1 00:00:01,467 --> 00:00:04,666 In Japan, a clandestine base converted into a deadly 2 00:00:04,667 --> 00:00:08,767 training camp for a wartime mission of no return. 3 00:00:08,934 --> 00:00:10,766 The weapons created here 4 00:00:10,767 --> 00:00:13,867 would be turned against American sailors. 5 00:00:14,033 --> 00:00:17,000 Hundreds would lose their lives. 6 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:22,066 An Italian town whose people were given lethal advice 7 00:00:22,233 --> 00:00:24,099 by government officials. 8 00:00:24,100 --> 00:00:27,165 They told the locals to stay inside. 9 00:00:27,166 --> 00:00:28,767 This is what signed, tragically, 10 00:00:28,934 --> 00:00:30,800 their own death warrants. 11 00:00:30,967 --> 00:00:33,366 And a floating fortress in New Jersey 12 00:00:33,367 --> 00:00:37,165 that became a sanctuary and a savior. 13 00:00:37,166 --> 00:00:38,767 This marvel of engineering 14 00:00:38,934 --> 00:00:41,867 played its part in some of America's biggest battles. 15 00:00:52,300 --> 00:00:55,866 In southern Japan are the remains of a facility 16 00:00:55,867 --> 00:01:00,266 that defined a desperate moment in the nation's history. 17 00:01:05,100 --> 00:01:07,867 We're in Ozu Island, a really thin strip of land 18 00:01:08,033 --> 00:01:09,265 just a few miles long. 19 00:01:09,266 --> 00:01:11,600 This seems like a normal little harbor. 20 00:01:11,767 --> 00:01:13,567 But along the cliff face, 21 00:01:13,734 --> 00:01:15,666 there is a tunnel entrance. 22 00:01:15,667 --> 00:01:17,600 When you come out the other side, 23 00:01:17,767 --> 00:01:22,300 there is only the pier and then the open sea. 24 00:01:22,467 --> 00:01:25,667 There's not a lot to tell us what this place is for. 25 00:01:25,834 --> 00:01:28,567 And it makes you wonder how is this tunnel connected 26 00:01:28,734 --> 00:01:31,667 to the other structures we see around here. 27 00:01:33,867 --> 00:01:37,200 This site was devised to inflict mortal wounds 28 00:01:37,367 --> 00:01:39,165 on Japan's rivals. 29 00:01:39,166 --> 00:01:41,165 But as their empire crumbled, 30 00:01:41,166 --> 00:01:44,367 it was given a horrifying new mission. 31 00:01:46,367 --> 00:01:51,266 Their own culture would lead the Japanese armed forces 32 00:01:51,433 --> 00:01:56,165 into a different way of engaging with their enemies. 33 00:01:56,166 --> 00:02:00,099 These people are indoctrinated to sacrifice their lives 34 00:02:00,100 --> 00:02:01,700 for their country. 35 00:02:01,867 --> 00:02:06,165 This was the last shred of their homeland 36 00:02:06,166 --> 00:02:08,667 that these men would ever see. 37 00:02:19,133 --> 00:02:21,166 There were things you couldn't say, 38 00:02:23,467 --> 00:02:25,934 things you would see or hear. 39 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,400 It made you realize that we were at war. 40 00:02:35,266 --> 00:02:39,266 Kenichi Tanaka was born on Ozu Island. 41 00:02:39,433 --> 00:02:42,466 He remembers when his peaceful home became a hive 42 00:02:42,467 --> 00:02:44,667 of mysterious activity. 43 00:02:45,967 --> 00:02:48,566 The Navy had their eyes on it. 44 00:02:48,567 --> 00:02:52,166 It was the perfect place to test their top secret weapons. 45 00:02:56,567 --> 00:02:58,400 The Japanese had good reason 46 00:02:58,567 --> 00:03:00,967 to keep this site concealed. 47 00:03:01,133 --> 00:03:04,500 In the late 1930s, when it was first operational, 48 00:03:04,667 --> 00:03:08,667 Japan was hell-bent on expanding its empire. 