Joachim Rønneberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joachim Holmboe Rønneberg
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Joachim Rønneberg (left), Jens Anton Poulsson and Kasper Idland receive King Haakon VII of Norway at the premiere of the film Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water in Oslo (1948)
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| Born | 30 August 1919 Ålesund, Norway |
| Died | 21 October 2018 (aged 99) Ålesund, Norway |
| Allegiance | Norway |
| Service/ |
Norwegian Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Unit | Norwegian Independent Company 1 |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards |
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| Spouse(s) |
Liv Foldal
(m. 1949) |
| Relations | Alf Rønneberg (father) Anna Krag Sandberg (mother) Erling Rønneberg (brother) Anton Johan Rønneberg (great uncle) |
| Other work | NRK broadcaster |
Joachim Holmboe Rønneberg (born August 30, 1919 – died October 21, 2018) was a brave Norwegian soldier and a broadcaster. He is famous for his important work during World War II. He led a special mission called Operation Gunnerside. After the war, he worked to share stories about the war.
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Early Life and Family
Joachim Rønneberg was born in Ålesund, Norway. His father was Alf Rønneberg and his mother was Anna Krag Sandberg. Joachim's brother, Erling Rønneberg, was also a brave resistance fighter. Erling even trained with British commandos. When Joachim was a boy, he was a member of the scout movement.
On September 19, 1949, Joachim married Liv Foldal. She was a crafts teacher. Joachim lived in Ålesund for most of his life. In 2014, a statue was made to honor him in Ålesund. Princess Astrid of Norway helped to show the statue to everyone. Joachim Rønneberg passed away in 2018.
Military Career During World War II
Joachim Rønneberg started his military service in 1938. When World War II began, Germany took over Norway in April 1940. In 1941, Joachim escaped Norway by boat with eight friends. They went to Scotland. There, he joined a special group called Norwegian Independent Company 1 (also known as Kompani Linge). He received military training in the United Kingdom.
The Heavy Water Sabotage Mission
Joachim Rønneberg became a First Lieutenant. He was chosen to lead a very important mission called Operation Gunnerside. This mission was part of the Norwegian heavy water sabotage. Its goal was to stop Germany from getting "heavy water." Heavy water was needed to make nuclear weapons.
On February 16, 1943, Rønneberg and his six-man team parachuted onto a snowy plateau in Norway. They met up with another four-man team. Together, they planned to attack the Norsk Hydro heavy water plant in Vemork.
The Attack on Vemork
On the night of February 27–28, 1943, Rønneberg led his team into the plant. They carefully placed explosives. The explosives went off without the German guards knowing what had happened. The saboteurs escaped from the factory. Rønneberg remembered the sunrise as they got away. He said, "It was a marvelous sunrise. We sat there very tired, very happy. Nobody said anything. That was a very special moment."
After the mission, 2,800 German soldiers chased them. Five of the saboteurs, led by Rønneberg, marched for 14 days. They traveled about 400 kilometers (250 miles) to reach neutral Sweden. The other six team members hid in Norway and were not caught. The attack destroyed heavy water and stopped its production.
After the Sabotage
Later in 1943, the factory was rebuilt. The Allies decided to bomb the plant instead of another sabotage mission. On November 16, 1943, American bombers attacked the Vemork plant. They also bombed a nearby nitrogen plant. This bombing caused some problems between Norway and the other Allied countries. Sadly, 21 civilians died in the bombing raid.
The Germans then decided to move the heavy water production to Germany. So, British leaders ordered another Norwegian saboteur, Knut Haukelid, to sink a ferry. This ferry, called SF Hydro, was carrying the heavy water containers across Lake Tinn. On February 19, 1944, the ferry was sunk. It went down with 15,000 liters (4,000 US gallons) of heavy water. Sadly, 14 Norwegian civilians also died. This ended the struggle for the Norwegian heavy water.
Rønneberg's role in these events has been shown in films and TV shows. The 1948 film Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water showed his story. In 1965, the American film The Heroes of Telemark was released. Rønneberg said this film was "hopeless" because it was not very accurate.
Other World War II Missions
Rønneberg also led other missions against the Germans. One was the Fieldfare operation in Sunnmøre. This mission prepared for attacks on German supply lines. In January 1945, Rønneberg led a three-man team to destroy the Stuguflåt railway bridge. They blew up the bridge with explosives. This stopped trains for three weeks. His service with Kompani Linge ended when Norway was freed in 1945.
Awards and Recognition
In 1943, Joachim Rønneberg received Norway's highest award for military bravery, the War Cross with sword. He also received the St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch, the Defence Medal 1940–1945, and Haakon VIIs 70th Anniversary Medal.
Other countries also honored him. The British gave him the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). The Americans gave him the Medal of Freedom with silver palm. The French gave him the Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre.
In 2015, a bronze statue of Rønneberg was made by Håkon Anton Fagarås. Princess Astrid helped to unveil it in Ålesund.
After the War
After the war, Joachim Rønneberg started a new career in broadcasting. He began working at NRK Ålesund in 1948. He became a program secretary in 1954 and retired in 1988.
In 1990, Rønneberg helped rebuild the Fieldfare Cabin. This was a cabin where he had hidden during the last year of the war. Today, Fieldfare Cabin shows what Norwegian resistance was like during the war.
In his later years, Rønneberg often gave talks about the war. He especially enjoyed speaking to school children. In 1995, Rønneberg received an award for his outstanding achievements. This award honored his commitment and perseverance. He was a member of the Linge Club, a group for Norwegian war veterans. In 2013, he received a Union Jack flag in London. This was to mark 70 years since the successful Gunnerside mission.
