Joachim Rønneberg
Encyclopedia
Joachim Holmboe Rønneberg, DSO
(born 30 August 1919) is a retired Norwegian
officer
and broadcaster. He is known for his resistance
work during World War II
and his post-war war information work.
as the second son of Alf Rønneberg from Ålesund
and Anna Krag Sandberg. He was the brother of Erling Rønneberg
. He was also a grandnephew of politician Anton Johan Rønneberg
, whose mother was a part of the Holmboe family
—hence Joachim's middle name.
He married Liv Foldal, who was born in 1925. He currently resides in Ålesund.
His brother Erling Rønneberg was a well-known resistance member too, having received British commando
training.
in 1938, being told to report for duty with the surveying
department in 1940.
broke out when Rønneberg was a young adult, and Norway was occupied by Germany
from April 1940. He joined Norwegian Independent Company 1
(NOR.I.C.1) in 1941, having escaped Norway by boat to Scotland
the same year. He received military training in the United Kingdom
, and held the rank of Second Lieutenant
.
Joachim Rønneberg, now a First Lieutenant
, led the six-man Operation Gunnerside team, reinforcing the five-man team Grouse sent in earlier, during the heavy water sabotage action
. After landing at a location 45 kilometres (28 mi) from the other team Gunnerside spent five days waiting out an intense blizzard in an uninhabited hunting cabin before meeting up with Grouse. The combined Norwegian team went into action against the Norsk Hydro
heavy water
production plant in Vemork
, Norway in 1943, parachuting into the Hardangervidda
plateau on 16 February. Rønneberg led the demolition team when the saboteurs, on the night of 27/28 February 1943, entered the Norsk Hydro plant and set explosive charges. The team then escaped from the factory as the explosives went off, without the German guards discovering the saboteurs or indeed noticing that there had occurred an attack on the plant, probably believing that the heavy snow had set off one of their own land mine
s. Although chased by 2,800 German troops five of the saboteurs, led by Rønneberg escaped safely to neutral Sweden
by way of a 14-day march over a distance of 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) after the successful completion of their mission. The six other members of the sabotage team hid out in various locations in Norway without being caught by the Germans. Eighteen heavy water cells and around 500 kilograms (1,102.3 lb) of heavy water was destroyed during the attack, as well as a loss of production of 400 kilograms (881.8 lb) of heavy water.
After the factory was reported to have been rebuilt in the summer of 1943 a new saboteur attack was planned, but eventually scrapped in favour of an air strike
. On 16 November 1943 161 United States Army Air Forces
B-17 and B-24
heavy bomber
s attacked the Vemork heavy water plant, and another 12 bombers the nitrogen
plant at nearby Rjukan
. The attack had not been cleared with the Norwegian government in exile in London and led to a diplomatic crisis between the Norwegian and other Allied
governments. Of particular concern for the Norwegian government was the targeting of the Rjukan nitrogen plant, as it supposedly only produced products for Norwegian agriculture
. Twenty-one civilian lives were lost in the bombing raid. Following the bombing raid the Germans decided to move the production to Germany, leading to the British War Cabinet
to order Norwegian saboteur Knut Haukelid
to sink the Norwegian ferry SF Hydro
carrying the containers of heavy water across Lake Tinnsjø. The ferry was sunk with hidden explosives on 19 February 1944, going down with 15000 litres (3,299.5 imp gal) of heavy water and killing 14 Norwegian civilians, ending the struggle for the Norwegian heavy water.
The sabotage action against the Vemork plant was portrayed in the Franco-Norwegian 1948 film Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water, where Rønneberg was portrayed by Norwegian actor Claus Wiese. In 1965 the decidedly less factually accurate American film The Heroes of Telemark
, starring Kirk Douglas
, was released by Columbia Pictures
.
in Sunnmøre
, in preparation for attacks against German supply lines in the Romsdal
valley. In January 1945 Rønneberg had led a three-man unit of NOR.I.C.1 on a mission to destroy the Stueflotten railway bridge, blowing up the bridge with a 130 kilograms (286.6 lb) charge of plastic explosive
s, putting it out of service for three weeks. The team then escaped without casualties.
