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OSS Operation RYPE / NORSO
During late 1944/early 1945 a sabotage mission to Norway was planned, with the name Operation RYPE (Norwegian for Grouse). The main mission would be to destroy railroad lines in Norway making it impossible for the Germans to move their troops in Norway to the European Continent where they would be needed during the final battles of the war. Because the British Navy had mined the Norwegian coastal waters, the railroad was viewed as the only way for the Germans to move their troops south. Thus, Operation RYPE was considered to be of high strategic importance.
The soldiers to perform this dangerous mission inside enemy territory were picked from OSS and 99th Infantry Battalion. Already during training in England, 100 men from the 99th Battalion was handpicked from a group of volunteers to receive special training for OSS (Office of Strategic Services). It was at this stage unknown what exactly would be the responsibility of this unit, but training including parachuting, operation behind enemy lines, sabotage and guerilla warfare.
Operation RYPE was executed on March 24th 1945 from Scotland with Jaevsjo, close to Steinkjer as target. Eight B-24 Liberator bombers of the United States Army Air Force took off with 4-6 paratroopers in addition to its crew onboard. Total 36 men were to jump over Norway, all with special training at Camp Hale, Colorado and with the British paratrooper school in Manchester. All had commando and sabotage training. Equipment and weapons were to be dropped in containers from the same aircraft during a second sweep over the target area. OSS would always do its operations at night time and in moonshine. The soldiers were dressed in full uniform and with white camouflage suits. At Jaevsjø five Norwegian MILORG soldiers were waiting, and when they could hear the rumble from the Liberators closing in, they lit five logs shaped like an “L” and drenched with gasoline. Out of the first aircraft came the first 4 soldiers and landed as the first American soldiers on Norwegian soil. Their aircraft came back for a second sweep, dropping their containers with equipment and weapons. Then followed the second, third and fourth aircraft.
Four aircraft never made it to the drop zone. Two got lost and returned to their base in Scotland. One aircraft never found the drop zone and accidentally dropped across the border to Sweden. The last aircraft got lost and crashed on the Orkney Islands, where all personnel onboard got killed except for the co-pilot.
The soldiers dropped in Sweden were able to take themselves, with help from Sweden, across the border and join up with the rest of their unit at Jaevsjø.
In early April, they received orders to go on their first mission to destroy bridges between Jorstad and Valøy. However, one of their scouts were found by the Germans, and they eventually were forced to give up their primary targets. Instead they discovered on their way back to base that Tangen bridge was not guarded. So the telephone lines here were cut and explosives placed under the bridge. The bridge was then successfully destroyed.
On 18th April RYPE requests permission from London to destroy the railroad at Lurudal and Lierne. On the 24th April RYPE was in position by the railroad. The explosives were placed over a stretch of about 5 miles. The technique utilized totally disabled the railroad over this whole stretch and made quick repairs impossible. The operation was a complete success. The return back to base was very dangerous due to visible ski tracks and the moonshine, which would enable the Germans to easily track the saboteurs. To confuse the Germans they skied across the border to Sweden to give the impression that the base was on the other side of the border. |
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On 1st May London sends instructions to RYPE to now focus on smaller targets and not to go after railroads. The reason for this was obvious as it was becoming clear that the war in Europe was moving towards an end and that it would be unlikely that the Germans would deploy their Norwegian based forces to the “final battle”. Instead, it was considered important to preserve the infrastructure in Norway and instead hit German military targets. Also, at this time the snow started to melt which made it much more difficult for RYPE to move quickly by skies. On 3rd May, RYPE came in direct combat with a 5 man German patrol. They reported that all German soldiers were killed after a short combat, and with no casualties on their side.
At this time the Germans had a razzia against Norwegian civilians in the area arresting many members of MILORG. 11 MILORG soldiers managed to escape up in the mountains and joined with RYPE. This created another problem, as RYPE was running out of food. At the same time London did not respond to RYPE’s daily requests for instructions. Not until the 11th May, 4 days after the war was over, did they receive clear instructions and were told to proceed to Steinkjer.
On the 12th May, the soldiers of RYPE, a total of 32 men, reached Steinkjer wearing full uniform and to a true hero’s welcome. They then proceeded to Trondheim where several thousand German soldiers surrendered to them. On the 17th May (Norway’s Constitution Day) the unit paraded together with the rest of the NORSO Group which had been flown over from London for the occasion. This was the end of Operation RYPE in Norway.
While the missions had strategic importance, the most important contribution of RYPE laid in the importance of the Political relationship between United States and Norway. The fact that United States soldiers had died on Norwegian soil for their freedom was an important fact that further cemented the relationship between the two allies. |
