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Operation Freshman: The Complete History of Britain's Failed Glider Raid on Norway's Heavy Water Plant: World War II, Nazi Germany, and the Secret Mis
Paperback
Series: Operations of History, Book 7
General Military HistoryScandinavian HistoryWorld War II
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Sep 8 2026
Pages: 134
Weight: 0.42
Height: 0.29 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Featuring mini historical photographs and written in a flowing, accessible style, Operation Freshman brings one of World War II's most tragic secret missions to life.
On November 19, 1942, two Halifax bombers took off from Scotland, each towing a Horsa glider filled with British Royal Engineers. Their destination was Norway, where they were to destroy the heavy-water facilities at Vemork-an industrial target that Allied leaders feared could contribute to Nazi Germany's nuclear research.
Neither glider reached its objective.
What followed was a disaster in the Norwegian mountains, the capture of surviving servicemen, and a series of murders carried out under Hitler's Commando Order. Of the forty-eight men who took part in the flying operation, only seven returned safely.
Operation Freshman tells the complete story of the mission, from the German occupation of Norway and the importance of heavy water to the planning, training, flight, crashes, and fate of the captured men. It also follows the Norwegian resistance, the investigations that uncovered the truth, and the road to the later success of Operation Gunnerside.
Written with historical care and a strong human focus, this book explains the military and scientific context without exaggerating how close Germany was to building an atomic bomb. It is a story of courage, uncertainty, failed planning, and the lives behind a mission that never reached its target.
Discover the forgotten operation that preceded one of World War II's most famous acts of sabotage-and why its own history deserves to be remembered.
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