1 00:00:02,536 --> 00:00:05,273 NARRATOR: A terrifying Nazi plan. 2 00:00:05,306 --> 00:00:10,411 An armada of super-ships sent out to conquer the world. 3 00:00:10,444 --> 00:00:11,679 TONY: When these ships were being built, 4 00:00:11,712 --> 00:00:13,047 they seemed revolutionary. 5 00:00:13,081 --> 00:00:15,015 They were capable of almost anything. 6 00:00:15,049 --> 00:00:18,086 NARRATOR: They are fast and lethal. 7 00:00:18,119 --> 00:00:20,688 JAMES: When it punched it punched hard. 8 00:00:22,690 --> 00:00:24,925 NARRATOR: But in a series of epic battles, 9 00:00:24,958 --> 00:00:28,096 Hitler's mighty killer warships are sent plunging 10 00:00:28,129 --> 00:00:30,431 to the bottom of the seas. 11 00:00:30,464 --> 00:00:32,032 FREDRIK: That's a big hole. 12 00:00:35,369 --> 00:00:38,339 NARRATOR: Imagine if we could empty the oceans, 13 00:00:38,372 --> 00:00:43,211 letting the water drain away to reveal the secrets 14 00:00:43,244 --> 00:00:45,513 of the sea floor? 15 00:00:46,347 --> 00:00:52,686 Now we can, using accurate data and astonishing technology, 16 00:00:55,055 --> 00:00:58,992 to bring light once again to a lost world. 17 00:01:02,563 --> 00:01:05,533 What can shattered remains in a Norwegian fjord 18 00:01:05,566 --> 00:01:09,637 tell us about the Nazi Navy's fatal weakness? 19 00:01:09,670 --> 00:01:11,972 ERIC: The Norwegians decided they ought to open fire, 20 00:01:12,005 --> 00:01:14,074 which they did, with very great effect. 21 00:01:14,708 --> 00:01:17,845 NARRATOR: Can a tangled wreck in South America reveal the 22 00:01:17,878 --> 00:01:21,449 truth behind a shocking sacrifice? 23 00:01:21,482 --> 00:01:24,452 JAMES: Hitler would have preferred a blazing battle out 24 00:01:24,485 --> 00:01:26,086 of a Wagner opera. 25 00:01:27,721 --> 00:01:30,291 NARRATOR: And can the remains of Hitler's largest ever 26 00:01:30,324 --> 00:01:36,197 battleship reveal evidence of a secret Allied wonder weapon? 27 00:01:38,799 --> 00:01:44,272 (theme music plays). 28 00:01:49,210 --> 00:01:53,481 In the 1930s, Britannia still rules the waves, 29 00:01:53,514 --> 00:01:58,118 with the world's largest and most powerful Navy. 30 00:02:00,288 --> 00:02:03,891 But as soon as Hitler seizes power in 1933, 31 00:02:03,924 --> 00:02:06,694 he sets out to challenge it. 32 00:02:07,161 --> 00:02:09,763 ERIC: Hitler had introduced this plan to build this huge 33 00:02:09,797 --> 00:02:13,601 fleet, ten battleships, four aircraft carriers, 34 00:02:13,634 --> 00:02:17,004 160 destroyers, tens of cruisers. 35 00:02:19,473 --> 00:02:22,075 NARRATOR: When the War begins in 1939, 36 00:02:22,109 --> 00:02:26,180 much of this gigantic fleet is still on the drawing board, 37 00:02:26,214 --> 00:02:30,017 but Hitler does have something special. 38 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,489 Powerful ocean raiders, capable of matching anything 39 00:02:35,523 --> 00:02:41,395 in the Royal Navy, immediately deployed, with deadly effect. 40 00:02:47,134 --> 00:02:51,071 In the South Atlantic, Nazi raider, Graf Spee, 41 00:02:51,104 --> 00:02:54,174 is hunting down merchant convoys carrying vital 42 00:02:54,208 --> 00:02:56,644 supplies to Europe. 43 00:03:01,315 --> 00:03:06,186 In just three months, she sinks nine ships. 44 00:03:09,290 --> 00:03:12,293 Allied warships race to hunt her down. 45 00:03:12,326 --> 00:03:17,498 Three British cruisers, Exeter, Ajax and Achilles, 46 00:03:17,531 --> 00:03:20,234 spot their enemy off the coast of Uruguay. 47 00:03:21,769 --> 00:03:24,338 The British open fire. 48 00:03:24,372 --> 00:03:29,042 It's the first major sea battle of World War II. 49 00:03:31,111 --> 00:03:35,283 For the Graf Spee, it's also her last. 50 00:03:41,589 --> 00:03:45,959 But at the battle site itself, there's no sign of her. 51 00:03:47,961 --> 00:03:49,897 (radio chatter) 52 00:03:52,933 --> 00:03:56,937 Jim Delgado, maritime archaeologist from SEARCH, Inc., 53 00:03:56,970 --> 00:03:59,740 is heading into the treacherous River Plate, 54 00:03:59,773 --> 00:04:01,709 searching for the wreck. 55 00:04:05,479 --> 00:04:08,148 The waters here are turbulent and murky, 56 00:04:08,816 --> 00:04:14,154 so Jim is using high-tech multi-beam sonar to scan the estuary. 57 00:04:15,255 --> 00:04:16,724 JAMES: We're in shallow water. 58 00:04:16,757 --> 00:04:19,793 ALFREDO: Very shallow waters between eight to ten meters. 59 00:04:20,494 --> 00:04:22,396 NARRATOR: With him is experienced Graf Spee 60 00:04:22,430 --> 00:04:24,998 researcher, Alfredo Etchegaray. 61 00:04:26,734 --> 00:04:29,670 If they find it, he'll recognize it. 62 00:04:30,070 --> 00:04:32,940 ALFREDO: The total length was about 188 meters. 63 00:04:32,973 --> 00:04:34,342 JAMES: Right. 64 00:04:34,375 --> 00:04:37,578 NARRATOR: The Graf Spee is a small battleship, 65 00:04:37,611 --> 00:04:39,680 for good reason. 66 00:04:43,617 --> 00:04:46,620 After World War I, German naval construction 67 00:04:46,654 --> 00:04:49,256 is tightly regulated. 68 00:04:49,289 --> 00:04:53,361 Her warships must be small in number and size. 69 00:04:54,728 --> 00:04:57,030 (speaking German) 70 00:04:59,333 --> 00:05:02,169 But Hitler works around the rules, 71 00:05:02,202 --> 00:05:06,407 creating a class of warship that's compact, 72 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,110 but also very powerful, like the Graf Spee. 73 00:05:13,313 --> 00:05:15,683 JAMES: Graf Spee is designed to be a fast, 74 00:05:15,716 --> 00:05:17,718 hit and run raider. 75 00:05:17,751 --> 00:05:21,054 It's "Panzerschiff," it's a panther on the seas. 76 00:05:24,124 --> 00:05:26,126 NARRATOR: With her thin armor plating, 77 00:05:26,159 --> 00:05:30,364 the Graf Spee is light, fast and maneuverable, 78 00:05:30,398 --> 00:05:33,601 and armed to the teeth. 79 00:05:36,169 --> 00:05:39,907 Six 11 inch guns and eight torpedo tubes. 80 00:05:47,548 --> 00:05:49,417 JAMES: Wow! 81 00:05:49,450 --> 00:05:51,752 NARRATOR: There's a wreck. 82 00:05:51,785 --> 00:05:53,687 JAMES: OK, wow! 83 00:05:53,721 --> 00:05:56,256 So, it's still pretty intact. 