Based on interviews with the commandos themselves, here are the vivid details about the planning and execution of one of the most famous raids in WWII history.
Assault in Norway is the classic account of a legendary raid on the Nazi war program. By 1942 Germany had a seemingly insurmountable lead over the Allies in developing an atomic bomb. Contributing to this situation was its access to a crucial ingredient, "heavy water," found in great abundance at a fortress-like factory in occupied Norway. Allied hopes of stalling the Nazi nuclear program soon focused on sabotaging the cliff-side plant — a suicidal mission. But a team of brave Norwegian exiles, trained in Britain, infiltrated their homeland and, hiding in the wilds, awaited the opportunity to launch one of the most daring commando raids of the Second World War.
Basing his gripping narrative in large part on interviews with the commandos themselves, Thomas Gallagher recounts in vivid detail the planning and execution of Operation Gunnerside. Assault in Norway recalls the intrigue found in such wartime classics as David Howarth’s We Die Alone and The Sledge Patrol, and the mission it recounts inspired the 1965 Hollywood film The Heroes of Telemark.
Norway, heavy water and Quisling...
Related Scanning WWII dates...
- 09 Apr 40: Day 1 of 63 of the Battle of Norway
- 10 Jun 40: Norway surrenders unconditionally to the Nazis
- 16 Jun 40: French transfer Norwegian heavy water to British
- 25 Sep 40: All political parties except Quisling's pro-Nazi party are dissolved
- 01 Feb 42: Quisling forms a puppet government under German rule
- 18 Oct 42: Commandos parachute in to recon Telemark plant
- 19 Nov 42: Sabotage attempt fails when gliders crash en route
- 16 Feb 43: Commandos parachute in to meet reconnaissance party
- 28 Feb 43: Commandos successfully sabotage Telemark plant
- 16 Nov 43: RAF bombs heavy water plant, which is under repair
- 20 Feb 44: Railway ferry carrying heavy water to Germany is sunk
- 07 May 45: All German troops in Norway surrender unconditionally
- 09 May 45: Quisling is captured by Norwegian underground
- 10 Sep 45: Quisling is sentenced to death in Oslo
- 24 Oct 45: Quisling is executed by firing squad for high treason
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- Hitler's Preemptive War:
The Battle for Norway, 1940 - Hitler Strikes North:
The Nazi Invasion of Norway and Denmark - Assault in Norway:
Sabotaging the Nazi Nuclear Program - Skis Against the Atom:
The Exciting, First Hand Account of Heroism and Daring Sabotage During the Nazi Occupation of Norway - Quisling:
A Study in Treachery