1 00:00:02,169 --> 00:00:04,002 [pensive dramatic music] 2 00:00:04,003 --> 00:00:09,051 [Dan narrating on screen text] 3 00:00:11,470 --> 00:00:15,224 [intriguing dramatic music] 4 00:00:16,265 --> 00:00:19,894 - What if I told you there was a weapon 5 00:00:19,895 --> 00:00:23,648 that could kill instantly without a trace. 6 00:00:23,649 --> 00:00:26,484 - Bohdan springs on him, pulls out the gun, 7 00:00:26,485 --> 00:00:30,238 releases one of the fastest acting poisons known to man 8 00:00:30,239 --> 00:00:32,280 into Rebet's face. 9 00:00:32,281 --> 00:00:34,116 - He falls to the floor, 10 00:00:34,117 --> 00:00:36,619 and Bohdan doesn't even look back. 11 00:00:36,620 --> 00:00:38,788 - [Dan] How about stopping the enemy in its tracks 12 00:00:38,789 --> 00:00:41,165 with the world's first bio weapon. 13 00:00:41,166 --> 00:00:43,668 - The Roman soldiers are falling off the walls 14 00:00:43,669 --> 00:00:45,294 in stinging pain, 15 00:00:45,295 --> 00:00:47,380 wondering what the hell is happening to them. 16 00:00:47,381 --> 00:00:48,631 - When they come to, 17 00:00:48,632 --> 00:00:51,550 they realize they're covered in scorpions. 18 00:00:51,551 --> 00:00:52,969 [intriguing dramatic music] 19 00:00:52,970 --> 00:00:55,763 - [Dan] How about a spy escape kit so discreet, 20 00:00:55,764 --> 00:00:59,183 it has to be hidden where the sun don't shine. 21 00:00:59,184 --> 00:01:00,518 [dramatic thud] 22 00:01:00,519 --> 00:01:03,020 - It has to be strong and splinter-proof 23 00:01:03,021 --> 00:01:06,024 because it's going up a butt. 24 00:01:06,483 --> 00:01:09,443 - And most importantly, you have to be able to retrieve it. 25 00:01:09,444 --> 00:01:11,112 [tense dramatic music] 26 00:01:11,113 --> 00:01:14,282 - [Dan] These are the secret weapons so outrageous, 27 00:01:14,283 --> 00:01:18,160 so deviously clever, they are truly unbelievable. 28 00:01:18,161 --> 00:01:21,832 [cinematic dramatic music] 29 00:01:30,340 --> 00:01:31,966 During the Cold War, 30 00:01:31,967 --> 00:01:34,719 assassinations are just part of the job; 31 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,431 and when the KGB needs to kill without leaving evidence, 32 00:01:38,432 --> 00:01:41,183 they don't send a sniper or a bomb, 33 00:01:41,184 --> 00:01:45,146 they send something a little more unassuming. 34 00:01:45,147 --> 00:01:47,315 [intriguing dramatic music] [door knocking] 35 00:01:47,316 --> 00:01:48,733 - It's 1957, 36 00:01:48,734 --> 00:01:51,152 and in East Berlin, there is a KGB agent 37 00:01:51,153 --> 00:01:54,030 by the name of Bohdan Stashynsky, 38 00:01:54,031 --> 00:01:57,116 and he is tasked with eliminating 39 00:01:57,117 --> 00:02:01,996 a particular Ukrainian dissident by the name of Lev Rebet. 40 00:02:01,997 --> 00:02:03,497 [intriguing dramatic music] 41 00:02:03,498 --> 00:02:04,874 - Bohdan isn't a hardened assassin; 42 00:02:04,875 --> 00:02:07,585 up until now, most of his work has been pretty dull, 43 00:02:07,586 --> 00:02:09,210 he's doing surveillance, 44 00:02:09,211 --> 00:02:12,506 he's writing down license plate numbers of West German cars, 45 00:02:12,507 --> 00:02:14,967 and now he's being asked to do a murder. 46 00:02:14,968 --> 00:02:17,970 - [Dan] Bohdan didn't sign up to kill anyone, 47 00:02:17,971 --> 00:02:21,766 then again, he didn't exactly sign up for the KGB either. 48 00:02:21,767 --> 00:02:24,143 [intriguing dramatic music] 49 00:02:24,144 --> 00:02:25,936 - [Adam] Seven years before in 1950, 50 00:02:25,937 --> 00:02:28,439 Bohdan is a simple 19-year-old math student 51 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,441 at a university in Lviv, 52 00:02:30,442 --> 00:02:33,694 and he's taking a train back to his family's farm, 53 00:02:33,695 --> 00:02:35,821 and then suddenly out of nowhere, 54 00:02:35,822 --> 00:02:39,950 two Soviet transport police grab him and arrest him 55 00:02:39,951 --> 00:02:42,454 under the pretense of him not having a ticket. 56 00:02:43,455 --> 00:02:44,872 - [Martin] He's detained and 57 00:02:44,873 --> 00:02:46,207 ultimately turned over to the KGB. 58 00:02:46,208 --> 00:02:48,668 They accuse him and his family 59 00:02:48,669 --> 00:02:51,462 of collaborating with local guerrilla units. 60 00:02:51,463 --> 00:02:54,507 He's told that unless he works with the KGB, 61 00:02:54,508 --> 00:02:57,093 his entire family, including his four sisters, 62 00:02:57,094 --> 00:03:00,262 will be sent off to the Gulag in Siberia. 63 00:03:00,263 --> 00:03:03,182 Within months, he is shipped off for training, 64 00:03:03,183 --> 00:03:06,018 and within two years, he's in East Berlin where 65 00:03:06,019 --> 00:03:09,605 he's a KGB informant involved in espionage operations. 66 00:03:09,606 --> 00:03:11,399 [ominous dramatic music] 67 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,860 - [Dan] Moving from spying to killing is a radical shift, 68 00:03:14,861 --> 00:03:16,195 one that requires a weapon 69 00:03:16,196 --> 00:03:18,865 unlike any he's ever seen before: 70 00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:21,325 a cyanide gun. 71 00:03:21,326 --> 00:03:22,827 [mechanism clacking] [intriguing dramatic music] 72 00:03:22,828 --> 00:03:24,370 - [Martin] Cyanide is one of the 73 00:03:24,371 --> 00:03:26,956 fastest acting poisons known to man. 74 00:03:26,957 --> 00:03:28,707 [intriguing dramatic music] 75 00:03:28,708 --> 00:03:32,503 The gun itself consists of six-inch tubes, 76 00:03:32,504 --> 00:03:34,672 there are spring-loaded levers; 77 00:03:34,673 --> 00:03:36,465 and when they're squeezed, 78 00:03:36,466 --> 00:03:39,928 it will shoot out a mist of the poison to the target. 79 00:03:41,972 --> 00:03:44,348 - [Jenny] Under really tight KGB supervision, 80 00:03:44,349 --> 00:03:45,641 Bohdan practices 81 00:03:45,642 --> 00:03:47,685 with like a safety version of the cyanide gun 82 00:03:47,686 --> 00:03:49,104 that's filled with water. 83 00:03:49,312 --> 00:03:50,479 Once he's got the mechanics down, 84 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,232 it's time to try the gun for real. 85 00:03:53,692 --> 00:03:57,611 - [Adam] The first subject is not a human, but rather a dog. 86 00:03:57,612 --> 00:03:58,863 [mechanism clacking] [air hissing] 87 00:03:58,864 --> 00:04:02,491 And unfortunately it works incredibly well: 88 00:04:02,492 --> 00:04:04,368 [finger snapping] the dog drops dead. 89 00:04:04,369 --> 00:04:08,372 [intriguing dramatic music] 90 00:04:08,373 --> 00:04:09,832 - [Martin] On the day of the assassination, 91 00:04:09,833 --> 00:04:12,460 Bohdan waits in the stairwell of Lev Rebet's office 92 00:04:12,461 --> 00:04:13,795 in Munich. 93 00:04:14,671 --> 00:04:16,504 As Rebet enters the stairwell, 94 00:04:16,505 --> 00:04:19,215 [tense ominous dramatic music] 95 00:04:19,216 --> 00:04:20,886 Bohdan springs on him, 96 00:04:21,970 --> 00:04:23,262 pulls out the gun, 97 00:04:23,263 --> 00:04:24,972 [mechanism clacking] [air hissing] 98 00:04:24,973 --> 00:04:27,933 releases cyanide into Rebet's face. 99 00:04:27,934 --> 00:04:28,852 [body thudding] 100 00:04:29,019 --> 00:04:30,436 - [Adam] He falls to the floor, 101 00:04:30,437 --> 00:04:32,980 and Bohdan doesn't even look back. 102 00:04:32,981 --> 00:04:36,108 He goes through the door across the canal, 103 00:04:36,109 --> 00:04:38,736 and calmly tosses the gun into the water. 104 00:04:38,737 --> 00:04:41,447 [intriguing dramatic music] 105 00:04:41,448 --> 00:04:42,698 - [Jenny] The next morning, 106 00:04:42,699 --> 00:04:44,909 Lev Rebet is found dead by a cleaning lady 107 00:04:44,910 --> 00:04:46,660 on the stairs outside of his office. 108 00:04:46,661 --> 00:04:48,454 A coroner declares that the cause of death 109 00:04:48,455 --> 00:04:49,914 is cardiac arrest. 110 00:04:49,915 --> 00:04:51,373 - [Dan] Mission complete; 111 00:04:51,374 --> 00:04:54,293 but the KGB isn't done with Bohdan yet. 112 00:04:54,294 --> 00:04:56,879 [pensive dramatic music] 113 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,299 - [Adam] Two years later, Bohdan is given another target, 114 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:04,054 a Ukrainian exile by the name of Stepan Bandera. 115 00:05:05,263 --> 00:05:07,807 Bohdan Stashynsky tracks down Stepan, 116 00:05:07,808 --> 00:05:10,267 and using the exact same MO, 117 00:05:10,268 --> 00:05:14,146 he goes to the stairwell where he lies in wait. 118 00:05:14,147 --> 00:05:15,022 [tense dramatic music] 119 00:05:15,023 --> 00:05:17,399 Stepan enters his residence, 120 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,611 Bohdan levels the cyanide gun at his face, 121 00:05:20,612 --> 00:05:22,071 [tense dramatic music] 122 00:05:22,072 --> 00:05:23,239 [mechanism clacking] [air hissing] 123 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:24,949 and shoots off a cloud of poison gas. 124 00:05:24,950 --> 00:05:26,659 [body thudding] 125 00:05:26,660 --> 00:05:29,370 - [Martin] Bandera collapses after exposure to the poison; 126 00:05:29,371 --> 00:05:30,830 and just like before, 127 00:05:30,831 --> 00:05:32,790 Bohdan disappears into the cityscape, 128 00:05:32,791 --> 00:05:34,376 ditches the gun in a canal. 