21:02gallons
21:02of heavy
21:03water
21:03from Vermork
21:04to the
21:05port of
21:05mail
21:05by rail.
21:07From there
21:07the vital
21:08cargo
21:08would be
21:09ferried
21:09across
21:09Lake
21:10Tinsio
21:10and
21:11onto
21:11Germany.
21:15The train
21:16and track
21:17were heavily
21:17guarded.
21:22The ferry
21:23seemed the
21:23most promising
21:24target
21:25but an attack
21:26on it
21:26would put
21:26at risk
21:27its
21:27Norwegian
21:27crew
21:28and passengers.
21:33The matter
21:34was passed
21:34to the
21:34Norwegian
21:35government
21:35in exile
21:36in London.
21:37This decided
21:38that the attack
21:38must go ahead
21:39irrespective
21:40of civilian
21:41casualties.
21:48In the
21:48early hours
21:49of the
21:4920th
21:50of February
21:50three
21:51Norwegian
21:51raiders
21:52boarded
21:52the ferry.
21:53Inside
21:54the bilges
21:54of the
21:55ship
21:55they placed
21:56a 20
21:56pound
21:57charge
21:57of plastic
21:57explosive
21:58time to
21:59go off
21:59when the
21:59ferry
22:00was over
22:00the deepest
22:01part
22:01of the
22:01lake.
22:07The next
22:08day
22:08everything
22:09went as
22:09planned.
22:18Within
22:19minutes
22:19the ferry
22:19sank
22:20in
22:201200
22:21feet
22:21of
22:21water
22:21taking
22:22with it
22:23all
22:23the
22:23stocks
22:23of
22:24Nazi
22:24heavy
22:24water.
22:27although
22:27many
22:28of the
22:28passengers
22:28and
22:29crew
22:29survived
22:29the
22:29explosion
22:30four
22:31Germans
22:31and
22:3114
22:32Norwegians
22:33died
22:33but their
22:34deaths
22:34were not
22:35in vain.
22:35Their
22:36sacrifice
22:36meant the
22:37end of
22:37Hitler's
22:38atomic bomb.
22:48With this
22:49threat out
22:49of the
22:50way
22:50the Allies
22:51went on
22:51to win
22:52to win
22:52the race
22:52to produce
22:53the first
22:53atomic bomb.
22:58At dawn
22:59on the
22:5916th
22:59of July
23:001945
23:00it exploded
23:02in a test
23:03over the
23:03New Mexico
23:04desert.
23:08A tiny
23:09group of
23:09daring
23:10Norwegian
23:10raiders
23:11had ensured
23:11that this
23:12awesome
23:12power
23:13would be
23:13in the
23:13hands
23:14of
23:14democratic
23:14nations
23:15and not
23:16Adolf
23:17Hitler's.
23:35Sous-titrage
23:38Sous-titrage
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