The podcast episode "History Without Censorship" tells the story of a small unit of Norwegian resistance fighters who played a crucial role in preventing Germany from developing an atomic bomb during World War II. The Germans had taken over Norway's Norsk Hydro artificial fertilizer factory, which produced heavy water, a key ingredient in atomic bomb production. The Norwegians, led by Einar Skinnarland, worked with British intelligence to sabotage the factory. Despite several failed attempts, they eventually succeeded in destroying the heavy water production facility in February 1943. The team of nine Norwegians, who were aided by British uniforms and fake evidence, managed to escape and make their way to Sweden. The episode highlights the bravery and ingenuity of the Norwegian resistance fighters, who risked their lives to prevent the Germans from acquiring the atomic bomb.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Germans took over Norway in 1940, gaining access to the Norsk Hydro artificial fertilizer factory, which produced heavy water.
2. Heavy water was a crucial ingredient in the production of an atomic bomb.
3. In 1942, Einar Skinnarland, a Norwegian engineer, hijacked an SS ship and sailed to England to recruit for the local secret service.
4. Skinnarland was sent back to Norway to prepare an attack on the Norsk Hydro factory.
5. A team of Norwegian commandos was sent to Norway to attack the factory, but their gliders crashed, and many were killed or captured.
6. A second team of six Norwegians was sent to join Skinnarland, and they successfully attacked the factory in February 1943.
7. The Norwegians destroyed the heavy water production equipment and supplies, setting back the German atomic bomb project.
8. The Germans were misled into believing that the British were behind the attack, thanks to the Norwegians' use of British uniforms and equipment.
9. The Norwegians escaped to Sweden and then to Great Britain, traveling over 400 kilometers.
10. The English bombed the Norsk Hydro factory a few months later, causing minimal damage to the enemy but killing 22 innocent people.
11. All the Norwegians involved in the actions at Norsk Hydro survived the war.
12. The events were later recreated in a mission in the video game Battlefield 5.