The Heavy Water War: Stopping Hitler's Atomic Bomb (2015): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript
Nobel physics prize receiver Heisenberg is convinced by the Nazi government to make the first atomic bomb. But for this they need heavy water, only produced in Rjukan, Norway, something the French and Brits will prevent at all costs.
Shh! Shh!
My famous friend, Niels
Bohr. Did you just arrive?
No, no, I was watching you.
I just wanted to be the
first to congratulate you.
You beat me by six years.
- Without you, I...
- Oh, nonsense!
The new star is Werner Heisenberg.
I'm so proud of you. The
whole Institute is ecstatic!
All my thoughts and theories...
Yes, anyway, where are
we going to celebrate?
I hear that Stockholm is full
of young women with Nobel fever.
Now I'm going to tell you something
that's even more secret than
the fact that an object can be
in two places at the same time...
women are unpredictable.
Nothing in my scientific research
indicates that a young,
beautiful, intelligent and
entertaining woman can't fall for...
a pale, underfed and
quiet nuclear physicist.
On the contrary.
All my calculations point towards you
being able to pick
from the top drawer.
Now, don't forget what I told you.
An object can be in two
places at the same time.
No, women are unpredictable.
Right.
Sir Heisenberg?
Welcome. Welcome.
Good to see you.
You know the board meeting
is not before next month?
I know. But it's not the board
that sent me this time.
I've been sent by Deuxieme Bureau.
According to our sources,
heavy water is being utilised...
.. in the German arms programme.
You propose it in France instead?
In France, Jean Frederic
Joliot-Curie and his wife Irene
can use the heavy water
as moderator in a nuclear reactor.
To create energy.
Yes.
We do not know if the Germans
have other plans.
We do not intend to
wait and see either.
How much will France pay?
How much are the Germans paying?
How much and how fast?
All of it, now.
OK, we have a deal.
You can pay it when
you've won the war.
Excuse me. Can you
keep the door clear?
Leif Tronstad. I'm here to see
Colonel John Skinner Wilson.
He's expecting me.
He's not here, sir.
- He's not here?
- No, sir.
I don't think you understand. I
need to see him. It's important.
The colonel's not here, sir.
Are you lost, sir?
No, no, no. I'm going to...
G... Goog-es Street.
Goodge Street.
The King and Queen's own Goodge
Street it's not the best of places.
Badly sprung mattresses, lumpy cushions,
eggy smell in the corridor
and there's bedbugs and crabs.
Terrible choice, Mr Tronstad.
I'm sorry. Do I know you?
Leif Tronstad.
Professor of Inorganic Chemistry
at the NTH in Trondheim.
Sped through the diploma studies,
became the youngest professor
in the faculty at age 33.
Now the foremost expert in
the world on heavy water
and responsible for building the
factory that lies in the place
with a name on it that...
I'll be able to pronounce.
Rjukan.
Rjukan. Told you.
Welcome to London, Mr Tronstad.
If you care to follow me,
we've been expecting you.
Leif Tronstad. I heard
you were on the premises.
I'm Colonel John Skinner Wilson.
Eric Welsh sends his regards.
How's everybody at home,
your wife, children?
They are well, thank you.
- You've already met Captain Smith.
- Kind of.
Julie works in intelligence here.
She's head of Norwegian operations.
I'm currently setting up lines
of communication in Norway,
- as well as training field agents.
- Really, but you're a...
Yes, I'm a woman. How very observant
of you, Professor Tronstad.
I'm also your superior officer.
I grew up with five brothers and
can outrun every one of them.
Don't underestimate Captain
Smith, Tronstad.
She can tell you the last
time you smoked a cigarette.
Been following you for
the last four hours.
Right. Tell us what you know.
Production's gone up five
times in the last year.
The first deliveries
are on their way.
They have double the
amount of fuel cells
and are constantly hiring people.
And the new director of the factory?
Bjorn Henriksen, Aubert's
right-hand man.
A wolf in sheep's clothing.
They've been placed in the
factory to bear the brunt,
but he's no lightweight.
He personally brought in the army
during a strike at the factory
and he is reported to have been
in favour of the king abdicating
after the invasion.
Oh, dear. They call
themselves De Uranverein,
the Uranium Club.
They've gathered together the
best scientists in the country.
People like von Weizsacker,
Bagge, Hahn and of course
Werner Heisenberg, the
Nobel Prize winner.
Kurt Diebner runs the project.
They're based at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut,
but of course the whole thing's
actually run by the Waffenamt
with the sole aim of
creating an atomic bomb.
We still don't know
how far they've got,
but with this new order for
five tonnes of heavy water,
we have every reason
to fear the worst.
You can start with these, Tronstad.
Taken from 3,000 feet,
so not perfect.
We had a plane over yesterday.
Here's the factory,
there's the bridge.
Check for any changes...
building, transport and
access, roads and paths.
Thank you. And also all routines.
Employees, guards, management.
Names, affiliations, wives, children,
girlfriends, mistresses...
anything you get hold of.
Every last little scrap, however
inconsequential it may seem.
We'll do all the sifting through.
You'll get your own office
with everything you need...
copies, photos, estimates.
We've built a base camp in Scotland,
so we're all flying
up there tomorrow.
So you couldn't have arrived
at a better moment.
What are you planning on doing?
What are YOU planning on doing?
Stopping them, of course.
