The Real Heroes Of Telemark

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After victory in North Africa, the Allies needed an ingenious ruse to disguise the true target of their next invasion. Meet the officer of Britain's top-secret Double-Cross Committee who devised the brilliant solution -- "The Man Who Never Was." Find out how a notorious German spy ring unknowingly helped to hatch the devious plan. And, for the first time, learn the true identity and tragic story of the man, who in death, was able to save many thousands of lives.

Richard Rhodes's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, includes details of the events. [33] Leo Marks' 1998 book, Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker's Story 1941–1945 ( ISBN 0-684-86780-X), also details the story. Marks (SOE's cryptographer) knew the Norwegian team, trained them in cryptography so they could communicate with SOE in England, and followed their progress after they were dropped in Norway. The raid is the subject of Assault in Norway: Sabotaging the Nazi Nuclear Program ( ISBN 9781585747504), a 2002 book by Thomas Gallagher based on interviews with many of the commandos. The heavy water plant was rebuilt and production restarted during the next six months. On the night of 16 November 1943, 140 US bombers swooped in over Rjukan and totally destroyed the Vemork power station and electrolysis plant. Many people were killed. After that, the Germans gave up producing heavy water at Vemork. "Hydro" sinks to bottom of the Tinnsjø lake

There must be the inevitable dramatization. Douglas happens to run into his ex wife, Jacobbson, who looks like she'd be lots of fun to run into, and there is a fist fight, and Michael Redgrave has nothing to do but get shot and die with dignity. The children are snatched from the jaws of death at the end, which they didn't in real life. Douglas reluctantly joins a group of nine men who go on the ground mission after a bombing raid wipes out some of the resistance fighters. Director Mann gets every bit of suspense out of the perilous mission...and the aftermath when the men are hunted by the Gestapo and wanted dead or alive. If you are reading this and are undecided if you should do this - then do it, an amazing allround experience. Before the Allies could invade North Africa in 1943, a critical question needed to be answered: Would the Vichy French guarding the coastline meet the Allied troops with open arms...or with bullets? Now learn of the daring plan to gain crucial French support and at the American general who risked his life on the "Secret Mission to North Africa."

with military precision. Both Brian, the course leader, and Glynn, the expedition guide, were superb in every respect. At age 61, even with many years of normal Alpine skiing holiday experience, I did not expect this undertaking to be physically easy - and I was so right! For the first two days of training I had pains where I never thought I had muscles and there were indeed times when will power - and a little help from my team mates - I hear they are spending five million dollars, so it's got to be spectacular and that means more fiction and less fact", said Haukelid during filming. [1] a b c d e Dahl, Per F (1999). Heavy water and the wartime race for nuclear energy. Bristol: Institute of Physics Publishing. pp.103–108. ISBN 07-5030-6335 . Retrieved 12 July 2009. The movie was originally titled The Unknown Battle and was to have starred Stephen Boyd and Elke Sommer and be written by Ben Barzman. [6] Later, Anthony Perkins was announced as a star, though he withdrew. [7] Eventually Kirk Douglas signed as the lead. [8] Cliff Robertson was mentioned as a possible co-star before Richard Harris came on board. [9] THE HEROES OF TELEMARK is a late entry in the cycle of British war movies that reached its apotheosis in the mid-Fifties with THE DAM BUSTERS (1953) and others.The underwater war saw many innovations and a rapid increase in electronic technology, which eventually enabled the Allies to achieve ultimate victory. NOVA: Hitler's Sunken Secret". The Corporation for Public Broadcasting – WGBH Educational Foundation. 1996–2005. Archived from the original on 12 July 2009 . Retrieved 12 July 2009. In 1941, British intelligence received an ominous message from operatives in Nazi-occupied Norway: The Norsk Hydro electric plant in Telemark had stepped up production of "heavy water," a vital componet in the manufacture of an atomic bomb. The threat of German nuclear capability triggered a daring secret operation to destroy the plant and the enemy's supply of heavy water. Discover how a courageous band of commandos prevented Hitler from building the ultimate weapon, in "The Real Heroes of Telemark."

Directed by Anthony Mann (his last film) with a mostly British cast, and starring KIRK DOUGLAS and RICHARD HARRIS, it's based on a little known true-life episode. Their mission: to return to Telemark from England and see whether ground invasion is possible--rather than bombing, because the village nearby is heavily populated. As someone else observed, Kirk and Richard spend more time fighting each other than the Nazis. Whatever animosity lies beneath the surface of these two stars, it shows on the screen.

Vemork is incredibly remote. How did the geography and conditions affect the sabotage attempt? 

Despite the mission's intention to minimize casualties, 18 people were killed; 29 survived. The dead were 14 Norwegian crew and passengers and four German soldiers. [24]