84 00:05:56,289 --> 00:05:59,893 You've got your bow here, decking is missing there, 85 00:05:59,927 --> 00:06:01,929 but there's forward gun turret. 86 00:06:01,962 --> 00:06:03,497 ALFREDO: Yes. 87 00:06:03,531 --> 00:06:05,899 JAMES: Right here, yes? ALFREDO: That's right. 88 00:06:05,933 --> 00:06:10,070 NARRATOR: The sonar images match Alfredo's plans. 89 00:06:11,972 --> 00:06:14,307 It's definitely the Graf Spee. 90 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:23,917 So, why is it lying on the ocean floor here, 91 00:06:23,951 --> 00:06:26,454 far from the scene of the battle? 92 00:06:28,789 --> 00:06:30,791 JAMES: There's something more that goes on here. 93 00:06:33,527 --> 00:06:35,896 NARRATOR: Diving the wreck is difficult. 94 00:06:35,929 --> 00:06:41,334 The waters here are dangerous, with almost zero visibility, 95 00:06:43,737 --> 00:06:49,677 but by using the scan data, we can make the South Atlantic disappear, 96 00:06:49,710 --> 00:06:53,714 to let light fall once again 97 00:06:53,747 --> 00:06:58,085 on one of Hitler's favorite warships, 98 00:07:01,522 --> 00:07:07,495 seeing the Graf Spee for the first time in 80 years. 99 00:07:11,799 --> 00:07:14,434 Much of her is intact. 100 00:07:17,871 --> 00:07:20,874 But the hull has suffered badly. 101 00:07:24,912 --> 00:07:28,649 And at the stern, the whole rear section is blown off, 102 00:07:28,682 --> 00:07:31,652 completely separated from the hull. 103 00:07:36,590 --> 00:07:39,893 Can the battle explain this damage? 104 00:07:39,927 --> 00:07:42,863 JAMES: Three small British vessels were outgunned and 105 00:07:42,896 --> 00:07:44,632 outmatched by Graf Spee. 106 00:07:46,033 --> 00:07:48,168 NARRATOR: The encounter is intense. 107 00:07:48,201 --> 00:07:51,572 The Graf Spee pounds the British cruisers, 108 00:07:51,605 --> 00:07:54,241 causing immense damage. 109 00:07:57,044 --> 00:08:00,614 But then the German Captain makes a tactical error. 110 00:08:02,149 --> 00:08:05,452 He moves in too close, 111 00:08:09,690 --> 00:08:13,093 allowing the British to surround their prey. 112 00:08:16,096 --> 00:08:18,532 ERIC: The three British cruisers peppered Graf Spee 113 00:08:18,566 --> 00:08:20,568 with eight inch and six inch shells. 114 00:08:20,601 --> 00:08:22,603 They scored some quite significant hits. 115 00:08:22,636 --> 00:08:24,705 They put a big hole through the bow. 116 00:08:30,944 --> 00:08:34,214 NARRATOR: But the shell damage alone could not have been 117 00:08:34,247 --> 00:08:38,285 enough to sink her, because the wreck is here, 118 00:08:38,318 --> 00:08:41,388 hundreds of miles from the battle site. 119 00:08:44,224 --> 00:08:47,160 Local archives show that on December 14th, 120 00:08:47,194 --> 00:08:50,330 the Graf Spee sails into the Uruguayan capital of 121 00:08:50,363 --> 00:08:53,233 Montevideo for essential repairs. 122 00:08:54,935 --> 00:08:58,739 Her Captain, Hans Langsdorff, thinks his ship will be safe 123 00:08:58,772 --> 00:09:01,041 in this neutral country. 124 00:09:02,910 --> 00:09:05,846 JAMES: When he came in here, he was low on ammunition, 125 00:09:05,879 --> 00:09:07,881 he had a ship that was shot full of holes, 126 00:09:07,915 --> 00:09:10,517 had some critical systems down. 127 00:09:10,550 --> 00:09:15,689 And he also had 1,000 crew, many of 'em young boys. 128 00:09:15,723 --> 00:09:19,059 NARRATOR: Meanwhile, the Royal Navy is gathering 129 00:09:19,092 --> 00:09:21,561 strength offshore. 130 00:09:22,529 --> 00:09:24,632 ERIC: And all the time they keep watch in international 131 00:09:24,665 --> 00:09:26,800 waters, waiting to see what he'll do. 132 00:09:28,401 --> 00:09:30,638 NARRATOR: Langsdorff requests 15 days to make 133 00:09:30,671 --> 00:09:32,840 essential repairs. 134 00:09:32,873 --> 00:09:37,444 Uruguay may be neutral, but the Allies are important trade 135 00:09:37,477 --> 00:09:41,649 partners, so the Government gives him just three days. 136 00:09:43,884 --> 00:09:49,222 The Captain has two choices, remain in Uruguay and have his 137 00:09:49,256 --> 00:09:54,728 ship impounded, or leave port and face the British fleet. 138 00:09:56,363 --> 00:09:59,166 JAMES: The difficult choice he now has to make is does he go 139 00:09:59,199 --> 00:10:02,035 back out and fight, or does he do something else? 140 00:10:07,708 --> 00:10:11,211 NARRATOR: With a battle-scarred ship and low on ammunition, 141 00:10:11,244 --> 00:10:14,915 Langsdorff leaves port with just a skeleton crew. 142 00:10:15,448 --> 00:10:17,885 It looks like a suicide mission, 143 00:10:17,918 --> 00:10:20,688 but the Captain has another plan. 144 00:10:21,354 --> 00:10:23,123 JAMES: He decides to do something else, 145 00:10:23,156 --> 00:10:24,624 and that's to scuttle his ship. 146 00:10:26,393 --> 00:10:28,696 NARRATOR: At 7:55 PM, 147 00:10:31,464 --> 00:10:33,233 on December 17th, 148 00:10:33,266 --> 00:10:37,570 massive charges on the ship explode, 149 00:10:37,604 --> 00:10:42,275 bombs carefully placed by the Graf Spee's own crew. 150 00:10:45,645 --> 00:10:51,184 One is so powerful, the stern is blown clean off. 151 00:10:58,959 --> 00:11:01,461 The Graf Spee starts to sink into the mud of 152 00:11:01,494 --> 00:11:03,496 the River Plate. 153 00:11:16,309 --> 00:11:19,112 The Führer is enraged. 154 00:11:20,647 --> 00:11:22,649 JAMES: What Hitler would have preferred was something out of 155 00:11:22,682 --> 00:11:25,452 a Wagner opera, with Langsdorff and his crew dying 156 00:11:25,485 --> 00:11:29,356 heroically in a blazing battle that saw Graf Spee 157 00:11:29,389 --> 00:11:31,158 explode and sink. 158 00:11:32,125 --> 00:11:34,895 NARRATOR: Langsdorff is labeled a coward. 159 00:11:38,598 --> 00:11:42,803 In his hotel room, he commits suicide. 160 00:11:55,715 --> 00:11:59,552 Hitler has lost one of his deadliest battleships, 161 00:11:59,586 --> 00:12:03,223 but how does a wreck in Scandinavia reveal his 162 00:12:03,256 --> 00:12:07,427 determination to build still more of them? 163 00:12:18,305 --> 00:12:20,640 NARRATOR: Oslofjord, Norway. 