49 00:03:08,834 --> 00:03:10,999 At this point, Japan, having defeated Russia 50 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,800 in the Russo-Japanese War, sees itself as kind of 51 00:03:13,967 --> 00:03:16,165 the overlord of East Asia. 52 00:03:16,166 --> 00:03:19,667 They want the United States out of Asia. 53 00:03:19,834 --> 00:03:23,867 And as tension ramps up, Japan needs a much sharper 54 00:03:24,033 --> 00:03:26,767 naval weapon to counter what they see as inevitable 55 00:03:26,934 --> 00:03:30,100 American pressure on them in the Pacific. 56 00:03:30,266 --> 00:03:33,000 So the Japanese Navy starts to design 57 00:03:33,166 --> 00:03:36,667 what becomes the Type 93 torpedo. 58 00:03:36,834 --> 00:03:42,500 The Type 93 has got a top secret tank of oxygen inside 59 00:03:42,667 --> 00:03:46,566 that is going to make it ever so slightly faster, 60 00:03:46,567 --> 00:03:49,500 ever so slightly more powerful 61 00:03:49,667 --> 00:03:52,767 than any other torpedo around. 62 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,667 The Navy now needed somewhere away from prying eyes 63 00:03:57,834 --> 00:04:01,300 to trial run their deadly new technology. 64 00:04:01,467 --> 00:04:06,100 In 1937, construction began on Ozu Island. 65 00:04:07,900 --> 00:04:09,266 They test them here 66 00:04:09,433 --> 00:04:11,300 because of the size of the Sado Sea, 67 00:04:11,467 --> 00:04:13,466 and the fact that it is remote and there's not gonna be 68 00:04:13,467 --> 00:04:14,567 any collateral damage. 69 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:17,500 After a year of development, 70 00:04:17,667 --> 00:04:20,500 the Japanese Navy perfected their secret weapon 71 00:04:20,667 --> 00:04:22,967 with the data they gathered here. 72 00:04:23,133 --> 00:04:28,867 It was now the most advanced naval torpedo in the world. 73 00:04:29,033 --> 00:04:33,466 The effective range of the Type 93 torpedo is 13 miles. 74 00:04:33,467 --> 00:04:36,265 And the best American torpedoes in this period, 75 00:04:36,266 --> 00:04:38,266 their effective range is eight miles. 76 00:04:38,433 --> 00:04:41,266 So this gives the Japanese an immediate edge. 77 00:04:41,433 --> 00:04:42,900 Although the American military 78 00:04:43,066 --> 00:04:46,766 had no idea this new weapon even existed, 79 00:04:46,767 --> 00:04:49,066 they would soon find out. 80 00:04:49,233 --> 00:04:52,166 In December 1941, Japan launched a surprise 81 00:04:52,333 --> 00:04:54,766 attack on Pearl Harbor. 82 00:04:54,767 --> 00:04:57,200 And the Type 93 torpedo 83 00:04:57,367 --> 00:05:00,567 would prove devastating against the Allies 84 00:05:00,734 --> 00:05:02,666 in the Second World War. 85 00:05:02,667 --> 00:05:05,200 During the Battle of the Java Sea alone, 86 00:05:05,367 --> 00:05:07,000 the devastating weapon destroyed 87 00:05:07,166 --> 00:05:09,600 multiple Allied ships. 88 00:05:09,767 --> 00:05:14,367 But by mid-1942, it became clear Japan had seriously 89 00:05:14,533 --> 00:05:17,900 underestimated the strength of the American military. 90 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,566 Over the next year, 91 00:05:20,567 --> 00:05:24,700 the U.S. Navy Marine Corps start to conduct 92 00:05:24,867 --> 00:05:27,767 the island-hopping campaign. 93 00:05:27,934 --> 00:05:32,367 As island after island is taken away from the Japanese empire, 94 00:05:32,533 --> 00:05:35,400 the Americans are getting closer and closer 95 00:05:35,567 --> 00:05:38,567 to Japan itself. 96 00:05:38,734 --> 00:05:41,567 So they start casting around for new ideas. 97 00:05:41,734 --> 00:05:45,100 How does this outgunned, outnumbered, 98 00:05:45,266 --> 00:05:48,467 out-industrialized power go toe to toe 99 00:05:48,633 --> 00:05:50,567 with the United States. They have to find 100 00:05:50,734 --> 00:05:53,667 new diabolical weapons. 101 00:05:53,834 --> 00:05:56,165 This site is going to be developed into 102 00:05:56,166 --> 00:05:59,900 something terrifying, something desperate. 