9. Prevented From Attacking His Original Target, William Colby Skied for 100 Miles to Attack Another Target
Without William Colby’s whole team at hand, attacking his target, the well-protected Grana Bridge, would have been foolhardy. So he decided to attack and destroy another bridge: the smaller, but unguarded, one at Tangen. On April 9th, 1945 Colby led his men on a 100-mile journey on skis to their target.
The men, carrying a 60-pound load of ammunition and rations, took turns dragging a sled with 180 pounds of explosives. They made their way through tough terrain, skiing through a sleet storm en route, until they reached the Tangen Bridge on April 14th. After cutting nearby telegraph wires, they blew up their target. With the bridge destroyed, Colby and his men sped east towards the safety of neutral Sweden.