Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. German armed forces invaded Norway on 9th April 1940. Within 24 hours the German army had taken control of every major city and the peaceful nation of Norway stood little chance against the German war machine.
However, the Norwegians did succeed in sinking which German heavy cruiser?
2. After the successful invasion of Norway, Germany had access to the long Norwegian coastline which was ideal for launching attacks against the Allied Atlantic convoys. The Germans also now had access to a plant capable of producing significant stocks of heavy water, required to construct an atomic weapon. The plant was situated in the region of Telemark. What was the plant known as?
3. Although existing stocks of heavy water had been smuggled out of the plant shortly before the Germans invaded, the British government still had cause for extreme concern. Intelligence reports suggested that the Germans were continuing the production of heavy water and intended to increase it significantly.
This situation led to the realisation that action had to be taken to prevent the Germans obtaining any advantage over the Allies in the development of atomic weapons.
In a meeting held in 1942 attended by atomic scientists who were attached to the British Royal Marines, the Royal Norwegian Army and the SOE, which action was actually considered but NOT carried out?
4. When selecting men for the attack on the plant, the Special Operations Executive decided to avoid recruiting from the many Norwegians who had managed to arrive in the United Kingdom after escaping from occupied Norway.
It was felt that the risk of reprisals by the Germans was too high for their families in the event of their capture.
5. In March 1942, a young Norwegian arrived in Aberdeen, Scotland by steamer. He and his compatriots had seized the SS Galtesund and made their escape from occupied Norway. This was an excellent turn of events for the SOE. This young man was an engineer at the plant and had contacts and local knowledge of the area, therefore was a valuable asset to the SOE. What was his family name?
6. Several operations were planned and executed with the ultimate aim of halting heavy water production at the plant. Which operation involved towing gliders by heavy bombers to Norway but resulted in disaster?
7. The group of brave Norweigian saboteurs who made up Operation Gunnerside, an operation designed to destroy the plants heavy water production capability, left an item behind during the raid. This was a deliberate act in an attempt to convince the Germans that foreign powers were behind the raid, not the local resistance. The hope was to lessen the likelihood of reprisals against the local population by the Germans.
What was the item?
8. The events surrounding Operation Gunnerside were made into the 1965 film "The Heroes of Telemark". Norwegian veterans of the raid commented that the film did not accurately portray the events that actually occured. The film featured a famous American actor. What was his name?
9. In 1944, due to the campaign of air raids carried out by the USAAF against the plant, the Germans made the decision to move their stock of heavy water to Germany. However, the heavy water never completed its journey. What happened?
10. Most of the barrels of heavy water have remained under water for over 60 years, but which museum now has barrel number 26 on display?
Source: Author
keanet
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
bloomsby before going online.
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