1 00:00:01,667 --> 00:00:04,801 [narrator] In London, England, a secret subterranean network 2 00:00:04,968 --> 00:00:08,300 said to have influenced a world famous author. 3 00:00:08,467 --> 00:00:10,901 [Gutierrez-Romine] It's rumored that his visits here, 4 00:00:11,067 --> 00:00:15,100 inspired Q Branch's secret lair in his novels. 5 00:00:16,367 --> 00:00:18,601 An epic structure in New Jersey, 6 00:00:18,767 --> 00:00:20,767 where an extraordinary craft 7 00:00:20,934 --> 00:00:22,667 met a tragic end. 8 00:00:22,834 --> 00:00:26,067 The sight of this was unimaginably horrifying. 9 00:00:26,234 --> 00:00:28,801 [Morrison] Oh, the humanity! 10 00:00:29,868 --> 00:00:35,267 And an Italian country retreat designed with a dark objective. 11 00:00:35,434 --> 00:00:38,601 [Dr. Nusbacher] This is a place to brainwash young people. 12 00:00:38,767 --> 00:00:41,000 After a stay here, 13 00:00:41,167 --> 00:00:44,567 they're all going to be fascists. 14 00:00:44,734 --> 00:00:47,200 [dramatic music playing] 15 00:00:55,767 --> 00:00:59,567 In the heart of London, is a clandestine facility built 16 00:00:59,734 --> 00:01:03,767 to defend against a tyrannical regime during a global war. 17 00:01:08,467 --> 00:01:09,667 [Gutierrez-Romine] There are shops, 18 00:01:09,834 --> 00:01:11,467 and restaurants and commuters 19 00:01:11,634 --> 00:01:13,067 going back and forth. 20 00:01:13,234 --> 00:01:16,667 It's a perfectly typical city scene at first glance. 21 00:01:18,801 --> 00:01:22,467 [Meigs] But in one nondescript service area is the entrance 22 00:01:22,634 --> 00:01:24,200 to something pretty amazing. 23 00:01:25,067 --> 00:01:29,267 [Gutierrez-Romine] It feels like a forgotten railway tunnel, but you notice 24 00:01:29,434 --> 00:01:31,367 that it doesn't really add up to that. 25 00:01:32,501 --> 00:01:35,467 [Mitchell] There are huge generators, rows of electronics, 26 00:01:35,634 --> 00:01:37,567 and even office spaces. 27 00:01:37,734 --> 00:01:39,701 [Gutierrez-Romine] You have to imagine that hundreds of people 28 00:01:39,868 --> 00:01:41,267 were down here. But why? 29 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,267 [Murray] For more than 80 years, this network of tunnels 30 00:01:46,434 --> 00:01:48,868 has been a key part of the protection 31 00:01:49,033 --> 00:01:51,067 of the citizens of the United Kingdom. 32 00:01:52,367 --> 00:01:55,968 At a time when Britain faced its darkest hour, 33 00:01:56,133 --> 00:01:58,868 these tunnels housed an elite organization. 34 00:02:00,667 --> 00:02:05,067 Their role was to wage a secret war against Hitler's forces 35 00:02:05,234 --> 00:02:06,567 in enemy-controlled Europe. 36 00:02:06,734 --> 00:02:08,601 [muffled explosion] 37 00:02:08,767 --> 00:02:10,868 If they failed, the country could fall 38 00:02:11,033 --> 00:02:13,000 into the hands of the Nazis. 39 00:02:13,167 --> 00:02:15,267 They are also said to have inspired 40 00:02:15,434 --> 00:02:18,000 a really important franchise. 41 00:02:18,167 --> 00:02:21,167 [Murray] This is truly part of the life that Ian Fleming -- 42 00:02:21,334 --> 00:02:23,100 led that became the character 43 00:02:23,267 --> 00:02:25,100 that we know to be James Bond today. 44 00:02:31,367 --> 00:02:34,567 Angus Murray heads the organization that purchased 45 00:02:34,734 --> 00:02:37,167 these tunnels from a telecommunications company 46 00:02:37,334 --> 00:02:40,067 in 2024. 47 00:02:40,234 --> 00:02:44,100 They plan to raise more than $200 million from investors 48 00:02:44,267 --> 00:02:45,901 to open them up to the public. 49 00:02:47,267 --> 00:02:49,667 [Murray] It's a vast network, almost a citadel, 50 00:02:49,834 --> 00:02:52,267 right in the middle of Central London. 51 00:02:52,434 --> 00:02:55,467 But really, nobody has seen the depth and size 52 00:02:55,634 --> 00:02:57,667 of what is within this complex. 53 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,267 This site was first created in response to Hitler's 54 00:03:02,434 --> 00:03:07,467 ruthless bombing campaign that began in September 1940, 55 00:03:07,634 --> 00:03:10,033 known as the "Blitz." 56 00:03:12,467 --> 00:03:15,067 [Meigs] This was not just an attack on military targets. 57 00:03:15,234 --> 00:03:19,367 It was a terror attack on British civilians 58 00:03:19,534 --> 00:03:21,567 in the heart of their major city. 59 00:03:23,167 --> 00:03:25,567 [Gutierrez-Romine] So the British government ordered the construction 60 00:03:25,734 --> 00:03:28,200 of purpose-built structures like this one. 61 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,400 This was a deep level air raid shelter for London civilians. 62 00:03:34,100 --> 00:03:39,200 In November 1940, early in the war, hundreds of workers 63 00:03:39,367 --> 00:03:43,901 began carving out two parallel tunnels by hand. 64 00:03:44,067 --> 00:03:48,467 They were more than 16 feet across, 1,200 feet long, 65 00:03:48,634 --> 00:03:53,467 and had space for almost 10,000 Londoners, with access shafts 66 00:03:53,634 --> 00:03:55,467 leading to street level at each end. 67 00:03:57,868 --> 00:04:01,100 They were completed in March 1942, but by the time they were 68 00:04:01,267 --> 00:04:03,701 finished, Nazi Germany had changed its strategy. 69 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,400 The bombing campaign against London had lessened. 70 00:04:08,801 --> 00:04:12,267 So there was no longer a need for civilian shelter. 71 00:04:13,567 --> 00:04:15,868 [Gutierrez-Romine] For the next two years, the tunnels were used 72 00:04:16,033 --> 00:04:17,901 as troop accommodations. 73 00:04:18,067 --> 00:04:21,567 But soon, this underground labyrinth was given 74 00:04:21,734 --> 00:04:24,534 a new top-secret mission. 75 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,367 In January 1944, towards the end of the war, 76 00:04:31,534 --> 00:04:34,868 a secretive organization moved into these tunnels. 77 00:04:35,968 --> 00:04:39,601 They were called the Special Operations Executive, 78 00:04:39,767 --> 00:04:41,868 or "SOE" for short. 79 00:04:42,968 --> 00:04:47,167 [Meigs] The SOE was a top secret group set up by Winston Churchill 80 00:04:47,334 --> 00:04:51,367 to instigate all kinds of clandestine operations 81 00:04:51,534 --> 00:04:54,167 on the continent against the Nazis. 82 00:04:54,334 --> 00:04:58,100 [Murray] So it was an organization of very brave men and women, 83 00:04:58,267 --> 00:05:02,868 nearly 13,000, of which about 3,200 people were women. 84 00:05:04,167 --> 00:05:08,667 These agents were trained to do operations in enemy-occupied 85 00:05:08,834 --> 00:05:13,501 territory, often parachuting in and performing acts of sabotage 86 00:05:13,667 --> 00:05:17,501 and espionage, or even to aid local resistance groups. 87 00:05:17,667 --> 00:05:19,100 But in order to do all of this, 88 00:05:19,267 --> 00:05:22,200 they needed specialized equipment. 89 00:05:22,367 --> 00:05:25,767 One branch of the SOE said to have been based here 90 00:05:25,934 --> 00:05:28,467 was the Inter-Services Research Bureau. 91 00:05:29,901 --> 00:05:31,767 [Meigs] They designed pistols with silencers 92 00:05:31,934 --> 00:05:34,367 for discreet attacks, 93 00:05:34,534 --> 00:05:36,767 suitcase radios. 