103 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,366 The Japanese Navy would be inspired by a bloody 104 00:06:04,367 --> 00:06:08,800 confrontation 1,500 miles south of Ozu Island. 105 00:06:09,767 --> 00:06:13,367 At the Battle of Saipan in 1944, 106 00:06:13,533 --> 00:06:17,000 the Japanese garrison launches a suicide charge 107 00:06:17,166 --> 00:06:19,099 at the American invaders, 108 00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:22,100 and 4,000 Japanese soldiers just run at the American lines, 109 00:06:22,266 --> 00:06:24,667 and almost all of them are killed. 110 00:06:24,834 --> 00:06:27,099 This Banzai charge at Saipan, you know, heralds 111 00:06:27,100 --> 00:06:28,900 a new kind of Japanese warfare. 112 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:34,566 The Japanese Naval Air Service starts to use the so-called 113 00:06:34,567 --> 00:06:38,066 "kamikaze" aircraft attack. 114 00:06:39,667 --> 00:06:43,900 And the Japanese Navy is going to find its own way 115 00:06:44,066 --> 00:06:45,667 to conduct suicide attack. 116 00:06:48,066 --> 00:06:51,700 In September 1944, this facility was given 117 00:06:51,867 --> 00:06:53,500 a menacing new purpose, 118 00:06:53,667 --> 00:06:57,366 to turn men into human torpedo pilots. 119 00:06:57,367 --> 00:07:01,700 These horrifying new weapons were called "Kaiten." 120 00:07:01,867 --> 00:07:04,566 They take these Type 93 torpedoes, and they say, 121 00:07:04,567 --> 00:07:09,100 "Why don't we put like a suicide pilot 122 00:07:09,266 --> 00:07:11,266 "on each of these torpedoes? 123 00:07:11,433 --> 00:07:15,066 "We'll make a little cabin with 30 minutes of oxygen inside, 124 00:07:15,233 --> 00:07:16,900 "and the guy will steer it into the side 125 00:07:17,066 --> 00:07:18,767 of an American destroyer." 126 00:07:18,934 --> 00:07:22,166 When adding the cabin, the Navy also increased 127 00:07:22,333 --> 00:07:25,867 the length of the torpedo to allow for three times more 128 00:07:26,033 --> 00:07:29,266 explosives than the original Type 93. 129 00:07:30,667 --> 00:07:34,500 A Kaiten was big enough not just to sink a destroyer. 130 00:07:34,667 --> 00:07:36,666 The Kaiten had enough payload 131 00:07:36,667 --> 00:07:42,366 to sink a battleship, to sink an aircraft carrier. 132 00:07:42,367 --> 00:07:44,867 Incredibly, when the Japanese Navy advertised 133 00:07:45,033 --> 00:07:48,766 for people to pilot these suicide submarines, 134 00:07:48,767 --> 00:07:51,266 and they were seeking 200 such people, 135 00:07:51,433 --> 00:07:55,900 more than 2,000 17- to 28-year-olds applied. 136 00:07:56,967 --> 00:08:02,200 By November 1944, just two months after training began, 137 00:08:02,367 --> 00:08:05,166 the first Kaiten pilots were ready to attack. 138 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,500 Before they left this base, their sacrifice was honored 139 00:08:09,667 --> 00:08:11,200 by the island's residents. 140 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,567 We went to see them off once with our teacher. 141 00:08:16,734 --> 00:08:17,867 I saluted them. 142 00:08:21,100 --> 00:08:24,166 As a child, I think I admired them. 143 00:08:24,333 --> 00:08:26,433 I thought they were courageous. 144 00:08:28,900 --> 00:08:32,666 On November 6th, eight Kaiten and their pilots 145 00:08:32,667 --> 00:08:35,400 were loaded onto submarines. 146 00:08:35,567 --> 00:08:39,367 Two weeks later, they had U.S. ships in their sights. 147 00:08:40,367 --> 00:08:42,700 There's a huge explosion. 148 00:08:42,867 --> 00:08:46,000 The fireball is so big that it looks as though 149 00:08:46,166 --> 00:08:47,667 a lot of ships have gone up. 150 00:08:47,834 --> 00:08:50,467 including an American aircraft carrier. 