129 00:05:35,669 --> 00:05:38,212 - [Jenny] An autopsy later reveals traces of cyanide, 130 00:05:38,213 --> 00:05:40,631 but they decide that they think that's from suicide, 131 00:05:40,632 --> 00:05:42,216 because there were rumors floating around 132 00:05:42,217 --> 00:05:43,843 Stepan was having affairs, 133 00:05:43,844 --> 00:05:45,803 and his life was kind of going to hell at the time. 134 00:05:45,804 --> 00:05:48,305 So, that's it, another clean hit. 135 00:05:48,306 --> 00:05:52,142 - [Dan] Back in Moscow, the KGB celebrates him as a hero, 136 00:05:52,143 --> 00:05:54,520 but Bohdan is riddled with guilt. 137 00:05:54,521 --> 00:05:55,479 [tense dramatic music] 138 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:56,981 - [Adam] A few weeks later, 139 00:05:56,982 --> 00:05:59,441 Bohdan is in a movie theater 140 00:05:59,442 --> 00:06:01,902 and they would often have newsreels, 141 00:06:01,903 --> 00:06:05,573 and one of the newsreels that Bohdan happens to watch 142 00:06:05,574 --> 00:06:07,992 is Stepan Bandera's funeral. 143 00:06:07,993 --> 00:06:09,702 [pensive dramatic music] 144 00:06:09,703 --> 00:06:13,080 - [Martin] He starts to feel his conscience gnawing at him. 145 00:06:13,081 --> 00:06:18,086 He spends the next two years trying to live with that guilt. 146 00:06:18,795 --> 00:06:20,296 [intriguing dramatic music] 147 00:06:20,297 --> 00:06:22,715 Bohdan eventually defects to West Berlin 148 00:06:22,716 --> 00:06:25,092 and surrenders to authorities 149 00:06:25,093 --> 00:06:27,636 telling them that he is an assassin 150 00:06:27,637 --> 00:06:32,684 of two Ukrainian anti-communist emigres in Munich. 151 00:06:33,059 --> 00:06:35,269 - [Jenny] First the American and West German agents 152 00:06:35,270 --> 00:06:36,103 don't believe him. 153 00:06:36,104 --> 00:06:37,646 These are closed cases, 154 00:06:37,647 --> 00:06:40,941 one was cardiac arrest, one was suicide. 155 00:06:40,942 --> 00:06:43,277 Then Bohdan tells them about the weapon he used: 156 00:06:43,278 --> 00:06:44,236 the cyanide gun. 157 00:06:44,237 --> 00:06:45,779 [tense dramatic music] 158 00:06:45,780 --> 00:06:48,449 [mechanism clacking] [air hissing] 159 00:06:48,450 --> 00:06:50,492 It makes all of the puzzle pieces come together, 160 00:06:50,493 --> 00:06:52,120 and they immediately arrest him. 161 00:06:53,580 --> 00:06:55,831 - [Adam] Bohdan serves eight years in prison, 162 00:06:55,832 --> 00:06:57,625 and upon his release, he disappears 163 00:06:57,626 --> 00:06:59,501 into protective custody, 164 00:06:59,502 --> 00:07:01,587 escaping assassination and punishment 165 00:07:01,588 --> 00:07:05,759 by one of the world's most sinister spy organizations. 166 00:07:08,261 --> 00:07:10,846 - [Dan] Eight years later, another top secret organization 167 00:07:10,847 --> 00:07:14,350 takes killing without a trace to a whole other level. 168 00:07:14,351 --> 00:07:16,894 [tense dramatic music] 169 00:07:16,895 --> 00:07:18,937 - [Martin] Anyone who's watched a "Vietnam" movie 170 00:07:18,938 --> 00:07:20,689 knows that the way that the United States 171 00:07:20,690 --> 00:07:22,107 fought that conflict 172 00:07:22,108 --> 00:07:25,235 was by conducting search and destroy missions, 173 00:07:25,236 --> 00:07:26,779 patrols on foot, 174 00:07:26,780 --> 00:07:29,448 searching areas where the enemy was reported 175 00:07:29,449 --> 00:07:31,116 to be operational. 176 00:07:31,117 --> 00:07:33,702 - These soldiers learned to stay on high alert constantly, 177 00:07:33,703 --> 00:07:36,455 as they'd come across booby trap, snipers, 178 00:07:36,456 --> 00:07:37,873 and every so often, 179 00:07:37,874 --> 00:07:40,501 they'll stumble on Vietcong caches of weapons 180 00:07:40,502 --> 00:07:42,211 and ammunition. 181 00:07:42,212 --> 00:07:45,339 - [Martin] They're typically finding hand grenades, mortars, 182 00:07:45,340 --> 00:07:47,925 AK-47-type Kalashnikov rifles 183 00:07:47,926 --> 00:07:51,845 and piles and piles of ammunition and crates; 184 00:07:51,846 --> 00:07:53,597 and they can't do anything about it, 185 00:07:53,598 --> 00:07:55,432 they damn sure can't haul it all out of there, 186 00:07:55,433 --> 00:07:56,892 it's too heavy, 187 00:07:56,893 --> 00:07:59,478 and the noise you create by blowing it up 188 00:07:59,479 --> 00:08:01,271 is going to attract a lot of attention. 189 00:08:01,272 --> 00:08:02,731 And so, what can you do? 190 00:08:02,732 --> 00:08:04,525 [dramatic thud] [fire crackling] 191 00:08:04,526 --> 00:08:05,984 - [Dan] For help, the US military 192 00:08:05,985 --> 00:08:09,947 turns to a CIA legend, Colonel John Singlaub. 193 00:08:09,948 --> 00:08:11,365 - [Riccoh] Colonel Singlaub 194 00:08:11,366 --> 00:08:13,242 commands the Studies and Observations Group, 195 00:08:13,243 --> 00:08:15,536 a covert unit so secret, 196 00:08:15,537 --> 00:08:18,831 he basically has a blank check in the jungles of Vietnam, 197 00:08:18,832 --> 00:08:23,962 Marine Recon, Green Berets, Navy Seals, CIA operatives, 198 00:08:24,379 --> 00:08:26,047 all at his disposal. 199 00:08:27,048 --> 00:08:30,634 - So Colonel Singlaub comes up with a brilliant plan. 200 00:08:30,635 --> 00:08:33,053 He's gonna take AK-47 rounds 201 00:08:33,054 --> 00:08:34,596 that are recovered from the jungle, 202 00:08:34,597 --> 00:08:37,516 and replace the gunpowder inside with high explosives. 203 00:08:37,517 --> 00:08:42,605 An AK-47 round at that time generates about 40,000 PSI. 204 00:08:42,856 --> 00:08:44,314 [firearm banging] 205 00:08:44,315 --> 00:08:45,983 But when that is replaced with high explosive rounds, 206 00:08:45,984 --> 00:08:48,569 they generate six times the pressure. 207 00:08:48,570 --> 00:08:49,945 [mechanism clacking] 208 00:08:49,946 --> 00:08:51,447 - [Martin] And when you pull the trigger on it, 209 00:08:51,448 --> 00:08:53,115 it's gonna blow up in your face like a hand grenade, 210 00:08:53,116 --> 00:08:54,616 [explosion booming] 211 00:08:54,617 --> 00:08:57,661 causing serious injury to the operator, 212 00:08:57,662 --> 00:08:59,330 potentially even killing him. 213 00:09:00,248 --> 00:09:02,041 - The brilliance of the plan 214 00:09:02,042 --> 00:09:05,127 is these soldiers are sneaking in to these weapons crates 215 00:09:05,128 --> 00:09:09,298 and just replacing a few of the bullets, not all of them. 216 00:09:09,299 --> 00:09:10,799 - [Martin] If the enemy is suddenly seeing 217 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,260 everyone's weapons are exploding, 218 00:09:13,261 --> 00:09:15,429 the enemy will suspect the ammunition. 219 00:09:15,430 --> 00:09:16,722 But if it happens rarely, 220 00:09:16,723 --> 00:09:19,308 what the enemy will suspect instead 221 00:09:19,309 --> 00:09:22,728 is that the weapon itself is of poor construction. 222 00:09:22,729 --> 00:09:25,147 That's what we want them to believe. 223 00:09:25,148 --> 00:09:27,274 - [Rutledge] The broader aim of this operation 224 00:09:27,275 --> 00:09:29,943 is really the enemy doubting their weapons 225 00:09:29,944 --> 00:09:32,821 from China and the Soviet Union that they've received. 226 00:09:32,822 --> 00:09:34,948 Now suddenly, it's causing hesitation; 227 00:09:34,949 --> 00:09:38,452 and in war, hesitation is deadly. 228 00:09:38,453 --> 00:09:39,745 [intriguing dramatic music] 229 00:09:39,746 --> 00:09:42,831 - [Dan] The operation is code-named Eldest Son, 230 00:09:42,832 --> 00:09:45,250 and soon, US troops begin seeing exactly 231 00:09:45,251 --> 00:09:48,045 what these sabotaged bullets can do. 232 00:09:48,046 --> 00:09:50,422 [tense martial dramatic music] 233 00:09:50,423 --> 00:09:51,548 - [Riccoh] In the Northern province, 234 00:09:51,549 --> 00:09:54,051 101st Airborne Division paratroopers 235 00:09:54,052 --> 00:09:56,762 send word of a dead communist soldier 236 00:09:56,763 --> 00:09:59,139 grasping his exploded rifle. 237 00:09:59,140 --> 00:10:02,309 They also receive a photo of a dead enemy soldier 238 00:10:02,310 --> 00:10:05,938 with the bolt blown out of the back of his AK-47, 239 00:10:05,939 --> 00:10:08,982 and his eye socket, more or less, blown through. 240 00:10:08,983 --> 00:10:10,567 Because of the success, 241 00:10:10,568 --> 00:10:13,112 they also start doing this with mortar rounds, 242 00:10:13,113 --> 00:10:16,698 replacing the round with a much higher explosive. 