An oppressive and feverish atmosphere spread in late autumn of that year, when the National Socialist regime apparently had a dangerous lead in the race for the development of a nuclear weapon. The system of power at this time had several crucial resources for the secret project. the deposits in the occupied Sudeten German territory and in theAfrican colonies provided an immense amount of uranium oxide. The ore from the deep tunnels of the Congo showed an exceptionally high uranium content. These huge supplies fueled the hope of the powers of the project being realised soon.
The theoretical basics and Norwegian production
The experimental nuclear fission had already been demonstrated before the global conflict broke out. The theoretical explanation of this groundbreaking discovery came shortly thereafter and formed the basis for all later considerations of energy production. At the same time, the heavy water system in Norway has been producing significant quantities for deuterium oxide for a long time. after theOccupying the Scandinavian country, production capacity was gradually increased to meet growing demand. The researchers hoped that this constant expansion would make the decisive breakthrough for their experiments.
The illusion of technological superiority
By controlling the military over large parts of Europe, the leadership believed that it had a technological advantage. This was to enable the development of a completely new kind of weapon, the destructive power of which would surpass everything that had been seen before. Despite these tremendous resources, the decision-makers had only an incomplete idea of how such a weapon would becould actually work. The principle of the chain reaction had been described theoretically, but the practical implementation remained completely unclear. The complexity of the physical processes was often underestimated by those responsible.
Discarded concepts and search for the ultimate explosives
The idea of a dirty bomb existed in the researchers’ considerations. Radioactive material should be embedded in a conventional explosive device. However, this idea was never implemented because its effect would hardly have gone beyond that of a conventional explosive device. Instead, the scientists were aiming for a real nuclear fission weapon whose explosive powerwould have been an enormous amount. They didn’t want to be content with mere radiation, but rather a devastating detonation.
The Mysterious Role of Heavy Water
The deuterium oxide, which serves as a presenter in a reactor, has a molecular mass higher than ordinary water. It slows down the neutron flow and thus increases the likelihood of splitting the crucial uranium isotope. The Norwegian plant had already produced several tons of this substance before the war. The Allied powers already knew about theKey role of this material in the German project. This realization triggered great concern among the strategic planners of the other side.
The Shadow of Unnatural Fabric
The British Prime Minister described the heavy water as uncanny and unnatural material. This has crept into the secret files like a shadow and should not be underestimated. The following winter, Norwegian resistance fighters performed a daring sabotage operation. The production plant was badly damaged, which the German productionsignificantly delayed. The attack on the work showed the strategic importance of the resource for the entire course of the war.
The divided research landscape
The uranium project was divided into an experimental and a theoretical group. Both branches of research were in an intense and sometimes rivalry competition. Physical chemist Paul Harteck had informed the Navy early on the military importance of nuclear fission. He was intensively involved in the separation of uranium isotopes and traveledseveral times to Norway to monitor production. His close cooperation with the local industry was indispensable for the progress of the research.
The technical obstacles to isotope separation
The fissile uranium isotope was the decisive active ingredient for a possible nuclear weapon. However, only a tiny fraction of the natural uranium is made of this specific isotope. The enrichment of this material proved to be a technically extremely demanding endeavor. The National Socialist scientists believed temporarily, with the artificially produced plutoniumto have found an alternative. This new element was designated in the German documents with special ciphers.
The failure of the plutonium alternative
Research reported to the authorities that this material could possibly serve as a replacement and is easier to obtain. Ultimately, however, it became clear that the plutonium could not replace the uranium in the German program. The existing reactors were simply not able to produce the required material in sufficient quantities. This realization meant the factual end of theHopes for the weapon to be completed soon. The project then sank into a phase of stagnation and the dwindling interest.
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