94 00:05:36,934 --> 00:05:39,868 They even had something they called "the exploding rat", 95 00:05:40,033 --> 00:05:41,701 that was packed with explosives. 96 00:05:43,167 --> 00:05:47,000 Around six months after the SOE took up residence, 97 00:05:47,167 --> 00:05:49,100 they would be involved in the largest 98 00:05:49,267 --> 00:05:52,667 amphibious assault in history, 99 00:05:52,834 --> 00:05:54,100 D-Day. 100 00:05:55,267 --> 00:05:59,667 [Murray] We believe they stayed for the entire period of 1944, 101 00:05:59,834 --> 00:06:02,667 so we assume that they were heavily involved 102 00:06:02,834 --> 00:06:04,467 in that particular operation. 103 00:06:05,701 --> 00:06:10,767 Churchill said he wanted the SOE to "set Europe ablaze" 104 00:06:10,934 --> 00:06:13,767 by that, he meant that when it finally came time 105 00:06:13,934 --> 00:06:16,400 for the Allies to retake France, 106 00:06:16,567 --> 00:06:18,467 the ground would already be softened 107 00:06:18,634 --> 00:06:20,167 by these resistance groups 108 00:06:20,334 --> 00:06:23,100 that had disrupted rail networks, 109 00:06:23,267 --> 00:06:26,200 destroyed ammunition, anything they could do 110 00:06:26,367 --> 00:06:30,567 to degrade the Germans' ability to respond. 111 00:06:30,734 --> 00:06:33,801 While the exact role of the SOE agents working here 112 00:06:33,968 --> 00:06:35,667 is still a mystery, 113 00:06:35,834 --> 00:06:39,968 it's claimed their activities inspired an iconic author, 114 00:06:40,133 --> 00:06:42,300 and a blockbuster movie series. 115 00:06:44,767 --> 00:06:47,467 [Murray] So Ian Fleming was the Naval Liaison Officer 116 00:06:47,634 --> 00:06:49,868 to the Special Operations Executive. 117 00:06:50,033 --> 00:06:53,567 Ian Fleming would have been coming down to these tunnels 118 00:06:53,734 --> 00:06:58,167 as we were leading up to what was obviously a naval operation. 119 00:06:58,334 --> 00:07:02,167 There's no question that this location inspired him, 120 00:07:02,334 --> 00:07:06,167 along with what the Special Operations Executive was doing, 121 00:07:06,334 --> 00:07:09,200 to become Q Branch in James Bond. 122 00:07:10,367 --> 00:07:11,767 [Meigs] In the James Bond world, 123 00:07:11,934 --> 00:07:14,667 we have things like exploding suitcases, 124 00:07:14,834 --> 00:07:17,567 a cigarette lighter that becomes a flamethrower, 125 00:07:17,734 --> 00:07:19,868 coins that can track your location, 126 00:07:20,033 --> 00:07:22,701 the kinds of things that we can imagine being worked on 127 00:07:22,868 --> 00:07:26,100 or dreamed about in this underground workshop. 128 00:07:26,267 --> 00:07:27,868 [mysterious music playing] 129 00:07:28,033 --> 00:07:31,767 In 1946, a year after the war ended, 130 00:07:31,934 --> 00:07:34,100 the SOE was disbanded. 131 00:07:36,167 --> 00:07:38,100 For the next six years, the tunnels were used 132 00:07:38,267 --> 00:07:41,000 to store official documents, 133 00:07:41,167 --> 00:07:44,000 until they were given a crucial new objective 134 00:07:44,167 --> 00:07:46,667 during an era of global crisis. 135 00:07:48,167 --> 00:07:50,100 [Gutierrez-Romine] The United States had been on the brink 136 00:07:50,267 --> 00:07:51,968 of nuclear Armageddon, 137 00:07:52,133 --> 00:07:53,701 and this place was called into action 138 00:07:53,868 --> 00:07:55,601 to make sure that didn't happen again. 139 00:08:01,767 --> 00:08:04,767 2 Beneath the streets of central London are the remains 140 00:08:04,934 --> 00:08:09,067 of a top-secret World War II tunnel network. 141 00:08:09,234 --> 00:08:12,567 During the Cold War, they were given a new purpose. 142 00:08:14,501 --> 00:08:17,801 [Murray] The whole tunnel complex was significantly expanded between 143 00:08:17,968 --> 00:08:21,968 the period of 1950 to 1952 when the British government 144 00:08:22,133 --> 00:08:24,300 determined it needed a deep-level 145 00:08:24,467 --> 00:08:25,968 telecommunications exchange. 146 00:08:27,267 --> 00:08:30,901 In a pre-digital age, a telephone exchange provided 147 00:08:31,067 --> 00:08:35,367 a place to manually connect incoming and outgoing calls. 148 00:08:35,534 --> 00:08:37,367 In the event of nuclear war 149 00:08:37,534 --> 00:08:39,667 a secure location was needed to keep 150 00:08:39,834 --> 00:08:42,000 the country's communication lines open. 151 00:08:43,167 --> 00:08:46,767 This expansion was designed to do just that. 152 00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:51,300 [Meigs] Telephone technology was advancing rapidly. 153 00:08:51,467 --> 00:08:54,801 They needed room for switching stations, and cables 154 00:08:54,968 --> 00:08:56,767 and power systems. 155 00:08:56,934 --> 00:09:02,300 This massive facility opened in 1954 and had 5,000 cables 156 00:09:02,467 --> 00:09:05,000 that were handling up to 2 million calls per week. 157 00:09:06,868 --> 00:09:09,667 Two years later, the deep-level tunnel network 158 00:09:09,834 --> 00:09:12,501 became the London terminal for the world's first 159 00:09:12,667 --> 00:09:16,167 transatlantic telephone cable, the TAT-1. 160 00:09:17,901 --> 00:09:20,667 This was the first time that you could carry the human voice 161 00:09:20,834 --> 00:09:24,801 clearly across the Atlantic in a split second. 162 00:09:24,968 --> 00:09:27,567 It was not until after the world stood on the brink 163 00:09:27,734 --> 00:09:30,901 of mutually assured destruction that the value 164 00:09:31,067 --> 00:09:34,367 of this transatlantic cable became clear. 165 00:09:34,534 --> 00:09:37,067 [Meigs] In the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, 166 00:09:37,234 --> 00:09:39,868 the Soviet Union had installed 167 00:09:40,033 --> 00:09:43,267 a battery of nuclear-tipped missiles in Cuba, 168 00:09:43,434 --> 00:09:46,300 basically right off the US coast. 169 00:09:46,467 --> 00:09:49,200 For the US, the Soviet Union had crossed a line. 170 00:09:50,667 --> 00:09:54,667 [Meigs] It was a crisis for President John F. Kennedy, 171 00:09:54,834 --> 00:09:58,667 who had to find a way to force the Soviets 172 00:09:58,834 --> 00:10:04,000 to remove those missiles without provoking a nuclear war. 173 00:10:04,167 --> 00:10:06,200 This required delicate negotiations 174 00:10:06,367 --> 00:10:07,667 with the Kremlin. 175 00:10:10,100 --> 00:10:13,000 But with no dedicated connection between Washington 176 00:10:13,167 --> 00:10:17,200 and Moscow, it could take as long as 12 hours for leaders 177 00:10:17,367 --> 00:10:20,868 to communicate through secure diplomatic channels. 178 00:10:21,033 --> 00:10:24,100 In the event a catastrophe like this happened again, 179 00:10:24,267 --> 00:10:27,167 a quicker solution needed to be found. 180 00:10:27,334 --> 00:10:28,501 [Gutierrez-Romine] So, after that, 181 00:10:28,667 --> 00:10:30,367 a direct line of communication 182 00:10:30,534 --> 00:10:33,000 was established between the United States and Moscow 183 00:10:33,167 --> 00:10:37,467 using the TAT-1 cable that ran right through here. 184 00:10:37,634 --> 00:10:41,868 The receivers at either end were not what you might expect. 