243 00:10:16,699 --> 00:10:17,783 [intriguing dramatic music] [text whirring] 244 00:10:17,784 --> 00:10:19,743 - [Martin] On July 3rd, 1968, 245 00:10:19,744 --> 00:10:23,038 US soldiers find evidence of Eldest Son 246 00:10:23,039 --> 00:10:26,333 in the form of a North Vietnamese mortar team 247 00:10:26,334 --> 00:10:28,752 dead around what's left of the weapon. 248 00:10:28,753 --> 00:10:30,212 And what obviously happened 249 00:10:30,213 --> 00:10:32,214 is that one of the operators 250 00:10:32,215 --> 00:10:34,967 took out an 82-millimeter mortar round, 251 00:10:34,968 --> 00:10:36,510 introduced it to the tube, 252 00:10:36,511 --> 00:10:39,012 and instead of popping and being thrown out of the tube, 253 00:10:39,013 --> 00:10:41,181 [explosion booming] kaboom. 254 00:10:41,182 --> 00:10:43,100 - [Riccoh] Over the life of Project Eldest Son, 255 00:10:43,101 --> 00:10:46,395 US operatives sabotage 4,000 rifle rounds 256 00:10:46,396 --> 00:10:51,358 and over 820 82-millimeter mortar shells. 257 00:10:51,359 --> 00:10:53,152 - [Martin] This is not just operational warfare, 258 00:10:53,153 --> 00:10:55,070 this is psychological warfare. 259 00:10:55,071 --> 00:10:56,405 They're going to doubt 260 00:10:56,406 --> 00:10:58,782 every type of ammunition and weapon system 261 00:10:58,783 --> 00:11:01,869 that they're using coming from China, from the Soviet Union, 262 00:11:01,870 --> 00:11:05,789 from other Soviet states like Hungary or Czechoslovakia. 263 00:11:05,790 --> 00:11:07,374 [cannon booming] [tense dramatic music] 264 00:11:07,375 --> 00:11:10,586 Singlaub and SOG understand from the start, 265 00:11:10,587 --> 00:11:12,754 the enemy will ultimately figure out what we're doing. 266 00:11:12,755 --> 00:11:15,340 And then eventually "The New York Times" reports on it 267 00:11:15,341 --> 00:11:16,925 and word gets out, 268 00:11:16,926 --> 00:11:20,888 and then the operation is suspended altogether in 1969; 269 00:11:20,889 --> 00:11:25,684 after having succeeded beyond anyone's wildest imagination. 270 00:11:25,685 --> 00:11:27,477 [dramatic thud] 271 00:11:27,478 --> 00:11:31,231 - [Dan] Project Eldest Son proves one thing beyond doubt: 272 00:11:31,232 --> 00:11:34,735 sometimes the most powerful weapon isn't firepower, 273 00:11:34,736 --> 00:11:35,653 it's fear. 274 00:11:39,699 --> 00:11:41,074 - In the late second century, 275 00:11:41,075 --> 00:11:43,035 Romans are carving a bloody path through Mesopotamia, 276 00:11:43,036 --> 00:11:46,663 seizing strongholds and toppling kingdoms as they go. 277 00:11:46,664 --> 00:11:49,208 But one city stands its ground 278 00:11:49,209 --> 00:11:52,461 armed with a weapon built to bite back. 279 00:11:52,462 --> 00:11:55,505 [intriguing dramatic music] 280 00:11:55,506 --> 00:12:00,177 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus is no ordinary emperor. 281 00:12:00,178 --> 00:12:02,221 He's a ruthless military commander 282 00:12:02,222 --> 00:12:04,431 that has clawed his way to power 283 00:12:04,432 --> 00:12:06,850 through the use of things like civil war 284 00:12:06,851 --> 00:12:08,602 and brutal invasion. 285 00:12:08,603 --> 00:12:13,441 And in 198 AD, Severus has his eyes on the Silk Road, 286 00:12:14,442 --> 00:12:16,360 which is this trading route 287 00:12:16,361 --> 00:12:19,404 that connects China with the Mediterranean world. 288 00:12:19,405 --> 00:12:21,240 [intriguing cinematic music] 289 00:12:21,241 --> 00:12:23,450 And so Severus thinks to himself, 290 00:12:23,451 --> 00:12:25,160 "I'm gonna go onto the Silk Road 291 00:12:25,161 --> 00:12:28,497 and I'm gonna capture all of these smaller towns that exist 292 00:12:28,498 --> 00:12:32,292 because to control trade is to control the world." 293 00:12:32,293 --> 00:12:35,170 - So Severus and 50,000 Roman soldiers 294 00:12:35,171 --> 00:12:38,507 are marching straight through Mesopotamia, 295 00:12:38,508 --> 00:12:41,219 and they're killing every man in their path. 296 00:12:41,719 --> 00:12:43,387 - [Dan] But one city along the way 297 00:12:43,388 --> 00:12:46,390 isn't exactly putting out the welcome mat: 298 00:12:46,391 --> 00:12:47,891 Hatra. 299 00:12:47,892 --> 00:12:50,519 - Hatra isn't just another stop on the trade route, 300 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:52,729 it's rich, well-defended, 301 00:12:52,730 --> 00:12:56,316 and protected by massive 40-foot walls. 302 00:12:56,317 --> 00:12:59,069 - [Dan] These walls however don't deter Severus 303 00:12:59,070 --> 00:13:00,989 from attempting to invade the city. 304 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,700 - These Roman warriors charged the walled city 305 00:13:04,701 --> 00:13:09,706 in full armor, shields, short swords drawn, ready to kill. 306 00:13:09,872 --> 00:13:14,251 Hatra's archers rain down arrows from the top of the walls; 307 00:13:14,252 --> 00:13:16,086 but with 50,000 men, 308 00:13:16,087 --> 00:13:18,672 this is barely slowing the Romans down. 309 00:13:18,673 --> 00:13:20,090 [tense dramatic music] 310 00:13:20,091 --> 00:13:22,259 - [Dan] As the Romans close in and the ladders go up, 311 00:13:22,260 --> 00:13:24,094 Hatra unleashes a defense 312 00:13:24,095 --> 00:13:26,221 that sends the assault into chaos. 313 00:13:26,222 --> 00:13:27,180 [tense dramatic music] 314 00:13:27,181 --> 00:13:28,682 - [Don] Out of nowhere, 315 00:13:28,683 --> 00:13:30,892 the Roman soldiers are getting hit from above 316 00:13:30,893 --> 00:13:34,731 with something they've never seen or felt before in combat. 317 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,318 They're falling off the walls in stinging pain, 318 00:13:39,319 --> 00:13:41,946 wondering what the hell is happening to them. 319 00:13:42,447 --> 00:13:45,365 - [Jason] Those that survive the fall from the ladders, 320 00:13:45,366 --> 00:13:46,742 they're lying on the ground. 321 00:13:46,743 --> 00:13:48,201 When they come to, 322 00:13:48,202 --> 00:13:51,038 they realize they're covered in scorpions. 323 00:13:51,039 --> 00:13:52,539 [tense dramatic music] [soldier shrieking] 324 00:13:52,540 --> 00:13:53,957 - [Dan] This isn't random. 325 00:13:53,958 --> 00:13:56,168 The scorpions are a secret weapon 326 00:13:56,169 --> 00:13:59,796 the people of Hatra have been stockpiling for days. 327 00:13:59,797 --> 00:14:02,549 - [Don] After the townspeople collect all these scorpions, 328 00:14:02,550 --> 00:14:04,760 they put them into these terracotta clay pots 329 00:14:04,761 --> 00:14:06,595 and seal them, creating, 330 00:14:06,596 --> 00:14:09,556 what are essentially, scorpion bombs. 331 00:14:09,557 --> 00:14:11,016 [tense ominous music] 332 00:14:11,017 --> 00:14:12,768 - [Sami] Because these pots are now shattering, 333 00:14:12,769 --> 00:14:14,519 these scorpions are in survival mode, 334 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,229 and they just immediately start stinging 335 00:14:16,230 --> 00:14:19,524 at any sort of exposed skin that they happen to come across. 336 00:14:19,525 --> 00:14:20,609 [solider shrieking] [tense ominous music] 337 00:14:20,610 --> 00:14:21,860 - [Dan] Turns out this weapon 338 00:14:21,861 --> 00:14:24,071 is as effective as it is unexpected. 339 00:14:24,072 --> 00:14:25,739 [tense ominous dramatic music] 340 00:14:25,740 --> 00:14:28,617 - The venom can lead to difficulty breathing, 341 00:14:28,618 --> 00:14:32,162 shaking, seizures, and sometimes death. 342 00:14:32,163 --> 00:14:34,540 - [Jason] Think about the psychological impact here. 343 00:14:35,625 --> 00:14:38,919 If I'm a Roman soldier getting stung by scorpions, 344 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,713 it's gonna take a lot for me to get back in the fight 345 00:14:41,714 --> 00:14:43,508 and climb up that ladder again. 346 00:14:44,926 --> 00:14:46,218 - [Dan] Astonishingly, 347 00:14:46,219 --> 00:14:49,137 Hatra holds off the siege for 20 days 348 00:14:49,138 --> 00:14:53,141 thanks in part to the help of thousands of scorpions. 349 00:14:53,142 --> 00:14:55,310 - [Don] Eventually, Severus retreats. 350 00:14:55,311 --> 00:14:56,728 Think about this, 351 00:14:56,729 --> 00:14:58,814 one of the greatest empires in history, 352 00:14:58,815 --> 00:15:01,691 the most feared military on the planet, 353 00:15:01,692 --> 00:15:05,737 driven back by a city armed with jars of scorpions. 354 00:15:05,738 --> 00:15:09,157 [tense dramatic music] 355 00:15:09,158 --> 00:15:11,660 - [Dan] 2,000 years later, another aerial assault 356 00:15:11,661 --> 00:15:14,079 has a different enemy running for cover. 357 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,456 [pensive dramatic music] 358 00:15:16,457 --> 00:15:17,917 - It's 1944 359 00:15:18,084 --> 00:15:20,585 and the Allies are deep in a game of misdirection 360 00:15:20,586 --> 00:15:22,129 against the Germans. 