The Heavy Water War: Stopping Hitler's Atomic Bomb (2015): Season 1, Episode 4 - Episode #1.4 - full transcript
The most famous of the four sabotage actions in the Heavy Water War, when a group of local saboteurs, trained in England, is to bomb the Vemork facility outside Rjukan. The saboteurs hate the idea of crossing the gorge bridge.
The Heavy Water War:
Stopping Hitler's Atomic Bomb
- All ready?
- Yes!
The Field Marshal agreed with me
on the professor policy.
- With an openness I had not expected.
Did you notice how he slightly resembled
my old friend Erwin?
Only bigger and older.
That is true. But there were some
strange people among them.
All in all they are much more interesting
but also more dangerous than before.
- In't Schrödinger in London?
- Yeas, near London.
But you know what you have promised them?
- What do you mean?
- London's downfall.
Who knows if this is going to go
as far as the completion of a bomb...
What if they force you to build a bomb?
Then we must go through that purgatory.
What's important is that for the first time
I can do what I want.
I like that.
- Where are we?
- I do not know.
Listen, let's collect the rest of the
containers before the snow covers them.
And then we head east.
First one to find us
a cabin gets a drink.
There's no one else outside.
- What are you doing here?
- Hunting.
- Alone? Alone?
- Yes.
What's your name? What's your name?
Jens Kristiansen.
Why are you carrying 3,000 kroner?
It's my brother's.
I am to give it to him in Uvdal.
Are you a member of NS?
(Nasjonal Samling - National Gathering, a Norwegian Fascist party)
You heard what he said.
Are you a member of NS?
Yes. I mean no.
Who are you?
- I am a member.
- Of NS?
- You are a member of NS?
- Answer!
No. Are you Milorg?
(Norwegian Resistance)
That's great.
You are members of Milorg, right?
Long live Norway.
I can shoot him for you.
Not here. There mustn't be a pile
of bones here when the owner returns.
I can do it anywhere.
What do we do then?
- Where are we?
- What do you mean?
On the map. Where are we?
- Are we far from Bjornesfjorden?
- Yes.
- Do you want to live?
- Then show us the way there.
(In German): Stop! Stop.
(In German): Hands up!
Jens. Einar.
By all means just stand there,
never mind us.
- No problem.
- Is it hard, Haukelid?
- It looks good.
- Hey, Knut. It was about time.
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you.
He has behaved absolutely fine.
Mention this to anyone,
and we'll cut off your tongue.
- I won't say a word.
- If you do, it'll be the last thing you do.
Here's food for a week.
Stay away from people for three days.
Now get out of here.
- Cut off his tongue?
- Isn't that what they say?
At least we are one team from now on.
Under my command.
The goal is to blow up
the heavy water plant.
The radio is still Haugland's responsibility.
We'll send Skinnarland into the highlands
with a transmitter. He can't know any more from this point on.
And we'll have to find a way down.
The heavy water plan in Vemork
- Director Henriksen!
- Is everything under control?
- Yes.
We managed to put an end to the sabotage.
Production is at full capacity again.
Thank you. We appreciate
your cooperation.
- It is in Hydro's best interest.
- Yes.
- Good bye.
- Major Decker...
You arrested several people here
after you realized -
- that the Englishmen
wanted to sabotage the factory.
Isn't it about time
to release some of them again?
No.
If you ever change your mind,
there's one among them called Rolf Danielsen.
Brun. Do you know where he is?
No.
In England, Henriksen. In England.
Don't you find it striking that
all incidents with heavy water -
- ended when he disappeared?
Just like that.
Have a nice evening, Director Henriksen.
Okay. There are two guards on the bridge.
One guard shed on the square, 10-12 Germans.
Machine gun on the roof.
We don't know when or how often it is manned.
Floodlights here, here and here,
They light up most of the square.
- How do we get down?
- From the east side. Here.
We follow the road, attack the bridge
and continue up here.
