Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water *solved*

[connoisseur]

Can anyone help me with this one. Unable to trace the title myself despite much searching.
A film about resistance fighters/ commandos, in the second world war (possibly Danish) making a daring raid to sabotage a "heavy water" plant (I think in Denmark), which had something to do with atomic power? Black and white, some scenes in snow, raid was mainly on foot (skiing) and was eventually successful in blowing up the plant run by Germans.
I saw this when I was pretty young in about 1949/50.
I have a very strong memory of seeing Tito Gobbi's (the opera singer) name in the credits but his listed films have drawn a blank. I think his part was just straight - no singing.
A little bit like "Where Eagles Dare" but many years earlier and atom power seems a bit early for the date I saw the film so maybe not atom power, but I remember clearly the plant was producing "heavy water" - whatever that is.
Has anyone any clue?

[brianl]

Could be Heroes of Telemark?
Brian L

[batman]

Sounds like The Heroes of Telemark to me too.

Bats.

[DB7]

Not Telemark circa 1950. Maybe The Day Will Dawn?

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by connoisseur Can anyone help me with this one. Unable to trace the title myself despite much searching. A film about resistance fighters/ commandos, in the second world war (possibly Danish) making a daring raid to sabotage a "heavy water" plant (I think in Denmark), which had something to do with atomic power? Black and white, some scenes in snow, raid was mainly on foot (skiing) and was eventually successful in blowing up the plant run by Germans. I saw this when I was pretty young in about 1949/50. I have a very strong memory of seeing Tito Gobbi's (the opera singer) name in the credits but his listed films have drawn a blank. I think his part was just straight - no singing. A little bit like "Where Eagles Dare" but many years earlier and atom power seems a bit early for the date I saw the film so maybe not atom power, but I remember clearly the plant was producing "heavy water" - whatever that is. Has anyone any clue?

Atomic power was developed by both sides during the war so a 1949/50 date isn't impossible. Maybe even an earlier one.

Heavy water is water containing heavy hydrogen, or deuterium, and was necessary for the process of producing fissile materials.

There was a Norwegian film called Kampen om tungtvannet (1948) which told the true story of the Heroes of Telemark that included some of the heroes playing themselves. Also known as Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water. Might you have seen that, either with subtitles or possibly dubbed into English?

The part about the raid being on skis to blow up the plant certainly sounds like something connected to Operation Swallow.

Steve

[connoisseur]

Thankyou, Steve. It was as you say almost certainly Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water. I cannot recall now (I was very young) whether it was dubbed or had subtitles but that's the one. "Heroes of Telemark" must have been based on it (I have never seen it) but was almost twenty years later. (I recall vaguely now that it was a true story).
Now a cautionary tale of how false memory syndrome can throw up a red herring or two.
In my query - for Danish - substitute Norwegian and as for Tito Gobbi being in it, I have found now that it was from "The Glass Mountain" credits that his name has stuck.
In my defence, I was only six or seven when I saw them both in the cinema and "The Glass Mountain" has many similarities of settings and atmosphere. So not a total write off.
Many thanks again. That one has puzzled me for years. It was a very good film too.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by connoisseur Thankyou, Steve. It was as you say almost certainly Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water. I cannot recall now (I was very young) whether it was dubbed or had subtitles but that's the one. "Heroes of Telemark" must have been based on it (I have never seen it) but was almost twenty years later. (I recall vaguely now that it was a true story). Now a cautionary tale of how false memory syndrome can throw up a red herring or two. In my query - for Danish - substitute Norwegian and as for Tito Gobbi being in it, I have found now that it was from "The Glass Mountain" credits that his name has stuck. In my defence, I was only six or seven when I saw them both in the cinema and "The Glass Mountain" has many similarities of settings and atmosphere. So not a total write off. Many thanks again. That one has puzzled me for years. It was a very good film too.

The Heroes of Telemark (1965) is a reasonably accurate fictionalised version of the real events. But it does stray from the real story for dramatic effect quite often, as these things always tend to do.

Ray Mears did a short series of programmes called The Real Heroes of Telemark (2003) where he went up onto the same glacier plateau that they camped on for Operation Swallow. Ray was with some Royal Marine and Norwegian Army survival specialists and they admitted they would have had trouble, especially after the first plane sent to meet the Swallow team crashed into a mountain and they had to stay there a lot longer than planned.

They then met some of the real members of the Swallow team and went over the route they took to get to the heavy water plant.

A great documentary.

Steve

[batman]

Operation Swallow sounds like it could be an interesting film to see. Does anyone know if it is available?

Bats.

[hankoler]

There is a DVD out called THE GLADIATORS OF WORLD WAR 2 that features the norwegian resistance wehter this is it I don't know?.

[joerlend]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook The Heroes of Telemark (1965) is a reasonably accurate fictionalised version of the real events. But it does stray from the real story for dramatic effect quite often, as these things always tend to do.

It is _not_ reasonably accurate at all! I joined this site just to make sure you know this, and that others who may be searching the web in order to learn about the events aren't led to believe it. As one of the Heroes said: "It may have been a good movie, but it has nothing to do with what really happened". And another: "We should have pointed all our thumbs down to that movie". It is hollywood-truth, and you know what kind of truth hollywood serves. Ray Mears' movie: "The Real Heroes of Telemark" is much more interesting and there is another movie, a Norwegian reconstruction where the actual Heroes themselves participate, acting their own part. That movie is called "Kampen om Tungtvannet", which is translated as "Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water". I personally think a better translation would be "The struggle for the heavy water", but I guess it's a bit too late for that. You can find it here: Kampen om Tungtvannet

It is an amazing story, epic even, and I recommend everyone to see all three; "Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water", "The Heroes of Telemark" and "The Real Heroes of Telemark" -- in that order.

[orpheum]

Whilst i can appreciate how yoy feel nevertheless you must remember that the film makers are making an entertainment.After all what do you remember most about The Great Escape?I bet it is the cycle chase at the end with the failed attempt to cross the border by Steve McQueen.As far as i am aware this is a totally fictitious episode.However it is one of the most exciting climaxes to any POW film.So few could begrudge the film makers their poetic licence on this.

[NappieB]

There was an excellent documentary on American TV about 3 years ago which examined in detail both the events and the people involved in the Telemark/Heavy Water operation. I can't remember the name of it, but it was far better than the movie HEROES OF TELEMARK. The truth is often more interesting and more exciting than fiction!

[ted]

I think I saw that documentary. Its salient feature, as I recall, was the German need for heavy water had nothing to do with developing an atomic weapon but was all about some innocuous experimentation that was going on in a basement somewhere.

Ted, Ottawa

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by ted I think I saw that documentary. Its salient feature, as I recall, was the German need for heavy water had nothing to do with developing an atomic weapon but was all about some innocuous experimentation that was going on in a basement somewhere. Ted, Ottawa

It wasn't very innocuous, it was a part of their atomic bomb program. But that wasn't as far advanced as the Allied program.

See the Wikipedia articles about Norwegian heavy water sabotage and German nuclear energy project

Heavy water does have a few different uses, but most of them are to do with producing atomic materials

Steve

[NappieB]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook I Heavy water does have a few different uses, but most of them are to do with producing atomic materials Steve

I spent my early working career as a research chemist after leaving university. Regarding Steve's "..few different uses.." we used to freeze heavy water and sip ethanol and lemon squash chilled with ice cubes that had sunk to the BOTTOM of the glass!

Not that we were irresponsible, or wasteful or anything..