What is Norwegian heavy water sabotage?
{{Infobox military conflict |conflict = Norwegian heavy water sabotage |partof = [[World War II]] |image = Vemork Hydroelectric Plant 1935.jpg |image_size = 300 |caption = [[Vemork]] hydroelectric power plant in 1935 |date = |place = [[Telemark]], Norway |result = Allied victory }} The '''Norwegian heavy water sabotage''' was a group of [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] missions in [[World War II]]. The target of the missions was the 60 [[watt|megawatt]] Vemork power station. This power station produced a type of water that is named [[heavy water]]. Heavy water is based on a hydrogen [[isotope]] called [[deuterium]]. The missions were to stop [[Germany]] from making [[heavy water]]. Germany needed the heavy water to understand and help make [[atomic bomb]]s. The attacks started in February 1942 by [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[Commando]]s and Allied [[bomber]]s. The missions were code named '''Grouse''', '''Freshman''', and '''Gunnerside'''. The missions were successful and the Vemork power plant was no longer working by 1943. == Missions == === Operation Grouse === [[Britain|British]] [[Special Operations Executive]] (or SOE) made plans to put four Norwegian commandos in the area in October 1942. On 19 October 1942, these Norwegian commandos parachuted in. They had to ski a very long way to get to the station.<ref name= Gall>{{cite book|last=Gallagher|first=Thomas|title=Assault In Norway: Sabotaging the Nazi Nuclear Program|publisher=The Lyons Press|year=2002|location=Guilford, Connecticut|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9U6sBwAAQBAJ&q=assault+in+norway|isbn=1-58574-750-5|access-date=12 July 2009}}</ref> They were supposed to watch the power station to make sure it was safe for other troops to arrive. The mission went well and the commandos began [[surveillance]] of the power station from [[Hardanger Plateau]].<ref name=Berglyd>{{cite book|last1=Berglyd|first1=Jostein|last2=Translated by Tim Dinan|title=Operation Freshman: The Hunt for Hitler's Heavy Water|publisher