164 00:12:23,710 --> 00:12:27,614 Nearly 500 feet of deep, dark water. 165 00:12:30,951 --> 00:12:33,620 The research vessel, Simrad Echo, 166 00:12:33,653 --> 00:12:37,290 is out hunting for a lost Nazi raider, 167 00:12:37,324 --> 00:12:40,727 a key part of Hitler's plans for an armada of 168 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:42,896 super-warships. 169 00:12:44,197 --> 00:12:47,300 Maritime archaeologist, Fredrik Søreide, 170 00:12:47,334 --> 00:12:49,169 is fascinated by them. 171 00:12:49,202 --> 00:12:50,637 MAN: Oh, there it is! MAN: This is it, right there. 172 00:12:50,670 --> 00:12:52,072 MAN: Oh, yeah, it's coming. 173 00:12:52,105 --> 00:12:53,606 MAN: Yeah. MAN: OK. 174 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:55,275 FREDRIK: So, we're doing a multi-beam scan of the sea 175 00:12:55,308 --> 00:12:59,512 floor and we have just come over the wreck of the Blücher, 176 00:12:59,546 --> 00:13:01,648 so it's a big structure. 177 00:13:04,717 --> 00:13:09,389 NARRATOR: Today, the Blücher lies over 300 feet down. 178 00:13:11,524 --> 00:13:14,194 The team deploys a remotely operated vehicle 179 00:13:14,227 --> 00:13:16,496 with video cameras. 180 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:25,505 Fredrik knows the Blücher was lost in April 1940, 181 00:13:27,707 --> 00:13:32,612 so what was a huge Nazi warship doing in these neutral waters? 182 00:13:34,447 --> 00:13:37,851 To unravel the mystery means understanding Hitler's naval 183 00:13:37,885 --> 00:13:40,687 master plan in more detail. 184 00:13:46,226 --> 00:13:49,329 Six months into the conflict, the German Navy is still 185 00:13:49,362 --> 00:13:51,731 heavily outnumbered. 186 00:13:53,233 --> 00:13:57,637 The Nazis need to build, fast, but Germany is running out of 187 00:13:57,670 --> 00:14:00,173 raw materials. 188 00:14:03,376 --> 00:14:05,913 TONY: Hitler needs as much iron as he can get. 189 00:14:07,414 --> 00:14:10,050 NARRATOR: Starved of steel and the iron ore to make it, 190 00:14:10,650 --> 00:14:16,890 Hitler has only one option, to crush his northern neighbor, Norway. 191 00:14:20,193 --> 00:14:22,229 The port of Narvik is key. 192 00:14:23,630 --> 00:14:26,433 It's the route out for shipping iron ore to Germany 193 00:14:26,466 --> 00:14:28,868 from the mines in northern Scandinavia. 194 00:14:30,670 --> 00:14:34,207 Hitler also knows that Norway's long coastline gives 195 00:14:34,241 --> 00:14:36,776 easy access to the North Atlantic, 196 00:14:36,809 --> 00:14:40,480 where his raiders can strike at a moment's notice. 197 00:14:41,414 --> 00:14:45,485 TONY: The double whammy of needing this iron ore, 198 00:14:45,518 --> 00:14:49,689 plus the ability of Norway to protect his ships, 199 00:14:49,722 --> 00:14:52,592 many of which will have been built out of that iron ore, 200 00:14:52,625 --> 00:14:54,127 makes Norway vital. 201 00:14:55,395 --> 00:14:58,131 NARRATOR: The Nazis need to move fast, 202 00:14:58,165 --> 00:15:01,768 so they assemble the most powerful naval force they 203 00:15:01,801 --> 00:15:07,174 have, led by a brand-new fighting ship, the Blücher. 204 00:15:11,078 --> 00:15:14,447 Weighing in at over 14,000 tons, 205 00:15:14,481 --> 00:15:17,384 this warship breaks all the limits imposed on Germany 206 00:15:17,417 --> 00:15:20,287 after World War I. 207 00:15:22,355 --> 00:15:26,293 Fore and aft, pairs of innovative stacked guns for 208 00:15:26,326 --> 00:15:30,964 rapid firing, and a powerful anti-aircraft battery, 209 00:15:30,998 --> 00:15:35,002 all making the Blücher Hitler's Number One choice to 210 00:15:35,035 --> 00:15:37,137 lead this critical attack. 211 00:15:39,439 --> 00:15:42,976 It's secret mission, sail up Oslofjord, 212 00:15:43,010 --> 00:15:46,646 train it's terrifying guns on the Royal Palace, 213 00:15:46,679 --> 00:15:51,251 and force Norway to surrender without firing a shot. 214 00:15:52,885 --> 00:15:55,555 Hitler is not expecting a lot of resistance from this 215 00:15:55,588 --> 00:15:59,559 neutral country, but the Blücher never makes 216 00:15:59,592 --> 00:16:01,694 it to Oslo. 217 00:16:04,131 --> 00:16:06,833 Back on the Simrad Echo, Fredrik is trying to 218 00:16:06,866 --> 00:16:09,036 find out why. 219 00:16:09,269 --> 00:16:12,005 FREDRIK: So we think we're looking at one of the gun 220 00:16:12,039 --> 00:16:14,074 turrets that's fallen off, probably. 221 00:16:14,107 --> 00:16:17,677 NARRATOR: These cameras can only show a limited view 222 00:16:17,710 --> 00:16:19,612 of the wreck. 223 00:16:21,448 --> 00:16:22,949 FREDRIK: That's a big hole. 224 00:16:24,984 --> 00:16:28,188 NARRATOR: But using the high-resolution scan data, we can now do better, 225 00:16:31,391 --> 00:16:33,493 draining back the icy waters 226 00:16:33,526 --> 00:16:38,598 to see the Blücher clearly for the first time since she set out to 227 00:16:38,631 --> 00:16:41,768 bully a nation into surrender. 228 00:16:42,935 --> 00:16:49,242 A massive hull, over 670 feet long, face down in the mud. 229 00:16:57,984 --> 00:17:02,255 Amid ships, a gaping wound clearly visible in the hull. 230 00:17:05,592 --> 00:17:08,395 The Blücher lies tilted on her left side, 231 00:17:08,428 --> 00:17:12,031 part of the keel lying hidden from view beneath the mud, 232 00:17:12,065 --> 00:17:16,736 but penetrating under the mud itself, 233 00:17:16,769 --> 00:17:21,874 it's possible to reveal something never seen before. 234 00:17:23,710 --> 00:17:27,947 Two gigantic holes below the water line, 235 00:17:30,083 --> 00:17:32,585 both of them fatal. 236 00:17:35,588 --> 00:17:37,957 FREDRIK: There is no doubt that the ship would sink as a 237 00:17:37,990 --> 00:17:40,960 result of getting such a hard impact. 238 00:17:42,495 --> 00:17:44,664 NARRATOR: And the mystery deepens. 239 00:17:46,366 --> 00:17:50,337 The Allies have no surface warships near Oslo. 240 00:17:53,206 --> 00:17:57,076 And the Norwegians have no active submarines in the area. 241 00:17:59,412 --> 00:18:02,048 What could have caused the holes? 