185 00:10:42,033 --> 00:10:45,567 [Gutierrez-Romine] When you think of a Cold War hotline, you might envision 186 00:10:45,734 --> 00:10:48,601 a big red telephone sitting in the Oval Office, 187 00:10:48,767 --> 00:10:50,868 but it was actually a teletype machine. 188 00:10:51,033 --> 00:10:54,567 It was believed that a written message would be less likely 189 00:10:54,734 --> 00:10:56,968 to be misinterpreted than a phone call. 190 00:10:58,300 --> 00:11:01,701 For the next 30 years, the tunnels continued to handle 191 00:11:01,868 --> 00:11:04,667 millions of government and civilian communications. 192 00:11:06,467 --> 00:11:07,968 [Murray] But after that, this set of tunnels 193 00:11:08,133 --> 00:11:09,567 is basically abandoned. 194 00:11:09,734 --> 00:11:12,667 The advances in telecommunications equipment 195 00:11:12,834 --> 00:11:15,767 and technology made it pretty much obsolete. 196 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,701 Today, the tunnels are being transformed into an immersive 197 00:11:26,868 --> 00:11:28,234 tourist experience. 198 00:11:29,167 --> 00:11:32,267 [Murray] The principal objective we have is to tell that story 199 00:11:32,434 --> 00:11:35,667 of the men and women that sacrificed so much 200 00:11:35,834 --> 00:11:37,467 to give us our democratic rights. 201 00:11:41,601 --> 00:11:42,868 In New Jersey, 202 00:11:43,033 --> 00:11:45,467 on the edge of the Pinelands National Reserve, 203 00:11:45,634 --> 00:11:48,501 is a site of extraordinary innovation 204 00:11:48,667 --> 00:11:50,467 and an infamous tragedy. 205 00:11:54,300 --> 00:11:56,567 [Rose] We're in Central New Jersey, 206 00:11:56,734 --> 00:11:58,868 about an hour south of New York. 207 00:11:59,033 --> 00:12:02,300 It's pretty obvious this is some kind of military base. 208 00:12:02,467 --> 00:12:04,767 [Selwood] As you enter the grounds, you see this structure 209 00:12:04,934 --> 00:12:07,467 which looms over everything. 210 00:12:07,634 --> 00:12:10,267 It's got to be longer than an entire city block 211 00:12:10,434 --> 00:12:12,467 and hundreds of feet tall. 212 00:12:12,634 --> 00:12:17,767 When you step inside, it opens up to this vast open space 213 00:12:17,934 --> 00:12:19,801 from floor to ceiling. 214 00:12:19,968 --> 00:12:22,267 [Auerbach] There's nothing in here except storage space, 215 00:12:22,434 --> 00:12:24,467 but surely you wouldn't build something this big 216 00:12:24,634 --> 00:12:26,000 just for storage. 217 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,667 Yet, that's exactly what this aircraft hangar was built for. 218 00:12:31,834 --> 00:12:34,267 What could the military be flying that could warrant 219 00:12:34,434 --> 00:12:36,200 a space this big? 220 00:12:36,367 --> 00:12:37,968 What passed through these doors was 221 00:12:38,133 --> 00:12:40,567 a revolutionary development. 222 00:12:40,734 --> 00:12:43,801 [Warrick] Anything airship-related really has its genesis here. 223 00:12:43,968 --> 00:12:46,667 It was a marvel at the time, and everyone wanted to see it. 224 00:12:47,801 --> 00:12:50,968 But with innovation, came great risk. 225 00:12:51,133 --> 00:12:55,767 This is the location of one of the most notorious disasters 226 00:12:55,934 --> 00:12:57,400 in aviation history. 227 00:13:03,300 --> 00:13:06,267 This structure dates back to a time when the United States 228 00:13:06,434 --> 00:13:09,100 was completely re-imagining its air power. 229 00:13:10,701 --> 00:13:14,567 At this time, the navy was searching for a better way 230 00:13:14,734 --> 00:13:17,100 to detect submarines off the coast 231 00:13:17,267 --> 00:13:20,100 and scout ahead of naval fleets. 232 00:13:20,267 --> 00:13:22,367 [Auerbach] Germany utilized the innovative technology 233 00:13:22,534 --> 00:13:23,901 of rigid airships. 234 00:13:24,067 --> 00:13:25,467 This was a blimp, 235 00:13:25,634 --> 00:13:29,400 but with a metal interior framework. 236 00:13:29,567 --> 00:13:32,868 They were called "zeppelin," and the German military 237 00:13:33,033 --> 00:13:36,300 used them for aerial reconnaissance and bombing. 238 00:13:36,467 --> 00:13:38,267 Their success caught the attention 239 00:13:38,434 --> 00:13:39,567 of the United States, 240 00:13:39,734 --> 00:13:43,701 and they initiated the Lighter-Than-Air Program. 241 00:13:43,868 --> 00:13:48,467 In 1921, the navy established Lakehurst Naval Air Station. 242 00:13:48,634 --> 00:13:51,601 It served as its headquarters, and its first major facility 243 00:13:51,767 --> 00:13:53,534 was Hangar 1. 244 00:13:55,968 --> 00:14:00,100 James Warrick joined the Air Force 37 years ago. 245 00:14:00,267 --> 00:14:03,367 He now serves as the historian for this joint base. 246 00:14:04,801 --> 00:14:07,667 [Warrick] The hangar was opened in June of 1921. 247 00:14:07,834 --> 00:14:12,100 Hangar 1 is 961 feet from door to door. 248 00:14:12,267 --> 00:14:16,868 It's 350 feet wide and about 200 feet tall. 249 00:14:17,033 --> 00:14:18,267 The Titanic could fit in here. 250 00:14:19,901 --> 00:14:23,400 Inside this building, naval engineers assembled 251 00:14:23,567 --> 00:14:29,567 the first American-built rigid airship, the USS Shenandoah. 252 00:14:29,734 --> 00:14:32,100 It made its maiden flight from Lakehurst 253 00:14:32,267 --> 00:14:36,701 on September the 4th, 1923. 254 00:14:36,868 --> 00:14:38,968 [Auerbach] The Shenandoah became the first Navy ship 255 00:14:39,133 --> 00:14:43,400 to fly completely across the continental United States. 256 00:14:43,567 --> 00:14:48,100 The journey took the crew of around 40 people 19 days. 257 00:14:48,267 --> 00:14:50,968 But this feat was more than a publicity stunt. 258 00:14:51,133 --> 00:14:54,667 It proved that airships were a valuable military tool. 259 00:14:56,267 --> 00:14:59,400 Having the ability to loiter for a long period of time 260 00:14:59,567 --> 00:15:01,701 was beneficial, especially when it comes to reconnaissance. 261 00:15:01,868 --> 00:15:04,067 You know, you can stay over an area for days 262 00:15:04,234 --> 00:15:06,801 if you are equipped properly. 263 00:15:06,968 --> 00:15:09,767 Despite their promise, these ships were still new 264 00:15:09,934 --> 00:15:12,467 and risky vessels. 265 00:15:12,634 --> 00:15:17,667 In 1925, the Shenandoah ran into a severe storm 266 00:15:17,834 --> 00:15:22,267 that broke the ship apart and killed 14 of the crew. 267 00:15:22,434 --> 00:15:25,701 But the navy still supported the venture, in part due 268 00:15:25,868 --> 00:15:27,868 to the success of the German zeppelins. 269 00:15:28,033 --> 00:15:29,801 And it wasn't just the military that were interested 270 00:15:29,968 --> 00:15:31,868 in these new airships. 271 00:15:32,033 --> 00:15:35,801 [Rose] As one of the few airship ports in the world, Lakehurst was 272 00:15:35,968 --> 00:15:39,367 a destination for new form of transcontinental travel. 273 00:15:40,501 --> 00:15:44,467 In October 1928, the German airship, 274 00:15:44,634 --> 00:15:47,501 the Graf Zeppelin, made the first transatlantic 275 00:15:47,667 --> 00:15:48,634 commercial flight. 276 00:15:49,868 --> 00:15:52,667 It flew from Friedrichshafen to Lakehurst 277 00:15:52,834 --> 00:15:54,767 with 40 crew and 20 passengers. 