There are plenty of Norwegians
with local knowledge and technical
ability. We could send over...
I don't think that's your
decision, do you, Mr Tronstad?
We're at war.
You're still playing at war.
My famous friend, Niels
Bohr. Did you just arrive?
No, no, I was watching you.
I just wanted to be the
first to congratulate you.
You beat me by six years.
- Without you, I...
- Oh, nonsense!
The new star is Werner Heisenberg.
I'm so proud of you. The
whole Institute is ecstatic!
All my thoughts and theories...
Yes, anyway, where are
we going to celebrate?
I hear that Stockholm is full
of young women with Nobel fever.
Now I'm going to tell you something
that's even more secret than
the fact that an object can be
in two places at the same time...
women are unpredictable.
Nothing in my scientific research
indicates that a young,
beautiful, intelligent and
entertaining woman can't fall for...
a pale, underfed and
quiet nuclear physicist.
On the contrary.
All my calculations point towards you
being able to pick
from the top drawer.
Now, don't forget what I told you.
An object can be in two
places at the same time.
No, women are unpredictable.
Right.
Sir Heisenberg?
Welcome. Welcome.
Good to see you.
You know the board meeting
is not before next month?
I know. But it's not the board
that sent me this time.
I've been sent by Deuxieme Bureau.
According to our sources,
heavy water is being utilised...
.. in the German arms programme.
You propose it in France instead?
In France, Jean Frederic
Joliot-Curie and his wife Irene
can use the heavy water
as moderator in a nuclear reactor.
To create energy.
Yes.
We do not know if the Germans
have other plans.
We do not intend to
wait and see either.
How much will France pay?
How much are the Germans paying?
How much and how fast?
All of it, now.
OK, we have a deal.
You can pay it when
you've won the war.
Excuse me. Can you
keep the door clear?
Leif Tronstad. I'm here to see
Colonel John Skinner Wilson.
He's expecting me.
He's not here, sir.
- He's not here?
- No, sir.
I don't think you understand. I
need to see him. It's important.
The colonel's not here, sir.
Are you lost, sir?
No, no, no. I'm going to...
G... Goog-es Street.
Goodge Street.
The King and Queen's own Goodge
Street it's not the best of places.
Badly sprung mattresses, lumpy cushions,
eggy smell in the corridor
and there's bedbugs and crabs.
Terrible choice, Mr Tronstad.
I'm sorry. Do I know you?
Leif Tronstad.
Professor of Inorganic Chemistry
at the NTH in Trondheim.
Sped through the diploma studies,
became the youngest professor
in the faculty at age 33.
Now the foremost expert in
the world on heavy water
and responsible for building the
factory that lies in the place
with a name on it that...
I'll be able to pronounce.
Rjukan.
Rjukan. Told you.
Welcome to London, Mr Tronstad.
If you care to follow me,
we've been expecting you.
Leif Tronstad. I heard
you were on the premises.
I'm Colonel John Skinner Wilson.
Eric Welsh sends his regards.
How's everybody at home,
your wife, children?
They are well, thank you.
- You've already met Captain Smith.
- Kind of.
Julie works in intelligence here.
She's head of Norwegian operations.
I'm currently setting up lines
of communication in Norway,
- as well as training field agents.
- Really, but you're a...
Yes, I'm a woman. How very observant
of you, Professor Tronstad.
I'm also your superior officer.
I grew up with five brothers and
can outrun every one of them.
Don't underestimate Captain
Smith, Tronstad.
She can tell you the last
time you smoked a cigarette.
Been following you for
the last four hours.
Right. Tell us what you know.
Production's gone up five
times in the last year.
The first deliveries
are on their way.
They have double the
amount of fuel cells
and are constantly hiring people.
And the new director of the factory?
Bjorn Henriksen, Aubert's
right-hand man.
A wolf in sheep's clothing.
They've been placed in the
factory to bear the brunt,
but he's no lightweight.
He personally brought in the army
during a strike at the factory
and he is reported to have been
in favour of the king abdicating
after the invasion.
Oh, dear. They call
themselves De Uranverein,
the Uranium Club.
They've gathered together the
best scientists in the country.
People like von Weizsacker,
Bagge, Hahn and of course
Werner Heisenberg, the
Nobel Prize winner.
Kurt Diebner runs the project.
They're based at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut,
but of course the whole thing's
actually run by the Waffenamt
with the sole aim of
creating an atomic bomb.
We still don't know
how far they've got,
but with this new order for
five tonnes of heavy water,
we have every reason
to fear the worst.
You can start with these, Tronstad.
Taken from 3,000 feet,
so not perfect.
We had a plane over yesterday.
Here's the factory,
there's the bridge.
Check for any changes...
building, transport and
access, roads and paths.
Thank you. And also all routines.
Employees, guards, management.
Names, affiliations, wives, children,
girlfriends, mistresses...
anything you get hold of.
Every last little scrap, however
inconsequential it may seem.
We'll do all the sifting through.
You'll get your own office
with everything you need...
copies, photos, estimates.
We've built a base camp in Scotland,
so we're all flying
up there tomorrow.
So you couldn't have arrived
at a better moment.
What are you planning on doing?
What are YOU planning on doing?
Stopping them, of course.
There are plenty of Norwegians
with local knowledge and technical
ability. We could send over...
I don't think that's your
decision, do you, Mr Tronstad?
We're at war.
You're still playing at war.