In history, Hitler had always a halo of fear around him that was formed mainly out of his dictatorship tendencies,  and mass killing or genocide of Jews. His reign witnessed a tumultuous period in history as he initiated World War II in Europe by invading Poland.

In the backdrop of the World War II , Hitler was closely working on a nuclear weapon plan and it was sabotaged by a dare-devil commando attack, world has ever witnessed. In this commando attack Lieutenant Ronneberg and his commando team stole across guards and a barrack full of troop of Germany and set explosives and blew them up shattering Hitler’s hope of developing a critical ingredient that could create the first atomic bomb.

Historians had different claims on how far Hitler could travel in developing Nuclear weapons. In a book called “Hitler’s Bomb”, Rainer Karlsch a German writer revealed that German scientists conducted three nuclear tests 1944-45. But the writer did not corroborate with ample proof. A commonly accepted theory is that the project halted in midway due to scientific errors and Norway’s successful thwarting.

In 1942, British happened to know about the German plan to use heavy water or deuterium oxide to moderate atom spitting chain reaction to develop plutonium bomb. They were also informed about the development that Norsk Hydroelectric plant in Norway, known for extracting heavy  water since 1934, it is now under the  

control of Nazi invaders and is now used to for Berlin’s atomic program as a source for isotope.

Earlier a British commando force has been lost in the mission to thwart this initiative. Britain now gave the mission to the Norwegian volunteers under Mr. Ronnerberg. It was named operation Gunnerside and was endorsed by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Air attacks were not feasible as they feared heavy causalities and threat to the life of Norwegian workers. The success rate was also low as the heavy water was distilled in a basement made to protect against bombs.

The team was trained in Britain and was parachuted into Norway. An advance team with Radio and supplies reached there first on October, 1942. Another team of six members followed them. They assembled and planned at a cabin 40 miles away from the target, at Vemork which is located on the forest plateau called the Telemark. This place is now a national park.

They were delayed for a week due to snowstorm. A conducive time has arrived and they decided to act. A person in the team was assigned to break off from the team and maintain radio contact with London. The rest of the team set off with rations for five days, explosives, fuses, Tommy guns, grenades, compasses etc. They also had a pair of metal shears, which was important, Ronnerberg had brought it from a London hardware store. Day time they rested, at night they skied. They reached the ravine on Feb 27, 1943  late night. 

The way to the Mana River was difficult because of steep slopes. The plant was located halfway of the slope. Entrance to the plant was a suspension bridge that was guarded. Behind the plant was the railway line and German troop barrack. There were guards patrolling the tracks and there was a wire fence around the back entrance.

The job to get in was tough, but they had their own chances of luck and favorable factors.  They lacked a definite plan, and they proceeded hoping the best. They agreed to enter through the back way.  The wait was long and it went past the midnight. They waited for a chance to creep in watching the changes of night shift workers and guards. They climbed down the gorge clinging to branches and shrubs to avoid the fall. Through an ice bridge they crossed the river. They climbed the snowdrift slope which was waist deep. Guards were there on the bridge, but the sound of the river and the hum from the shrubs camouflaged their sounds. 

Evading the soldiers patrolling the railway line they reached the storage shed and hide there. Five of them remained there guarding while Mr. Ronneberg and three others rushed to the gate when a sentry left to  patrol. They cut the fence with the shears and  entered the compound. Now they split the team into two and Mr. Ronneberg and Fredrick Kayser found a duct for cables and pipes. They got in through it and somehow managed to squeeze in rucksacks of explosives. It led to a spacious hall.

It was a heavy water production

center with heavy water containers.  No guard was seen and there was a workman at the desk. They went near him and thrust a gun into his chest and whispered to him to be silent. He then opened his rucksack and brought out the explosives and attached it to the storage cylinders and water distillation apparatus. Now they were joined by two other men, who broke in by breaking window pane. Fuses of thirty second timers were set in, ignited them and they fled the scene. While escaping they heard barely audible sound of the explosion. They could now hear the sirens; meanwhile they were out of the sight. The workers ran out, scattered, and when the soldiers knew what has really happened,  the team was out of sight. Search operation was started by 2,800 soldiers, but by now the saboteurs were far away trekking through forests and mountains and their destination was neutral Sweden.

The merit of this operation was that no saboteurs were wounded and no shots were fired. The German again restarted the project, but it took  another  four months to reinvent a production unit. And when it started  functioning, it was again severely damaged by allied bombers. Hitler wanted to materialize it and he ordered the project to be moved to Germany.  But it failed as the Norwegian Ferry carrying the equipments and the balance heavy water was sunk in sabotage by forces.

Mr. Ronneberg took part in other attacks too. He destroyed a German supply line by destroying a railway bridge with plastic explosives. In recognition for the daring service, the government 

of Norway presented him with ‘the war Cross with Sword’ from King Haakon VII. He also received Distinguished Service Order from Britain, the Legion of Honor, Croix De Guerre from France and the American Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm.

Joachim Ronneberg was born in 1919 in the town of Aalesund, Norway. He fled the town after the Nazis invaded it in 1940. He was 21 years old then, he escaped with eight friends in a boat to Scotland. But they took a decision to return and fight the Nazis.

Ronnerberg after his service in the army joined the NRK public broadcasting network in Norway in 1948. Initially he worked as a journalist and then became a program director and retired in 1988.

He got married in 1949 to Liv Fodal, a crafts teacher. They had three children: Jostein, Asa and Birte.

Mr.Ronneberg, the last surviving member of the 1943 raid and one of the revered war heroes passed away in the age of 99 on October 22^nd, 2018.