1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,760 MAN [over radio]: The Battle of Britain is about to begin. 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:13,400 Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the War. 3 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:22,280 NARRATOR: In the summer of 1940 a vast aerial armada is 4 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,640 sent by the Nazis to bomb Great Britain into submission. 5 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:30,400 HOLLAND: The Battle ofBritain is completelydifferent to all air battles 6 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,040 that have happened up to that point in world history. 7 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,840 NARRATOR: The German Air Force, the Luftwaffe, 8 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,960 is many times the size of the British defenders, 9 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,680 the Royal Air Force. 10 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:52,440 As British losses mount, the rest of the world looks on in fear. 11 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:55,920 JAMES: The future of America and the free world 12 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,720 depends on Britain surviving. 13 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,680 NARRATOR: So why is it that the British emerged triumphant... 14 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,800 and not the Nazis? 15 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,480 Hundreds of miles apart, four mysterious wrecks are 16 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,760 transforming our understanding of the Battle of Britain. 17 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,040 Revealing that the real story lies as much in the sea, 18 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,040 as in the air. 19 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:51,280 This beach on the Southeast coast of England is quiet now 20 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:58,360 but 80 years ago it echoed to the sound of a life or death struggle... 21 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:04,280 as gun batteries tried to shoot down incoming Nazi war planes... 22 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:12,760 and British and German pilots dueled for control of the skis above. 23 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:19,680 In 1940 the small seaside town of Walton-on-the-Naze is less 24 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:24,640 than 70 miles from German air bases in occupied Europe. 25 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,520 Historian, Andy Saunders, has made a special study of 26 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,880 beaches just like this and the many relics of 27 00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:38,120 The Battle of Britain left on them. 28 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,920 But the Holy Grail of researchers like him 29 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,440 is to find a plane. 30 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:48,960 ANDY: In this particular area during The Battle of Britain 31 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:54,320 there were a number of aircraft that we know crashed hereabouts. 32 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,640 Either on land, on the mud, just out into the sea. 33 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:05,400 NARRATOR: Andy's come here to try to learn more about one of them. 34 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,840 A British fighter he hopes will reveal how close the 35 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,800 Nazis came to victory... 36 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:21,560 and deepen our understanding of a momentous day. 37 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:28,520 On August 31st, 1940... 38 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,920 39 British fighter planes are shot out of the skies. 39 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,200 More than in any other day in the Battle of Britain. 40 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,720 And on that day an eye-witness in Walton-on-the-Naze 41 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,600 sees one British fighter hurtling from the skies 42 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:59,040 and powering deep into the soft tidal mud. 43 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,440 For over 30 years it lies hidden, 44 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,640 protected from the elements. 45 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,040 ANDY: When an aircraft impactsthe sea it's pretty much like 46 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,800 hitting concrete and the aircraft will disintegrate. 47 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,200 Anything that remains sinks to the bottom will be badly 48 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,120 corroded by salt water. 49 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,160 Whereas anything that comes down in this sort of terrain, 50 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,000 onto mud, lessens the damage to the aircraft and it 51 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,200 protects it from oxygen and corrosion. 52 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,960 NARRATOR: In 1973, it's uncovered and excavated by a 53 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:38,720 team led by local enthusiast, Geoff Raynor. 54 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,200 But it's remains are so fragile, 55 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,600 they're now locked away in protective storage in a museum 56 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,680 along with its many secrets. 57 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,880 Andy has managed to gain access to just a few of the 58 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,800 precious remnants... 59 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,560 and they leave him in no doubt about what type of plane he's studying. 60 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:09,000 ANDY: What we've got here are very large pieces of wreckage. 61 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,480 This is an engine a lower enginecowling panel and it's got 62 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,120 the very typical Hawker engine cowling fastener here. 63 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,800 This is a piece of upper wing. 64 00:05:18,840 --> 00:05:20,880 The important thing is that it tells us absolutely 65 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,960 categorically this is a Hurricane. 66 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,600 NARRATOR: With a top speed of over 300 miles per hour, 67 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,640 the Hurricane is one of the most agile fighter planes of its time... 68 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:42,760 and its hollow metal skeleton is designed to take the sort 69 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,160 of direct fire that would cripple other fighters. 70 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:50,920 ERIC: They were short range but that didn't matter because 71 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,840 they were built to defend the United Kingdom against enemy 72 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,720 air attack and for that it was hard to find a better design. 