Us Official Photographs

Molybdenum mine in Norway

TARGET IN THE HILLS OF NORWAY -- Columns of smoke rising from bombs bursting on Germany's most important source of a vital metal - a molybdenum mine in the mountains of Norway at Knaben, cast long shadows into the valley below. It was a difficult target to find and a small one to hit from high altitude, but Flying Fortresses of Eighth AAF Bomber Command found it and hit it. Producing most all of Germany's available molybdenum -- essential to special steels used in aircraft engines and other war machines -- the mine shaft and ore washing plant were covered by bomb bursts.