There was no Google Earth, no Gore-Tex and only a modest measure of hope on the February night in 1943 when six Norwegians parachuted into the remote and frigid Telemark region of their home country for an outdoor challenge like few others.
They had skis and explosives and a destination: the German-controlled Norsk Hydro facility, high on an isolated and snowy ridge. The Norwegians intended to destroy equipment inside that the Germans were using to produce what is known as heavy water, a crucial ingredient in making a nuclear weapon and one they feared the Nazis would use to build an atomic bomb. One of the demolitions experts on the team, Birger Stromsheim, died Nov. 10 in Oslo at 101.
In 1998, I attended some lectures with one of the guys that was on the operation, can't remember his name for sure, Klaus or Rolf?
I used to cook at a ski Lodge just above Rjukan, and we had English marines over for their winter training the whole of November.
Pretty amazing story and guys for sure!
101, he did better than Max Manus.
Turdacious
