Operation Sunshine was planned by
Leif Tronstad from his position within the exiled
Norwegian Ministry of Defence in London. An important goal was to protect the power plant industry in Norway, and the targeted operation area was chosen such that it comprised sixty percent of the energy supplies in Eastern Norway. This included power stations in the
Rjukan district,
Notodden,
Kongsberg and
Nore. Nine
SOE agents, among them several from the
heavy water sabotage team, were selected for the mission and para-dropped over Ugleflott in
Øvre Telemark 5 October 1944. The overall leader of Operation Sunshine was Major
Leif Tronstad, with assistance from
Gunnar Syverstad and
Norman Lind.
Einar Skinnarland, who already was in Norway, received the agents, and also joined as wireline operator. Second-in command of Operation Sunshine was
Jens-Anton Poulsson, also leader of the
Moonlight section. When Tronstad was killed in March 1945, Poulsson took over as leader of Sunshine. The operation covered parts of
Telemark and
Buskerud counties, and overlapped existing
Milorg districts. The district covered by Sunshine was separated out as
Milorg district 16 (D-16), and was divided in three subsections, with the codenames
Starlight,
Moonlight and
Lamplight. The SOE agents would cooperate with and develop existing Milorg groups already established in the districts. The groups would be supplied with weapon and provisions by
air drops from allied aircraft, and provided with military instruction. ==Sunshine subsections==