Lesson plan
Operation Bittern
Operation Bittern ( , known as Bitern in the oldest sources ) was a military operation in occupied Norway planned and carried out in 1942 by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Norwegian government-in-exile in London. Four SOE agents and instructors—Thor Helliessen, Jan Allan, Ruben Langmo and Johannes S. Andersen—were sent to Norway and parachuted into Nordmarka north of Oslo in October 1942. Their primary mission was to help the resistance movement Milorg with the assassinations of Norwegian Nazis and informers by training selected Milorg personnel for the task. If asked by Milorg they would also help as executioners. According to Chief of Defence, General Wilhelm von Tangen Hansteen, the group should only act upon decisions by the Home Forces, and they brought no liquidation lists from the UK. The problem was that the operation had not been approved by Milorg in advance. In a meeting between Milorg leaders Jens Christian Hauge and Arthur Hansson and the expedition leader, it turned out that Bittern operated with a list of persons that SOE wanted to get rid of. The list contained 62 names, which not only included informers and torturers, but also Nazi politicians such as the government "ministers" Hagelin, Lie and Fuglesang.…
Article summary
Operation Bittern ( , known as Bitern in the oldest sources ) was a military operation in occupied Norway planned and carried out in 1942 by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Norwegian government-in-exile in London. Four SOE agents and instructors—Thor Helliessen, Jan Allan, Ruben Langmo and Johannes S. Andersen—were sent to Norway and parachuted into Nordmarka north of Oslo in October 1942. Their primary mission was to help the resistance movement Milorg with the assassinations of Norwegian Nazis and informers by training selected Milorg personnel for the task. If asked by Milorg they would also help as executioners. According to Chief of Defence, General Wilhelm von Tangen Hansteen, the group should only act upon decisions by the Home Forces, and they brought no liquidation lists from the UK. The problem was that the operation had not been approved by Milorg in advance. In a meeting between Milorg leaders Jens Christian Hauge and Arthur Hansson and the expedition leader, it turned out that Bittern operated with a list of persons that SOE wanted to get rid of. The list contained 62 names, which not only included informers and torturers, but also Nazi politicians such as the government "ministers" Hagelin, Lie and Fuglesang.…
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.