361 00:15:22,130 --> 00:15:24,548 The Germans know that an Allied invasion is coming, 362 00:15:24,549 --> 00:15:25,715 they just don't know where. 363 00:15:25,716 --> 00:15:27,050 [pensive dramatic music continues] 364 00:15:27,051 --> 00:15:29,219 The Allies are pulling out all the stops 365 00:15:29,220 --> 00:15:31,972 to throw off the Germans from the real landing target 366 00:15:31,973 --> 00:15:33,515 in Normandy. 367 00:15:33,516 --> 00:15:35,934 - Things like creating radio chatter 368 00:15:35,935 --> 00:15:38,353 that is giving out false information, 369 00:15:38,354 --> 00:15:41,189 inflatable tanks that lead to the belief 370 00:15:41,190 --> 00:15:43,859 that there are troops amassing in places where they aren't, 371 00:15:43,860 --> 00:15:46,695 basically anything to throw the Germans 372 00:15:46,696 --> 00:15:49,239 off of the trail of the real plan. 373 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:51,700 - [Dan] Many of the allied deception tactics for D-Day 374 00:15:51,701 --> 00:15:53,618 are carefully planned, 375 00:15:53,619 --> 00:15:56,372 but there's one that just happens to fall into place. 376 00:15:57,707 --> 00:15:59,958 - [Jason] One day, the Royal Air Force 377 00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:03,420 is out on the English Channel and they're testing parachutes 378 00:16:03,421 --> 00:16:05,505 as well as different jump formations. 379 00:16:05,506 --> 00:16:09,092 They aren't running these tests using live humans, 380 00:16:09,093 --> 00:16:11,887 instead they're using burlap sacks, 381 00:16:11,888 --> 00:16:14,347 which are stuffed with straw and sand 382 00:16:14,348 --> 00:16:16,766 and are about three-feet tall. 383 00:16:16,767 --> 00:16:18,351 - [Martin] And one observer on the ground 384 00:16:18,352 --> 00:16:20,478 notices that these burlap bags 385 00:16:20,479 --> 00:16:22,230 as they're descending through the air column, 386 00:16:22,231 --> 00:16:24,566 look like real people under those parachutes, 387 00:16:24,567 --> 00:16:26,026 not dummies at all. 388 00:16:26,027 --> 00:16:27,944 That's where this all begins. 389 00:16:27,945 --> 00:16:29,946 - [Jonathan] The RAFs start to think, 390 00:16:29,947 --> 00:16:33,033 "What if we could use these as a distraction on D-Day? 391 00:16:33,034 --> 00:16:35,035 We could drop them in northern France 392 00:16:35,036 --> 00:16:37,787 miles away from the actual landing site." 393 00:16:37,788 --> 00:16:40,874 - [Dan] It's a bold plan, and the British go all in, 394 00:16:40,875 --> 00:16:43,126 even giving their dummies a name. 395 00:16:43,127 --> 00:16:46,171 - [Martin] There's a lot riding on the success of these dummies, 396 00:16:46,172 --> 00:16:47,839 and because it's a British design, 397 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,927 they give them a British countrymen's name, 398 00:16:51,719 --> 00:16:53,094 Rupert. 399 00:16:53,095 --> 00:16:54,639 [tense dramatic music] 400 00:16:54,847 --> 00:16:57,599 - [Jason] In the wee hours before the invasion of Normandy, 401 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,519 450 Rupert para-dummies are released 402 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:04,856 25-miles from Omaha Beach, 403 00:17:04,857 --> 00:17:08,026 where over 18,000 actual paratroopers 404 00:17:08,027 --> 00:17:10,487 are about to be dropped. 405 00:17:10,488 --> 00:17:11,820 - [Jonathan] What really sells the illusion 406 00:17:11,821 --> 00:17:13,823 of a full blown airborne assault 407 00:17:13,824 --> 00:17:16,660 is that each dummy is fitted with a loudspeaker 408 00:17:16,661 --> 00:17:18,536 that plays machine gunfire sounds, 409 00:17:18,537 --> 00:17:20,622 shouted orders, and marching. 410 00:17:20,623 --> 00:17:23,375 - [Holly] This seemingly bizarre scheme 411 00:17:23,376 --> 00:17:25,168 actually works like a charm. 412 00:17:25,169 --> 00:17:27,462 When these dummies start dropping, 413 00:17:27,463 --> 00:17:29,965 Germans go to their flight positions 414 00:17:29,966 --> 00:17:31,550 and just start firing at them. 415 00:17:31,551 --> 00:17:33,843 So not only are they wasting their attention 416 00:17:33,844 --> 00:17:35,303 to something fake, 417 00:17:35,304 --> 00:17:37,222 they're also just burning through their ammunition. 418 00:17:37,223 --> 00:17:38,682 [bullets sputtering] 419 00:17:38,683 --> 00:17:41,977 And there is this other really stroke of genius detail 420 00:17:41,978 --> 00:17:43,478 about their design. 421 00:17:43,479 --> 00:17:45,272 - [Martin] The dummies are equipped with explosives, 422 00:17:45,273 --> 00:17:47,023 [explosion booming] 423 00:17:47,024 --> 00:17:50,360 so that when they reach the ground, they explode. 424 00:17:50,361 --> 00:17:51,778 This is done for two reasons. 425 00:17:51,779 --> 00:17:53,572 Number one, an explosion will convince the enemy 426 00:17:53,573 --> 00:17:55,156 that there's something happening. 427 00:17:55,157 --> 00:17:56,658 And then reason number two, 428 00:17:56,659 --> 00:17:59,327 there will be no evidence that Rupert wasn't real. 429 00:17:59,328 --> 00:18:00,287 [explosion booming] 430 00:18:00,288 --> 00:18:01,788 - [Dan] The ruse pays off 431 00:18:01,789 --> 00:18:03,498 and sends German troops scrambling 432 00:18:03,499 --> 00:18:05,250 in the wrong direction. 433 00:18:05,251 --> 00:18:07,210 - [Martin] The German 84th Corps Reserve, 434 00:18:07,211 --> 00:18:09,462 which consists of two infantry companies, 435 00:18:09,463 --> 00:18:12,382 all night long, it's running off 25-miles 436 00:18:12,383 --> 00:18:14,134 toward a field full of dummies, 437 00:18:14,135 --> 00:18:15,969 made out of burlap bags, 438 00:18:15,970 --> 00:18:18,972 instead of actual Allied soldiers coming ashore 439 00:18:18,973 --> 00:18:20,349 at dawn on June 6th. 440 00:18:21,267 --> 00:18:24,394 This is a brilliant use of deception 441 00:18:24,395 --> 00:18:26,771 and sending the enemy strength to an area 442 00:18:26,772 --> 00:18:28,481 where it cannot threaten us. 443 00:18:28,482 --> 00:18:31,526 [tense dramatic music] 444 00:18:31,527 --> 00:18:34,070 - [Dan] Rupert may have been stuffed with straw, 445 00:18:34,071 --> 00:18:37,408 but he helped carry the weight of D-Day on his shoulders. 446 00:18:41,329 --> 00:18:43,455 - The best spy tools don't rely on technology alone, 447 00:18:43,456 --> 00:18:45,290 they rely on placement; 448 00:18:45,291 --> 00:18:47,542 and this one was positioned perfectly 449 00:18:47,543 --> 00:18:50,337 to remain far from suspicious eyes. 450 00:18:50,338 --> 00:18:52,047 [intriguing orchestral music] 451 00:18:52,048 --> 00:18:53,798 - [Riccoh] In the 1960s, 452 00:18:53,799 --> 00:18:56,760 in places like East Berlin and Warsaw, 453 00:18:56,761 --> 00:18:59,888 The CIA's mission is to steal secrets, 454 00:18:59,889 --> 00:19:03,184 run operations, and never ever get caught. 455 00:19:04,060 --> 00:19:06,102 - At the time, any secret agent 456 00:19:06,103 --> 00:19:09,522 operating in the Eastern block face a real danger 457 00:19:09,523 --> 00:19:12,567 because they can get picked up for anything, 458 00:19:12,568 --> 00:19:14,736 even just a suspicion of being associated 459 00:19:14,737 --> 00:19:17,113 with Western intelligence. 460 00:19:17,114 --> 00:19:18,448 - [Dr. Oluseyi] If you get caught, 461 00:19:18,449 --> 00:19:20,075 you get thrown into an 462 00:19:20,076 --> 00:19:22,827 adversarial nation's prison system, 463 00:19:22,828 --> 00:19:24,205 and that's not good. 464 00:19:27,917 --> 00:19:31,711 This leads the CIA to think about how to develop a weapon 465 00:19:31,712 --> 00:19:35,799 that these operatives could use to escape if they're caught; 466 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:37,050 but the thing is, 467 00:19:37,051 --> 00:19:38,760 it needs to go undetected 468 00:19:38,761 --> 00:19:41,012 if they're subject to a strip search. 469 00:19:41,013 --> 00:19:42,347 - [Dan] This situation requires 470 00:19:42,348 --> 00:19:45,768 perhaps the most secret of secret weapons. 471 00:19:46,811 --> 00:19:51,147 - The CIA develops a kit with a lock pick, tiny saw blade, 472 00:19:51,148 --> 00:19:54,150 drill bits, and even a small knife, 473 00:19:54,151 --> 00:19:57,195 but the real genius is in the capsule that holds it. 474 00:19:57,196 --> 00:19:58,738 [metal clinking] [intriguing dramatic music] 475 00:19:58,739 --> 00:20:02,784 - It has to be strong, fully-sealed, and splinter-proof 476 00:20:02,785 --> 00:20:05,745 because it's going up a butt. 477 00:20:05,746 --> 00:20:07,205 [dramatic thud] 478 00:20:07,206 --> 00:20:09,958 - [Dan] Its official name is the CIA rectal kit. 479 00:20:09,959 --> 00:20:11,209 Uncomfortable? 480 00:20:11,210 --> 00:20:13,503 Maybe, but so is prison. 