The Heavy Water War: Stopping Hitler's Atomic Bomb
You wanted to talk to me?
New orders.
We will rebuild it all.
What do you think? How long will it take?
- It's a damned lot of work. - But not impossible.
What was once here, can be rebuilt.
- Can you get me some coffee? Black. - Yes.
A moment.
Thank you for calling me.
I'm so relieved nothing happened to you.
Astrid says they were Norwegians. They walked over the ravine and the railway.
Nobody would do that unless they know Rjukan like their own back yard.
How does she know that?
She heard it at the grocery store.
That it was Norwegians who had been hiding in the highlands.
- Why would they do that? - Hide on the highlands, or blow up the plant?
Blow up...
You're asking me?
- I should ask you. - All right.
People say that you work with the Germans, and that's the reason.
- Anything else? - No thanks, that's fine.
Did you get rid of the correspondence?
- I think so. - Good.
Want to hear what else people say?
They say the war is at a turning point.
The Germans have lost 200,000 men at Stalingrad.
And that perhaps it's not that smart having close relations with the Germans.
We are occupied. Norway doesn't come to a standstill because of that.
Yes, I'm just relaying what I heard.
Maybe you should not listen to everything people say. Have you thought about that?
Yes, I did think of that. But unfortunately I can't.
Why not?
Because I will be unhappy to be alone.
And my happiness... is my responsibility.
GERMANY SURRENDERS AT STALINGRAD!
- Blown up? - Yes.
- The entire facility? - It looks like it.
What about graphite, can't we use that? The Americans use it, according to rumours.
It's not certain the rumours are true.
These camps, Werner… I've been following it.
No one returns. How big do you think they are?
I don't know.
It's late.
Nothing's happening.
Not because of the materials. Something's not right.
Li.
- Sorry. - There you are.
They don't give the "danger over" signals anymore. The entire city center is burning.
70% of the 16-year-olds have been called upon to serve in the army, I heard.
Fortunately, our children are too young.
I have to leave again, but at least we got to see each other.
I will pack a lunch for you.
- What did you say? - That I will pack you lunch!!
I can't blame you.
You warned me.
You said I would never be jealous of a woman, but of science.
You were right. But what I didn't realize…
When you decided that we should stay in Germany, you did not make your family part of the consideration.
You know that's not true.
I'm…
Sometimes I am not as brave as you think.
I must go.
Sir, the heroes from Telemark will be here any minute now.
Thank you.
Tronstad.
There a message just in. Helberg is missing.
He didn't report to the border. Haugland and Skinnarland haven't heard anything since the split.
And there are unconfirmed reports are coming in of German troops, professional marksmen…
Fuck.
Sorry.
No, no, come on. Mind the gap.
Congratulations.
Congratulations, wonderful.
Hello.
- What? - Helberg hasn't shown up.
We just got a message from Einar to check in with the others…
He's probably dead.
When we sent Freshman in, we doubled the numbers, divided the group into two…
Two flights to increase the chances.
We hardly tested the plans. There was no plan for retreat. Quite simply…
A one-way ticket.
So, in comparisson, Gunnerside is a great success.
It's still a life.
You didn't think that we could do this without any casualties?
He was my friend.
Then give yourself a break.
Hundreds of thousands of people will die.
London was… bombed every night for nine months.
200 bombs a night. 43,381 dead so far.
50,856 people seriously injured.
1,150,000 homes destroyed just in London.
And now we're going to bomb Germany again.
We created a mayhem that no one in history has ever witnessed.
And even if I cheer every bomb we drop…
I'm still very aware of all the people we kill.
Yesterday, I saw some children build a…
What's it called? Iglo. I saw how they built an iglo.
They dug up a huge amount of snow.
Four boys built something they imagined was a…
A castle or a palace with many rooms and corridors.
But what they did not think of…
Is that spring is now approaching.
And that everything will melt.
Even the most beautiful castles become just puddles again.
It's all in vain.
"Strategic retreat", That's what they call it now.
It is a new concept. Take note of it.
"Total war"…
And the "strategic retreat".
You need more people, huh?
350 Russian prisoners of war from the battles for Minsk and Smolensk.
- Prisoners of war? - Yes.
We're doubling the heavy water order.
And as long as we have enough manpower, everything is possible.
Isn't it great?
Oh, yes.
Henriksen.
They bombed our factories in Herøya.