278 00:15:55,868 --> 00:15:58,100 [Auerbach] The journey took four and a half days, which was 279 00:15:58,267 --> 00:16:01,367 considered blazingly fast by the standards of the time. 280 00:16:03,701 --> 00:16:06,868 In 1936, the Graf Zeppelin was 281 00:16:07,033 --> 00:16:10,000 eclipsed by an even bigger airship, 282 00:16:10,167 --> 00:16:12,000 one that made its inaugural flight 283 00:16:12,167 --> 00:16:15,767 as part of the newly established Nazi Germany, 284 00:16:15,934 --> 00:16:18,801 three years before World War II began. 285 00:16:20,300 --> 00:16:24,167 [Rose] At a massive 804 feet long, it became the flagship 286 00:16:24,334 --> 00:16:27,767 for the fleet of transatlantic passenger airships. 287 00:16:28,767 --> 00:16:30,767 This was the Hindenburg. 288 00:16:33,067 --> 00:16:35,267 [Warrick] So, for the Hindenburg to come here during 1936, 289 00:16:35,434 --> 00:16:38,000 it was a major achievement for Germany. 290 00:16:38,167 --> 00:16:41,067 You gotta figure, for Adolf Hitler, it was a good 291 00:16:41,234 --> 00:16:43,667 propaganda tool. It had the swastika on it. 292 00:16:44,667 --> 00:16:47,868 For the next 12 months, the Hindenburg operated 293 00:16:48,033 --> 00:16:51,667 a luxurious passenger service between Germany and Lakehurst. 294 00:16:52,868 --> 00:16:56,868 On the 3rd of May, 1937, the Hindenburg took off 295 00:16:57,033 --> 00:16:59,000 on its 63rd flight. 296 00:16:59,167 --> 00:17:02,067 It departed from Frankfurt to Lakehurst, 297 00:17:02,234 --> 00:17:06,000 carrying 36 passengers and 61 crew. 298 00:17:06,167 --> 00:17:08,367 [Auerbach] What followed would be seared 299 00:17:08,534 --> 00:17:11,000 into the minds of hundreds of thousands. 300 00:17:16,601 --> 00:17:19,667 2 On May 6th, 1937, 301 00:17:19,834 --> 00:17:22,767 hundreds of onlookers were gathered outside the hangar 302 00:17:22,934 --> 00:17:25,667 at Naval Air Station Lakehurst. 303 00:17:25,834 --> 00:17:27,701 They were waiting for the arrival 304 00:17:27,868 --> 00:17:30,467 of the Hindenburg. 305 00:17:30,634 --> 00:17:33,100 [Warrick] Well, because of the weather, the Hindenburg was 306 00:17:33,267 --> 00:17:34,567 about 12 hours behind. 307 00:17:34,734 --> 00:17:36,667 And the captain of Naval Air Station Lakehurst 308 00:17:36,834 --> 00:17:38,901 said, "No, this weather's not conducive." 309 00:17:39,067 --> 00:17:40,400 So the Hindenburg flew up and down 310 00:17:40,567 --> 00:17:41,467 the East Coast a little bit. 311 00:17:41,634 --> 00:17:42,934 It flew over New York City. 312 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,100 Since this was the airship's first flight of the season, 313 00:17:47,267 --> 00:17:50,901 a reporter called Herb Morrison from WLS Radio 314 00:17:51,067 --> 00:17:54,267 and film crew were also in attendance. 315 00:17:54,434 --> 00:17:58,000 Behind me and to my right, over where that tree line is, 316 00:17:58,167 --> 00:18:00,701 that's where, you know, Herb Morrison and those other 317 00:18:00,868 --> 00:18:04,100 film crews were, you know, standing doing video. 318 00:18:04,267 --> 00:18:05,667 [Morrison] It's starting to rain again. 319 00:18:05,834 --> 00:18:07,868 The rain had cracked up a little bit. 320 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,167 And so as the Hindenburg made its approach, you know, it flew 321 00:18:12,334 --> 00:18:14,701 roughly from our left to our right over our heads, 322 00:18:14,868 --> 00:18:17,467 made a series of left turns before it came back 323 00:18:17,634 --> 00:18:19,901 into its final configuration to land, 324 00:18:20,067 --> 00:18:22,868 basically right above where we're standing now. 325 00:18:24,067 --> 00:18:28,100 The awestruck crowd watched on as more than 100 ground crew 326 00:18:28,267 --> 00:18:30,767 readied themselves to catch the Hindenburg's guide ropes. 327 00:18:32,901 --> 00:18:35,200 [Morrison] The back motors of the ship are just holding it, 328 00:18:35,367 --> 00:18:37,467 just enough to keep it from -- 329 00:18:37,634 --> 00:18:39,133 [muffled explosion] [Morrison] It burst into flames! 330 00:18:39,133 --> 00:18:41,167 Get this Charley! Get this Charley! It's burning and it's crashing! 331 00:18:41,334 --> 00:18:44,367 It's crashing terrible! Oh my, get out of the way please. 332 00:18:44,534 --> 00:18:46,501 It's burning, bursting into flames and it's -- 333 00:18:46,667 --> 00:18:48,767 and it's falling on the mooring mast... 334 00:18:48,934 --> 00:18:51,367 [Auerbach] The hydrogen gas that filled the various compartments 335 00:18:51,534 --> 00:18:54,067 quickly caught fire, and in moments, 336 00:18:54,234 --> 00:18:57,167 the entire vessel was aflame. 337 00:18:57,334 --> 00:19:00,801 [Selwood] Within 34 seconds, the Hindenburg crashed 338 00:19:00,968 --> 00:19:04,200 in the open field, just west of Hangar 1. 339 00:19:04,367 --> 00:19:05,801 [Morrison] ...this is terrible. 340 00:19:05,968 --> 00:19:07,701 This is one of the worst catastrophes in the world. 341 00:19:07,868 --> 00:19:11,167 And oh, it's-- [indistinct] 342 00:19:11,334 --> 00:19:14,501 Oh, the humanity! 343 00:19:14,667 --> 00:19:17,567 [Auerbach] 13 passengers, 22 crew, and one member 344 00:19:17,734 --> 00:19:19,200 of the ground staff died, 345 00:19:19,367 --> 00:19:22,868 but miraculously, 62 people survived the crash. 346 00:19:24,567 --> 00:19:27,000 An investigation followed. 347 00:19:27,167 --> 00:19:29,400 The leading theory was that, as the Hindenburg 348 00:19:29,567 --> 00:19:32,767 came into land, a structural wire broke free, 349 00:19:32,934 --> 00:19:35,667 slashing open the hydrogen cells inside the ship. 350 00:19:37,100 --> 00:19:40,767 Then, a static charge caused by the stormy weather 351 00:19:40,934 --> 00:19:44,434 created a spark, igniting the volatile gas. 352 00:19:46,868 --> 00:19:49,968 [Auerbach] The disaster of the Hindenburg really shattered the public 353 00:19:50,133 --> 00:19:53,501 confidence in airship travel, and that was the end of it. 354 00:19:54,667 --> 00:19:58,000 It remains one of the most notorious disasters 355 00:19:58,167 --> 00:19:59,567 in aviation history. 356 00:20:00,667 --> 00:20:04,567 In a tragic twist of fate, it's possible the Hindenburg's 357 00:20:04,734 --> 00:20:08,300 fiery end could have been avoided if it had been filled 358 00:20:08,467 --> 00:20:11,901 with the more stable helium instead of hydrogen. 359 00:20:12,067 --> 00:20:14,567 But the United States controlled almost all 360 00:20:14,734 --> 00:20:17,000 of the world's helium supply. 361 00:20:17,167 --> 00:20:19,667 The government recognized it had certain 362 00:20:19,834 --> 00:20:22,501 military applications, such as airships, 363 00:20:22,667 --> 00:20:26,801 and forbid its export to Germany in 1927. 364 00:20:26,968 --> 00:20:30,367 [Selwood] That meant that the Germans were forced to use 365 00:20:30,534 --> 00:20:34,167 the much more combustible and unstable hydrogen. 