481 00:20:13,504 --> 00:20:15,213 [zipper zipping] 482 00:20:15,214 --> 00:20:17,424 - [Riccoh] They built it from durable, non-corrosive metal 483 00:20:17,425 --> 00:20:19,300 to make sure nothing pokes through, 484 00:20:19,301 --> 00:20:22,804 and most importantly, you have to be able to retrieve it. 485 00:20:22,805 --> 00:20:24,764 - [Dan] One of the few surviving examples 486 00:20:24,765 --> 00:20:27,434 can now be seen at the International Spy Museum 487 00:20:27,435 --> 00:20:29,185 in Washington, DC. 488 00:20:29,186 --> 00:20:30,437 - [Dr. Oluseyi] There are no Soviet records 489 00:20:30,438 --> 00:20:33,189 of one ever being found on a CIA agent, 490 00:20:33,190 --> 00:20:36,401 or ever being used for any escape or attack, 491 00:20:36,402 --> 00:20:38,903 but we know that they were distributed to operatives. 492 00:20:38,904 --> 00:20:40,905 [intriguing dramatic music] 493 00:20:40,906 --> 00:20:43,074 This means either one of two things: 494 00:20:43,075 --> 00:20:45,869 either this kit was never discovered, 495 00:20:45,870 --> 00:20:48,872 or no one ever wanted to write this thing up, 496 00:20:48,873 --> 00:20:52,208 and this could be one of the reasons why today 497 00:20:52,209 --> 00:20:54,753 full cavity searches are standard 498 00:20:54,754 --> 00:20:56,880 in situations like these. 499 00:20:56,881 --> 00:20:58,465 [dramatic thud] 500 00:20:58,466 --> 00:21:01,426 - [Dan] Some secret weapons are meant to stay hidden, 501 00:21:01,427 --> 00:21:05,221 others, like this next one, are meant to be noticed. 502 00:21:05,222 --> 00:21:06,973 [intriguing dramatic music] 503 00:21:06,974 --> 00:21:10,435 - [Holly] The arms race before and during World War II 504 00:21:10,436 --> 00:21:14,022 leads to a vast array of new weaponry. 505 00:21:14,023 --> 00:21:15,148 [dramatic thud] 506 00:21:15,149 --> 00:21:17,734 Everyone knows about the V-2 rocket, 507 00:21:17,735 --> 00:21:19,903 but what a lot of people don't know is that 508 00:21:19,904 --> 00:21:23,865 the Japanese are developing their own secret weapon. 509 00:21:23,866 --> 00:21:24,991 [intriguing dramatic music] 510 00:21:24,992 --> 00:21:27,118 - [Troy] Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, 511 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:30,121 the future mastermind behind Pearl Harbor, 512 00:21:30,122 --> 00:21:34,000 believes that Japan needs a new weapon 513 00:21:34,001 --> 00:21:38,129 that can strike from far behind enemy lines 514 00:21:38,130 --> 00:21:39,631 without warning. 515 00:21:39,632 --> 00:21:40,632 [intriguing dramatic music] 516 00:21:40,633 --> 00:21:42,133 - [Rutledge] In 1934, 517 00:21:42,134 --> 00:21:44,928 Admiral Yamamoto reads "The New York Times" 518 00:21:44,929 --> 00:21:46,930 and sees that Nikola Tesla 519 00:21:46,931 --> 00:21:49,307 announces that he's gonna build a weapon 520 00:21:49,308 --> 00:21:53,478 that fires tiny electrically-charged particles 521 00:21:53,479 --> 00:21:55,730 in a focused beam. 522 00:21:55,731 --> 00:21:58,149 - The official name is Teleforce, 523 00:21:58,150 --> 00:22:03,197 and Tesla claims this could destroy 10,000 planes 524 00:22:03,364 --> 00:22:05,990 at over 250-miles away. 525 00:22:05,991 --> 00:22:09,994 He also says that it could cause armies of millions 526 00:22:09,995 --> 00:22:11,871 to drop dead in their tracks. 527 00:22:11,872 --> 00:22:13,541 [dramatic thud] 528 00:22:13,749 --> 00:22:16,835 - [Dan] While the US government shrugs off Tesla's Death Ray, 529 00:22:16,836 --> 00:22:19,838 Admiral Yamamoto thinks it's got potential. 530 00:22:19,839 --> 00:22:22,090 [intriguing dramatic music] 531 00:22:22,091 --> 00:22:23,299 - [Holly] The Japanese government 532 00:22:23,300 --> 00:22:26,344 allocates 2 million yen to this project, 533 00:22:26,345 --> 00:22:30,473 that's roughly equivalent to $11 million today. 534 00:22:30,474 --> 00:22:33,560 - [Martin] They also employ the services of Yoji Ito, 535 00:22:33,561 --> 00:22:35,103 an Engineer 536 00:22:35,104 --> 00:22:37,939 at the Japanese Naval Technologies Research Institute, 537 00:22:37,940 --> 00:22:40,108 and he will be the man designing and developing 538 00:22:40,109 --> 00:22:41,025 the Death Ray. 539 00:22:41,026 --> 00:22:42,443 [intriguing dramatic music] 540 00:22:42,444 --> 00:22:45,238 - [Holly] Yoji Ito and his team of 30 scientists 541 00:22:45,239 --> 00:22:46,573 realized pretty quickly 542 00:22:46,574 --> 00:22:49,284 that Tesla's concept is not workable. 543 00:22:49,285 --> 00:22:52,495 It would require multiple power plants 544 00:22:52,496 --> 00:22:55,707 just to power this thing for only a brief period of time. 545 00:22:55,708 --> 00:22:57,001 [intriguing dramatic music] 546 00:22:57,167 --> 00:22:58,710 - [Dr. Tyler] But they come up with an idea; 547 00:22:58,711 --> 00:23:01,796 what if instead of using electric particles, 548 00:23:01,797 --> 00:23:04,549 they use microwaves? 549 00:23:04,550 --> 00:23:05,967 - [Rutledge] They decide to call this 550 00:23:05,968 --> 00:23:08,344 the Ku-Go Death Ray project. 551 00:23:08,345 --> 00:23:09,762 - [Dan] The Death Ray prototype 552 00:23:09,763 --> 00:23:12,558 features a 31-inch magnetron and dipole antenna 553 00:23:13,475 --> 00:23:15,059 using 30 kilowatts of energy 554 00:23:15,060 --> 00:23:17,104 to send microwaves to its target. 555 00:23:18,689 --> 00:23:20,398 - [Troy] So the Japanese have the power, 556 00:23:20,399 --> 00:23:22,066 and they have the beam, 557 00:23:22,067 --> 00:23:25,571 but the question is, will this thing work? 558 00:23:25,988 --> 00:23:28,698 In one of the tests, they point the Death Ray 559 00:23:28,699 --> 00:23:31,784 at an unprotected car engine, 560 00:23:31,785 --> 00:23:34,913 [tense dramatic music] 561 00:23:34,914 --> 00:23:36,832 and it melts. 562 00:23:37,791 --> 00:23:40,168 - [Dan] Sure, it's not the 10,000 destroyed planes 563 00:23:40,169 --> 00:23:41,586 Tesla promised, 564 00:23:41,587 --> 00:23:44,505 but all Death Rays have to start somewhere. 565 00:23:44,506 --> 00:23:46,049 - [Rutledge] And then they try another one 566 00:23:46,050 --> 00:23:48,968 where they actually close the hood on the engine, 567 00:23:48,969 --> 00:23:50,762 [beam whirring] [dramatic thud] 568 00:23:50,763 --> 00:23:52,555 and it's unsuccessful, 569 00:23:52,556 --> 00:23:54,599 which means it would be very difficult 570 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:56,351 to melt an airplane engine, 571 00:23:56,352 --> 00:23:59,938 if the engine's not sitting 30-feet in front of it 572 00:23:59,939 --> 00:24:01,439 on a bare shelf. 573 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:03,066 - [Dan] The Death Ray may not be strong enough 574 00:24:03,067 --> 00:24:05,234 to penetrate the car's hood, 575 00:24:05,235 --> 00:24:08,446 but what about something softer? 576 00:24:08,447 --> 00:24:10,573 - [Holly] They point this Death Ray at a rabbit 577 00:24:10,574 --> 00:24:12,617 from a distance of 40 yards. 578 00:24:12,618 --> 00:24:14,160 [beam whirring] 579 00:24:14,161 --> 00:24:16,955 - [Rutledge] And it does not immediately do anything, 580 00:24:16,956 --> 00:24:19,540 it takes a while, about 10 minutes, 581 00:24:19,541 --> 00:24:21,209 before it kills the rabbit. 582 00:24:21,210 --> 00:24:22,669 That's not great. 583 00:24:22,670 --> 00:24:24,170 So again, 584 00:24:24,171 --> 00:24:28,257 it seems like the Death Ray isn't working that well. 585 00:24:28,258 --> 00:24:29,342 - [Dan] Instead of giving up, 586 00:24:29,343 --> 00:24:31,386 Ito's team pushes forward, 587 00:24:31,387 --> 00:24:34,347 scaling up the power and the range. 588 00:24:34,348 --> 00:24:37,058 - [Dr. Tyler] What they try to do is start testing 589 00:24:37,059 --> 00:24:41,897 a much more powerful ray that instead uses 200-kilowatts. 590 00:24:43,023 --> 00:24:46,818 - [Holly] That is more than 500% more powerful than the last one, 591 00:24:46,819 --> 00:24:49,320 and the goal with this is to kill a rabbit 592 00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:53,700 at a hundred kilometer distance, it's about 62 miles. 593 00:24:53,701 --> 00:24:54,867 - [Dan] While Ito and his team 594 00:24:54,868 --> 00:24:57,537 scramble to finish their doomsday weapon, 595 00:24:57,538 --> 00:24:58,913 [explosion booming] 596 00:24:58,914 --> 00:25:02,083 Robert Oppenheimer and the US finish theirs first. 597 00:25:02,084 --> 00:25:03,334 [intriguing dramatic music] [crowd applauding] 598 00:25:03,335 --> 00:25:05,837 - [Troy] In 1945, the war ends, 599 00:25:05,838 --> 00:25:08,381 and the Ku-Go project is shut down. 600 00:25:08,382 --> 00:25:13,345 It becomes simply one of the strangest weapons of the war 601 00:25:14,179 --> 00:25:15,388 that never got a chance to fire. 602 00:25:15,389 --> 00:25:16,806 [intriguing dramatic music continues] 603 00:25:16,807 --> 00:25:18,808 - [Dan] Bad news for the Japanese, 604 00:25:18,809 --> 00:25:21,186 but good news for the bunny population. 