Eighty years ago Norwegian special forces cripple Germany's nuclear programme

  

 A team of Norwegians trained by Britain's SOE parachuted back into their country to attack the Norsk Hydro hydro-electric plant at Vermork, which was by far the largest European source of deuterium rich heavy water, inititally a by-product of the plant's core operation. Heavy water was the Germans' preferred moderator in the process of making plutonium needed for nuclear power and weapons. They had rejected graphite, which was in reality the better option. The Germans had reinforced the defences of Vermork after the complete failure of a British attack on the plant by glider-borne infantry, but the Norweigan operation was was a complete success.  The stock of heavy water was destroyed and vital equipment wrecked. Amazingly all the attackers survived. Perhaps curiously, the Germans did not draw the obvious conclusion from the resources the Allies devoted to depriving them of heavy water and recognise that nuclear weapons were a mjaor threat.

The Japanese took the risk of shifting 6,900 troops by sea from their main base on New Guinea, Rabaul, to reinforce Lae on the same island. Possibly they were emboldened by their success in evacuating their remaining troops from Guadalcanal. This would be faster and more efficient than the long overland march through jungle. This time Allied intelligence gave timely and accurate warning of the operation. The convoy of eight merchant ships and eight destroyers were attacked by Australian and US aircraft wheich sank all the merchantmen and half the destroyers. Half the troops were killed and only 1,200 reached their destination safely. The engagement was called the Battle of the Bismarck Sea even though it involved mainly land-based aircraft on one side and surface vessels on the other, another testimony to the shift in naval warfare.

An air-raid warning over London was given spurious urgency by the sound of heavy anti-aircraft guns testing in a nearby park. Memories might also have been fresh of the heavy casualties caused a few weeks before when a school in Catford was bombed. A deadly crush occurred as people sought refuge in Bethnal Green tube station. 173 people including 60 children were killed. News was suppressed, supposedly to protect morale.