Spy Collection Highlights - Heavy Water (Nazi Bomb & Operation Gunnerside)

Heavy Water is a form of water that contains a larger than normal amount of the hydrogen. Its unique atomic structure and properties are coveted for the production of nuclear power and weapons.

When Germany occupied Norway in WWII, it took over the remote Vemork Norsk Hydro plant, which produced Heavy Water (deuterium oxide), a key component of Nazi atomic bomb research. The Allies, desperate to derail a nuclear-armed Germany, devised the daring Operation Gunnerside to disable the plant. In 1942, with Operation Gunnerside, Norwegian commandos destroyed the plan and “turned the water off.”


After WWII, the Norwegian saboteurs held reunions at the plant. Each reportedly received a commemorative vial of heavy water—like this one. Its cap features a Norsk Hydro Viking ship logo.


In this episode of SPY's Collection Highlights - H. Keith Melton showcases a rare vial of the Vemork Norsk Hydro deuterium oxide vial, Norway, ca. 1945–1950
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