73 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:02,920 NARRATOR: To understand what happened, 74 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:06,240 Andy needs to study what was left of the plane after it 75 00:06:06,280 --> 00:06:09,040 plunged into the mud. 76 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,960 And now we can help... 77 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,760 using the extensive archaeological evidence collected 78 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:24,760 during dig to drain the Essex coastline. 79 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,880 As the soft mud retreats from the beach, 80 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,920 the shell of one of the most iconic planes ever built 81 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,680 emerges once again. 82 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,640 As daylight strikes the Hurricane, 83 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:46,000 it's obvious she is badly damaged... 84 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:50,840 and that she entered the mud upside down at a 30 degree angle... 85 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:58,080 where her rear fuselage used to be is now just an empty space. 86 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,840 But using the many detailed photographs taken during the dig, 87 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,120 we can reassemble her. 88 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,040 And as we turn her the right way up there's a revelation. 89 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,680 She's peppered with cannon fire. 90 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,240 ANDY: We can see that there are a number of 20 millimeter 91 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:28,520 canon strikes that have come through from the bottom of the 92 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,040 wing and punched out the top of the wing. 93 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:32,520 They've literally come through, 94 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,920 directly from underneath. 95 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,400 NARRATOR: How could one of the RAF's best fighter planes end 96 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:42,640 up ripped open from below? 97 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:46,960 And, might her demise help explain why so many other 98 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:51,040 fighters also fall victim on this tragic day? 99 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,560 To try to understand what happened, 100 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:02,600 Andy travels to a bunker deep underground... 101 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,040 to what was, in 1940, 102 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:10,200 the nerve center of the RAF's Fighter Command. 103 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,800 From this very room, its top commanders modeled and 104 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:20,000 controlled the Battle of Britain 24 hours a day. 105 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,920 ANDY: There were plotters around the table who would 106 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,160 change the counters on the table and it told the controller 107 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,880 which enemy aircraft were coming in at what height. 108 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,080 NARRATOR: By recreating on the map, 109 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,760 the hundreds of different plane movements on the 31st of August, 110 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,000 Andy can begin to get a picture of what may have 111 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:46,920 taken place that day. 112 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:50,680 At 8:15 AM, 113 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,120 reports reached the Control Room of a huge formation 114 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:57,520 of German bombers heading towards the English coast. 115 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:04,240 Armed with this information, Andy can turn to official 116 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,320 RAF battle reports. 117 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:11,360 These reveal that a small squadron of Hurricanes 118 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,040 flies out of a base near Walton-on-the-Naze 119 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:17,040 ten minutes later. 120 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,920 As its pilots close in on the Germans they realize the 121 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,840 bombers are being protected by around 50 fighter planes, 122 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,160 planes the RAF had come to fear. 123 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:36,960 Almost as fast as the Hurricane, 124 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,840 the Messerschmitt 110 lacks the British plane's agility. 125 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,720 But two powerful 20 millimeter cannons in its nose cone 126 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,600 are a deadly threat to anything that strays in front of it. 127 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,680 It can land such a devastating punch that its German nickname 128 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,040 is simply 'The Destroyer'. 129 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,200 From the records, Andy discovers only one Hurricane 130 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:12,200 was shot down that day over Walton-on-the-Naze. 131 00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:18,160 It must be our Hurricane on the beach and that gives him a 132 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,800 name for its pilot. 133 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:25,800 24-year-old Gerard Maffett, who's been flying Hurricanes 134 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,680 for less than two months. 135 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,400 What happened to this young, English pilot and can his fate 136 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,080 explain why the British came so close to losing 137 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,400 the Battle of Britain? 138 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,680 NARRATOR: The drained wreckage of the Hurricane on the beach 139 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:52,000 reveals it has been torn by cannon fire along its underside. 140 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,400 Hidden away in the Royal Air Force's records, 141 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:04,200 Andy Saunders uncovers a blow by blow account of its fateful battle. 142 00:11:09,680 --> 00:11:14,200 As the Hurricanes catapult forward at 300 miles per hour 143 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:18,080 they find themselves below the German Messerschmitts. 144 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:25,040 The problem that they and many other British pilots face that day 145 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:29,840 is that the German's have recently adopted a protective tactic. 146 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:37,360 When attacked, they form tight defensive formations 147 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,640 that can only be broken up by a highly dangerous head on attac. 