605 00:25:25,190 --> 00:25:26,566 - Long before Rome conquered the world, 606 00:25:26,567 --> 00:25:28,109 it was struggling to protect itself; 607 00:25:28,110 --> 00:25:30,069 and during one desperate siege, 608 00:25:30,070 --> 00:25:33,781 help arrived from somewhere no one anticipates. 609 00:25:33,782 --> 00:25:35,742 [intriguing dramatic music] 610 00:25:35,743 --> 00:25:38,619 - [Don] We're in Rome, 390 BCE, 611 00:25:38,620 --> 00:25:41,456 centuries before they're even an empire. 612 00:25:41,457 --> 00:25:43,875 Rome is just a scrappy, unproven city 613 00:25:43,876 --> 00:25:45,918 of maybe 30,000 people. 614 00:25:45,919 --> 00:25:48,755 At this point, the Romans aren't conquering the world, 615 00:25:48,756 --> 00:25:50,965 they're trying to survive it. 616 00:25:50,966 --> 00:25:54,302 - [Sami] The real power on the scene is this warrior tribe 617 00:25:54,303 --> 00:25:57,680 from the northern part of Italy called the Senones 618 00:25:57,681 --> 00:26:00,725 that are led by a man named Brennus. 619 00:26:00,726 --> 00:26:03,186 - [Dan] The Senones have been on a relentless war path, 620 00:26:03,187 --> 00:26:04,979 torching cities, slaughtering men, 621 00:26:04,980 --> 00:26:07,648 and leaving charred ruins in their wake. 622 00:26:07,649 --> 00:26:10,526 Now their sights are set on Rome. 623 00:26:10,527 --> 00:26:12,320 - [Don] On Capitoline Hill, 624 00:26:12,321 --> 00:26:15,031 Rome's final defenders are holed up in a garrison 625 00:26:15,032 --> 00:26:18,284 near the temple of Juno, protected by a cliff. 626 00:26:18,285 --> 00:26:22,956 - [Sami] They're also joined by a flock of sacred geese. 627 00:26:23,749 --> 00:26:25,500 Now the reason that these geese are sacred 628 00:26:25,501 --> 00:26:28,419 is because they belong to the temple of Juno, 629 00:26:28,420 --> 00:26:30,755 which is the goddess of marriage and protector of the state. 630 00:26:30,756 --> 00:26:32,715 And these geese essentially fall 631 00:26:32,716 --> 00:26:35,551 under her divine protection. 632 00:26:35,552 --> 00:26:37,303 - [Dan] Unfortunately, Brennus and the Senones 633 00:26:37,304 --> 00:26:39,180 have surrounded the temple, 634 00:26:39,181 --> 00:26:41,599 cutting off food, water, and hope, 635 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,852 driving the Romans to the brink of desperation. 636 00:26:44,853 --> 00:26:46,395 - [Riccoh] The Romans are starving, 637 00:26:46,396 --> 00:26:47,897 and in a dire moment, 638 00:26:47,898 --> 00:26:50,650 they're even considering sacrificing 639 00:26:50,651 --> 00:26:52,944 some of the sacred geese to eat. 640 00:26:52,945 --> 00:26:54,695 [ominous dramatic music] 641 00:26:54,696 --> 00:26:56,864 - [Jason] But as tired and hungry as they are, 642 00:26:56,865 --> 00:26:59,993 everyone knows it would be a sacrilege to kill them; 643 00:27:01,745 --> 00:27:03,538 even the dogs know the rule. 644 00:27:03,539 --> 00:27:05,373 [intriguing dramatic music] 645 00:27:05,374 --> 00:27:09,502 - [Sami] Brennus gathers up some of his best fighters. 646 00:27:09,503 --> 00:27:11,796 He starts sending them up the side of the cliff 647 00:27:11,797 --> 00:27:13,506 to launch a sneak attack 648 00:27:13,507 --> 00:27:16,217 on the tired, starving Roman soldiers. 649 00:27:16,218 --> 00:27:17,594 [intriguing dramatic music] 650 00:27:17,803 --> 00:27:20,138 - [Emily] As the Senones get to the top of the cliff, 651 00:27:20,139 --> 00:27:23,558 these Roman soldiers are sleeping, the dogs are sleeping, 652 00:27:23,559 --> 00:27:25,142 but they didn't count on one thing. 653 00:27:25,143 --> 00:27:27,019 [Geese honking] 654 00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:28,980 - Sacred geese. 655 00:27:28,981 --> 00:27:30,273 [tense dramatic music] 656 00:27:30,274 --> 00:27:32,191 These birds are very sensitive to sound, 657 00:27:32,192 --> 00:27:35,361 they start honking and violently flapping their wings 658 00:27:35,362 --> 00:27:38,781 to the point that these Roman soldiers wake up. 659 00:27:38,782 --> 00:27:42,410 - [Riccoh] This foils Brennus' plan for a surprise attack 660 00:27:42,411 --> 00:27:43,744 on the Roman fighters. 661 00:27:43,745 --> 00:27:45,913 As the Senones try to climb up the cliff, 662 00:27:45,914 --> 00:27:48,876 the Romans take 'em out one by one. 663 00:27:49,918 --> 00:27:51,711 - [Dan] The sacred geese watch on 664 00:27:51,712 --> 00:27:55,339 as the Romans successfully stand their ground. 665 00:27:55,340 --> 00:27:58,551 - [Sami] Eventually the Senones retreat down the hill, 666 00:27:58,552 --> 00:28:00,469 and though Rome is badly bruised, 667 00:28:00,470 --> 00:28:02,847 it is safe for the time being. 668 00:28:02,848 --> 00:28:05,600 If these geese had not honked, 669 00:28:05,601 --> 00:28:10,354 it is very possible that the Roman Empire that we know today 670 00:28:10,355 --> 00:28:13,024 would be the Senones Empire. 671 00:28:13,025 --> 00:28:16,944 [tense dramatic music] 672 00:28:16,945 --> 00:28:18,571 - [Dan] Forget feathers and flapping, 673 00:28:18,572 --> 00:28:21,991 sometimes history's stealthiest weapons don't honk, 674 00:28:21,992 --> 00:28:23,618 they float. 675 00:28:23,619 --> 00:28:26,329 [intriguing dramatic music] 676 00:28:26,330 --> 00:28:27,830 - [Rutledge] Now it's 1939, 677 00:28:27,831 --> 00:28:30,374 it's still very early in the war, 678 00:28:30,375 --> 00:28:33,920 and barrage balloons are already in use in the Royal Navy. 679 00:28:33,921 --> 00:28:37,590 They are these huge zeppelin-shaped hot air balloons 680 00:28:37,591 --> 00:28:39,717 that are tethered to warships 681 00:28:39,718 --> 00:28:42,762 with 5,000-foot long steel cables. 682 00:28:42,763 --> 00:28:45,222 The idea being if a plane flies anywhere near it, 683 00:28:45,223 --> 00:28:46,933 it'll get caught hitting the cables, 684 00:28:46,934 --> 00:28:48,142 and down goes the plane. 685 00:28:48,143 --> 00:28:49,810 Pretty brilliant. 686 00:28:49,811 --> 00:28:51,979 - [Dan] But a freak accident proves these balloons 687 00:28:51,980 --> 00:28:55,275 can do a lot more damage than just tangle up a few planes. 688 00:28:56,234 --> 00:28:57,860 - [Martin] In September, 1940, 689 00:28:57,861 --> 00:28:59,988 a vicious storm hits the North Sea, 690 00:29:01,198 --> 00:29:03,616 barrage balloons are battered back and forth, 691 00:29:03,617 --> 00:29:07,662 some of them break their suspension cables and drift. 692 00:29:07,663 --> 00:29:10,706 - [Dan] As luck would have it, they drift over enemy territory 693 00:29:10,707 --> 00:29:12,960 in Nazi-controlled Denmark and Sweden. 694 00:29:14,461 --> 00:29:15,836 - [Martin] Their suspension cables 695 00:29:15,837 --> 00:29:17,421 get dragged across power lines, 696 00:29:17,422 --> 00:29:19,882 knocking out electricity for days, 697 00:29:19,883 --> 00:29:23,095 and causing untold damage to infrastructure. 698 00:29:24,513 --> 00:29:26,180 - [Rutledge] To the Brits, this is brilliant. 699 00:29:26,181 --> 00:29:28,599 They've got these barrage balloons, 700 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:31,310 they've got plenty of hydrogen, and that's cheap, 701 00:29:31,311 --> 00:29:34,230 so I think we've got our new weapon. 702 00:29:34,231 --> 00:29:35,648 [intriguing dramatic music] 703 00:29:35,649 --> 00:29:37,149 - [Dr. Tyler] They've got a lot of enthusiasm, 704 00:29:37,150 --> 00:29:38,818 they go to Winston Churchill, 705 00:29:38,819 --> 00:29:41,112 and they're like, "Hey, this unplanned test, 706 00:29:41,113 --> 00:29:44,448 it worked with no explosives, no troops, 707 00:29:44,449 --> 00:29:46,492 and almost no cost." 708 00:29:46,493 --> 00:29:49,286 They run a few more tests, this time, on purpose, 709 00:29:49,287 --> 00:29:51,330 and they realize that each balloon 710 00:29:51,331 --> 00:29:54,792 has somewhere between a 10 and 75% chance 711 00:29:54,793 --> 00:29:57,378 of shorting a high-power voltage line. 712 00:29:57,379 --> 00:29:58,796 [tense dramatic music] 713 00:29:58,797 --> 00:30:00,172 - [Dan] It must be enough for Churchill, 714 00:30:00,173 --> 00:30:03,217 because on March 20th, 1942, 715 00:30:03,218 --> 00:30:05,177 the project becomes official, 716 00:30:05,178 --> 00:30:07,596 and Operation Outward takes off. 717 00:30:07,597 --> 00:30:09,306 [tense dramatic music] 718 00:30:09,307 --> 00:30:11,267 - [Don] Normally when you see balloons, you think celebration; 719 00:30:11,268 --> 00:30:14,645 but in this case, they are bringing utter destruction. 720 00:30:14,646 --> 00:30:16,647 Half of the Operation Outward balloons 721 00:30:16,648 --> 00:30:18,733 carry conductive steel cables 722 00:30:18,734 --> 00:30:20,735 meant to short out German power lines, 723 00:30:20,736 --> 00:30:23,988 but the rest, they're fitted with small explosives. 