Aircraft

De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito
The De Havilland Mosquito DH.98 was a combat aircraft made to conduct air raids, it was operated by Britain and allied forces during World War II.

The Allied forces communicated with Norway over three years if Knaben should be sabotaged or bombed to stop the molybdenum production, and if it was morally responsible choice towards the workers and their families. Eventually, a new defence minister was instated, after receiving information about the Germans mocking why Knaben has still not been sabotaged by Norway and the Allied forces. He swiftly decided to approve of the air raid, rather than the sabotage, which would have likely saved more lives.

The Mosquito was the aircraft model used by the unit No. 139 Squadron RAF to bomb Knaben March 3rd, 1943. The attack was estimated to halter the molybdenum production for around 11 months, which weighted more as a ‘necessary sacrifice’ of the workers, rather than acting on morals. Thirteen Norwegian workers were killed from the attack and one german soldier, another 23 were injured. While forced to clean up the remaining timed bombs dropped in the attack, three russian prisoners of war were killed by the explosions. The molybdenum production in Knaben was back in only 2 months, leading to another air raid a year later.

Anti-tank obstacle

Czech Hedgehog


The Czech Hedgehog (Czech: ‘rozsocháč’) was an anti-tank obstacle made in steel created by Major František Kašík during WWI in Czechoslovakias border fortification against the threat of a German invasion. It´s shape sprung from the original made concrete, but was much more effective for its shape, dimensions and being made in industrial steel.The original hedgehog was bolted together with plates, and later welded together. The legs were made of three angled, I-shaped or U-shaped steel, three steel plates, held together with nuts and bolts. The modern versions have exceeded the original 140 cm length, weighing a total of 300 kg. It was used together with barbed wires, to constrict movement and functioned as protection agains machine guns.

During WWII the hedgehog became widely used by the Soviet Union, proving useful in urban environment. It became less effective in the development of the newer tanks such as the German Panther.
The Czech hedgehog was used in WWII, also in Norway. It worked by stopping tanks from moving forward, forcing them into vulnerable positions, and being difficult to remove. Unlike fixed barriers, it remained effective even if buried or submerged. Both Norwegian forces and later German occupiers used them to block roads, bridges, and coastal areas. The Germans also deployed them along the Atlantic Wall to defend against Allied landings.

Anti-tank obstacles were created to sabotage and defend in war, many still remain after WWII along the Atlantic Wall. Different shapes of anti-tank obstacles can still be found abandoned in different sites along the Norwegian coast, some were moved in a pattern which resembles stones in a graveyard. The different anti-tank obstacle shapes include buoy, dragon teeth, boxes, jersey barrier, tetrahedron, caltrops and tridents.

Artillery

Big Bertha
The Minenwerfer-Gerät, 42 centimetre kurze Marinekanone 14 L/12 or Big Bertha.
Molybdenum was crucial in the construction of Big Bertha, the massive German howitzer used during World War I, because it was used to strengthen the steel in the gun’s barrel. Molybdenum-steel alloys were preferred over traditional nickel-steel because molybdenum made the steel stronger, more heat-resistant, and lighter. This allowed Big Bertha to withstand the extreme pressures and temperatures generated when firing its 42 cm (16.5 inch) shells, while also reducing the overall weight of the weapon, making it more transportable.

Big Bertha was important for the Germans because it was a powerful siege artillery weapon capable of destroying heavily fortified structures, such as concrete and steel fortifications. Developed by Krupp, it played a key role in early German victories, particularly in the 1914 invasion of Belgium and France, where it helped breach fortresses like Liège that were considered nearly impenetrable. Its ability to break through enemy defenses gave Germany a tactical advantage in the early stages of the war. However, its usefulness declined as warfare shifted towards more mobile and trench-based combat.

Light microscope

Light microscopy operates on principles similar to photography, utilising light to capture and visualise specimens. In this technique, visible light is transmitted through a sample, which is often a specially prepared slide. The light first passes through the specimen, which is typically mounted on a glass slide, and is then focused by a system of optical lenses.

A standard light microscope consists of multiple key components that work together to produce a magnified image. The lens, positioned close to the specimen, collects and magnifies the transmitted light, forming an intermediate image. This image is then further magnified by the eyepiece (ocular lens), which allows for direct observation. Modern light microscopes often use multiple objective lenses with different magnifications, mounted on a revolving nosepiece for versatility.

Molybdenite

Mineral
Molybdenite is a soft, silvery-gray mineral composed of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂). It is the primary ore of molybdenum, a metal used to strengthen steel and in high-temperature applications. Molybdenite has a greasy feel and a hexagonal crystal structure, similar to graphite, allowing it to function as a dry lubricant. It commonly forms in hydrothermal veins and porphyry deposits.

SEM

Scanning Electron Microscope
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is an imaging technique that uses a focused beam of electrons to scan the surface of a sample. Unlike light microscopy, which relies on photons, SEM employs electrons, which have much shorter wavelengths, allowing for significantly higher resolution imaging.

When the electron beam interacts with the atoms in the material, it generates various signals, including secondary electrons, backscattered electrons, and characteristic X-rays. Secondary electrons, which originate from the outer shells of atoms near the sample’s surface, are primarily responsible for forming high-resolution images of the sample's topography. Backscattered electrons, which come from deeper within the sample, provide contrast based on atomic number differences, revealing compositional variations. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS or EDX) can also be used alongside SEM to analyze the elemental composition of the sample.

This technique is widely used in materials science, biology, forensics, geology, nanotechnology, and semiconductor research due to its ability to magnify specimens up to several hundred thousand times while maintaining a depth of field that allows for sharp imaging of complex surface structures. Samples must typically be conductive, and non-conductive materials (such as biological specimens) are often coated with a thin layer of gold, platinum, or carbon to prevent charging effects during imaging.

Silicosis

Lung fibrosis
In the mines workers are exposed dust pollution, increasingly contaminating their respiratory system. When Knaben got occupied, the production increased when introduing the workers to machinery which produced increasingly more dust in the air than previously. During the occupation, no incidents of illness nor death was officially documented–only in personal records or diaries.

Tank

German panzers

With technology and knowledge of increasing the durability of steel combined with molybdenum, the new and more effective ‘heavy tanks’ were produced. This included the Panzerkampfwagen V Panther ‘Panther’, Sonderkraftfahrzeug 181 ‘Tiger I’, and Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung E ‘Tiger II’.

Molybdenum was essential for high-quality armor and weaponry in German tanks, contributing to their superior firepower and protection. With molybdenum the tanks had strengthened armor, increased heat resistance in gun barrels, and improved armoured toughness. It made tanks more durable by prevented overheating, and reduced wear. However, shortages later in the war weakened the German panzers overall effectiveness.