148 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:52,200 Gerard Maffett hurtles up towards the target plane. 149 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,240 ANDY: The whole squadron attacked a formation of about 150 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,280 50 ME 110s. 151 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,480 The pilots broke up the enemy's defensive circles in a 152 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:07,000 series of head on attacks. 153 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,200 NARRATOR: Maffett fires on the German plane for no more than 154 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:18,160 a few seconds and then must bank to the side. 155 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,120 Just enough time for an ME 110 to catch the 156 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:28,600 British fighter in its sights. 157 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,040 ANDY: Pilot Maffett turned away from the German aircraft 158 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:34,920 and as he did so the aircraft that he was turning away 159 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,240 from opened fire. 160 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,480 NARRATOR: From the guns in its nose cone the Messerschmitt 161 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,640 launches a spread of 20 millimeter canon shells... 162 00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:49,520 that tear into Maffett's undercarriage. 163 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:55,240 If Andy's right, it's this that leaves the unmistakable 164 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:59,320 shredding pattern visible in the drained wreck. 165 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:09,240 Maffett tries to bail out but from a Hurricane that's never easy. 166 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:12,480 HOLLAND: What you've gotta do if you're trying to get out is 167 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:16,760 you've got to invert your plane upside down. 168 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,560 You've gotta remove your oxygen leads. 169 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,320 You've gotta remove your Sutton harness. 170 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,720 You've gotta take out your radio leads, 171 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,360 open the canopy and drop out. 172 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,320 If you can't get out quick enough, 173 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:35,240 what happens is you bail out at 400 feet and not at 4000. 174 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,280 NARRATOR: Maffett opens his parachute too close to the ground 175 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:46,320 and the young Englishman is killed instantly. 176 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,560 It's the shifting German tactics and sheer numbers of 177 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:59,440 Luftwaffe fighters that help explain why Maffett and so 178 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:04,240 many other pilots are lost on the 31st of August. 179 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,360 But why did the fate of Britain and the entire free 180 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:14,960 world come to depend on this battle in the skies? 181 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,880 Strangely, the answer to that may lie deep underwater many 182 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,360 miles from Britain... 183 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:30,120 in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. 184 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,640 Off the coast of Belgium, a diving team is trying to solve 185 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:39,440 an enduring mystery of World War II. 186 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:44,480 The team is headed by Sven Van Haelst, 187 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,560 who's long been fascinated by the story of a warship that 188 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:51,560 sank somewhere here in 1940. 189 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:59,600 Disappearing under the waves in an astonishing 15 seconds. 190 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,120 SVEN: When I started as a Maritime Archaeologist here 191 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,160 and I found out about this wreck, 192 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,080 that there were so many casualties that was really 193 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,800 intriguing for me. 194 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,640 It was like how could this happen so fast and 195 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:17,800 so many people killed. 196 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,200 NARRATOR: The ship Sven is looking for plays a vital role 197 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,760 in a moment of unprecedented crisis. 198 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:34,400 At the end of May 1940, the eyes of the world are on the 199 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:38,040 beaches of Dunkirk in France... 200 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,680 Where a struggle for survival becomes one of 201 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:43,560 history's great turning points. 202 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:46,640 JAMES: It's Dunkirk that explains why the Battle of 203 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,520 Britain is so critical. 204 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,000 NARRATOR: The Nazis surround and bombard a third of a 205 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,600 million troops including the cream of the British Army 206 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,080 trapped on the shore. 207 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:02,800 HOLLAND: The British were braced for kind of total defeat. 208 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,720 They were looking at the complete destruction of the British Army. 209 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,680 NARRATOR: To try to rescue as many soldiers as possible, 210 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,720 the Royal Navy sends all the ships it can muster... 211 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:19,000 including one powerful destroyer. 212 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:26,560 The four inch guns of HMS Wakeful make her a deadly opponent. 213 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:35,400 She's over 300 feet long and can reach speeds of up to 34 knots. 214 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:47,400 On the evening of the 28th of May and under intense bombardment, 215 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:52,200 640 British soldiers managed to climb on board... 216 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,240 to what they hope is safety. 217 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,280 So why just an hour after leaving France... 218 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:05,000 [explosion]. 219 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:07,440 does she sink in less than a minute... 