724 00:30:23,989 --> 00:30:25,656 Dangling from the balloons 725 00:30:25,657 --> 00:30:29,785 are either white phosphorus grenades or incendiary jelly. 726 00:30:29,786 --> 00:30:32,788 - [Martin] Outward also acts as an effective diversion 727 00:30:32,789 --> 00:30:35,416 because the Germans have to dispatch fighter aircraft 728 00:30:35,417 --> 00:30:36,959 to intercept the balloons, 729 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,503 and they have to send ground units to go and collect them 730 00:30:39,504 --> 00:30:41,088 once they've reached the ground. 731 00:30:41,089 --> 00:30:42,715 [intriguing dramatic music] 732 00:30:42,716 --> 00:30:44,341 - [Rutledge] The most dramatic result 733 00:30:44,342 --> 00:30:47,803 comes when a balloon strikes a generator 734 00:30:47,804 --> 00:30:50,389 at a power station in Leipzig, Germany, 735 00:30:50,390 --> 00:30:53,934 which takes out 250-megawatts of power 736 00:30:53,935 --> 00:30:57,105 dealing a major blow to the German power grid. 737 00:30:58,023 --> 00:31:00,191 - [Don] The final launch of Operation Outward 738 00:31:00,192 --> 00:31:03,069 takes place on September 4th, 1944, 739 00:31:03,070 --> 00:31:04,695 capping off a campaign 740 00:31:04,696 --> 00:31:07,114 that saw over 100,000 balloons 741 00:31:07,115 --> 00:31:09,658 released toward Nazi-occupied Europe. 742 00:31:09,659 --> 00:31:12,119 Due to wartime secrecy restrictions, 743 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:15,414 newspapers are forbidden from reporting on the operation, 744 00:31:15,415 --> 00:31:18,501 leaving the public completely unaware of the balloons 745 00:31:18,502 --> 00:31:20,711 silently drifting through the skies, 746 00:31:20,712 --> 00:31:22,213 fighting on their behalf. 747 00:31:22,214 --> 00:31:24,215 [intriguing dramatic music] 748 00:31:24,216 --> 00:31:25,674 - [Dan] In all, Operation Outward 749 00:31:25,675 --> 00:31:29,345 costs the German $75 million in damages, 750 00:31:29,346 --> 00:31:30,721 not bad for a balloon 751 00:31:30,722 --> 00:31:32,849 that's a measly hundred bucks to launch. 752 00:31:36,937 --> 00:31:38,562 - Bombs and bullets work on the battlefield, 753 00:31:38,563 --> 00:31:40,523 but what about when you need to get close to the enemy 754 00:31:40,524 --> 00:31:42,900 to find out their secrets? 755 00:31:42,901 --> 00:31:44,777 When destruction won't do, 756 00:31:44,778 --> 00:31:48,782 one secret agent becomes a weapon of mass seduction. 757 00:31:50,325 --> 00:31:53,578 - [Holly] Betty Pack is an expat MI6 agent, 758 00:31:54,412 --> 00:31:57,748 and Betty becomes a master at this move 759 00:31:57,749 --> 00:31:59,333 that's known as honey trapping, 760 00:31:59,334 --> 00:32:02,628 and that means she uses her seductive wiles 761 00:32:02,629 --> 00:32:04,506 to gather information. 762 00:32:05,966 --> 00:32:09,552 - [Adam] Betty Pack is actually not her real name, 763 00:32:09,553 --> 00:32:10,761 [camera shutter snapping] 764 00:32:10,762 --> 00:32:12,304 her given name is Amy Elizabeth Thorpe, 765 00:32:12,305 --> 00:32:14,306 and she was born in 1910. 766 00:32:14,307 --> 00:32:17,351 Her dad is a man by the name of Colonel George Thorpe, 767 00:32:17,352 --> 00:32:21,522 he's a very highly decorated, deeply respected Marine. 768 00:32:21,523 --> 00:32:23,357 Because of the nature of her family, 769 00:32:23,358 --> 00:32:25,401 she spends a lot of her youth abroad 770 00:32:25,402 --> 00:32:27,027 moving from country to country 771 00:32:27,028 --> 00:32:30,239 and learning the very valuable skillset 772 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:34,035 of blending in with the upper echelon of society. 773 00:32:34,995 --> 00:32:38,706 - [Negin] But at 19, she finds herself in a bit of a pickle, 774 00:32:38,707 --> 00:32:40,542 because she's pregnant; 775 00:32:42,294 --> 00:32:44,587 and the real tough part is, 776 00:32:44,588 --> 00:32:46,590 she doesn't know who the father is. 777 00:32:47,299 --> 00:32:51,427 This kind of thing could ruin a gal at that time, 778 00:32:51,428 --> 00:32:54,305 it is like social suicide. 779 00:32:54,306 --> 00:32:56,474 So she has to be creative. 780 00:32:57,392 --> 00:32:58,767 - [Dan] To avoid this disaster, 781 00:32:58,768 --> 00:33:02,271 Betty uses the most powerful tool she has, 782 00:33:02,272 --> 00:33:04,274 charm, 783 00:33:04,441 --> 00:33:07,610 and sets her sights on a British diplomat, Arthur Pack. 784 00:33:07,611 --> 00:33:09,904 - [Holly] A couple months into their relationship, 785 00:33:09,905 --> 00:33:12,823 Betty convinces Arthur that the baby is his; 786 00:33:12,824 --> 00:33:16,494 and, voila, she marries a diplomat. 787 00:33:17,495 --> 00:33:18,621 - [Dan] It's the first time 788 00:33:18,622 --> 00:33:20,707 Betty turns intimacy into leverage, 789 00:33:21,875 --> 00:33:23,834 and it won't be the last. 790 00:33:23,835 --> 00:33:25,169 - [Negin] After the baby's born, 791 00:33:25,170 --> 00:33:27,504 they end up giving it up for adoption, 792 00:33:27,505 --> 00:33:30,382 but, nevertheless, she follows him on assignment 793 00:33:30,383 --> 00:33:33,761 and she's playing the role of a diplomat's wife 794 00:33:33,762 --> 00:33:37,723 and really learning how the world of geo-diplomacy works. 795 00:33:37,724 --> 00:33:39,850 - [David] In 1938, her husband, Arthur, 796 00:33:39,851 --> 00:33:43,270 gets assigned to a diplomatic post in Warsaw, 797 00:33:43,271 --> 00:33:47,441 where she soon gets into an affair with a Polish diplomat 798 00:33:47,442 --> 00:33:49,985 named Edward Kulakowski. 799 00:33:49,986 --> 00:33:52,655 It doesn't take long before this Polish diplomat 800 00:33:52,656 --> 00:33:55,699 reveals to her that Poland is secretly cooperating 801 00:33:55,700 --> 00:33:56,993 with Nazi Germany. 802 00:33:58,411 --> 00:33:59,995 - [Martin] Armed with this information, 803 00:33:59,996 --> 00:34:02,331 she passes the intel onto John Shelley 804 00:34:02,332 --> 00:34:03,832 at the British Embassy. 805 00:34:03,833 --> 00:34:04,959 - [Holly] And through Shelley, 806 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:06,835 she is actually brought into MI6, 807 00:34:06,836 --> 00:34:10,881 because they realize they have a really valuable asset 808 00:34:10,882 --> 00:34:13,091 on their hands in Betty. 809 00:34:13,092 --> 00:34:14,593 - [Dan] Betty's first official assignment 810 00:34:14,594 --> 00:34:17,428 is to seduce Count Michal Lubienski, 811 00:34:17,429 --> 00:34:20,350 chief aide to Poland's Foreign Minister, Joseph Beck. 812 00:34:21,685 --> 00:34:25,145 - [Adam] During Betty's tender moments with the Count, 813 00:34:25,146 --> 00:34:29,358 she surreptitiously copies different reports and documents 814 00:34:29,359 --> 00:34:31,568 that are in his attache case. 815 00:34:31,569 --> 00:34:33,028 [intriguing dramatic music] 816 00:34:33,029 --> 00:34:35,155 Polish code-breaking methodology, 817 00:34:35,156 --> 00:34:37,448 a reconstructed enigma machine, 818 00:34:37,449 --> 00:34:38,994 and all of this information 819 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:42,788 will eventually allow famous British inventor, Alan Turing, 820 00:34:42,789 --> 00:34:47,042 to create the German code-deciphering machine 821 00:34:47,043 --> 00:34:49,878 that ultimately help turn the tide of the war 822 00:34:49,879 --> 00:34:52,256 in the favor of the Allies. 823 00:34:52,257 --> 00:34:55,301 - [Dan] But their success in Europe comes at a cost. 824 00:34:55,302 --> 00:34:58,345 In 1941, Betty leaves her marriage behind 825 00:34:58,346 --> 00:35:01,098 and heads to Washington, DC, 826 00:35:01,099 --> 00:35:03,934 where a more audacious target awaits. 827 00:35:03,935 --> 00:35:07,271 - [Holly] Betty sets her sights on Charles Brousse, 828 00:35:07,272 --> 00:35:09,315 who is a Vichy French diplomat. 829 00:35:09,316 --> 00:35:12,067 At this time, the Vichy regime 830 00:35:12,068 --> 00:35:14,945 is secretly collaborating with the Nazis. 831 00:35:14,946 --> 00:35:18,490 Her goal is to get her hands on secret naval codes 832 00:35:18,491 --> 00:35:21,368 that are being held in the embassy's safe. 833 00:35:21,369 --> 00:35:23,913 - [Adam] Even though Brousse is a married man, 834 00:35:24,748 --> 00:35:27,374 Betty manages to seduce him. 835 00:35:27,375 --> 00:35:28,917 - [Dan] But the mission isn't complete 836 00:35:28,918 --> 00:35:31,962 until she gets her hands on those naval codes. 837 00:35:31,963 --> 00:35:33,589 So Betty convinces Brousse 838 00:35:33,590 --> 00:35:36,634 to sneak her along with a safe cracker 839 00:35:36,635 --> 00:35:39,011 into the French Embassy. 840 00:35:39,012 --> 00:35:43,307 - [Holly] This is an extremely dangerous operation. 