In March of 1943
twelve Norwegian commandos set sail in a fishing vessel from the Shetland
Islands north of Great Britain for the northern coast of Nazi-occupied Norway.
Their mission was to organize the Norwegian resistance and to sabotage an
airbase.
Unfortunately
the commandos were betrayed almost as soon as they arrived. A German warship
intercepted them, and they abandoned ship, transferring to a small dinghy while
detonating their ship’s eight tons of explosive cargo. Soon the dinghy was
riddled with machine gun fire, and they dived into the icy waters to try to
swim 70 yards to shore. All but one of the men were killed or captured. Later
it was learned that the captured men were tortured and executed.