American aircrafts, just after twelve. More than 50 dead.
Injured?
Around one hundred. The entire facility has been destroyed.
- American planes? - Yes.
I'm leaving. Cancel all meetings.
I sent the cooks home. You want me to call them back?
I found some leftovers in the kitchen.
Dear, you're living dangerously.
First the plant, and then Herøya.
Next time Rjukan will be bombed.
Is there any butter? I didn't find any.
Nobody has butter now.
No one really has anything, except those with a lot of money.
Such as us.
What do you really sell to the Germans that's so important -
- so that the plant is bombed and sabotaged?
I'm going to bed.
Ask the maid to change the mattress, it's too hard.
Do it yourself! I hope you understand where this is going.
The Germans won't win, no matter how much you produce!
All we want is to operate the factory in peace.
I'm not talking about Hydro, but about you.
What will you do when it's over?
- I got the plant to be fully operational. - You could have declined, like so many.
The whole of Rjukan works there. I can't let people starve to death.
But some have resisted and got arrested!
Astrid's husband, for example.
Which side did you stand on when it happened?
It wasn't me who arrested him.
No, you fired him for something he didn't do.
You must learn to see the bigger picture.
Before the invasion I was a reserve officer.
I have not done anything against my fatherland!
We're going to be ostracized.
No one will talk to us anymore.
That's not going to happen.
I promise.
And he ordered me to get down on the floor in the back of the bus.
And I ended up sitting next to the very same girl that offended Terboven.
She was very beautiful. We got on quite well, actually.
I managed to held back my Helberg-charm on her.
He didn't like that so he ordered me to swap places with him.
And suddenly I was standing in the front end of the bus, And then… I jumped out.
The bus was still driving, It stopped a few hundred metres away from me.
I ran towards the ravine and away from them, cause that would get them by surprise.
They shot at me, but they missed. They kept missing. And they were throwing grenades, but kept missing.
One of them actually hit me between my shoulderblades, but it didn't explode immediately. It just fell down on the ground.
And then I escaped into the forest.
And here I am.
- Cheers to that. - Cheers.
He made it to Drammen on foot with a broken arm. Then to Oslo and over to Sweden.
- Best of the best. Cheers to that. - Cheers.
And cheers to Mussolini. You know, they arrested him yesterday.
They Americans think there will be a truce in Italy by the end of the week.
- Then we get the Mediterranean back again. - It's turning.
Oh you bet your ass, it's turning. Give us a year, and Germany will be nothing more than a pile of rubble.
How's you family doing?
- Fine, thank you. - It must hard for them.
Not really. My wife's got used to not missing me.
And I see them, every now and then.
I suppose I've been of little importance in their lives.
Julie.
- You're leaving? - Yes, I'm going home.
-- I've got two reports that have to be done by the morning. -- They can't wait?
Well, unless you want to do them, no.
I'll buy the next round. A double.
Thank you, but… That's very nice…
What was that?
Come on. Let's go back in.
As delightful as that was…
And as much as I'd like to…
I'm going to say no.
Good night, Leif.
Take a look at this. We had a plane over Rjukan two days ago.
These are the photographs we took after the sabotage, These are now, three months later. There's something going on.
They're rebuilding it.
- We blew the whole room - It was not enough.
What did we do wrong, then?
Not you, I. I thought we'd contain the situation with the basement.
What do we do now, then?
- You've already got two failed missions to your name. - Flying in there takes a lot of precision.
Are you trying to suggest my pilots won't hit the target?
Or are you just worried that'll make your operation look small by comparison?
Sir, our last operation was precise and successful.
The fast rebuilding of the plant only proves how important heavy water is to the Germans. So our aim hasn't changed.
If we bomb, when I'm done, you won't even know there was a factory there.
We're not talking about bombing it so they disable it for a while. We're gonna take it out.
With no guarantee that you'll penetrate down through seven floors or armoured concrete.
I can guarantee that if you give us the time and men we can go and we can disable the…
You had two chances. You had two shots! You blew both of them!
Do you think we have an unlimited mount of time?! We're running out of time!
They're gonna produce heavy water, they're gonna get the bomb, and that's gonna be it!
You realise who these people are! They're not gonna play nice.
What they did with London, is gonna be a walk in the park -
- compared to what they're gonna do if they develop heavy water and get the bomb! So, think about that!
50 people?! 500 million will go!