220 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:12,560 killing almost everyone on board? 221 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,040 Sven thinks the Wakeful went down 15 miles from 222 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:23,320 the Belgian port of Ostend. 223 00:17:23,360 --> 00:17:27,000 Where many vessels have been lost over the centuries. 224 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:45,320 Visibility in these waters is poor... 225 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:51,640 and the divers are constantly being pulled by strong currents. 226 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,200 100 feet down they see glimpses of what could be 227 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,680 a wartime wreck. 228 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,240 But there are so many shipwrecks here it's 229 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,840 hard to be certain. 230 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:30,400 And then... 231 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:37,520 a four inch Royal Navy gun! 232 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:43,480 They've found HMS Wakeful. 233 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,080 SVEN: You can see also the remnants of the machinery and 234 00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:49,120 stuff like that. 235 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,800 NARRATOR: But covered in weed and mud, 236 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:56,440 there's no obvious clue to explain why it sank so quickly. 237 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:05,120 The only way to work out what happened to her for sure is to 238 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:09,040 empty the North Sea. 239 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:15,920 As it's turbulent and grimy waters are sucked away... 240 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:20,600 an astonishing scene looms into view. 241 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:28,680 The stricken warship's stern bears the marks of a violent assault. 242 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:38,200 And it's clear something truly shocking has happened here... 243 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:43,480 because her other half is no longer connected at all. 244 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,360 SVEN: So, what we found outnow is that the wreck is broken 245 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:52,720 in two large pieces, lying perpendicular to each other. 246 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,200 NARRATOR: The Wakeful looks as if she's been torn apart by 247 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,880 giant hands. 248 00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:04,560 What could have caused such devastating damage? 249 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:13,640 NARRATOR: The fate of this British destroyer could help 250 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,720 explain the origins of the Battle of Britain. 251 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,760 But there's one question in particular that's been 252 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,360 troubling Sven. 253 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,560 Why the wreck of HMS Wakeful is here, 254 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:33,440 off the coast of Belgium, at all? 255 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:37,840 Why would a ship, evacuating British troops from Dunkirk, 256 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,880 sail in the opposite direction from the British coast? 257 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,640 Sven turns to official Royal Navy reports and uncovers a 258 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,080 little-known fact about Dunkirk. 259 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,240 The British rescue ships off the French coast are being so 260 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,080 relentlessly attacked that the Royal Navy decides to send the 261 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:04,800 Wakeful on an indirect route... 262 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:06,760 to Belgium. 263 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:11,720 Where the plan is that she'll then turn West to England. 264 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,760 SVEN: So, we now know why it is here but we don't know what 265 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,720 happened and we have to find out. 266 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:27,800 NARRATOR: In May 1940, the waters of Belgium should be safe. 267 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:32,440 All the deadly action is now miles away at Dunkirk. 268 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:37,040 The last thing the Germans expect is a ship laden with 269 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:40,360 troops heading this way. 270 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,520 Perhaps the Wakeful was the victim of a German air patrol. 271 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:50,360 But returning to her wreck, 272 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,600 it's clear that she's been torn apart... 273 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,400 sliced in two. 274 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:01,360 That does not suggest a bombing attack. 275 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:06,000 It seems like the destruction that might result from torpedoes. 276 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,480 Who or what could've attacked the Wakeful in what were 277 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,800 supposed to be safe waters? 278 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,400 Sven studies German Naval records and discovers that the 279 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:25,360 Wakeful was not hunted down by a submarine but something else. 280 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,480 A German surface vessel that gets dangerously close to the 281 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:33,280 British destroyer during the night... 282 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:36,960 an E-boat. 283 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,560 E-boats are small, agile and fast. 284 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:44,080 But they should be no match for a big destroyer in any 285 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:47,880 head to head battle. 286 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:52,520 And if an E-boat was tracking her then surely the British 287 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:55,720 look-outs would spot her. 288 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,560 So, what went wrong? 289 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:05,280 Below deck the 640 soldiers are asleep as Wakeful closes 290 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:09,120 in on the buoy that marks the point where she is to turn and 291 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:12,680 head for England. 292 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:18,040 Just a minute later she'll explode...and sink. 293 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:23,160 But how? 294 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:30,040 The answer to this maritime puzzle has been staring Sven 295 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,720 in the face all along. 