A team takes cover and takes out
the guard shed with handgrenades.
Kayser, Idland, Strømsheim and I
continue into the building -
- place the explosives with a two-minute fuse
and blow up the plant.
- That's the plan?
- Yeah, that's the plan.
- Shoot our way inside?
- Yes.
- And if the send reinforcements from Rjukan?
- We'll be done before that.
And if not?
- And what about the retreat?
- It is the same route back.
- What?
- What about the ravine?
It's too steep.
It's impossible to get down there.
And anyway,
it's slow and risky -
- and reinforcement could arrive
before we make it out.
- It decreases the chance of having to shoot.
- We can't avoid that.
The ravine is the last place
the Germans will look.
What if reinforcements arrive
while we are on the bridge?
- We're only talking about two Germans.
- Plus 10-12 in the guard shed.
I think it's a bad plan.
It's a little late to say that now.
When else could I have said it?
You asked us what we thought, Joachim.
Did I?
Let me check the ravine tomorrow.
Maybe it's a bad option, but it can't hurt to check.
It can be done.
Below Våer.
I'll talk with you one by one.
What do you think?
The ravine.
You and I are the group
leaders, Joachim.
And if England said the bridge,
then the bridge it is.
I'll do what you decide.
It's all the same for me.
You know what I mean.
- But why am I not on the blasting team?
- We need you outside.
I don't know which route is the best.
The ravine is out best chance.
We might get up there unnoticed.
Would've liked to agree with you,
but I don't.
The ravine.
You are not coming with us, Knut.
You'll stay in the highlands, in charge of the radio.
I'll be of better use down there.
You need every man.
You're staying here.
Two votes for the bridge,
two abstained and the rest for the ravine.
- And the retreat?
- When we get that far...
IF we get that far.
We'll do what is practical when we get there.
It's about survival.
There. That's nice.
Get out.
They have just released Danielsen.
Yes. I saw it from the window.
- Do you have anything to do with that?
- No, I only saw just now that he was dropped off.
You're so cute when you're lying.
How are you, really?
I miss you.
But it's fine with little Lise.
I love hearing her laugh.
Good.
What are you thinking of?
- Jomar Brun.
- Yes?
It turns out that he has worked
against the plant for a long time.
My most trusted man.
I vouched for him.
What are you afraid of?
The archives are full of correspondence
between Brun and I.
- Then get rid of it.
- Those are Hydro's files.
Nothing that cannot withstand the light of day.
But the relationship can be misinterpreted.
What are you waiting for?
Get rid of it.
The night of
28th February, 1943
There's a full moon,
but the visibility is poor.
It should get brighter.
I'll find the way anyway.
Good luck.
We'll leave the skis here.
And the backpacks?
There is a shed down there.
Car. Car!
The backpacks.
Car. Down!
Go, go!
They change the shift in 13 minutes.
Good evening, director Henriksen.
Good evening.
Arne, the wirecutters!
The door is on the other side
of the guards. Cover us from here.
The door is locked. You try the door on
the other side. We'll go down the shaft. Go!
Ready?
When they ask you, explain how
an English uniform looks.
Is that understood?
Go, go!
Maybe two minutes is bit long...?
One minute?
30 seconds.
30 seconds.
Hello? Is anybody there?
Get out of here!!
Hello?
Light. Light!
Helberg head back to the cabin
and look through everything!
Drawers, cabinets, beds... all of it.
Burn everything.
The rest of us will split up now.
Kjelstrup and Haukelid, you two head into the highlands.
Poulsson, you go to Lake Numedal.
The rest, all five of us, head straight
to Sweden. You'll meet us there.
- How long do you think it will take?
- Two to three weeks.
All hell will break loose.
But you're going to make it.
- We were pretty good, weren't we?
- I think so.
- Have a good trip, then.
- Have a good trip.
- You are still working late?
- Yes.
- And you?
- Me too.
They blew up the heavy water plant.
- Who?
- We don't know yet. Sabotage.