151 00:08:55,467 --> 00:08:58,467 2 In late 1944, the Japanese developed a deadly 152 00:08:58,633 --> 00:09:02,300 new weapon of war at this base, the "Kaiten." 153 00:09:02,467 --> 00:09:05,000 A human-piloted suicide torpedo. 154 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,266 At dawn on November 20, they launched 155 00:09:09,433 --> 00:09:12,100 their first attack against the U.S. Navy. 156 00:09:13,867 --> 00:09:18,767 Five Kaiten are deployed from two Japanese submarines 157 00:09:18,934 --> 00:09:23,667 against the U.S.S. Mississiniwa, which is a fuel supply ship. 158 00:09:23,834 --> 00:09:25,566 There's a huge explosion, 159 00:09:25,567 --> 00:09:29,000 and 63 U.S. sailors are killed in the attack. 160 00:09:30,166 --> 00:09:31,300 The fireball was so big 161 00:09:31,467 --> 00:09:34,099 that the Japanese assumed that all these Kaiten 162 00:09:34,100 --> 00:09:36,967 had hit targets and they'd blown up this entire 163 00:09:37,133 --> 00:09:38,266 assembled fleet in this anchorage. 164 00:09:38,433 --> 00:09:40,500 But in fact, they sank one ship. 165 00:09:40,667 --> 00:09:42,466 But because the Japanese believed 166 00:09:42,467 --> 00:09:45,566 the mission had been more successful than it really was, 167 00:09:45,567 --> 00:09:49,666 it gave them a sense of false confidence. 168 00:09:49,667 --> 00:09:52,300 So they poured more resources into the program 169 00:09:52,467 --> 00:09:54,500 thinking that this would be a secret weapon. 170 00:09:55,767 --> 00:09:56,967 They were wrong. 171 00:09:57,133 --> 00:09:58,200 And for the rest of the war, 172 00:09:58,367 --> 00:10:01,200 they only sank like a couple of ships. 173 00:10:01,367 --> 00:10:04,100 It promised incredible results but delivered very little. 174 00:10:04,266 --> 00:10:07,466 Far more Japanese sailors died than Americans were killed 175 00:10:07,467 --> 00:10:08,633 by this program. 176 00:10:10,166 --> 00:10:12,867 Regardless of the Kaiten's success rate, 177 00:10:13,033 --> 00:10:15,866 the Japanese even made plans to deploy them 178 00:10:15,867 --> 00:10:19,766 against an American invasion of the mainland. 179 00:10:19,767 --> 00:10:22,967 But it never came to that, as Japan finally surrendered 180 00:10:23,133 --> 00:10:27,066 after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 181 00:10:27,233 --> 00:10:30,265 This terrifying and inhumane weapon of war 182 00:10:30,266 --> 00:10:33,567 was consigned to a dark period of Japanese history. 183 00:10:37,767 --> 00:10:40,367 Every year since 1962, 184 00:10:40,533 --> 00:10:44,867 the relatives of Kaiten pilots and the people of Ozu Island 185 00:10:45,033 --> 00:10:46,900 have gathered to remember 186 00:10:47,066 --> 00:10:51,100 the young men who left here never to return. 187 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:57,566 Those suicide crew 188 00:10:57,567 --> 00:11:00,466 who died in the war for their country, 189 00:11:00,467 --> 00:11:03,200 we must give our respects. 190 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:12,166 And for that reason, the souls of those 106 people 191 00:11:12,333 --> 00:11:14,200 are enshrined here. 192 00:11:22,700 --> 00:11:26,066 In central Italy stand the ghostly remains 193 00:11:26,233 --> 00:11:28,800 of a catastrophe that left a trail 194 00:11:28,967 --> 00:11:31,367 of broken dreams in its wake. 195 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,367 This is a beautiful part of the world. 196 00:11:39,533 --> 00:11:43,900 The landscape is rugged, the mountains are snow-capped. 197 00:11:45,100 --> 00:11:47,367 Nestled in the middle is what looks like a town 198 00:11:47,533 --> 00:11:49,366 typical of this region. 199 00:11:49,367 --> 00:11:53,100 Yet the cobblestone streets are eerily quiet, 200 00:11:53,266 --> 00:11:55,667 and it creates this very unsettling feeling. 