296 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:38,760 The spot where his team has been diving is marked today by 297 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:43,720 a 15 foot structure, the Kwinte Buoy. 298 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:49,880 Sven has discovered that in 1940 there was a similarly 299 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:54,320 sized buoy in the vicinity with a nightlight that's 300 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:58,000 piercingly bright. 301 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:02,600 Perfect cover for a lurking predator. 302 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,160 SVEN: It was in the middle of the night, 303 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,080 it was pitch black... 304 00:24:09,120 --> 00:24:13,080 and the E-boat was hiding. 305 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,760 NARRATOR: As the Wakeful gets ready to turn her crew doesn't 306 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:28,160 know she's been spotted. 307 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:36,000 The blinding light of the buoy masks anything behind it and it's there, 308 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:41,160 the lone E-boat is waiting, ready to strike. 309 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:56,280 On the bridge of the Wakeful, a look-out spots the wakes of 310 00:24:56,320 --> 00:25:00,000 two torpedoes in the water and his Captain orders her 311 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:03,680 to change direction. 312 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,360 But it's too late. 313 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,120 For while the first torpedo misses, 314 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:13,080 the second one heads straight for the destroyer. 315 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,520 [explosion]. 316 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:29,000 SVEN: Once the torpedo hit, 317 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,720 it broke up immediately into two big parts. 318 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,440 The water could run in very fast and the broken parts 319 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:39,080 were sink to the bottom. 320 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,200 NARRATOR: Only 27 men from the more than 700 on board 321 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,920 managed to survive. 322 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,400 SVEN: And all the soldiers that were below decks they 323 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:57,120 had no chance at all. 324 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:00,080 NARRATOR: The Wakeful's brave rescue mission 325 00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:04,040 ends in tragedy. 326 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:10,120 On the other routes home, things are even worse. 327 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:14,840 Nearly 200 allied ships are sunk at Dunkirk, 328 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:19,240 including 25 destroyers. 329 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,440 And while in a miracle of logistics and courage more 330 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:27,160 than 300,000 troops are rescued all their armaments, 331 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:32,200 tanks and vehicles lie abandoned in France. 332 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:37,680 Britain is in peril as never before. 333 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,600 HOLLAND: The week of the Dunkirk evacuation is the most 334 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:45,200 tumultuous week in British history, ever. 335 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:51,120 NARRATOR: So why doesn't Hitler invade while he has a chance? 336 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,320 And why does smashing the British Air Force become such 337 00:26:55,360 --> 00:27:01,080 a German obsession when Britain is already on her knees? 338 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:08,000 The answer to that may lie over 1000 miles from Dunkirk. 339 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,280 Far above the Arctic Circle... 340 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:16,840 in the spectacular and forbidding landscape of Norway. 341 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:22,000 Where an epic and little-known battle 342 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:26,120 transforms the course of the entire War. 343 00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:33,920 Over 600 miles from the capital Oslo, 344 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,800 Narvik has long been an important port... 345 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:46,520 and the waters of its fjord conceal an archaeological secret. 346 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:56,680 A collection of German military shipwrecks from 1940... 347 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,320 at least a dozen of them. 348 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,480 What happened here and just how important it was has been 349 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:12,120 argued about for decades. 350 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,560 FREDRIK: This harbor is literally littered with 351 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,240 shipwrecks from the Second World War so I'm really keen 352 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,320 on looking into that. 353 00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:22,000 What actually happened here? 354 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:24,800 NARRATOR: Archaeologist, Fredrik Soreide, 355 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,880 is here to study one wreck in particular. 356 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,880 A symbol of pride for Hitler's new Navy, 357 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:38,360 the destroyer Erich Giese enters service just months 358 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:43,640 before the outbreak of war, 390 feet long. 359 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:49,200 Her giant propellers thrust her forward at 37 knots. 360 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:54,440 FREDRIK: So, the Erich Giese was obviously a 361 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:56,600 state-of-the-art German destroyer. 362 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,280 So, the fact that it now sits in 70 meters in Narvik harbor 363 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:04,080 it makes me wonder what actually happened to it here. 364 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:14,160 NARRATOR: On April 9th, 1940, the Erich Giese is part of a 365 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:18,360 huge Nazi invasion force sent to conquer Norway. 366 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,120 But the very next day a surprise attack by Britain's 367 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:30,520 Royal Navy sends six German ships to the bottom of the fjord. 368 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,040 FREDRIK: So, the British came in with their destroyers and 369 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:42,360 they fired torpedoes from the outskirts of 370 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,720 the fjord into the harbor. 