366 00:20:40,901 --> 00:20:44,067 At Lakehurst, airships continued to fly, 367 00:20:44,234 --> 00:20:47,801 but strictly for military purposes through World War II. 368 00:20:47,968 --> 00:20:50,167 [Rose] After the war, their importance declined, 369 00:20:50,334 --> 00:20:53,801 and in 1961, the Secretary of the Navy terminated 370 00:20:53,968 --> 00:20:55,667 the Lighter-Than-Air Program. 371 00:20:56,767 --> 00:21:00,601 Hangar 1 is now a registered historical landmark and is open 372 00:21:00,767 --> 00:21:04,000 for tours to educate the public on its unique place 373 00:21:04,167 --> 00:21:05,467 in aviation history. 374 00:21:13,567 --> 00:21:16,467 On England's East Coast is the remnant 375 00:21:16,634 --> 00:21:20,367 of a proud enterprise, cut short in its prime. 376 00:21:24,767 --> 00:21:27,100 [Selwood] Towering over these misty docks 377 00:21:27,267 --> 00:21:29,501 is this industrial looking beast. 378 00:21:29,667 --> 00:21:31,567 This complex is vast. 379 00:21:32,667 --> 00:21:36,701 Inside is kind of a wonderland of old technology, 380 00:21:36,868 --> 00:21:41,501 giant pipes and pumps and big machines. 381 00:21:41,667 --> 00:21:44,901 [Bell] So clearly this is a facility that was meant for moving 382 00:21:45,067 --> 00:21:47,667 and processing some kind of product. 383 00:21:47,834 --> 00:21:50,467 But what that product was isn't clear. 384 00:21:52,467 --> 00:21:55,968 The building's size suggests whatever was made here 385 00:21:56,133 --> 00:21:59,100 was being done on an epic scale. 386 00:21:59,267 --> 00:22:01,167 [Meigs] This factory didn't just serve the needs 387 00:22:01,334 --> 00:22:02,567 of the surrounding area. 388 00:22:02,734 --> 00:22:05,267 It was involved in an industry that spread 389 00:22:05,434 --> 00:22:08,567 across the entire North Atlantic. 390 00:22:08,734 --> 00:22:12,300 [Lowe] And at that time, Grimsby was the largest and busiest 391 00:22:12,467 --> 00:22:16,000 fishing port in the world. So this enabled that. 392 00:22:18,167 --> 00:22:20,868 The commodity being caught was cod. 393 00:22:21,868 --> 00:22:23,267 In the late 1950s, 394 00:22:23,434 --> 00:22:25,501 the dominance of Grimsby's industry, 395 00:22:25,667 --> 00:22:28,400 of which this building was a key part, 396 00:22:28,567 --> 00:22:30,701 would be drawn into a maritime conflict 397 00:22:30,868 --> 00:22:33,300 over a thousand miles away. 398 00:22:33,467 --> 00:22:35,868 At first, it was low level sabotage, 399 00:22:36,033 --> 00:22:37,868 but tensions boiled over, 400 00:22:38,033 --> 00:22:42,100 and boats literally began to ram into each other. 401 00:22:42,267 --> 00:22:45,868 The situation became so tense, British Royal Navy warships 402 00:22:46,033 --> 00:22:48,067 were called into action. 403 00:22:48,234 --> 00:22:50,467 It ultimately led to a sweeping change 404 00:22:50,634 --> 00:22:51,701 in international law. 405 00:22:55,601 --> 00:22:59,100 2 In Grimsby, on England's North Sea coast, 406 00:22:59,267 --> 00:23:01,901 sprawling remains chart the rise and fall 407 00:23:02,067 --> 00:23:03,767 of a once vibrant industry. 408 00:23:05,067 --> 00:23:08,501 Jon Lowe is a heritage consultant and part of the team 409 00:23:08,667 --> 00:23:11,100 tasked with preserving the structure that helped 410 00:23:11,267 --> 00:23:14,067 put this town on the map. 411 00:23:14,234 --> 00:23:16,467 It's a Grade II* listed building, which means 412 00:23:16,634 --> 00:23:19,267 it's in the top 4% of important historic buildings 413 00:23:19,434 --> 00:23:21,000 in the country. 414 00:23:21,167 --> 00:23:22,701 What it enabled was amazing. 415 00:23:23,868 --> 00:23:26,667 [Meigs] When we think about the kinds of resources 416 00:23:26,834 --> 00:23:28,968 upon which empires are built, 417 00:23:29,133 --> 00:23:31,067 we don't usually think of fish, 418 00:23:31,234 --> 00:23:33,667 but cod from the North Atlantic 419 00:23:33,834 --> 00:23:35,968 was an incredibly vital resource 420 00:23:36,133 --> 00:23:37,801 going back many centuries. 421 00:23:39,567 --> 00:23:41,767 Grimsby's fishing port can be traced back 422 00:23:41,934 --> 00:23:44,567 almost a thousand years. 423 00:23:44,734 --> 00:23:47,868 By the mid 1800s, the industrial revolution 424 00:23:48,033 --> 00:23:49,667 triggered a population boom, 425 00:23:49,834 --> 00:23:51,267 and the fishing industry 426 00:23:51,434 --> 00:23:53,767 rapidly expanded to feed the masses. 427 00:23:55,467 --> 00:23:59,167 [Bell] Demand was exploding, and any fish caught out at sea 428 00:23:59,334 --> 00:24:01,667 had to be kept cold and preserved. 429 00:24:01,834 --> 00:24:04,100 And in an era before refrigeration, 430 00:24:04,267 --> 00:24:06,367 the only way to do that was on ice. 431 00:24:07,501 --> 00:24:09,267 But where are you gonna get the ice? 432 00:24:10,567 --> 00:24:12,968 Well, the answer is shockingly simple. 433 00:24:13,968 --> 00:24:15,767 [Bell] Boats headed for Greenland 434 00:24:15,934 --> 00:24:17,601 and the edge of the Arctic Circle 435 00:24:17,767 --> 00:24:21,400 literally carved ice off of the glaciers 436 00:24:21,567 --> 00:24:23,400 and brought it back to Grimsby. 437 00:24:24,868 --> 00:24:28,100 By the late 1800s, Grimsby's fleet of trawlers 438 00:24:28,267 --> 00:24:31,868 had grown so large, it was impossible to keep them 439 00:24:32,033 --> 00:24:34,901 supplied using the ice harvesting method. 440 00:24:35,067 --> 00:24:38,100 If the fishing industry was to continue to prosper, 441 00:24:38,267 --> 00:24:41,067 an answer needed to be found. 442 00:24:41,234 --> 00:24:44,167 This is the Grimsby Ice Factory, 443 00:24:44,334 --> 00:24:47,300 opened in 1901. 444 00:24:47,467 --> 00:24:49,701 [Meigs] This was an ice plant, on a scale 445 00:24:49,868 --> 00:24:51,367 never before imagined. 446 00:24:51,534 --> 00:24:54,267 For a time, it was the largest ice factory in the world. 447 00:24:56,167 --> 00:24:57,400 [Lowe] So we're in the compressor house. 448 00:24:57,567 --> 00:25:00,467 which is the beating heart of the factory. 449 00:25:00,634 --> 00:25:03,400 This is where ammonia gas was compressed, 450 00:25:03,567 --> 00:25:05,667 converting it from a gas 451 00:25:05,834 --> 00:25:09,901 to a very high-pressure, high-temperature vapor. 452 00:25:10,067 --> 00:25:13,167 And then, when that pressure is released, it's cold. 453 00:25:13,334 --> 00:25:18,000 [Meigs] They use that cold to chill down vats of brine. 454 00:25:18,167 --> 00:25:21,767 When you add a lot of salt to water, it gets a much lower 455 00:25:21,934 --> 00:25:23,300 freezing temperature. 456 00:25:23,467 --> 00:25:26,367 Into these vats of super-chilled brine, 457 00:25:26,534 --> 00:25:30,367 they would lower canisters of fresh water. 458 00:25:30,534 --> 00:25:33,100 It's lowered into the brine, and over 24 hours, 459 00:25:33,267 --> 00:25:36,567 those big tanks of water get frozen into essentially 460 00:25:36,734 --> 00:25:38,868 very large ice cubes. 461 00:25:39,033 --> 00:25:41,567 [Selwood] The ice went up through elevators to conveyors, 462 00:25:41,734 --> 00:25:43,100 which took it out to the trawlers. 463 00:25:45,167 --> 00:25:49,367 The trawlers contained insulated holes to stop the ice 464 00:25:49,534 --> 00:25:52,367 from melting while the vessels were out at sea. 465 00:25:52,534 --> 00:25:55,267 [Lowe] That means the trawlers can go further afield. 