201 00:11:57,367 --> 00:11:59,467 These buildings look as if they've been caught 202 00:11:59,633 --> 00:12:01,266 in a moment of time. 203 00:12:02,300 --> 00:12:05,099 People left this place in a hurry. 204 00:12:05,100 --> 00:12:06,700 Why? 205 00:12:06,867 --> 00:12:09,266 The only reason you would do that is because 206 00:12:09,433 --> 00:12:10,734 you're running for your life. 207 00:12:12,567 --> 00:12:15,600 All hell broke loose. You just couldn't move. 208 00:12:15,767 --> 00:12:18,367 You could only hold on for dear life. 209 00:12:20,100 --> 00:12:22,567 The warning signs were all around, 210 00:12:22,734 --> 00:12:25,866 yet the authorities chose to ignore them. 211 00:12:25,867 --> 00:12:29,567 They told the locals to stay inside. 212 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,900 That turned out to be a terrible and tragic mistake. 213 00:12:37,367 --> 00:12:40,265 No one said leave. Quite the opposite. 214 00:12:40,266 --> 00:12:43,000 They'll carry their sins in their conscience. 215 00:12:44,266 --> 00:12:47,367 This disaster devastated the entire region 216 00:12:47,533 --> 00:12:50,466 and claimed hundreds of lives. 217 00:12:50,467 --> 00:12:52,800 But the question that haunts everyone is, 218 00:12:52,967 --> 00:12:55,567 could this tragedy have been avoided? 219 00:13:01,300 --> 00:13:03,300 Coming back here makes me feel sad. 220 00:13:03,467 --> 00:13:06,200 What hits me the most is the silence. 221 00:13:06,367 --> 00:13:09,866 You could hear radios or TVs, children playing, 222 00:13:09,867 --> 00:13:11,300 riding their bikes. 223 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:18,566 Giovanna Colagrande grew up in this sleepy rural town. 224 00:13:18,567 --> 00:13:20,866 It was a tight-knit community. 225 00:13:20,867 --> 00:13:23,800 Forged through family and friendship. 226 00:13:27,467 --> 00:13:30,800 Mimmo and Clementina lived here. 227 00:13:30,967 --> 00:13:34,667 I would pass by their house, and often Mimmo was playing 228 00:13:34,834 --> 00:13:38,100 the piano, and I would sit outside to listen. 229 00:13:43,700 --> 00:13:47,567 The earliest history of this town dates back to about 230 00:13:47,734 --> 00:13:50,166 the 12th century, so it really has stood here 231 00:13:50,333 --> 00:13:52,300 for hundreds of years. 232 00:13:54,166 --> 00:13:56,666 There were generations that had grown up here, 233 00:13:56,667 --> 00:13:59,567 living side by side with each other. 234 00:13:59,734 --> 00:14:02,567 This is the town of Fossa. 235 00:14:03,767 --> 00:14:07,200 High on the hill is the most important building 236 00:14:07,367 --> 00:14:09,400 for those that lived here. 237 00:14:11,100 --> 00:14:15,166 It's called the "Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta" 238 00:14:15,333 --> 00:14:17,066 and it was built in the 18th century. 239 00:14:17,233 --> 00:14:20,100 Every Sunday, it would be packed to the rafters. 240 00:14:23,467 --> 00:14:26,566 On Sundays, we used to dress with more care. 241 00:14:26,567 --> 00:14:29,900 We were going to church to praise the Lord. 242 00:14:30,066 --> 00:14:31,700 We would wear our best. 243 00:14:33,867 --> 00:14:35,700 You couldn't show up in a tracksuit. 244 00:14:35,867 --> 00:14:38,900 We would look good, elegant. 245 00:14:41,367 --> 00:14:45,066 I came here every Sunday, but now I rarely go. 246 00:14:47,100 --> 00:14:50,000 A storm was coming that would test the faith 247 00:14:50,166 --> 00:14:51,867 of the town's residents. 248 00:14:53,166 --> 00:14:57,300 On December the 14th 2008, this region was struck 249 00:14:57,467 --> 00:15:01,066 by a series of tremors called a seismic swarm. 250 00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:07,165 Just over a month later, in January 2009, 251 00:15:07,166 --> 00:15:13,567 the tremors began to intensify in both severity and frequency. 