BBC - Secrets of World War II Set 1 (1998) Part 5 The Bruneval Raid
You probably know the History, now discover the incredible SECRETS OF WORLD WAR II. Rarely has a war produced such clear cut reasons to fight as World War II. On the one hand were the totalitarian Dictators - Tojo, Hitler and Mussolini. On the other were the great democracies of the Western World which were gradually regaining their feet after the Great War of 1914-18 and the Wall Street Crash. Suddenly, ordinary men and women from all walks of life found themselves thrown into fearsome, nerve-tingling situations worthy of any Hollywood movie. The only difference in this series is that every story is true. Real people emerge as the Heroes of Telemark. Ordinary GIs and US Airforce and Navy personnel suddenly find themselves flying against the Japanese in China, jungle fighting in Burma and being dropped by submarine on enemy coasts at midnight. These untold stories can now be examined in great detail with the benefit of hindsight, newly-discovered archive film, maps and computer graphics which can complete the picture for today's viewer. Each fifty-two minute story covers the background to the main action. It will give the viewer a clear view of the historical context, the strategic objective and the tactical effort made by flyers, sailors and foot-soldiers - often in the most oppressive and life-threatening situations - to win victory from the enemy. This is an inspiring series with a giant canvas including much never before seen colour film. Over 300,000 hours of archive material have been searched for its compilation. Specially orchestrated music and compositions from the great composers all contribute to the excitement and drama of some of the world's greatest stories of bravery under fire. It is the largest series of its kind ever produced and with recently released secret footage will give the viewer a new insight into the great untold war stories of World War II. In many cases, this series gives the true stories for the first time this Century.
Part 5 The Bruneval Raid
In 1942 a reconnaissance Spitfire photographed a strange shaped piece of German apparatus in a Normandy field. It turned out to be a sophisticated German radar system whose secrets had to be discovered. On the night of February 27, 1942, British paratroopers dropped into snowcovered fields along the coast of France. Their mission to capture a top secret German radar installation near the town of Bruneval. Relive the astonishing nighttime attack–and discover how it played a vital role in the Allied bombing offensive against Hitler's Reich in “The Bruneval Raid.” Witness the undercover battles of the radar war, where squiggles on an electronic screen meant the difference between life and death in the skies. See how the remarkable British home radar system prevented a full-scale Nazi invasion of England. Investigate the inner workings of the Luftwaffe's “X System,” which made possible the precision bombing of enemy targets on the darkest night. Follow the elite British paratroops during guerrilla training for their covert attack on Bruneval. Then find out what happened at the Nazi radar station–when the raiders suddenly found themselves pinned down under a firestorm of German bullets.
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Episode Two Shown Here