Old 03-02-2015, 07:58   #1
Golf1echo
Area Commander
 
Golf1echo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Western Carolina in the rainforest,4000' along the Eastern Cont. Div.
Posts: 1,426
True Heroes of Telemark

I found this series a well done description of an incredible mission to destroy heavy water production and supply in Norway during WWII. The account gives a nice glimpse into the fieldcraft of sustained Winter operations of the time... and willpower needed to survive Norwegian Winters.

" Real Heroes of Telemark" Ray Mears
Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8c7JgF_5Os
Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlokTnZWZuo
Part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfc7pwjyUSs
__________________
"It is because they have so much to give and give it so lavishly...that men love the mountains and go back to them again and again." Sir Francis Younghusband

Essayons

By Dand

"In the school of the wilds,there is no graduation day"Horace Kephart
Golf1echo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2015, 06:44   #2
Pete
Quiet Professional
 
Pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Fayetteville
Posts: 13,080
Mental

I note where the leader mentioned the mental aspect of the long stay in the back country.

Wonder if by early January the four men would have traded their reindeer moss for a bag of grits.

I also note the fact that they stashed half their food at the infil site and, as good skiers, could make 30k's without a load on a good day. I would have thought somewhere around the first hunting cabin they would have sent two men with basic survival gear back to fetch the food.

Through # 2, will get to # 3 tomorrow.

An interesting trip for the 4 military men recreating the trip and nice memories from the 3 men who did the real mission. And now the other 6 have jumped in and linked up with the original 4.
Pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-04-2015, 09:45   #3
Golf1echo
Area Commander
 
Golf1echo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Western Carolina in the rainforest,4000' along the Eastern Cont. Div.
Posts: 1,426
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete View Post
I note where the leader mentioned the mental aspect of the long stay in the back country.

Wonder if by early January the four men would have traded their reindeer moss for a bag of grits.

I also note the fact that they stashed half their food at the infil site and, as good skiers, could make 30k's without a load on a good day. I would have thought somewhere around the first hunting cabin they would have sent two men with basic survival gear back to fetch the food.

Through # 2, will get to # 3 tomorrow.

An interesting trip for the 4 military men recreating the trip and nice memories from the 3 men who did the real mission. And now the other 6 have jumped in and linked up with the original 4.
I'll bet they would have traded the moss for almost anything. They enjoyed it a bit more when it came from the Reindeer stomachs (reduced acids). Looks like they had plenty of spruce tea but little else. I don't know if there were so many ops that their rations were a reflection of that or the moldy cheese had probiotic capabilities?

2-3 K's a day in the early storm suggests either an average or hunkering down much of the time, perhaps they were chasing fuel? Reading between the lines that Lake water was a poignant experience for them...perhaps they never wanted to go back to that infil site? On the Elk Mountain Traverse website in the insta gram section there is an account of being able to identifying all the racers afterward by the frost bite they had on one side of their face due to ground blizzard conditions...that was just a 12 hour race. Finding the sledge sure benefited them! When I first saw Ray's overwhite cover on his open pit shelter I wondered but have since been back to Hale and forgot how ticklish that falling snow can be when it hits your face (part 3).

The small hut they built to evade detection is one of the most eloquent solutions I have ever seen (part 3). All in all a very scrappy bunch who were both skilled and had a lot of things go their way.

In another post you brought up the importance of nutrition ( calories/energy) to sustained cold weather operations. I find their success particularly impressive with that aspect in mind.
Interesting nutritional info. on mil. rations : http://hprc-online.org/comrad/#

I noticed one of the Norwegian soldiers said it as they woke early in the dark, cold, open country, that he had done that as a boy and it was quite normal to him... Makes me curious what you see with soldiers that are not familiar with a Winter culture?

On a side note, currently snow is great in the Colo. high country, anyone interested might find Ski Cooper of particular interest...not just for the legacy left by the 10th Mt Div. or affordable tickets but the terrain is the best I've seen for learning! http://skicooper.com/
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_1288.jpg (44.0 KB, 23 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_1314.jpg (32.4 KB, 24 views)
__________________
"It is because they have so much to give and give it so lavishly...that men love the mountains and go back to them again and again." Sir Francis Younghusband

Essayons

By Dand

"In the school of the wilds,there is no graduation day"Horace Kephart

Last edited by Golf1echo; 03-04-2015 at 12:47.
Golf1echo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-04-2015, 13:40   #4
PTF Guy
Asset
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Left Coast
Posts: 37
Telemark Op

Great Op, very interesting reenactment. Raises many questions though.
Since they apparently had good comms, why didn't they get resupplied by airdrop while they were "waiting"? The RAF/SOE was dropping supplies all over Europe at the time - and they knew where these guys were. (well enough to send in gliders to their AO). Why didn't they also initially drop in a sled along with their gear - the Norwegian's at least, would have understood its value in movement..
Did the nazi's ELINT detect them - and did they try to DF their position?
Also, for the movie production it is unfortunate that they didn't bring along a Type 3 Mk 2 wireless suitcase radio (rather than a suitcase full of sand) to replicate the comm path back to the UK. Those sets are around, they are being used - and I bet one of those 4 guys in the video was CW qualified..
Great story - required "viewing"... Tough, skilled guys.
Didahdidahdit

Last edited by PTF Guy; 03-04-2015 at 13:54.
PTF Guy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-04-2015, 23:57   #5
Flagg
Area Commander
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1,423
Ray a ears has a good book that covers the Raid.

http://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Telemar.../dp/0340830166

Norway has just produced a new miniseries covering it:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heavy_Water_War

Hopefully it will be subtitled and Youtube'd.
Flagg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-05-2015, 09:55   #6
glebo
Quiet Professional
 
glebo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hope Mills, NC
Posts: 2,757
I always did like the Kirk Douglas movie about that. Nice classic...
__________________
Out of all the places I've been, this is one of'em....
glebo is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 13:26.



Copyright 2004-2022 by Professional Soldiers ®
Site Designed, Maintained, & Hosted by Hilliker Technologies