466 00:25:55,434 --> 00:25:56,868 They can stay at sea for longer. 467 00:25:57,033 --> 00:25:58,868 The catch stays fresher. 468 00:25:59,033 --> 00:26:01,200 The catch can travel longer distances to market. 469 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,567 It enabled Grimsby to become the biggest fishing port 470 00:26:05,734 --> 00:26:08,000 in the world. 471 00:26:08,167 --> 00:26:12,300 Demand for ice continued to grow, and by 1931, 472 00:26:12,467 --> 00:26:17,667 the factory was producing a staggering 1,100 tons a day. 473 00:26:17,834 --> 00:26:19,467 This was enough to fill three and a half 474 00:26:19,634 --> 00:26:22,567 Olympic swimming pools every week. 475 00:26:22,734 --> 00:26:25,400 But the fishing trawlers, the factory supplied, 476 00:26:25,567 --> 00:26:29,000 were headed for dangerous waters. 477 00:26:29,167 --> 00:26:32,667 [Meigs] As these boats could go out farther and catch more fish, 478 00:26:32,834 --> 00:26:35,567 they were beginning to impinge on the interests 479 00:26:35,734 --> 00:26:39,767 of other fishing nations, in particular Iceland. 480 00:26:39,934 --> 00:26:43,000 [Bell] Fishing was absolutely crucial to Iceland's economy, 481 00:26:43,167 --> 00:26:46,567 and they felt increasingly threatened by larger 482 00:26:46,734 --> 00:26:49,567 foreign fleets over-fishing in their waters. 483 00:26:51,167 --> 00:26:55,367 Throughout the 1950s, '60s, and early '70s, 484 00:26:55,534 --> 00:26:57,667 Iceland worked to ban foreign vessels 485 00:26:57,834 --> 00:27:00,901 from fishing off their coast, first by expanding 486 00:27:01,067 --> 00:27:03,300 their three mile limit to four miles, 487 00:27:03,467 --> 00:27:06,100 then 12, and then 50. 488 00:27:06,267 --> 00:27:09,801 In 1975, they went one step further. 489 00:27:09,968 --> 00:27:13,801 Tensions peaked as Iceland unilaterally extended 490 00:27:13,968 --> 00:27:17,400 their fishing limits to 200 nautical miles. 491 00:27:19,300 --> 00:27:22,567 [Meigs] The UK was not gonna take that sitting down. 492 00:27:22,734 --> 00:27:25,467 They told their fishing fleets to go ahead and fish 493 00:27:25,634 --> 00:27:28,367 where they wanted, and the UK would back them up. 494 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,968 [Lowe] But it became almost a dare for the English trawlers 495 00:27:33,133 --> 00:27:35,868 to break and breach into the forbidden waters, 496 00:27:36,033 --> 00:27:39,968 as it were. And things got quite nasty. 497 00:27:40,133 --> 00:27:43,000 [Bell] The Icelandic coast guards chased British trawlers 498 00:27:43,167 --> 00:27:45,000 and ripped up their nets. 499 00:27:45,167 --> 00:27:47,868 [radio recording] You are interfering with lawful fishing 500 00:27:48,033 --> 00:27:51,667 on the high seas. Over. 501 00:27:51,834 --> 00:27:54,467 In some cases, ships were ramming each other, 502 00:27:54,634 --> 00:27:57,000 which could be fatal out in the open ocean. 503 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:02,167 The violent conflict became known as the "Cod Wars." 504 00:28:03,167 --> 00:28:07,000 [archive recording] The target of the gunboat was the Grimsby trawler, Carlisle. 505 00:28:07,167 --> 00:28:11,000 She could only stand helplessly by as Baldur and Diomede 506 00:28:11,167 --> 00:28:13,767 continued the skirmish, which ended in yet another 507 00:28:13,934 --> 00:28:15,968 Cod War Collision. 508 00:28:16,133 --> 00:28:19,067 The British responded by sending out Royal Navy ships 509 00:28:19,234 --> 00:28:20,367 to protect them. 510 00:28:20,367 --> 00:28:23,501 The North Atlantic was turned into a battleground. 511 00:28:24,567 --> 00:28:27,868 In total, Britain deployed 37 warships 512 00:28:28,033 --> 00:28:30,100 to escort the country's fishing fleet, 513 00:28:30,267 --> 00:28:33,501 protecting a UK industry worth over a billion dollars 514 00:28:33,667 --> 00:28:36,000 a year in today's money. 515 00:28:36,167 --> 00:28:38,467 Iceland's Coast Guard and fishing trawlers 516 00:28:38,634 --> 00:28:41,968 were no match for the strength of the Royal Navy. 517 00:28:42,133 --> 00:28:45,501 But the Icelandic government had a secret weapon 518 00:28:45,667 --> 00:28:47,033 in their armory. 519 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,400 [Selwood] These waters were critical to international security, 520 00:28:51,567 --> 00:28:54,868 and Grimsby's fortunes were caught in the crossfire. 521 00:29:00,801 --> 00:29:03,267 2 In the English port of Grimsby, are the ruins 522 00:29:03,434 --> 00:29:05,267 of an ice factory that supercharged 523 00:29:05,434 --> 00:29:07,367 the town's fishing fleet. 524 00:29:07,534 --> 00:29:10,467 But when Iceland banned foreign fishing within 200 miles 525 00:29:10,634 --> 00:29:13,901 of their coast, it sparked an international conflict 526 00:29:14,067 --> 00:29:16,067 dubbed the "Cod Wars." 527 00:29:17,167 --> 00:29:21,267 The UK sent out the Royal Navy to patrol the contested waters 528 00:29:21,434 --> 00:29:23,300 and protect its fishing vessels. 529 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:29,267 But Iceland had an ace up its sleeve. 530 00:29:29,434 --> 00:29:31,901 They threatened to close the strategically vital 531 00:29:32,067 --> 00:29:33,400 NATO base at Keflavik. 532 00:29:35,267 --> 00:29:38,467 Keflavik was positioned on Iceland's southwest coast 533 00:29:38,634 --> 00:29:40,501 and played an important role 534 00:29:40,667 --> 00:29:42,467 monitoring Russian nuclear submarines 535 00:29:42,634 --> 00:29:44,667 in the North Atlantic. 536 00:29:44,834 --> 00:29:47,801 [Bell] This caused serious alarm among western Allies, 537 00:29:47,968 --> 00:29:50,300 especially the United States. 538 00:29:50,467 --> 00:29:53,667 [Meigs] At the time of the Cold War, it was a very, very tense 539 00:29:53,834 --> 00:29:57,167 environment, and every piece of information was critical. 540 00:29:57,334 --> 00:29:59,367 The British government, under pressure 541 00:29:59,534 --> 00:30:02,300 from the United States and other NATO allies, 542 00:30:02,467 --> 00:30:04,767 was forced to negotiate. 543 00:30:04,934 --> 00:30:09,100 The UK chose to back down in 1976 and accepted 544 00:30:09,267 --> 00:30:10,667 the 200 mile limit. 545 00:30:12,100 --> 00:30:14,968 British fishing fleets were granted limited access 546 00:30:15,133 --> 00:30:18,367 to the waters, but with severe restrictions on catches. 547 00:30:19,968 --> 00:30:23,467 This had a devastating impact on the UK's long distance 548 00:30:23,634 --> 00:30:25,801 fishing industry and the Port of Grimsby. 549 00:30:27,100 --> 00:30:29,267 Essentially, the fishing industry was decimated 550 00:30:29,434 --> 00:30:30,634 almost overnight. 551 00:30:30,634 --> 00:30:34,267 by the cessation of fishing as far afield as Iceland. 552 00:30:35,501 --> 00:30:38,367 Soon, most countries around the world 553 00:30:38,534 --> 00:30:41,000 adopted the 200-mile limit. 554 00:30:41,167 --> 00:30:42,567 By the late '80s, 555 00:30:42,734 --> 00:30:44,901 the value of fish caught by Grimsby's trawlers 556 00:30:45,067 --> 00:30:49,367 had dropped from around $35 million per year in 1974 557 00:30:49,534 --> 00:30:51,667 to just $1 million. 