He was furious with himself for missing the chance to parachute into Norway. But he was about to get a second chance. In spite of the glider disaster, the British and Americans were still determined to destroy the Vemork heavy water plant in Norway. Like the graphite Enrico Fermi used in his Chicago pile, heavy water can be used to slow down neutrons and create a chain reaction in uranium. In fact, heavy water is more efficient than graphite—Fermi would have used heavy water if he could have gotten his hands on enough. But Adolf Hitler held tight to the world’s only supply. Breaking that grip was the key to stopping the German bomb. The Allies could try bombing Vemork from the air, but the cliffside target would be difficult for planes to hit. They’d be more likely to kill civilians living nearby than to seriously damage the plant. As soon as Haukelid got out of the hospital, he was brought to London with five other Norwegian volunteers for a talk with Colonel John Wilson of the S.O.E.
