Operation Freshman : The Hunt for Hitlers Heavy Water

In February 1943, the production of heavy water, so vital to Hitler's atom bomb plans, was halted by Norwegian saboteurs with the help of English commando soldiers. Thereafter, the ferry transporting the remaining stock of heavy water destined for Germany was sunk. These two events have been immortalized in several Hollywood productions and retold in numerous history books. What is less known, however, is that an earlier sabotage attack had been attempted by English commando soldiers against the same objective: The heavy water production facility in Vemork. This attempt failed and, moreover, set the stage to a dreadful aftermath for the commando soldiers. The operation went under the code-name Operation Freshman.

Jostien Berglyd is a lecturer in history and has written several books focused on Norway's history, particularly in connection with Norway's "Vestlandet," which is to say, the area around Stavanger/Bergen