His service with NOR.I.C.1 ended with the liberation of Norway in 1945.
. For his war service Rønneberg also recived St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch
, Defence Medal 1940–1945 and Haakon VIIs 70th Anniversary Medal. In addition to his Norwegian decorations, he was also decorated by the British with the Distinguished Service Order (DSO
), by the Americans with the Medal of Freedom with silver palm and by the French with the Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre
.
In the 1970s, from 1971, Rønneberg was governor of Rotary International
's 128th district.
He also participated in the rebuilding of Fieldfare Cabin
in the valley Veltedalen in the summer of 1990, where he had hid out the last year of the war with two other officers from NOR.I.C.1. Fieldfare Cabin today gives an image of Norwegian resistance during the war.
In his later years Rønneberg has been involved in war information work, holding lectures for audiences around Norway. He has said that he is particularly fond of holding talks for school children. Rønneberg is highly critical of the current situation for the Norwegian military, stating that its capacity for mobilisation is only 9% of the 1990 level.
In 1995 Joachim Rønneberg, together with fellow World War II resistance leader Gunnar Sønsteby
and Norwegian businessman Erling S. Lorentzen, received the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award for "individuals whose outstanding personal accomplishments exemplify the spirit of commitment, perseverance and endeavor that sustains the strong relations between Norway and the United States of America".
Rønneberg was a member of Lingeklubben (The Linge Club) until that Norwegian veterans' association was disestablished on 17 October 2007 and the organisation's flag was handed over to the chief of the Norwegian Special Forces.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(born 30 August 1919) is a retired Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and broadcaster. He is known for his resistance
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
work during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and his post-war war information work.
Personal life
Joachim Holmboe Rønneberg was born in BorgundBorgund, Møre og Romsdal
Borgund is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality consisted of the islands of Sula, Humla, Tørla, and Ellingsøya, as well as parts of Oksenøya, Hessa, and Nørvøya, plus many minor islands throughout the area...
as the second son of Alf Rønneberg from Ålesund
Ålesund
is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....
and Anna Krag Sandberg. He was the brother of Erling Rønneberg
Erling Rønneberg
Erling Rønneberg was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He was born as the second son of Alf Rønneberg from Ålesund and Anna Krag Sandberg. He was a grandnephew of Anton Johan Rønneberg....
. He was also a grandnephew of politician Anton Johan Rønneberg
Anton Johan Rønneberg
Anton Johan Rønneberg was a Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party.-Personal life:He was born in Aalesund to Rasmus Gerhard Rønneberg and his wife Anna Margrethe Holmboe . He had several brothers and sisters...
, whose mother was a part of the Holmboe family
Holmboe (family)
Holmboe is a Norwegian family which origin came from Denmark.-Family tree:The family trees are not meant to be complete. It lists only the notable individuals of this family, as well as their ancestors.-Jens Holmboe line:...
—hence Joachim's middle name.
He married Liv Foldal, who was born in 1925. He currently resides in Ålesund.
His brother Erling Rønneberg was a well-known resistance member too, having received British commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
training.
Career
Rønneberg reported for national serviceNational service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in 1938, being told to report for duty with the surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
department in 1940.
World War II
World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out when Rønneberg was a young adult, and Norway was occupied by Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
from April 1940. He joined Norwegian Independent Company 1
Norwegian Independent Company 1
Norwegian Independent Company 1 was a British SOE group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. It was organized under the leadership of Captain Martin Linge...
(NOR.I.C.1) in 1941, having escaped Norway by boat to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
the same year. He received military training in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and held the rank of Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
.
Heavy water sabotage
Joachim Rønneberg, now a First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
, led the six-man Operation Gunnerside team, reinforcing the five-man team Grouse sent in earlier, during the heavy water sabotage action
Norwegian heavy water sabotage
The Norwegian heavy water sabotage was a series of actions undertaken by Norwegian saboteurs during World War II to prevent the German nuclear energy project from acquiring heavy water , which could be used to produce nuclear weapons...