242 00:18:12,992 --> 00:18:15,862 Investigation reveals something extraordinary below 243 00:18:15,895 --> 00:18:20,400 the surface, a mysterious cave. 244 00:18:22,535 --> 00:18:27,006 In 1940, the Germans know nothing about it. 245 00:18:30,677 --> 00:18:33,880 ERIC: The Norwegians were, and still are, to some extent, 246 00:18:33,913 --> 00:18:36,716 very good at keeping secrets about their coast defenses. 247 00:18:36,749 --> 00:18:40,787 NARRATOR: Cut into the rock face, a hidden entrance. 248 00:18:43,256 --> 00:18:46,426 Historian, Tony Pollard, is investigating. 249 00:18:54,367 --> 00:18:57,204 It's a secret torpedo launch chamber. 250 00:18:59,372 --> 00:19:01,208 TONY: These are incredible! 251 00:19:01,241 --> 00:19:06,379 The shaft just sinks down and the torpedoes presumably load 252 00:19:06,413 --> 00:19:07,947 from the back. 253 00:19:10,149 --> 00:19:12,952 NARRATOR: A double cradle hangs over the shaft. 254 00:19:12,985 --> 00:19:17,857 Torpedoes are slid into the frame, 255 00:19:17,890 --> 00:19:23,196 winched down into the water and fired. 256 00:19:26,333 --> 00:19:28,535 TONY: There's no indication whatsoever to the enemy. 257 00:19:28,568 --> 00:19:30,937 There's no splash as this thing hits the water. 258 00:19:30,970 --> 00:19:33,673 It's, it's literally coming out of the solid rock. 259 00:19:33,706 --> 00:19:35,475 It's amazing! 260 00:19:35,508 --> 00:19:38,445 NARRATOR: So, what happens on the night the Blücher is sent 261 00:19:38,478 --> 00:19:40,880 to conquer Norway? 262 00:19:44,016 --> 00:19:46,953 Early morning, all seems quiet. 263 00:19:48,154 --> 00:19:51,558 Heavily armed, the Blücher brazenly leads a task force 264 00:19:51,591 --> 00:19:53,893 right into Oslofjord. 265 00:19:57,764 --> 00:20:00,667 They're not expecting any resistance. 266 00:20:04,437 --> 00:20:08,875 Certainly not from the 19th Century Oscarsborg Fortress. 267 00:20:10,910 --> 00:20:12,178 ERIC: The Germans, I think, thought that, 268 00:20:12,211 --> 00:20:13,646 "Well, we don't have to worry about this. 269 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:15,214 They won't fire, and if they do, 270 00:20:15,248 --> 00:20:16,616 it won't be effective." 271 00:20:16,649 --> 00:20:18,785 But they were putting their head into a noose. 272 00:20:21,288 --> 00:20:23,690 NARRATOR: The Commander of the Garrison spots the Blücher and 273 00:20:23,723 --> 00:20:26,326 her task force approaching. 274 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,530 As the German ships pass in front of the fortress, 275 00:20:30,563 --> 00:20:33,566 he opens fire. 276 00:20:36,536 --> 00:20:40,106 Multiple shell strikes on Blücher cause severe damage. 277 00:20:42,975 --> 00:20:46,779 Fires break out on board, her rudder is jammed, 278 00:20:46,813 --> 00:20:53,119 but the Blücher limps on, unaware of the impending danger. 279 00:20:55,288 --> 00:20:57,990 ERIC: Having a secret torpedo nest in the island could come 280 00:20:58,024 --> 00:20:59,692 as a very nasty shock. 281 00:21:00,159 --> 00:21:04,297 NARRATOR: Each weapon carries 220 pounds of high explosives. 282 00:21:13,039 --> 00:21:15,174 ERIC: Cause torpedoes hit below the waterline, 283 00:21:15,207 --> 00:21:17,644 where the water comes in quite rapidly, and it did. 284 00:21:21,548 --> 00:21:24,517 NARRATOR: It takes just two torpedoes to stop the mighty 285 00:21:24,551 --> 00:21:26,919 Blücher in her tracks. 286 00:21:32,191 --> 00:21:34,427 And she soon capsizes. 287 00:21:39,031 --> 00:21:42,902 Hitler calls on the Luftwaffe and his Army to finish the 288 00:21:42,935 --> 00:21:48,207 job, and eventually they do seize control of Norway, 289 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:53,646 but his plan for a world class Navy has taken another blow. 290 00:21:53,913 --> 00:21:55,882 TONY: The loss of the Blücher is particularly important. 291 00:21:55,915 --> 00:21:58,918 She is another one of these celebrity ships, brand new, 292 00:21:58,951 --> 00:22:02,722 cutting edge, but she's gone. 293 00:22:03,356 --> 00:22:07,159 She's at the bottom of this fjord, and, again, 294 00:22:07,193 --> 00:22:10,463 Hitler looks at the Navy and thinks, 295 00:22:10,497 --> 00:22:12,999 "What the hell's happening here?" 296 00:22:14,934 --> 00:22:17,904 NARRATOR: But the Nazis aren't done yet. 297 00:22:17,937 --> 00:22:21,273 One of Hitler's killer warships is set to achieve 298 00:22:21,307 --> 00:22:24,544 Germany's greatest ever naval victory, 299 00:22:24,577 --> 00:22:28,347 in a battle of the giants. 300 00:22:33,753 --> 00:22:37,957 NARRATOR: 1941, nearly 18 months into the war. 301 00:22:37,990 --> 00:22:41,327 France has fallen and Britain relies on supplies from across 302 00:22:41,360 --> 00:22:46,198 the Atlantic, but merchant convoys are vulnerable to 303 00:22:46,232 --> 00:22:50,036 attack from U-boats and Nazi ocean raiders. 304 00:22:54,641 --> 00:22:58,678 Most infamous of all, the Bismarck. 305 00:23:00,613 --> 00:23:06,953 In May, she's hunting Allied convoys, when HMS Hood, 306 00:23:06,986 --> 00:23:10,790 pride of the Royal Navy, tracks her down. 307 00:23:12,592 --> 00:23:15,595 The stakes are high in this heavyweight showdown, 308 00:23:15,628 --> 00:23:18,598 and there can be only one winner. 309 00:23:23,269 --> 00:23:27,006 So, why are both of these powerful battleships now lying 310 00:23:27,039 --> 00:23:31,377 in deep waters, 1,100 miles apart? 311 00:23:34,481 --> 00:23:38,250 As battle begins, the Bismarck has a slight upper hand. 312 00:23:38,284 --> 00:23:41,488 She's brand new and state of the art. 313 00:23:43,723 --> 00:23:48,160 Her 15 inch can fire an impressive 24 miles, 314 00:23:48,194 --> 00:23:51,097 and her deck armor plating is thick, 315 00:23:51,130 --> 00:23:55,034 at nearly five inches offering excellent protection from 316 00:23:55,067 --> 00:23:57,069 incoming shells. 317 00:23:58,404 --> 00:24:02,475 JAMES: Creating Bismarck is all part of a larger plan, 318 00:24:02,509 --> 00:24:06,012 to build powerful, iconic ships that are going to strike 319 00:24:06,045 --> 00:24:09,882 terror enforcing Hitler's will on the rest of the globe. 