371 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:51,080 This was very successful. 372 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:59,240 NARRATOR: The Erich Giese survives that battle unscathed. 373 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:05,760 So why, three days later, does she too plummet to the bottom? 374 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:12,120 And how does her demise in Norwegian waters eventually 375 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:15,680 lead Hitler to launch the Battle of Britain? 376 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:29,000 NARRATOR: To discover how the Erich Giese was sunk, 377 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:33,560 Fredrik Soreide's team sends down a remotely operated vehicle. 378 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:39,480 FREDRIK: Okay, good, so we're ready to dive? 379 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:40,960 MAN: Yes, we're ready to dive. 380 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,640 FREDRIK: Okay, let's go then. 381 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:50,280 NARRATOR: As it descends through the cold water, 382 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:54,160 the drone's on-board light picks out shapes. 383 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:59,080 FREDRIK: It's very interesting, look at that. 384 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:00,840 Let's go over and have a look at this times. 385 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,680 MAN: Yeah. 386 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:11,000 FREDRIK: This is definitely a warship, isn't it? 387 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,520 MAN: Yeah. 388 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:21,600 FREDRIK: So what's the shadow over there? 389 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:23,600 MAN: It looks like another structure. 390 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:27,240 FREDRIK: Is it? That must be another wreck there. 391 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,160 NARRATOR: Astonishingly all of these shattered and haunting 392 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,840 wrecks are German warships. 393 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:39,920 Not one though is big enough to be the almost 400 foot long 394 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:42,480 Erich Giese. 395 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:50,160 They head farther out into the fjord. 396 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:52,520 FREDRIK: Yeah. 397 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,280 NARRATOR: The waters here are much deeper. 398 00:31:57,840 --> 00:31:58,840 FREDRIK: So how deep are we now? 399 00:31:58,880 --> 00:31:59,840 MAN: Eight. 400 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:00,960 FREDRIK: Eight meters alright. 401 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:02,360 MAN: No, it still some distance to go. 402 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:03,440 FREDRIK: Two meters left. 403 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:06,240 MAN: Yeah. 404 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:11,640 NARRATOR: As the ROV descends the light fades. 405 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,600 FREDRIK: There's something coming here. 406 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,160 MAN: Okay. 407 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:24,720 NARRATOR: Finally, on the fjord bed, 408 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:30,600 200 feet below something recognizable looms into view. 409 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:37,680 MAN: There we go. 410 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:38,800 FREDRIK: That's the propeller. 411 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:40,600 MAN: Yes. 412 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:44,520 FREDRIK: Its, it doesn't seem to have taken any damage at all. 413 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:47,520 NARRATOR: They've located the Erich Giese. 414 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:49,000 MAN: Yeah. 415 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,720 FREDRIK: Let's just try to move off in this direction. 416 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:56,000 NARRATOR: But they can only see small sections. 417 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:57,600 FREDRIK: Cause really it's so big, 418 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,400 it's difficult to get a really good bearing. 419 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,880 NARRATOR: The only way to see the Giese in her entirety is 420 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:08,880 to use scans gathered by Fredrik and other researchers 421 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,920 to drain the fjord. 422 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:20,640 As the waters recede the mighty shell of a 423 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:24,680 state-of-the-art German destroyer is exposed to the 424 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:29,280 cold air for the first time in eight decades... 425 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:37,640 and it's immediately obvious that she's been damaged by 426 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:41,120 some massive force. 427 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:47,720 A giant crack along her bow suggests she was hit and hit hard. 428 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:54,200 So much so that she appears to have collapsed onto one side. 429 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:56,680 FREDRIK: We see that this ship has been involved in a big 430 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,600 fight and there is a lot of shell damage. 431 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,240 NARRATOR: What happened to one of Hitler's most advanced 432 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:09,320 warships days after she survived a deadly assault? 433 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:17,560 Fredrik heads to the museum in Narvik to research its 434 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,760 detailed historical records, 435 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:24,840 and uncovers a story that's long been overshadowed by 436 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:28,040 more famous events in 1940. 437 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,720 He learns that for three days after the Royal Navy's surprise attack, 438 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:38,760 what's left of the German fleet lick their wounds. 439 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,280 Then, disaster! 440 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:50,840 The Royal Navy comes back in even greater numbers. 441 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:56,040 Nine destroyers, and HMS Warspite, a giant battleship. 442 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:02,160 Using all the latest research we can now lift up the 443 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:06,720 Erich Giese and turn her around... 444 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:14,800 discovering that her guns are at battle stations. 445 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:28,000 It's clear to Fredrik, in her final moments the Erich Giese 446 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:31,600 must have fought back bravely. 