740.0011 European War 1939/32666
The Secretary of State to the Norwegian Ambassador (Morgenstierne)
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of Norway and has the honor to refer to his call of December 15, 19438 in regard to the Allied bombings of objectives in Norway, in particular, the plants of the Norsk Hydro Chemical Works on the island of Herøya and near Vemork and Rjukan.
The Secretary of War,9 to whom this matter was referred, has informed Mr. Hull that a thorough investigation was made of the bombing of targets in Norway on July 24 and November 16, 1943 by the VIII United States Bomber Command. In the opinion of the competent officials of the War Department, both attacks were necessary in the furtherance of the defeat of Germany.
The attack of July 24, 1943 had as its objective the light metals plant on Herøya which was engaged in the manufacture of light metals for the use of the German war effort. It is regrettable but unavoidable that some damage resulted to the adjacent fertilizer plant.
The primary objectives of the attack on November 16, 1943 were targets at Knaben and Kjelber, with the power station at Vemork as a secondary target. The plant at Vemork was engaged in the manufacture of “heavy water” for utilization by the German armed forces. In the ensuing bombardment certain damage was unfortunately sustained by the Rjukan nitrate plant of the Norsk Hydro Chemical Works which is situated near Vemork.
The Secretary of War has further informed Mr. Hull that cooperation and coordination with the Norwegian Government is effected by close consultation between representatives of that Government and those of the British Air Ministry and the British Ministry of Economic Warfare. In addition, there is stationed at the Headquarters of the United States VIII Bomber Command a liaison officer of the Norwegian Air Force.
- For memorandum of conversation, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. ii, p. 494.↩
- Henry L. Stimson.↩