Ridiculous History CLASSIC: Operation Gunnerside: How a Crew of Military Skiers Ruined the Nazi Bomb
Jan 31, 2026
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Skiing As Tactical Stealth
- The Norwegian commandos used ski movement and stealth to approach the Vemork plant under cover of night.
- Their ski skills and white camouflage let them move like ghosts and hide tracks in wind-blown snow.
Heavy Water Created A Single Vulnerability
- Germany pursued heavy water as a reactor moderator while the U.S. used graphite, creating divergent technical paths.
- Heavy water required industrial production, making the Vemork plant a strategic chokepoint.
Resistance Intelligence Enabled Sabotage
- British intelligence learned of increased heavy water production via Norwegian resistance contacts.
- That human intelligence made sabotage a viable alternative to bombing the plant.