320 00:24:11,518 --> 00:24:15,154 NARRATOR: On the British side, the famous HMS Hood. 321 00:24:15,187 --> 00:24:19,526 She's bigger than Bismarck, at 860 feet long, 322 00:24:19,559 --> 00:24:23,496 but her main 15 inch guns are less powerful, 323 00:24:23,530 --> 00:24:28,735 firing just 17 miles, and her deck armor is thinner, 324 00:24:28,768 --> 00:24:31,403 at three inches. 325 00:24:31,437 --> 00:24:35,441 She's also nearly 25 years old. 326 00:24:39,646 --> 00:24:42,448 DAVID: The Hood had a tremendous reputation, 327 00:24:42,481 --> 00:24:45,518 not just in the UK, but around the world. 328 00:24:45,552 --> 00:24:49,756 It was the most powerful, fastest, most feared, 329 00:24:49,789 --> 00:24:53,292 but also most loved warship for a 20-year period, 330 00:24:53,325 --> 00:24:56,195 until the launch of the Bismarck. 331 00:25:00,432 --> 00:25:03,803 NARRATOR: Bismarck leaves her secret hideout in Norway. 332 00:25:05,371 --> 00:25:07,840 She plots a route through the Denmark Strait, 333 00:25:07,874 --> 00:25:11,210 west of Iceland, aiming for the North Atlantic and the 334 00:25:11,243 --> 00:25:12,879 Allied convoys. 335 00:25:15,648 --> 00:25:17,917 But she'll never make it that far. 336 00:25:20,519 --> 00:25:23,856 British Intelligence discovers Bismarck is on the move. 337 00:25:23,890 --> 00:25:28,094 Hood is one of three ships sent to intercept. 338 00:25:29,295 --> 00:25:33,866 So what happens when these two giants come face to face? 339 00:25:37,604 --> 00:25:39,772 Wreck investigator, David Mearns, 340 00:25:39,806 --> 00:25:42,408 is tracking down the wreck of the Hood. 341 00:25:44,376 --> 00:25:48,014 He knows Hitler's top spec battleship has the bigger punch, 342 00:25:48,047 --> 00:25:51,918 but just how much damage can the Bismarck inflict? 343 00:25:55,354 --> 00:25:57,890 The team begins to scan the sea floor at the last known 344 00:25:57,924 --> 00:26:01,360 location of the Hood in the Denmark Strait, 345 00:26:01,393 --> 00:26:05,331 but she's proving tough to find. 346 00:26:10,670 --> 00:26:13,773 Suddenly, the scan reveals a mysterious crater 347 00:26:13,806 --> 00:26:17,744 almost 330 feet wide. 348 00:26:17,777 --> 00:26:19,646 DAVID: I think this is it. 349 00:26:19,679 --> 00:26:23,515 NARRATOR: Could it be a vital clue in the hunt for the Hood? 350 00:26:25,885 --> 00:26:30,089 The crater is nearly two miles down, too deep to dive, 351 00:26:30,122 --> 00:26:34,894 so David must use a Remotely Operated Vehicle. 352 00:26:36,395 --> 00:26:39,231 It sends back tantalizing images, 353 00:26:39,265 --> 00:26:43,936 shattered debris that suggests a catastrophic event. 354 00:26:46,639 --> 00:26:50,609 Next, the ROV finds a section of hull. 355 00:26:54,546 --> 00:26:58,550 It's so massive it can only be the Hood. 356 00:26:58,885 --> 00:27:00,920 And it's overturned. 357 00:27:02,054 --> 00:27:05,491 DAVID: I've looked at 45 ships in deep water, 358 00:27:05,524 --> 00:27:08,394 and never found one completely turned over. 359 00:27:09,328 --> 00:27:11,931 NARRATOR: Bismarck's deadly firepower has delivered a 360 00:27:11,964 --> 00:27:14,133 knockout blow. 361 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,136 DAVID: In every single way, she is as badly destroyed as 362 00:27:17,169 --> 00:27:20,106 anybody could have imagined or described. 363 00:27:28,014 --> 00:27:31,517 NARRATOR: Using David's data, it's now possible to drain 364 00:27:31,550 --> 00:27:36,288 away billions of gallons of water from the Denmark Strait, 365 00:27:40,492 --> 00:27:44,330 and fully expose the wreck site for the first time. 366 00:27:45,732 --> 00:27:49,736 Spread across one and a half miles of the sea floor, 367 00:27:49,769 --> 00:27:53,773 the shattered remains of over 40,000 tons 368 00:27:53,806 --> 00:27:56,776 of scarred and twisted metal. 369 00:27:59,278 --> 00:28:02,048 To the north, the conning tower. 370 00:28:05,251 --> 00:28:08,687 To the east, part of the bow and stern. 371 00:28:12,391 --> 00:28:15,094 Almost half mile away to the south, 372 00:28:15,127 --> 00:28:19,398 the largest intact section, the midships. 373 00:28:22,034 --> 00:28:26,372 The scattered remains suggest a massive explosion. 374 00:28:28,107 --> 00:28:32,745 DAVID: I wasn't expecting to see Hood as damaged as she was. 375 00:28:34,713 --> 00:28:37,216 That's what was completely unexpected. 376 00:28:37,249 --> 00:28:40,319 It was shocking and it was very upsetting, actually. 377 00:28:40,352 --> 00:28:43,422 NARRATOR: Superimposing parts of the wreck on to the 378 00:28:43,455 --> 00:28:47,894 original plans of the Hood reveals a missing part of the 379 00:28:47,927 --> 00:28:51,363 ship between the stern and midships. 380 00:28:52,664 --> 00:28:57,736 The missing section of ship is where an ammunition store was located. 381 00:28:58,670 --> 00:29:02,608 It looks like this is the epicenter of the explosion. 382 00:29:04,977 --> 00:29:09,648 DAVID: What we know is that Bismarck's shell hit Hood in 383 00:29:09,681 --> 00:29:12,952 the aft part of the ship, near the main mast. 384 00:29:12,985 --> 00:29:16,155 There was this enormous explosion. 385 00:29:16,188 --> 00:29:19,926 They, they talked about it like a blow lamp, 600 feet high. 386 00:29:19,959 --> 00:29:23,295 ERIC: The shot that sank the Hood was, in many ways, 387 00:29:23,329 --> 00:29:26,032 a very lucky one for the Germans. 388 00:29:26,065 --> 00:29:28,234 If that shell had landed a little bit further aft, 389 00:29:28,267 --> 00:29:29,735 Hood may not have blown up. 390 00:29:32,204 --> 00:29:34,941 NARRATOR: It's now possible to piece together how the 391 00:29:34,974 --> 00:29:38,210 Bismarck sank the Hood in one of the shortest battles 392 00:29:38,244 --> 00:29:40,146 in naval history. 393 00:29:44,884 --> 00:29:49,121 Early morning, Hood spots the Bismarck. 394 00:29:59,966 --> 00:30:02,534 At a distance of over 14 miles, 395 00:30:02,568 --> 00:30:06,973 Hood fires her twin 15 inch guns. 396 00:30:11,410 --> 00:30:14,914 Bismarck takes a hit, damaging her fuel tanks. 397 00:30:19,785 --> 00:30:21,753 She returns fire. 398 00:30:24,991 --> 00:30:28,961 A shell hits Hood right above the ammunition stores. 