Heavy Water Cabin - Aurdal Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

cervisvenator: Hi

While I feel that Geocaching.com should hold the location for the cache owner and block other cachers from placing a cache in the area around this cache for a reasonable amount of time, we can’t do so forever.

Nothing seems to happen with this cache listing, so it is now archived, so that someone else can place a cache in the area, and geocachers can once again enjoy visiting this location. Also, if it hasn’t been done already, please pick up any remaining cache bits as soon as possible.

Geocaches which have not been maintained or the owner has not responded will not be taken out of the archive

(This reviewer note is in English so non-Norwegian cache owners, geocachers and cache reviewers can understand what it says.)

Thanks for your understanding,
Cervis Venator
Geocaching.com Volunteer Cache Reviewer

More
Hidden : 4/1/2010
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

The cache marks, at some distance, the cabin in Aurdalsåsen used by the Operation Gunnerside sabotage team in March 1943, on their withdrawal on skis from Vemork, Rjukan, towards Sweden.

Altitude 1032 above sea level.

The cabin is 200 meters SE of the cache.

Please show respect and do not peek into the cabin!

Operation Gunnerside

In 1934, at Vemork, Norsk Hydro built the first commercial plant capable of producing heavy water as a byproduct of fertilizer production. It had a capacity of 12 tons per year. During World War II, the Allies decided to remove the heavy water supply and destroy the heavy water plant in order to inhibit the Nazi development of nuclear weapons. Raids were aimed at the 60-MW Vemork power station at the Rjukan waterfall in Telemark, Norway.

In 1943, after air raid attempts, a team of SOE-trained Norwegian commandos succeeded in destroying the production facility with a second attempt, Operation Gunnerside. Operation Gunnerside was later dubbed by SOE as the most successful act of sabotage in all of World War II.

The commandos descended into a ravine, ford the icy river and climbed the steep hill on the far side. The winter river level was very low, and on the far side, where the ground leveled, they followed a single railway track straight into the plant area without encountering any guards. Even before Grouse landed in Norway, SOE had a Norwegian agent within the plant who supplied detailed plans and schedule information. The demolition party used this information to enter the main basement by a cable tunnel and through a window. Inside the plant the only person they came across was the Norwegian caretaker (Johansen), who was very willing to cooperate with them.

The saboteurs then placed explosive charges on the heavy water electrolysis chambers, and attached a fuse allowing sufficient time for their escape. A British submachine gun was purposely left behind to indicate that this was the work of British forces and not of the local resistance, in order to alleviate reprisals. A surreal episode ensued when fuses were about to be lit: the caretaker was worried about his spectacles which were lying somewhere in the room (during the war new glasses were nearly impossible to acquire). A frantic search for the caretaker's spectacles ensued, they were found — and the fuses lit. The explosive charges detonated, destroying the electrolysis chambers.

The raid was considered successful. The entire inventory of heavy water produced during the German occupation, over 500 kilograms, was destroyed along with equipment critical to operation of the electrolysis chambers. Although 3000 German soldiers were dispatched to search the area for the commandos, all of them escaped; five of them skied 400 kilometres to Sweden, two proceeded to Oslo where they assisted Milorg, and four remained in the region for further work with the resistance

The cabin marked by the cache was used by five of the commandos on their withdrawal on the way to Sweden.

The route can be seen here: (visit link)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gur pnpur unatf va n gerr pn. 10 zrgref sebz gur Oyhr, Benatr naq Erq fxvvat genpx fbhgu bs Seæavatra.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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