447 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:44,040 At around 1:00 PM on the 13th of April, 448 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:48,720 two of the British destroyers launch a barrage of torpedoes. 449 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:59,440 The Giese responds instantly, firing her guns and damaging 450 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:02,760 her two main attackers. 451 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:08,000 Until, out of ammunition and completely outgunned, 452 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:12,240 she sits helpless as British shells smash into her hull. 453 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:18,560 The Erich Giese sinks below the fjord's waves 454 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:22,000 where she rolls onto her side. 455 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:25,760 Her guns now silenced. 456 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:34,200 But all this leaves one final mystery, 457 00:36:34,240 --> 00:36:37,640 why did the Giese remain for three days 458 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:41,520 in such a dangerous place? 459 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:45,560 Why didn't her captain take her to safety somewhere else? 460 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:53,240 There is one wreck miles from the Giese that may be the answer. 461 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,320 FREDRIK: During the first attack the British fleet 462 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:03,920 managed to sink the only German fuel tanker in the harbor. 463 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:08,040 So, this effectively made the German fleet stranded 464 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,120 in Narvik harbor. 465 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:14,840 It was fair to say the Germans were sitting ducks at this stage. 466 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:18,520 NARRATOR: For three days, the Giese's crew hopes 467 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:21,480 another fuel ship will arrive. 468 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:24,280 It never does. 469 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:28,840 They cannot flee and instead decide to stand and fight. 470 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:36,000 The destruction of the Giese and nine other German 471 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:39,360 destroyers at Narvik is a much-needed propaganda coup 472 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,080 for the embattled British. 473 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:46,880 More importantly it fatally undermines German naval plans 474 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:49,880 for an invasion of Britain. 475 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:54,160 ERIC: The Battle of Narvik crippled the German destroyer force, 476 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:56,720 half of them were sunk. 477 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:00,560 NARRATOR: Hitler knows that his much-reduced invasion 478 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:05,000 force could be wiped out by the Royal Navy and the RAF 479 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:07,920 before it even reaches land. 480 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:11,000 JAMES: It's obvious now that he can't invade, 481 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:15,400 not unless he can obliterate the threat of the RAF planes 482 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,920 above the few ships he has left. 483 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:21,640 NARRATOR: It's this British victory in Narvik that 484 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:25,360 explains why Hitler is so determined to destroy the 485 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:30,680 Royal Air Force but he fails spectacularly. 486 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:37,840 Can the newly discovered wreck of one of his bombers reveal why? 487 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:46,640 NARRATOR: On the South coast of England, 488 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:51,600 Maritime Archaeologist, Graham Scott, and dive specialist, 489 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:55,880 Glenn Skelton are on the hunt for lost planes. 490 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:01,400 Their target lies in one of the strangest features in the 491 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:04,200 English Channel. 492 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:09,960 The Goodwin sands are six miles from the coast of Kent. 493 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:15,840 They stretch just under water for an astonishing ten miles 494 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:20,040 and archaeologists have long been drawn here. 495 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:24,120 GRAHAM: This area has always been known as "the ship swallower" 496 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:28,920 and that's because it's an area with very big mobile sandbanks. 497 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:34,760 NARRATOR: These layers, 50 feet deep are a danger to shipping. 498 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:40,320 But in 1940 they become a life-saver for German pilots who can, 499 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:43,600 if they're lucky, skim along the surface and 500 00:39:43,640 --> 00:39:47,120 climb out into waist high water, 501 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:51,640 leaving their planes to slowly disappear into the deep sands. 502 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:56,120 GRAHAM: If they're covered in sand they're protected and 503 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:58,200 they don't deteriorate. 504 00:39:58,240 --> 00:40:02,360 And of course, for archaeologists that's gold. 505 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:06,840 NARRATOR: The team is here to help shed light on one of the 506 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:12,040 rarest and most extraordinary plane wrecks ever discovered. 507 00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:18,720 The only intact example in the world of a legendary German bomber. 508 00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:28,320 When the Dornier 17 is developed in the 1930's 509 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:33,760 she is so long and elegant she's nicknamed "The Flying Pencil". 510 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:38,800 With each plane able to carry 16 bombs, 511 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:42,560 Dornier's leave a path of destruction across Britain. 512 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:47,000 But they have a fatal flaw. 513 00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:51,320 JAMES: The Dornier's an incredible piece of engineering but it's slow. 514 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:59,080 NARRATOR: All the Dorniers ever built have disappeared. 515 00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:05,120 But in 2013 a team, including Glenn, 516 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:09,040 locate the wreck of a Dornier in the Goodwin sands. 517 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:14,880 GLENN: The first time we had visual on the Dornier it was 518 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:17,680 amazing, absolutely amazing. 519 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:22,560 This particular aircraft was almost 100% intact. 