399 00:30:31,430 --> 00:30:37,436 The great warship disappears beneath the waves in less than three minutes, 400 00:30:37,469 --> 00:30:42,875 with the loss of over 1,400 men. 401 00:30:44,977 --> 00:30:48,080 ERIC: HMS Hood, this great symbol of British Imperial 402 00:30:48,114 --> 00:30:51,850 power, British sea power, blowing up the way she did, 403 00:30:51,884 --> 00:30:54,921 with only three survivors, came as an enormous shock. 404 00:30:56,755 --> 00:30:59,158 NARRATOR: For the first time in centuries, 405 00:30:59,191 --> 00:31:02,561 Britannia cannot claim to rule the waves, 406 00:31:02,594 --> 00:31:05,564 and in the propaganda war, at least, 407 00:31:05,597 --> 00:31:10,202 German sea power is finally riding high. 408 00:31:12,905 --> 00:31:18,044 Bismarck appears invincible, but just three days after her 409 00:31:18,077 --> 00:31:22,949 great victory, she, too, lies at the bottom of the Atlantic. 410 00:31:23,649 --> 00:31:27,619 How did this brilliant killing machine meet her end? 411 00:31:27,653 --> 00:31:30,056 ERIC: It became very important for Churchill, 412 00:31:30,089 --> 00:31:32,124 the British Government and the Royal Navy, 413 00:31:32,158 --> 00:31:34,994 that the British re-assert their command of the sea by 414 00:31:35,027 --> 00:31:36,528 sinking Bismarck. 415 00:31:38,630 --> 00:31:41,333 NARRATOR: An armada of warships and squadrons of 416 00:31:41,367 --> 00:31:45,904 aircraft scour the ocean, hunting this killer down. 417 00:31:48,607 --> 00:31:52,911 A spotter plane picks up a trail of oil on the surface, 418 00:31:55,114 --> 00:31:57,716 leading straight to a wounded Bismarck. 419 00:32:07,559 --> 00:32:10,997 A staggering 2,800 shells rained down on 420 00:32:11,030 --> 00:32:13,932 Hitler's iconic battleship. 421 00:32:15,567 --> 00:32:18,804 Outnumbered, outgunned and out of luck, 422 00:32:20,772 --> 00:32:22,774 Bismarck goes down, 423 00:32:23,575 --> 00:32:27,713 and now lies 1,100 miles south of its opponent, 424 00:32:28,014 --> 00:32:30,082 at the bottom of the sea. 425 00:32:31,283 --> 00:32:33,352 TONY: She was powerful, she was beautiful. 426 00:32:33,385 --> 00:32:36,522 All eyes were on her, and, at the end of the day, 427 00:32:36,555 --> 00:32:39,358 that was what killed her. 428 00:32:41,727 --> 00:32:44,596 ERIC: Hitler was shocked by the loss of this symbol of the 429 00:32:44,630 --> 00:32:46,532 prestige of the Third Reich. 430 00:32:46,565 --> 00:32:48,967 It was yet another nail in the coffin, if you like, 431 00:32:49,001 --> 00:32:50,369 of the German Navy. 432 00:32:53,439 --> 00:32:58,277 NARRATOR: The Tirpitz is Hitler's last great battleship. 433 00:33:01,013 --> 00:33:05,051 What can the sunken remains of Allied aircraft tell us about 434 00:33:05,084 --> 00:33:09,555 the extraordinary cost of destroying her? 435 00:33:15,994 --> 00:33:19,331 NARRATOR: With the loss of the Bismarck in 1941, 436 00:33:19,365 --> 00:33:23,802 Hitler's faith in his Navy is at an all-time low. 437 00:33:25,804 --> 00:33:29,475 He has one last battleship, the mighty Tirpitz. 438 00:33:29,508 --> 00:33:34,012 Terrified of losing her, the Führer orders a series of 439 00:33:34,046 --> 00:33:36,014 major upgrades. 440 00:33:36,715 --> 00:33:41,220 The improved Tirpitz weighs in at nearly 53,000 tons, 441 00:33:41,253 --> 00:33:45,124 2,000 more than her sister ship, the Bismarck. 442 00:33:45,924 --> 00:33:49,195 Her hull is strengthened, wrapped in 13 inch thick 443 00:33:49,228 --> 00:33:51,863 armor plating. 444 00:33:51,897 --> 00:33:55,534 Nearly five inches of steel protects the main deck. 445 00:33:55,567 --> 00:33:59,871 She bristles with eight, 15 inch main guns, 446 00:33:59,905 --> 00:34:04,042 and a staggering 72 anti-aircraft guns. 447 00:34:05,377 --> 00:34:08,247 She is an impenetrable floating fortress, 448 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:13,085 perhaps the most perfect battleship ever put to sea. 449 00:34:13,885 --> 00:34:16,054 But despite her impressive armory, 450 00:34:16,088 --> 00:34:21,293 this Goliath spends most of her life hiding out in 451 00:34:21,327 --> 00:34:26,031 Norwegian fjords, becoming a major thorn in the side 452 00:34:26,064 --> 00:34:28,134 of Allied Forces. 453 00:34:30,269 --> 00:34:33,071 ERIC: Tirpitz became what naval strategists call a 454 00:34:33,105 --> 00:34:35,174 "fleet in being." 455 00:34:35,207 --> 00:34:39,311 It wasn't risked, but the risks it posed forced the British and the Americans, 456 00:34:39,345 --> 00:34:41,847 at times, to deploy considerable forces just in 457 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:43,349 case it did do something. 458 00:34:44,916 --> 00:34:48,520 NARRATOR: But the Tirpitz does not survive the War. 459 00:34:53,592 --> 00:34:57,896 The story of her demise begins in this fjord near Trondheim. 460 00:35:00,266 --> 00:35:03,034 Maritime archaeologist, Fredrik Søriede, 461 00:35:03,068 --> 00:35:05,537 is on a mission to try and uncover the 462 00:35:05,571 --> 00:35:08,340 Tirpitz's shadowy past. 463 00:35:08,374 --> 00:35:12,711 He believes these deep waters may contain clues to help 464 00:35:12,744 --> 00:35:15,314 explain the lengths the Allies went to 465 00:35:15,347 --> 00:35:17,449 to destroy the Tirpitz. 466 00:35:17,483 --> 00:35:22,053 (radio chatter) 467 00:35:23,689 --> 00:35:28,194 The team are using specialist ROVs and deep water cameras. 468 00:35:28,994 --> 00:35:30,596 FREDRIK: Oh, look at that! 469 00:35:33,765 --> 00:35:35,367 Can we try to move it a little bit closer, or? 470 00:35:35,401 --> 00:35:37,002 Yeah. 471 00:35:37,035 --> 00:35:39,438 NARRATOR: The ghostly outline of an aircraft appears. 472 00:35:39,471 --> 00:35:40,539 MAN: Cockpit. Yes. 473 00:35:40,572 --> 00:35:41,773 FREDRIK: Oh, yeah! 474 00:35:41,807 --> 00:35:43,775 That's the nose and then the cockpit. 475 00:35:43,809 --> 00:35:45,511 NARRATOR: But what is this plane, 476 00:35:45,544 --> 00:35:47,779 and what's it doing here? 477 00:35:47,813 --> 00:35:49,448 FREDRIK: Oh. 478 00:35:49,481 --> 00:35:52,284 NARRATOR: Fredrik tries to ID the aircraft. 