841 00:35:43,308 --> 00:35:46,769 And while the safe cracker is doing his job, 842 00:35:46,770 --> 00:35:49,146 a security guard approaches, 843 00:35:49,147 --> 00:35:52,483 and Betty thinks incredibly fast, 844 00:35:52,484 --> 00:35:56,612 she tells Charles to get undressed, she does the same, 845 00:35:56,613 --> 00:35:59,114 and they start to make out. 846 00:35:59,115 --> 00:36:01,075 Betty's little ruse works perfectly, 847 00:36:01,076 --> 00:36:03,118 the safe cracker is undisturbed, 848 00:36:03,119 --> 00:36:06,163 they get those naval codes and cipher materials, 849 00:36:06,164 --> 00:36:10,210 and they never alert the enemy in the process. 850 00:36:11,169 --> 00:36:13,462 - [David] This becomes Betty's greatest act of espionage 851 00:36:13,463 --> 00:36:16,173 because with the secrets that were in that safe, 852 00:36:16,174 --> 00:36:19,885 US military intelligence is able to anticipate movements 853 00:36:19,886 --> 00:36:21,762 of the French Vichy fleet 854 00:36:21,763 --> 00:36:24,306 that enables them to then take North Africa, 855 00:36:24,307 --> 00:36:27,935 which is the first step to the defeat of Nazi Germany. 856 00:36:27,936 --> 00:36:29,895 [intriguing dramatic music] 857 00:36:29,896 --> 00:36:32,690 - [Dan] Betty and Charles did eventually get married, 858 00:36:32,691 --> 00:36:35,943 proof that sometimes spying on someone 859 00:36:35,944 --> 00:36:37,862 really is the fastest way to their heart. 860 00:36:41,908 --> 00:36:42,991 - When it comes to concealed weapons, 861 00:36:42,992 --> 00:36:45,035 sometimes it's not the size that matters, 862 00:36:45,036 --> 00:36:46,870 but how quickly you can whip it out. 863 00:36:46,871 --> 00:36:48,997 [pensive dramatic music] 864 00:36:48,998 --> 00:36:50,624 - [Jonathan] It's the end of World War I 865 00:36:50,625 --> 00:36:53,627 and a German soldier named Louis Marquis 866 00:36:53,628 --> 00:36:56,547 is captured by the Russians and taken to a prison camp. 867 00:36:56,548 --> 00:36:57,923 But he's more than just a soldier, 868 00:36:57,924 --> 00:37:01,051 he's an inventor and an engineer as well. 869 00:37:01,052 --> 00:37:03,762 - [Riccoh] Conditions in this prison camp are harsh 870 00:37:03,763 --> 00:37:06,890 and Marquis becomes obsessed with one idea: 871 00:37:06,891 --> 00:37:08,475 a concealed weapon, 872 00:37:08,476 --> 00:37:11,478 small enough to hide, fast enough to use, 873 00:37:11,479 --> 00:37:13,313 deadly enough to matter. 874 00:37:13,314 --> 00:37:16,316 - [Jonathan] Marquis spends years planning out this idea, 875 00:37:16,317 --> 00:37:18,026 and when he is finally released from prison, 876 00:37:18,027 --> 00:37:19,654 he patents his design. 877 00:37:20,905 --> 00:37:22,948 - [Dan] It looks like a simple belt buckle, 878 00:37:22,949 --> 00:37:25,492 but inside, it packs a punch. 879 00:37:25,493 --> 00:37:27,870 - [Riccoh] A lever releases a spring-loaded buckle, 880 00:37:27,871 --> 00:37:30,581 which flips down to reveal the barrel. 881 00:37:30,582 --> 00:37:32,374 Each of the two or four rounds 882 00:37:32,375 --> 00:37:35,712 has its own individual trigger mechanism ready to fire. 883 00:37:37,630 --> 00:37:39,298 - [Dan] Meanwhile, Nazi intelligence 884 00:37:39,299 --> 00:37:41,550 is on the hunt for covert weapons, 885 00:37:41,551 --> 00:37:44,095 and Marquis' design catches their attention. 886 00:37:45,096 --> 00:37:47,598 - [Jason] By 1944, two versions exist, 887 00:37:47,599 --> 00:37:51,894 a four-barrel.22 caliber, and a two-barrel.32 caliber, 888 00:37:51,895 --> 00:37:54,898 both concealed inside of the Nazi belt buckle. 889 00:37:56,107 --> 00:37:59,067 - [Jonathan] The idea is for a weapon of last resort. 890 00:37:59,068 --> 00:38:01,278 Say you are a high ranking SS officer, 891 00:38:01,279 --> 00:38:02,488 and you're captured, 892 00:38:02,489 --> 00:38:04,531 and you have one chance to make it out. 893 00:38:04,532 --> 00:38:06,200 [belt mechanism clacking] The belt lock pistol 894 00:38:06,201 --> 00:38:07,701 is that chance. 895 00:38:07,702 --> 00:38:10,579 [bullets sputtering] 896 00:38:10,580 --> 00:38:12,539 - [Riccoh] We don't know if SS soldiers 897 00:38:12,540 --> 00:38:15,834 ever used one of these belt guns to get out of a jam, 898 00:38:15,835 --> 00:38:17,461 but to aim this thing, 899 00:38:17,462 --> 00:38:19,922 you're gonna have to use some of your pelvic hip gyration, 900 00:38:19,923 --> 00:38:22,216 or pelvic thrust, to be on target. 901 00:38:22,217 --> 00:38:24,009 [tense dramatic music] 902 00:38:24,010 --> 00:38:25,469 - [Dan] That is one escape plan 903 00:38:25,470 --> 00:38:28,055 you really don't want to backfire. 904 00:38:28,056 --> 00:38:31,683 The belt pistol was designed to catch its target off guard. 905 00:38:31,684 --> 00:38:32,976 Another device decided 906 00:38:32,977 --> 00:38:35,729 it was better to catch the target outright. 907 00:38:35,730 --> 00:38:37,232 [intriguing dramatic music] 908 00:38:37,398 --> 00:38:40,317 - [Dr. Oluseyi] Say you're a London police officer in 1969, 909 00:38:40,318 --> 00:38:42,694 a burglar has just robbed a bank, 910 00:38:42,695 --> 00:38:44,321 and now they're making a run for it. 911 00:38:44,322 --> 00:38:46,323 Your challenge is to stop them, 912 00:38:46,324 --> 00:38:48,158 but in a non-lethal way, 913 00:38:48,159 --> 00:38:50,452 without hurting or killing a person. 914 00:38:50,453 --> 00:38:51,870 What do you do? 915 00:38:51,871 --> 00:38:54,414 - [Dan] A British inventor named Colin Brown 916 00:38:54,415 --> 00:38:58,210 has a strange solution: the net a thief. 917 00:38:58,211 --> 00:38:59,629 [device banging] 918 00:38:59,838 --> 00:39:01,839 - [Jenny] Out of this apparatus shoots a giant net 919 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:04,174 that has four weights on the four corners of it, 920 00:39:04,175 --> 00:39:06,051 and ensnares the burglar. 921 00:39:06,052 --> 00:39:07,553 - [Dr. Oluseyi] Besides being non-lethal, 922 00:39:07,554 --> 00:39:09,972 what makes this such a great secret weapon 923 00:39:09,973 --> 00:39:13,100 is the fact that the bad guys just don't expect 924 00:39:13,101 --> 00:39:15,769 to get shot with a net like in a cartoon, 925 00:39:15,770 --> 00:39:17,563 but this is real-life. 926 00:39:17,564 --> 00:39:22,150 - [Jason] Brown makes this video to win over law enforcement, 927 00:39:22,151 --> 00:39:25,279 but nobody in the UK picks up on the idea, 928 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:27,532 perhaps it's too bulky. 929 00:39:28,533 --> 00:39:30,242 [device banging] 930 00:39:30,243 --> 00:39:31,785 [intriguing orchestral music] 931 00:39:31,786 --> 00:39:33,954 - [Paul] While British police never end up using it, 932 00:39:33,955 --> 00:39:38,083 the device does come in handy later in the 1970s 933 00:39:38,084 --> 00:39:41,545 as a way to capture stray dogs and wildlife. 934 00:39:41,546 --> 00:39:42,796 - [Dr. Oluseyi] Cut to the modern version, 935 00:39:42,797 --> 00:39:44,756 and now it's much more compact, 936 00:39:44,757 --> 00:39:46,758 it looks like a large flashlight, 937 00:39:46,759 --> 00:39:50,220 and inside, there's compressed gas or an explosive 938 00:39:50,221 --> 00:39:53,975 which launches the weighted net 40-feet in two seconds. 939 00:39:55,435 --> 00:39:58,520 - [Jason] Net guns are also used in the fight against drones, 940 00:39:58,521 --> 00:40:02,107 which are sometimes found flying in unauthorized airspace. 941 00:40:02,108 --> 00:40:04,776 Quadcopters can be a security threat 942 00:40:04,777 --> 00:40:07,446 when they're flying close to sensitive sites 943 00:40:07,447 --> 00:40:11,074 like airports or government installations. 944 00:40:11,075 --> 00:40:14,953 Plus, a lot of these drones aren't just used by hobbyists, 945 00:40:14,954 --> 00:40:17,372 they're used for criminal activity, 946 00:40:17,373 --> 00:40:21,210 illegal surveillance, espionage, bombs. 947 00:40:21,878 --> 00:40:23,045 [explosion booming] [intriguing dramatic music] 948 00:40:23,046 --> 00:40:24,171 - [Jenny] So let's say you've got a drone 949 00:40:24,172 --> 00:40:25,797 somewhere it's not supposed to be, 950 00:40:25,798 --> 00:40:28,884 a sporting event, an airport, a secret celebrity wedding, 951 00:40:28,885 --> 00:40:30,677 just shoot that thing up in the air, 952 00:40:30,678 --> 00:40:33,305 it ensnares the drone in a net, takes it down, 953 00:40:33,306 --> 00:40:34,348 [device banging] 954 00:40:34,349 --> 00:40:35,516 boom, problem solved. 955 00:40:36,809 --> 00:40:38,560 [intriguing dramatic music] 956 00:40:38,561 --> 00:40:40,395 - [Dan] Reigning scorpions on the enemy, 957 00:40:40,396 --> 00:40:44,316 sabotaging ammo, and seducing your way to intel, 958 00:40:44,317 --> 00:40:47,945 these are the super secret weapons so outlandish, 959 00:40:47,946 --> 00:40:50,156 they are truly unbelievable.