520 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:27,880 NARRATOR: The team lifts the twisted metal carcass... 521 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:34,600 and takes it to a museum for restoration. 522 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:41,240 But how did this fearsome killer crash and yet remain so intact? 523 00:41:42,240 --> 00:41:45,640 And might her story help explain how Britain beat 524 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:50,000 Germany in the great battle to control her skies. 525 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:55,040 To answer that question, Graham and Glenn explore the 526 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:58,520 site where she plunged into the water. 527 00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:04,240 Using the latest sonar and an ROV to study the interaction 528 00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:08,160 of currents and drifting sands. 529 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:12,280 But now that the Dornier has been moved, 530 00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:17,160 the only way to see the wreck as she was when she crashed... 531 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:21,520 is to put her back in the English Channel. 532 00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:28,560 Using the data collected by the team we can now drain 533 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:32,360 millions of gallons of water, 534 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:36,600 and vast quantities of silt and mud. 535 00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:43,360 As the misty light above the English Channel illuminates 536 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:48,320 the Goodwin sands, it reveals a startling sight. 537 00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:56,200 The hulk of a deadly bomber lying upside down. 538 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:02,200 The fact that her wingtips are missing and her nose is gone 539 00:43:02,240 --> 00:43:06,160 suggests she may have been attacked. 540 00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:10,440 But could that be just the effects of impact? 541 00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:16,800 Then, tell-tale clues. 542 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:20,960 Bullet holes in one of her propellers. 543 00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:25,960 GRAHAM: I think the most likely explanation is this 544 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:27,960 aircraft is ditched. 545 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:30,360 In other words, it's been damaged and the pilot has 546 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:34,920 tried to make a forced landing on the surface of the water. 547 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:39,800 NARRATOR: Using data from the drained wreck as well as 548 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:43,280 German Air Force records, Graham discovers that a 549 00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:46,320 Dornier was lost near the site of the wreck on a daylight 550 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:50,800 raid on the 26th of August, 1940. 551 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:57,080 And this allows him to piece together the events of that day. 552 00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:02,280 At around midday, Dorniers begin to take off from 553 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:06,920 occupied Belgium, just over the English Channel. 554 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:16,080 The RAF quickly scrambles fighter to intercept them. 555 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:24,480 At 11,000 feet the British pounce. 556 00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:28,920 One of the Dorniers is strafed in the attack, 557 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:32,800 hitting a propeller and both engines. 558 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:36,200 Without power the pilot desperately heads for the 559 00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:41,520 Goodwin sands and glides down to the shallow water. 560 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:49,840 His plane survives intact as it comes to a halt above the sands. 561 00:44:56,840 --> 00:45:00,200 How could the British manage to get their fighters into the 562 00:45:00,240 --> 00:45:05,440 sky long before they could possibly see the Dorniers? 563 00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:10,840 ERIC: Britain had invested heavily in the late 1930's in 564 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:14,320 what was by far the finest air defense system in the world. 565 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:17,760 This was a system that nobody else had. 566 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:20,560 The Germans didn't, nobody else did. 567 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:23,760 NARRATOR: And the British then go one further. 568 00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:27,640 At the beginning of the War, Britain creates a complete 569 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:31,400 network of radar stations all along its Southern coast. 570 00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:37,400 Each feeding information in real time to Fighter Command. 571 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:41,960 It's radar that explains how the Dornier ends up crashed on 572 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:44,640 Goodwin sands... 573 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:49,400 and why even the elite of the German Air Force found the RAF 574 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:52,160 such a tough opponent. 575 00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:55,440 HOLLAND: There are 138 RAF airfields in Britain during 576 00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:58,240 the Battle of Britain and only one is knocked out for more 577 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:00,840 than 48 hours, in the entire battle. 578 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:04,480 Now that is a pretty low return when you're stated aim 579 00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:07,400 is to destroy their RAF. 580 00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:11,040 NARRATOR: The Battle of Britain is partly won by 581 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:14,400 Britain's radar-based air defense. 582 00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:19,440 But the Royal Navy's overwhelming power also deters 583 00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:23,600 a Nazi invasion at the moment of greatest British weakness. 584 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:30,280 Allowing the brave young pilots of the Royal Air Force 585 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:36,520 to defend their nation... and keep alive the hope 586 00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:39,520 that Hitler could yet be beate. 587 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:43,600 JAMES: The Battle of Britain is one of the epic battles of history. 588 00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:48,280 This determines the fate of a nation and the fate of the world. 589 00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:53,440 And so, the world owes a debt of gratitude to the RAF. 590 00:46:55,680 --> 00:46:57,160 Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.