479 00:35:52,318 --> 00:35:55,321 He needs to take a closer look inside. 480 00:36:01,927 --> 00:36:03,762 MAN: We're probably sitting in the pilot seat. 481 00:36:06,765 --> 00:36:08,133 FREDRIK: Look at that! 482 00:36:08,166 --> 00:36:09,501 MAN: We have the stick. 483 00:36:09,535 --> 00:36:10,702 FREDRIK: Oh, yeah. 484 00:36:10,736 --> 00:36:12,037 That's the stick. That's the stick. 485 00:36:12,070 --> 00:36:13,405 MAN: That's the stick. That's the stick, yeah. 486 00:36:13,439 --> 00:36:15,006 FREDRIK: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the stick. 487 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:16,608 MAN: Yeah, also. 488 00:36:16,642 --> 00:36:21,413 NARRATOR: From the layout of the cockpit and the position 489 00:36:21,447 --> 00:36:24,916 of the two propellers on each side of the aircraft, 490 00:36:24,950 --> 00:36:29,521 Fredrik believes this is a British Halifax bomber. 491 00:36:34,626 --> 00:36:39,130 More ROV dives discover the Halifax is not alone. 492 00:36:39,931 --> 00:36:42,334 The bed of the fjord is littered with the remains 493 00:36:42,368 --> 00:36:44,536 of downed aircraft. 494 00:36:44,570 --> 00:36:48,674 FREDRIK: We believe that there are 40, 50 plane wrecks 495 00:36:48,707 --> 00:36:51,977 resting on the bottom of this fjord. 496 00:36:53,245 --> 00:36:55,647 This area really saw a lot of action, 497 00:36:55,681 --> 00:36:59,184 so this is really a veritable plane graveyard. 498 00:37:01,753 --> 00:37:04,122 NARRATOR: There must have been something really special here 499 00:37:04,155 --> 00:37:07,993 for the Allies to suffer such huge losses, 500 00:37:08,026 --> 00:37:12,030 and Fredrik discovers there is. 501 00:37:13,432 --> 00:37:16,134 The Tirpitz was hiding here for one year, 502 00:37:16,167 --> 00:37:20,606 heavily defended with anti-aircraft guns. 503 00:37:24,175 --> 00:37:28,246 But there's another reason why so many bombing raids fail. 504 00:37:35,454 --> 00:37:39,057 Scientist, Claudia Hartyl is gathering evidence from the 505 00:37:39,090 --> 00:37:43,995 most unlikely of places, the pine clad slopes high 506 00:37:44,029 --> 00:37:46,264 above the fjord. 507 00:37:48,467 --> 00:37:51,903 Claudia takes core samples from deep inside the trees, 508 00:37:51,937 --> 00:37:54,673 revealing the growth rings. 509 00:37:56,007 --> 00:37:58,444 CLAUDIA: They record everything. 510 00:37:58,477 --> 00:38:00,278 They are time machines. 511 00:38:00,312 --> 00:38:02,348 They can tell you the past. 512 00:38:02,914 --> 00:38:06,117 NARRATOR: Each ring records one year of the tree's growth. 513 00:38:06,151 --> 00:38:09,888 Claudia carefully counts back, until she reaches the early 514 00:38:09,921 --> 00:38:14,560 1940s, and notices something unusual. 515 00:38:15,026 --> 00:38:17,596 CLAUDIA: So, you can see here, wider rings, 516 00:38:17,629 --> 00:38:20,231 then you have a period of very narrow rings. 517 00:38:20,265 --> 00:38:23,034 You have a period of very low growth. 518 00:38:23,068 --> 00:38:27,005 NARRATOR: It's the same for all the trees in the area. 519 00:38:27,038 --> 00:38:32,678 During the War, something is stunting the tree's growth. 520 00:38:33,311 --> 00:38:36,314 CLAUDIA: This is tree damage caused by the artificial smoke 521 00:38:36,348 --> 00:38:38,884 to hide the Tirpitz. 522 00:38:40,686 --> 00:38:43,054 NARRATOR: The Germans had dozens of smoke generators 523 00:38:43,088 --> 00:38:47,292 around the fjord, pumping out dense acid clouds, 524 00:38:47,325 --> 00:38:51,096 poisoning the trees, but hiding their ship from 525 00:38:51,129 --> 00:38:53,599 Allied bombers overhead. 526 00:38:55,266 --> 00:38:59,571 ERIC: The Germans proved very adept at protecting Tirpitz 527 00:38:59,605 --> 00:39:01,640 with smoke screens. 528 00:39:01,673 --> 00:39:03,442 TONY: She's almost got a cloaking device, 529 00:39:03,475 --> 00:39:05,176 like something out of Star Trek , 530 00:39:05,210 --> 00:39:09,114 and she foils raid after raid. 531 00:39:12,150 --> 00:39:14,753 NARRATOR: But Hitler knows his last killer battleship 532 00:39:14,786 --> 00:39:17,088 is on borrowed time. 533 00:39:17,122 --> 00:39:21,126 Fearing the Allies might get lucky, in October 1944, 534 00:39:21,159 --> 00:39:24,763 he orders the Tirpitz to sail to a new location, 535 00:39:24,796 --> 00:39:26,798 Håkøya Island. 536 00:39:30,569 --> 00:39:33,238 It's to be her last voyage. 537 00:39:38,677 --> 00:39:40,479 FREDRIK: So, we are just outside of Tromsø, 538 00:39:40,512 --> 00:39:43,048 and this is the final resting place of the Tirpitz, 539 00:39:43,081 --> 00:39:45,250 just below this area. 540 00:39:45,283 --> 00:39:47,152 But, remember, this ship was enormous. 541 00:39:48,253 --> 00:39:52,791 NARRATOR: Fredrik puts down a remotely operated underwater camera. 542 00:39:55,494 --> 00:39:57,696 FREDRIK: The whole sea floor is basically littered with stuff. 543 00:39:57,729 --> 00:39:59,565 MAN: Yeah, it's a big area. 544 00:39:59,598 --> 00:40:04,570 NARRATOR: After 75 years, shells capable of traveling 545 00:40:04,603 --> 00:40:08,039 20 miles remain intact. 546 00:40:09,174 --> 00:40:10,275 FREDRIK: They look like they (inaudible). 547 00:40:10,308 --> 00:40:11,643 MAN: Oh, yeah. 548 00:40:11,677 --> 00:40:12,978 And there's a book. 549 00:40:13,011 --> 00:40:14,646 MAN: There's a book. 550 00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:17,115 NARRATOR: Personal items, a book, 551 00:40:17,148 --> 00:40:19,985 with the pages still clearly readable. 552 00:40:23,789 --> 00:40:27,626 Very little of this enormous battleship remains. 553 00:40:31,997 --> 00:40:34,700 But now, using historical records, 554 00:40:34,733 --> 00:40:39,237 coastal scans and state of the art computer visualization, 555 00:40:39,270 --> 00:40:42,641 we can roll back the waters of Håkøya Island, 556 00:40:42,674 --> 00:40:46,144 as they were in 1944. 557 00:40:46,411 --> 00:40:50,148 The Tirpitz is lying upside down in shallow waters. 