- How much is lost?
- The cells and 200 kg of heavy water.
The rest of the plant? The power plant?
As far as I know, there is no damage.
What do we do now?
We ask them to build it up again, what else?
Stopping Hitler's Atomic Bomb
- All ready?
- Yes!
The Field Marshal agreed with me
on the professor policy.
- With an openness I had not expected.
Did you notice how he slightly resembled
my old friend Erwin?
Only bigger and older.
That is true. But there were some
strange people among them.
All in all they are much more interesting
but also more dangerous than before.
- In't Schrödinger in London?
- Yeas, near London.
But you know what you have promised them?
- What do you mean?
- London's downfall.
Who knows if this is going to go
as far as the completion of a bomb...
What if they force you to build a bomb?
Then we must go through that purgatory.
What's important is that for the first time
I can do what I want.
I like that.
- Where are we?
- I do not know.
Listen, let's collect the rest of the
containers before the snow covers them.
And then we head east.
First one to find us
a cabin gets a drink.
There's no one else outside.
- What are you doing here?
- Hunting.
- Alone? Alone?
- Yes.
What's your name? What's your name?
Jens Kristiansen.
Why are you carrying 3,000 kroner?
It's my brother's.
I am to give it to him in Uvdal.
Are you a member of NS?
(Nasjonal Samling - National Gathering, a Norwegian Fascist party)
You heard what he said.
Are you a member of NS?
Yes. I mean no.
Who are you?
- I am a member.
- Of NS?
- You are a member of NS?
- Answer!
No. Are you Milorg?
(Norwegian Resistance)
That's great.
You are members of Milorg, right?
Long live Norway.
I can shoot him for you.
Not here. There mustn't be a pile
of bones here when the owner returns.
I can do it anywhere.
What do we do then?
- Where are we?
- What do you mean?
On the map. Where are we?
- Are we far from Bjornesfjorden?
- Yes.
- Do you want to live?
- Then show us the way there.
(In German): Stop! Stop.
(In German): Hands up!
Jens. Einar.
By all means just stand there,
never mind us.
- No problem.
- Is it hard, Haukelid?
- It looks good.
- Hey, Knut. It was about time.
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you.
He has behaved absolutely fine.
Mention this to anyone,
and we'll cut off your tongue.
- I won't say a word.
- If you do, it'll be the last thing you do.
Here's food for a week.
Stay away from people for three days.
Now get out of here.
- Cut off his tongue?
- Isn't that what they say?
At least we are one team from now on.
Under my command.
The goal is to blow up
the heavy water plant.
The radio is still Haugland's responsibility.
We'll send Skinnarland into the highlands
with a transmitter. He can't know any more from this point on.
And we'll have to find a way down.
The heavy water plan in Vemork
- Director Henriksen!
- Is everything under control?
- Yes.
We managed to put an end to the sabotage.
Production is at full capacity again.
Thank you. We appreciate
your cooperation.
- It is in Hydro's best interest.
- Yes.
- Good bye.
- Major Decker...
You arrested several people here
after you realized -
- that the Englishmen
wanted to sabotage the factory.
Isn't it about time
to release some of them again?
No.
If you ever change your mind,
there's one among them called Rolf Danielsen.
Brun. Do you know where he is?
No.
In England, Henriksen. In England.
Don't you find it striking that
all incidents with heavy water -
- ended when he disappeared?
Just like that.
Have a nice evening, Director Henriksen.
Okay. There are two guards on the bridge.
One guard shed on the square, 10-12 Germans.
Machine gun on the roof.
We don't know when or how often it is manned.
Floodlights here, here and here,
They light up most of the square.
- How do we get down?
- From the east side. Here.
We follow the road, attack the bridge
and continue up here.
A team takes cover and takes out
the guard shed with handgrenades.
Kayser, Idland, Strømsheim and I
continue into the building -
- place the explosives with a two-minute fuse
and blow up the plant.
- That's the plan?