. After landing at a location 45 kilometres (28 mi) from the other team Gunnerside spent five days waiting out an intense blizzard in an uninhabited hunting cabin before meeting up with Grouse. The combined Norwegian team went into action against the Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. Hydro is the fourth largest integrated aluminium company worldwide. It has operations in some 40 countries around the world and is active on all continents. The Norwegian state holds a 43.8 percent...
heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
production plant in Vemork
Vemork
Vemork is the name of a hydroelectric power plant outside Rjukan in Tinn, Norway. The plant was built by Norsk Hydro and opened in 1911, its main purpose being to fix nitrogen for the production of fertilizer. Vemork was later the site of the first plant in the world to mass-produce heavy water...
, Norway in 1943, parachuting into the Hardangervidda
Hardangervidda
The Hardangervidda is a mountain plateau in the Hardanger region of western Norway. It is the largest such plateau in Europe, with a cold year-round alpine climate and is the site of one of Norway's largest glaciers. Much of the plateau is protected as part of Hardangervidda National Park; it is a...
plateau on 16 February. Rønneberg led the demolition team when the saboteurs, on the night of 27/28 February 1943, entered the Norsk Hydro plant and set explosive charges. The team then escaped from the factory as the explosives went off, without the German guards discovering the saboteurs or indeed noticing that there had occurred an attack on the plant, probably believing that the heavy snow had set off one of their own land mine
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s. Although chased by 2,800 German troops five of the saboteurs, led by Rønneberg escaped safely to neutral Sweden
Sweden during World War II
Sweden during World War II maintained a policy of neutrality. When the Second World War began on September 1, 1939, the fate of Sweden was unclear...
by way of a 14-day march over a distance of 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) after the successful completion of their mission. The six other members of the sabotage team hid out in various locations in Norway without being caught by the Germans. Eighteen heavy water cells and around 500 kilograms (1,102.3 lb) of heavy water was destroyed during the attack, as well as a loss of production of 400 kilograms (881.8 lb) of heavy water.
After the factory was reported to have been rebuilt in the summer of 1943 a new saboteur attack was planned, but eventually scrapped in favour of an air strike
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
. On 16 November 1943 161 United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
B-17 and B-24
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
s attacked the Vemork heavy water plant, and another 12 bombers the nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
plant at nearby Rjukan
Rjukan
Rjukan is a town and the administrative center of Tinn municipality in Telemark . It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Tinnsjå, and got its name after Rjukanfossen west of the town. The Tinn municipality council granted township status for Rjukan in 1996. The town has 3 386...
. The attack had not been cleared with the Norwegian government in exile in London and led to a diplomatic crisis between the Norwegian and other Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
governments. Of particular concern for the Norwegian government was the targeting of the Rjukan nitrogen plant, as it supposedly only produced products for Norwegian agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Twenty-one civilian lives were lost in the bombing raid. Following the bombing raid the Germans decided to move the production to Germany, leading to the British War Cabinet
War Cabinet
A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers. It is also quite common for a War Cabinet to have senior military officers and opposition politicians as members....
to order Norwegian saboteur Knut Haukelid
Knut Haukelid
Knut Haukelid was a Norwegian resistance movement soldier during World War II, most notable for participating in the Norwegian heavy water sabotage...
to sink the Norwegian ferry SF Hydro
SF Hydro
SF Hydro was a Norwegian steam powered railway ferry that operated on Tinnsjø in Telemark. The ferry operated between Mæl and Tinnoset between 1914 and 1944, connecting the two railways Rjukanbanen and Tinnosbanen. The railway was used to transport raw materials and fertilizer from Norsk Hydro's...
carrying the containers of heavy water across Lake Tinnsjø. The ferry was sunk with hidden explosives on 19 February 1944, going down with 15000 litres (3,299.5 imp gal) of heavy water and killing 14 Norwegian civilians, ending the struggle for the Norwegian heavy water.
The sabotage action against the Vemork plant was portrayed in the Franco-Norwegian 1948 film Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water, where Rønneberg was portrayed by Norwegian actor Claus Wiese. In 1965 the decidedly less factually accurate American film The Heroes of Telemark
The Heroes of Telemark
The Heroes of Telemark is a 1965 war film directed by Anthony Mann based on the true story of the Norwegian heavy water sabotage during World War II...