558 00:30:51,834 --> 00:30:55,901 In 1990, the ice factory was forced to close. 559 00:30:57,067 --> 00:30:58,767 [Lowe] It was a status symbol. 560 00:30:58,934 --> 00:31:01,567 It represented so much to the community, 561 00:31:01,734 --> 00:31:03,767 and it still does today. 562 00:31:03,934 --> 00:31:05,868 I think a new chapter in its life is needed. 563 00:31:11,467 --> 00:31:14,567 [Meigs] Today, the port of Grimsby is finding new life 564 00:31:14,734 --> 00:31:17,367 in a new resource push, 565 00:31:17,534 --> 00:31:19,701 which is offshore wind power. 566 00:31:19,868 --> 00:31:22,300 This is another installment in the life of one of the great 567 00:31:22,467 --> 00:31:24,467 port cities of the UK. 568 00:31:26,167 --> 00:31:28,400 The old ice factory is set to be a part 569 00:31:28,567 --> 00:31:30,100 of Grimsby's regeneration. 570 00:31:31,167 --> 00:31:33,901 Josephine Waugh is a member of the team 571 00:31:34,067 --> 00:31:36,367 working to revive the building. 572 00:31:36,534 --> 00:31:38,667 [Waugh] There is an existing legacy here 573 00:31:38,834 --> 00:31:40,667 of cutting-edge technology. 574 00:31:40,834 --> 00:31:43,501 And so the intention through the redevelopment of this space 575 00:31:43,667 --> 00:31:47,701 is to have this be a center and a hub for research 576 00:31:47,868 --> 00:31:49,567 and development into renewable energy. 577 00:31:55,868 --> 00:31:59,300 In northern Italy, 20 miles from the city of Genoa, 578 00:31:59,467 --> 00:32:01,567 a secluded forest conceals 579 00:32:01,734 --> 00:32:04,167 a story of vengeful retribution. 580 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,868 [Dr. Nusbacher] There's a clearing, and we can see a massive structure. 581 00:32:12,033 --> 00:32:15,100 It's got wings, it's got a clock tower, 582 00:32:15,267 --> 00:32:18,167 and it's not the kind of thing you expect to see 583 00:32:18,334 --> 00:32:21,367 in the Italian countryside. 584 00:32:21,534 --> 00:32:24,300 [Bell] The location is stunning, so you might guess it was 585 00:32:24,467 --> 00:32:26,968 some kind of sanatorium or a hotel, even. 586 00:32:28,067 --> 00:32:30,601 Exploring deeper, the rest of the building 587 00:32:30,767 --> 00:32:32,567 is entirely bare. 588 00:32:32,734 --> 00:32:35,801 Many of the hints of its past life stripped away. 589 00:32:36,868 --> 00:32:39,767 [Mitchell] Some rooms have the remains of showers, toilets, 590 00:32:39,934 --> 00:32:41,968 but the facilities feel far more functional 591 00:32:42,133 --> 00:32:44,067 than you'd expect in luxury accommodation. 592 00:32:45,167 --> 00:32:47,400 The biggest clue, though, as to its origin 593 00:32:47,567 --> 00:32:50,267 is the style of the architecture. 594 00:32:50,434 --> 00:32:53,300 [Bell] The design is typical of the 1930s, 595 00:32:53,467 --> 00:32:55,267 and that means only one thing. 596 00:32:55,434 --> 00:32:59,100 It was built during the reign of the fascist dictator, 597 00:32:59,267 --> 00:33:00,501 Benito Mussolini. 598 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,100 This was a site intended to indoctrinate 599 00:33:05,267 --> 00:33:06,467 and secure the loyalty 600 00:33:06,634 --> 00:33:09,100 of the next generation of Italian children. 601 00:33:10,300 --> 00:33:12,100 But during the Second World War, 602 00:33:12,267 --> 00:33:14,367 it was taken over and used 603 00:33:14,534 --> 00:33:17,267 against the regime it was designed to protect. 604 00:33:18,267 --> 00:33:22,167 In the woods around this place, rumor has it that there are 605 00:33:22,334 --> 00:33:26,667 hundreds of soldiers in unmarked graves, 606 00:33:26,834 --> 00:33:30,667 buried here in the name of freedom 607 00:33:30,834 --> 00:33:31,968 and revenge. 608 00:33:38,501 --> 00:33:42,567 Giuseppe Isola is the mayor of Rovegno. 609 00:33:42,734 --> 00:33:45,167 When he was young, this was a scenic getaway 610 00:33:45,334 --> 00:33:47,868 that had moved on from its unsettling beginnings. 611 00:33:50,167 --> 00:33:53,000 [Isola, translated] Apologies, I'm a bit emotional. 612 00:33:53,167 --> 00:33:55,367 A lot of people have been happy here. 613 00:33:55,534 --> 00:33:59,100 It's been an important part of the history of our valley. 614 00:33:59,267 --> 00:34:01,667 It was needed to prevent a phenomenon that afflicted 615 00:34:01,834 --> 00:34:04,467 youth at the time, rickets. 616 00:34:06,601 --> 00:34:09,267 But the building's original function was not 617 00:34:09,434 --> 00:34:12,501 to treat a condition that affected children's bones. 618 00:34:12,667 --> 00:34:14,767 It was to shape their minds. 619 00:34:14,934 --> 00:34:18,000 [Isola speaking in Italian] 620 00:34:18,167 --> 00:34:20,267 [Isola, translated] These camps were built because we must acknowledge 621 00:34:20,434 --> 00:34:26,767 that at that time, the regime focused a lot on youth. 622 00:34:26,934 --> 00:34:30,601 Fascism took root in Italy at the end of World War I, 623 00:34:30,767 --> 00:34:33,701 when great poverty affected the country. 624 00:34:35,601 --> 00:34:37,901 [Dr. Nusbacher] In March of 1919. 625 00:34:38,067 --> 00:34:43,167 Benito Mussolini creates the Fascist Party 626 00:34:43,334 --> 00:34:46,801 and he's going to recruit unemployed war veterans 627 00:34:46,968 --> 00:34:49,868 and he's going to put them all in black shirts. 628 00:34:51,567 --> 00:34:55,267 [Bell] For the next two years, Mussolini used his own personal 629 00:34:55,434 --> 00:34:59,000 army to terrorize political opponents until eventually 630 00:34:59,167 --> 00:35:02,300 he was invited to join a coalition government. 631 00:35:02,467 --> 00:35:05,767 By 1925, he'd taken complete control. 632 00:35:07,367 --> 00:35:10,367 Mussolini relied heavily on propaganda to spread 633 00:35:10,534 --> 00:35:12,868 his fascist gospel to the masses. 634 00:35:13,033 --> 00:35:16,467 An often used slogan was, "Mussolini is always right." 635 00:35:18,167 --> 00:35:20,767 [Bell] One other way he promoted his fascist ideals was 636 00:35:20,934 --> 00:35:24,901 to set up holiday camps all over Italy for young people, 637 00:35:25,067 --> 00:35:27,067 particularly from deprived neighborhoods. 638 00:35:29,100 --> 00:35:32,367 Construction on this one began in 1934, 639 00:35:32,534 --> 00:35:35,467 and took just five months to complete. 640 00:35:35,634 --> 00:35:38,534 It was called the Colonia di Rovegno. 641 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,567 [Isola, translated] The camp was open during the summer. 642 00:35:43,734 --> 00:35:46,100 Children would come in shifts throughout that period, 643 00:35:46,267 --> 00:35:48,767 about 500 at a time. 644 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:52,100 [Bell] The idea was to show these young people 645 00:35:52,267 --> 00:35:53,467 a different way of life 646 00:35:53,634 --> 00:35:56,300 to what they were used to, to build character, 647 00:35:56,467 --> 00:35:58,667 and to show them the fascist future 648 00:35:58,834 --> 00:36:00,667 of which they would be part. 649 00:36:03,067 --> 00:36:05,267 [Isola, translated] My father told me that during gatherings, 650 00:36:05,434 --> 00:36:08,467 they received specific information about behavior, 651 00:36:08,634 --> 00:36:12,467 education, respect, conduct, on how to talk to others. 