558 00:40:57,255 --> 00:41:00,626 Near the port bow, a gigantic hole. 559 00:41:09,868 --> 00:41:14,540 Towards the stern, evidence of two more impacts, 560 00:41:14,573 --> 00:41:18,877 all punched through the thick, five inch armor plating. 561 00:41:21,246 --> 00:41:24,616 And directly next to the ship, more evidence. 562 00:41:24,650 --> 00:41:29,054 An enormous crater, 563 00:41:29,087 --> 00:41:34,125 100 feet wide, gauged into the seabed. 564 00:41:40,465 --> 00:41:45,671 What weapon could have caused such catastrophic damage? 565 00:41:53,511 --> 00:41:58,516 NARRATOR: October 1944, Håkøya Island, northern Norway. 566 00:41:59,484 --> 00:42:02,353 Hitler's last great battleship, the Tirpitz, 567 00:42:02,387 --> 00:42:05,557 is hiding out just off the shoreline. 568 00:42:07,559 --> 00:42:12,030 The Germans know the Tirpitz is on the Allies most wanted list. 569 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:18,136 Underwater nets protect her from torpedo attacks. 570 00:42:20,806 --> 00:42:24,342 Sand and rubble are piled up around the hull to prevent the 571 00:42:24,375 --> 00:42:27,245 Tirpitz capsizing if hit. 572 00:42:29,047 --> 00:42:32,450 She survived over two years of aerial attacks, 573 00:42:32,483 --> 00:42:37,022 so what happens here, less than one month after arriving, 574 00:42:37,055 --> 00:42:40,525 that sends her to the bottom of the fjord? 575 00:42:43,394 --> 00:42:47,866 At the side of the wreck, a huge bomb crater. 576 00:42:51,369 --> 00:42:55,273 On the deck, holes punched straight through the extra 577 00:42:55,306 --> 00:42:59,745 thick steel, too big to be shell or torpedo damage. 578 00:43:02,948 --> 00:43:06,251 What could cause such devastating destruction? 579 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:11,890 The evidence of its power still scars the landscape 580 00:43:11,923 --> 00:43:14,592 today, at Håkøya Island. 581 00:43:19,464 --> 00:43:22,600 Churchill is determined the Tirpitz must be destroyed, 582 00:43:22,634 --> 00:43:26,037 but to cut through her five inch thick steel deck, 583 00:43:26,071 --> 00:43:30,608 the Allies need a more powerful bomb than ever before. 584 00:43:32,077 --> 00:43:34,880 There's only one man to turn to, 585 00:43:34,913 --> 00:43:38,083 the brains behind the legendary bouncing bomb of the 586 00:43:38,116 --> 00:43:41,219 Dambusters raid, Barnes Wallis, 587 00:43:41,252 --> 00:43:46,925 and the weapon he develops is so huge the planes carrying it 588 00:43:46,958 --> 00:43:50,395 have to be specially adapted and stripped down. 589 00:43:51,629 --> 00:43:57,368 It's called the "Tallboy," towering at a mighty 21 feet, 590 00:43:57,402 --> 00:44:02,073 its unique aerodynamic shape allows it to free fall quickly 591 00:44:02,107 --> 00:44:04,542 and accurately through the air, 592 00:44:04,575 --> 00:44:06,712 breaking the sound barrier. 593 00:44:06,745 --> 00:44:10,682 At six tons it's designed to penetrate the ground to depths 594 00:44:10,716 --> 00:44:15,320 of 80 feet, and only then explode. 595 00:44:17,555 --> 00:44:21,492 TONY: And these are massive, almost earth-quaking explosive devices. 596 00:44:24,129 --> 00:44:25,764 NARRATOR: The mission to destroy the Tirpitz 597 00:44:25,797 --> 00:44:27,799 is highly dangerous. 598 00:44:29,134 --> 00:44:32,570 She's well-protected with anti-aircraft guns, 599 00:44:32,603 --> 00:44:35,841 so the bombers need to get in and out fast. 600 00:44:35,874 --> 00:44:40,011 There's only one squadron for the job, 617, 601 00:44:40,045 --> 00:44:42,380 the Dambusters themselves. 602 00:44:42,413 --> 00:44:46,885 ERIC: 617 Squadron had become the leading exponent of 603 00:44:46,918 --> 00:44:48,453 precision bombing. 604 00:44:48,486 --> 00:44:53,258 They were able to drop these Barnes Wallis designed weapons 605 00:44:53,291 --> 00:44:56,327 with great accuracy, and they were, therefore, 606 00:44:56,361 --> 00:44:58,964 a tremendous danger for an anchored warship, 607 00:44:58,997 --> 00:45:00,531 however well-protected. 608 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:05,636 NARRATOR: At 18,000 feet dodging anti-aircraft fire, 609 00:45:05,670 --> 00:45:11,009 the bomb aimers of 617 Squadron finally get the 610 00:45:11,042 --> 00:45:13,411 Tirpitz in their sights. 611 00:45:14,279 --> 00:45:17,282 The Tallboys accelerate through five, six, 612 00:45:17,315 --> 00:45:19,951 700 miles per hour. 613 00:45:20,285 --> 00:45:23,688 Several miss their targets, cratering the shoreline, 614 00:45:24,790 --> 00:45:28,426 but others are set firmly on a deadly course. 615 00:45:31,763 --> 00:45:35,801 Tallboys punch straight through the Tirpitz's steel decking. 616 00:45:45,210 --> 00:45:48,046 FREDRIK: So, these bombs turn out to be very powerful tools 617 00:45:48,079 --> 00:45:51,116 against the Tirpitz, and for the first time, 618 00:45:51,149 --> 00:45:54,786 they really managed to penetrate the steel. 619 00:45:58,256 --> 00:46:00,859 NARRATOR: Other Tallboys destroy the huge sandbank 620 00:46:00,892 --> 00:46:04,295 built to protect the Tirpitz from capsizing. 621 00:46:05,696 --> 00:46:09,968 Within minutes, the vessel lists and rolls over. 622 00:46:12,470 --> 00:46:17,876 The Tirpitz, like her sister ship, the Bismarck, is gone. 623 00:46:22,680 --> 00:46:25,416 ERIC: By the time Tirpitz was sunk, 624 00:46:25,450 --> 00:46:29,888 Hitler had completely lost faith in the German Navy. 625 00:46:30,321 --> 00:46:32,958 He'd actually ordered the German Navy to be scrapped. 626 00:46:33,324 --> 00:46:34,960 There were other things to worry about. 627 00:46:37,929 --> 00:46:40,131 NARRATOR: The death of the Tirpitz marks a revolution 628 00:46:40,165 --> 00:46:42,033 in naval warfare. 629 00:46:44,870 --> 00:46:47,372 The future belongs to submarines, 630 00:46:49,007 --> 00:46:51,576 striking from beneath the waves, 631 00:46:55,113 --> 00:46:58,917 and aircraft carriers that can launch attacks anywhere in the world. 632 00:47:01,519 --> 00:47:05,756 Hitler's dream is dead, and with it, the age of the battleship. 633 00:47:05,790 --> 00:47:06,992 Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.