, starring Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
, was released by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
.
Other World War II work
Subsequently he commanded other raids against the Germans, including the Fieldfare operationFieldfare cabin
Fieldfare cabin is a shelter built during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. It is situated in the Tafjordfjella mountains on the northern shore of the Lake Veltdalsvatnet in Sunnmøre, Norway...
in Sunnmøre
Sunnmøre
Sunnmøre is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. Its main city is Ålesund. The region comprises the municipalities of Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Norddal, Sande, Skodje, Haram, Stordal, Stranda, Sula, Sykkylven, Ulstein, Vanylven, Volda, Ørskog,...
, in preparation for attacks against German supply lines in the Romsdal
Romsdal
Romsdal is the name of a traditional district in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal, located between Nordmøre and Sunnmøre. The district of Romsdal comprises Aukra, Fræna, Midsund, Molde, Nesset, Rauma, Sandøy, and Vestnes. It is named for the valley of Romsdalen, which covers part of Rauma.The...
valley. In January 1945 Rønneberg had led a three-man unit of NOR.I.C.1 on a mission to destroy the Stueflotten railway bridge, blowing up the bridge with a 130 kilograms (286.6 lb) charge of plastic explosive
Plastic explosive
Plastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is a soft and hand moldable solid material. Plastic explosives are properly known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering....
s, putting it out of service for three weeks. The team then escaped without casualties.
His service with NOR.I.C.1 ended with the liberation of Norway in 1945.
Honours and awards
In 1943, he was awarded Norways's highest decoration for military gallantry, the War Cross with swordWar Cross with sword
The War Cross with Sword is the highest ranking Norwegian gallantry decoration. It is awarded for extraordinary brave actions or extraordinary leadership during combat. A recipient deemed worthy of additional citations will receive up to an additional two swords on the medal ribbon in addition to...
. For his war service Rønneberg also recived St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch
St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch
St. Olav's Medal with Oak Branch is a Norwegian military award, which was instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway on 6 February 1942. In Norway, the medal is considered as a separate award from the civilian St...
, Defence Medal 1940–1945 and Haakon VIIs 70th Anniversary Medal. In addition to his Norwegian decorations, he was also decorated by the British with the Distinguished Service Order (DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
), by the Americans with the Medal of Freedom with silver palm and by the French with the Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
.
Post-war career
After the war he began a career in broadcasting. He was hired in NRK Ålesund in 1948, was promoted to program secretary in 1954 and sub-editor in 1977. He retired in 1988.In the 1970s, from 1971, Rønneberg was governor of Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
's 128th district.
He also participated in the rebuilding of Fieldfare Cabin
Fieldfare cabin
Fieldfare cabin is a shelter built during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. It is situated in the Tafjordfjella mountains on the northern shore of the Lake Veltdalsvatnet in Sunnmøre, Norway...
in the valley Veltedalen in the summer of 1990, where he had hid out the last year of the war with two other officers from NOR.I.C.1. Fieldfare Cabin today gives an image of Norwegian resistance during the war.
In his later years Rønneberg has been involved in war information work, holding lectures for audiences around Norway. He has said that he is particularly fond of holding talks for school children. Rønneberg is highly critical of the current situation for the Norwegian military, stating that its capacity for mobilisation is only 9% of the 1990 level.
In 1995 Joachim Rønneberg, together with fellow World War II resistance leader Gunnar Sønsteby
Gunnar Sønsteby
Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby DSO was a member of the Norwegian resistance movement during the German occupation of Norway in World War II...
and Norwegian businessman Erling S. Lorentzen, received the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award for "individuals whose outstanding personal accomplishments exemplify the spirit of commitment, perseverance and endeavor that sustains the strong relations between Norway and the United States of America".
Rønneberg was a member of Lingeklubben (The Linge Club) until that Norwegian veterans' association was disestablished on 17 October 2007 and the organisation's flag was handed over to the chief of the Norwegian Special Forces.