The world will end as we know it.
And we're arguing about a valley in Norway!
- Yes? - Major Decker is here.
Yes, show him in.
Good morning. You wanted to talk to me?
What happens if we can not deliver?
Because…?
Because Hydro must decide for itself.
Resource utilization. If the resources can be used at the expense of other areas -
- for example, ammonia production and fertilisers.
- Have you discussed this with Aubert? - No.
What do you mean?
Don't be naive. If you refuse to deliver, we will replace you with a new director.
In the worst case we'll take over everything ourselves.
You didn't really expect otherwise, did you?
- The administration… - Which the German IG Farben controls.
- Not the German government. - But this is war.
And Wehrmacht controls Norway.
Our relationship with Hydro is of purely practical nature.
It does not matter if you refuse to deliver us heavy water.
We'll repair the damage and resume production.
And what will happen to me?
Henriksen…
- Weren't you a reserve officer before the war? - Yes.
Reserve officers are arrested and sent to Germany.
Honorary protection. That's what they call it.
Because it is considered an honour to be arrested.
For me, it's just a nice way to ignore the failures of the war.
I just wanted to warn you.
I will leave tomorrow.
I will be sent to Poland.
- What happened? - I said I wouldn't do it anymore.
You can't just quit.
Hydro can get someone else to do the job. Why will you be sent away?
Trust me.
Let me…
- Mrs. Henriksen? - Yes.
Your husband is under arrest.
I understand. Can you please wait until he has finished getting dressed?
Here is everything you need.
The contracts for the next four months.
All contracts and deliveries.
Production details. This will make the transition easier.
- They arrested Henriksen? - Yes, in a Norwegian army uniform.
Ährenschuts. Protecting his honour. Wine and dine in a low security prison.
The man knows what he's doing. He'll return a damned hero.
So, the old head of Hydro is back?
Axel Aubert, 69 years old. "Uncle Axel" by many.
- Engineering background, from a very good family. - And we know he'll do almost anything for the Germans.
Come in.
Thanks, Tone.
911 bombs.
And they could do was to knock out one of the generators in the power station?
It will only take a week to fix. 21 people killed!
And all this for what?
To bomb a bridge, a few chemical factories.
Some railway wagons and…
A bloody unused bus shelter!
Precision bombing?!
Leif, we said what we thought, but were overruled.
Werner…
Alright.
Your district has been bombed. Get Elisabeth and the children out of town.
- I'll go with you. - Stay.
The Americans destroyed the heavy water plant.
Go down and check the inventory.
Elisabeth.
Elisabeth!
Come.
- Are you coming? - I'll come later.
Go!
Go now.
Go!
General Leeb.
The plant in Norway was hit.
The plant was bombed, and parts of the warehouse might also have beeen hit.
But no bomb reached down to the basement, as far as we know.
It seems that the production facility was not destroyed.
Columns, tanks, remnants of potassium hydroxide and heavy water.
Not a single scratch.
That means?
We continue.
- They're moving the factory. - What?
- Where? - Germany.
Kaiser Wilhelm Institute must have got tired of waiting.
Probably in the south. Munich. I don't know.
We have an unconfirmed report saying that they've already stopped production and started dismantling.
- How much time have we got? - According to our intelligence, less than a week.
I've no idea how they're gonna move it all. But you have to find out.
39 barrels on 7 railway wagons.
They are leaving Friday 09:45 AM from the factory.
The wagons gonna attach to a new train at Rjukan, which then —
- will take them to the dock at Mæl the same evening.
We have five days to come up with something clever.
Is it still possible to get into the factory?
They've bricked up all windows and doors.
And they've tripled the guards and laid mine fields along the entire perimeter of the factory.
That's probably a no, then.
Tronstad, let's take another look at the railroad again.
The problem is the timing. When the cargo is just passing, we can't be that precise.
What about the next section of the railway line, or the bridges on the way to Haroya?
No, it has to hit before the ferry reaches the port.
Cause after that we have reason to believe that the cargo is split into four or five separate loads.
Than we have four or five separate targets, instead of one.
What about the ferry?
- No, that's a passenger ferry. - Well, it's an option.
- How would we do it? - Explosives below deck -
- to make the ferry sink within a few minutes.
- How deep is the lake? - It's one of the deepest lakes in Norway.
400 meters at its deepest point.
It's a passenger ferry.