652 00:36:14,901 --> 00:36:18,000 [Bell] But perhaps more worryingly, they were indoctrinated 653 00:36:18,167 --> 00:36:20,767 to believe in the regime and to see Mussolini 654 00:36:20,934 --> 00:36:24,467 as a father figure who would always provide for them. 655 00:36:24,634 --> 00:36:26,901 [Isola speaking Italian] 656 00:36:27,067 --> 00:36:29,567 [Isola, translated] The fact that the fascist regime did this to its own 657 00:36:29,734 --> 00:36:32,300 advantage and raised a generation that would be 658 00:36:32,467 --> 00:36:35,167 welcoming to this regime, that cannot be denied. 659 00:36:38,667 --> 00:36:41,601 But only six years after the site opened, 660 00:36:41,767 --> 00:36:44,100 its function would be transformed. 661 00:36:45,567 --> 00:36:47,167 [Mitchell] On June 10, 1940, 662 00:36:47,334 --> 00:36:50,167 Mussolini declared war on France and Great Britain, 663 00:36:50,334 --> 00:36:52,100 forming part of Hitler's Axis Powers 664 00:36:52,267 --> 00:36:53,767 during the Second World War. 665 00:36:53,934 --> 00:36:56,167 The Colonia di Rovegno was drawn into the fighting. 666 00:37:02,367 --> 00:37:04,701 2 In Italy, is the ruin of a building 667 00:37:04,868 --> 00:37:07,200 built by Mussolini's Fascist regime 668 00:37:07,367 --> 00:37:10,000 to indoctrinate thousands of local children. 669 00:37:11,667 --> 00:37:15,100 After Italy sided with Germany during the Second World War, 670 00:37:15,267 --> 00:37:18,100 it would be taken over by retaliatory force. 671 00:37:19,701 --> 00:37:24,868 In 1943, it all goes wrong for the Italian Fascists. 672 00:37:25,033 --> 00:37:28,100 The allies are about to invade. 673 00:37:28,267 --> 00:37:30,467 [Mitchell] In September, the new anti-fascist government signed 674 00:37:30,634 --> 00:37:32,167 an armistice with the Allies, 675 00:37:32,334 --> 00:37:33,968 but the fighting was far from over. 676 00:37:34,901 --> 00:37:40,968 [Dr. Nusbacher] Hitler is not going to allow the allies to take all of Italy 677 00:37:41,133 --> 00:37:43,100 and to be just the other side of the Alps 678 00:37:43,267 --> 00:37:46,100 from Germany and Austria. 679 00:37:46,267 --> 00:37:50,868 And so begins the Third Reich's bloodthirsty reign of terror 680 00:37:51,033 --> 00:37:52,567 in Italy. 681 00:37:52,734 --> 00:37:56,501 [Dr. Nusbacher] Any Italian who is suspected of siding with the Allies 682 00:37:56,667 --> 00:38:00,667 is ruthlessly tortured and executed. 683 00:38:00,834 --> 00:38:03,601 [Bell] The population was brutalized, and the time had come 684 00:38:03,767 --> 00:38:06,267 to fight back. 685 00:38:06,434 --> 00:38:10,267 From the winter of 1944, an intense partisan movement 686 00:38:10,434 --> 00:38:13,300 gathered pace in northern Italy. 687 00:38:13,467 --> 00:38:16,868 These resistance fighters vowed to violently oppose 688 00:38:17,033 --> 00:38:19,968 the German occupation and fascist loyalists. 689 00:38:21,567 --> 00:38:24,100 [Isola speaking Italian] 690 00:38:24,267 --> 00:38:26,400 [Isola, translated] They had a headquarters here. 691 00:38:26,567 --> 00:38:29,767 Now there are roads, but at the time, there was only 692 00:38:29,934 --> 00:38:33,701 one road going up, and it was very, very hard to reach, 693 00:38:33,868 --> 00:38:35,367 so it became a stronghold. 694 00:38:39,667 --> 00:38:42,667 [Bell] It was the perfect base to hide out from Nazi soldiers 695 00:38:42,834 --> 00:38:45,601 and organize guerrilla attacks. 696 00:38:45,767 --> 00:38:49,467 It was also used to detain Italian fascist loyalists 697 00:38:49,634 --> 00:38:51,267 and German prisoners of war. 698 00:38:53,467 --> 00:38:56,667 Hundreds of these prisoners were routinely executed 699 00:38:56,834 --> 00:39:01,067 by partisans and buried in the woods around the camp. 700 00:39:01,234 --> 00:39:03,200 [Isola speaking Italian] 701 00:39:03,367 --> 00:39:06,467 [Isola, translated] In those moments, of course, lines were crossed. 702 00:39:06,634 --> 00:39:08,901 It happens everywhere in the world. 703 00:39:09,067 --> 00:39:12,267 Judgments were summary, and justice was violent. 704 00:39:12,434 --> 00:39:15,200 And it's a sad part of the history of Italy. 705 00:39:17,667 --> 00:39:19,868 But you can't ignore the role partisans 706 00:39:20,033 --> 00:39:21,701 played in the conflict. 707 00:39:21,868 --> 00:39:25,567 They fought doggedly to win back their homeland. 708 00:39:25,734 --> 00:39:29,767 [Dr. Nusbacher] The Italian partisans forced the Germans 709 00:39:29,934 --> 00:39:33,300 to get into a close-fought 710 00:39:33,467 --> 00:39:37,267 counterinsurgency campaign in Northern Italy. 711 00:39:37,434 --> 00:39:41,667 And that is a massive suck on German combat power. 712 00:39:42,868 --> 00:39:47,868 On April 26, 1945, the Italian resistance movement 713 00:39:48,033 --> 00:39:51,467 freed the city of Genoa from German troops. 714 00:39:51,634 --> 00:39:55,501 This was the first time during World War II that an army corps 715 00:39:55,667 --> 00:39:58,100 surrendered to civilian partisan forces. 716 00:39:59,968 --> 00:40:04,868 [Dr. Nusbacher] When a German commander has got to surrender to partisans, 717 00:40:05,033 --> 00:40:07,567 Nazi Germany is humiliated. 718 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:10,767 [Bell] Four days later, Adolf Hitler 719 00:40:10,934 --> 00:40:13,567 committed suicide in his Berlin bunker, 720 00:40:13,734 --> 00:40:15,901 and the war in Europe was effectively over. 721 00:40:20,100 --> 00:40:22,667 After the war, the Colonia di Rovegno 722 00:40:22,834 --> 00:40:25,100 went back to being a camp for children, 723 00:40:26,100 --> 00:40:27,901 this time to help those suffering 724 00:40:28,067 --> 00:40:29,901 from a vitamin D deficiency 725 00:40:30,067 --> 00:40:31,467 that weakens the bones, 726 00:40:31,634 --> 00:40:33,200 called "rickets." 727 00:40:33,367 --> 00:40:36,267 Exposure to sunlight was one way to treat it. 728 00:40:37,901 --> 00:40:40,601 [Bell] It became a happy place for the children of Genoa 729 00:40:40,767 --> 00:40:43,901 to enjoy the countryside, to learn new skills, 730 00:40:44,067 --> 00:40:47,133 and most importantly, to get access to sunshine. 731 00:40:49,601 --> 00:40:51,267 [Isola, translated] Imagine what it must have looked like 732 00:40:51,434 --> 00:40:53,167 with all the sunbeds, 733 00:40:53,334 --> 00:40:55,868 all these 500 children here. 734 00:40:57,868 --> 00:41:00,100 [Bell] But by the 1970s, the funding had started 735 00:41:00,267 --> 00:41:03,367 to dry up, and it was also no longer needed. 736 00:41:03,534 --> 00:41:04,901 It became abandoned. 737 00:41:10,067 --> 00:41:13,601 All over Italy are a number of these deserted colonies 738 00:41:13,767 --> 00:41:16,601 which occupy beautiful locations. 739 00:41:16,767 --> 00:41:19,667 [Bell] These are places potentially worth millions, 740 00:41:19,834 --> 00:41:23,667 but the authorities struggle to muster the political will 741 00:41:23,834 --> 00:41:25,868 to either bring them back to life 742 00:41:26,033 --> 00:41:27,200 or knock them down.