- Yeah, that's the plan.
- Shoot our way inside?
- Yes.
- And if the send reinforcements from Rjukan?
- We'll be done before that.
And if not?
- And what about the retreat?
- It is the same route back.
- What?
- What about the ravine?
It's too steep.
It's impossible to get down there.
And anyway,
it's slow and risky -
- and reinforcement could arrive
before we make it out.
- It decreases the chance of having to shoot.
- We can't avoid that.
The ravine is the last place
the Germans will look.
What if reinforcements arrive
while we are on the bridge?
- We're only talking about two Germans.
- Plus 10-12 in the guard shed.
I think it's a bad plan.
It's a little late to say that now.
When else could I have said it?
You asked us what we thought, Joachim.
Did I?
Let me check the ravine tomorrow.
Maybe it's a bad option, but it can't hurt to check.
It can be done.
Below Våer.
I'll talk with you one by one.
What do you think?
The ravine.
You and I are the group
leaders, Joachim.
And if England said the bridge,
then the bridge it is.
I'll do what you decide.
It's all the same for me.
You know what I mean.
- But why am I not on the blasting team?
- We need you outside.
I don't know which route is the best.
The ravine is out best chance.
We might get up there unnoticed.
Would've liked to agree with you,
but I don't.
The ravine.
You are not coming with us, Knut.
You'll stay in the highlands, in charge of the radio.
I'll be of better use down there.
You need every man.
You're staying here.
Two votes for the bridge,
two abstained and the rest for the ravine.
- And the retreat?
- When we get that far...
IF we get that far.
We'll do what is practical when we get there.
It's about survival.
There. That's nice.
Get out.
They have just released Danielsen.
Yes. I saw it from the window.
- Do you have anything to do with that?
- No, I only saw just now that he was dropped off.
You're so cute when you're lying.
How are you, really?
I miss you.
But it's fine with little Lise.
I love hearing her laugh.
Good.
What are you thinking of?
- Jomar Brun.
- Yes?
It turns out that he has worked
against the plant for a long time.
My most trusted man.
I vouched for him.
What are you afraid of?
The archives are full of correspondence
between Brun and I.
- Then get rid of it.
- Those are Hydro's files.
Nothing that cannot withstand the light of day.
But the relationship can be misinterpreted.
What are you waiting for?
Get rid of it.
The night of
28th February, 1943
There's a full moon,
but the visibility is poor.
It should get brighter.
I'll find the way anyway.
Good luck.
We'll leave the skis here.
And the backpacks?
There is a shed down there.
Car. Car!
The backpacks.
Car. Down!
Go, go!
They change the shift in 13 minutes.
Good evening, director Henriksen.
Good evening.
Arne, the wirecutters!
The door is on the other side
of the guards. Cover us from here.
The door is locked. You try the door on
the other side. We'll go down the shaft. Go!
Ready?
When they ask you, explain how
an English uniform looks.
Is that understood?
Go, go!
Maybe two minutes is bit long...?
One minute?
30 seconds.
30 seconds.
Hello? Is anybody there?
Get out of here!!
Hello?
Light. Light!
Helberg head back to the cabin
and look through everything!
Drawers, cabinets, beds... all of it.
Burn everything.
The rest of us will split up now.
Kjelstrup and Haukelid, you two head into the highlands.
Poulsson, you go to Lake Numedal.
The rest, all five of us, head straight
to Sweden. You'll meet us there.
- How long do you think it will take?
- Two to three weeks.
All hell will break loose.
But you're going to make it.
- We were pretty good, weren't we?
- I think so.
- Have a good trip, then.
- Have a good trip.
- You are still working late?
- Yes.
- And you?
- Me too.
They blew up the heavy water plant.
- Who?
- We don't know yet. Sabotage.
- How much is lost?
- The cells and 200 kg of heavy water.
The rest of the plant? The power plant?
As far as I know, there is no damage.
What do we do now?
We ask them to build it up again, what else?