Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Operation Grouse in October 1942 when four Norwegians parachuted into Sognadal,
west of Rjukan. They were to be joined a month later by 34 specially trained British
saboteurs who would arrive in two gliders at Skoland near Lake Møsvatnet, but one
tow plane and its glider crashed into a mountain, and the other glider crashed on
landing. All the British survivors were shot by the Germans.
Undeterred, the Norwegian group changed its mission name to Swallow and re-
treated to Hardangervidda, where they subsisted through the worst of the winter. On
16 February 1943 a new British-trained group called Gunnerside landed on Hard-
angervidda. Unfortunately a blizzard was raging and they wound up a long 30km
march from their intended drop site. By the evening of 27 February the saboteurs
were holed up at Fjøsbudalen, north of Vemork, waiting to strike. After descending
the steep mountainside along the now-famous Sabotørruta (Saboteurs' Route,
Click
here
), they crossed the gorge to the heavy-water plant, wire-clipped the perimeter
fence and planted the explosives, which largely destroyed the facility. Some of the
saboteurs retreated on skis to Hardangervidda then fled into neutral Sweden, while
the rest remained on the plateau, successfully avoiding capture.
The plant was rebuilt by the Germans, but on 16 November 1943, 140 US planes
bombed Vemork, killing 20 Norwegians in the process. The Germans abandoned any
hopes of producing heavy water in Norway and decided to shift their remaining
stocks to Germany. On 19 February 1944, the night before the ferry carrying the sup-
plies was due to sail across the lake Tinnsjø, the saboteurs placed a timed charge on
the boat. The following night, the entire project was literally blown out of the water.
In 1965 this intriguing story was made into the dramatic (albeit historically inac-
curate) film
The Heroes of Telemark,
starring Kirk Douglas.
NOTODDEN
POP 12,200
Unless you're here for the hugely popular
Blues Festival (
www.bluesfest.no
)
in early
August, drive straight past industrial Notodden and keep going until you reach the mar-
vellous, imposing Heddal Stave Church, about 5km west of town on the E134. Otherwise,
the only reason to pause in town is the Notodden
tourist office (
35 01 50 00;
www.notodden.kommune.no
; Teatergate 3;
8am-3pm Mon-Fri)
.