252 00:15:17,166 --> 00:15:20,100 At the beginning, we kind of underestimated them. 253 00:15:20,266 --> 00:15:24,566 They were low-intensity. We didn't pay too much mind. 254 00:15:24,567 --> 00:15:28,767 It was the growing frequency that started to worry everyone. 255 00:15:28,934 --> 00:15:31,700 A lot of people developed panic attacks. 256 00:15:36,166 --> 00:15:38,265 It was good reason to be concerned. 257 00:15:38,266 --> 00:15:41,200 After all, Italy is the most geologically active area 258 00:15:41,367 --> 00:15:42,467 in all of Europe. 259 00:15:43,867 --> 00:15:45,999 If the big one came, 260 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,900 the town's residents wanted to be ready. 261 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:52,767 But predicting earthquakes is not considered 262 00:15:52,934 --> 00:15:54,666 scientifically possible. 263 00:15:54,667 --> 00:15:58,400 Yet Giampaolo Giuliani, a local amateur seismologist, 264 00:15:58,567 --> 00:16:01,500 claimed he knew how to do it. 265 00:16:01,667 --> 00:16:04,300 He installed radon detectors in the basements of buildings 266 00:16:04,467 --> 00:16:08,866 in the nearby city of L'Aquila and elsewhere in the region. 267 00:16:08,867 --> 00:16:11,666 Giuliani believed that the release of this gas 268 00:16:11,667 --> 00:16:14,166 signaled a looming tremor. 269 00:16:14,333 --> 00:16:16,767 When the seismic swarm occurred, he noticed 270 00:16:16,934 --> 00:16:20,766 increased radon levels in his detectors and predicted 271 00:16:20,767 --> 00:16:24,500 that a major quake would strike into town 30 miles from here. 272 00:16:24,667 --> 00:16:28,667 On March 30, 2009, the earthquake did happen, 273 00:16:28,834 --> 00:16:32,000 but it was much smaller than Giuliani anticipated. 274 00:16:33,467 --> 00:16:34,533 As a result, 275 00:16:34,700 --> 00:16:37,466 the authorities put an injunction on Giuliani 276 00:16:37,467 --> 00:16:40,800 for causing unnecessary panic and alarm. 277 00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:46,066 He was even forced to take down his warnings from the internet. 278 00:16:46,233 --> 00:16:48,666 But the day after, there was an earthquake, 279 00:16:48,667 --> 00:16:50,700 4.2 on the Richter scale. 280 00:16:50,867 --> 00:16:53,300 The residents in the region were now terrified, 281 00:16:53,467 --> 00:16:55,566 especially because they had been told 282 00:16:55,567 --> 00:16:59,066 that there was no basis to Giuliani's claims. 283 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,866 The Italian government convened a special committee 284 00:17:03,867 --> 00:17:06,266 of six scientists and a government official, 285 00:17:06,433 --> 00:17:09,400 Bernardo de Bernardinis, to assess the risks. 286 00:17:10,700 --> 00:17:14,165 So after the meeting, the government official relayed 287 00:17:14,166 --> 00:17:17,467 the scientists' discussions to the public. 288 00:17:20,734 --> 00:17:22,600 We were told that the frequent earthquakes 289 00:17:22,767 --> 00:17:26,567 was just the release of energy, but that wasn't true. 290 00:17:30,667 --> 00:17:32,999 2 In April 2009, the residents of Fossa 291 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,400 and the nearby city of L'Aquila 292 00:17:35,567 --> 00:17:37,999 were advised by officials that a series 293 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,667 of low-level earthquakes were not a cause for concern. 294 00:17:42,834 --> 00:17:46,099 About a week later, in the middle of the night, 295 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:50,767 a 6.3 magnitude tremor struck the Abruzzo region. 296 00:17:50,934 --> 00:17:53,300 And this was the deadliest the country 297 00:17:53,467 --> 00:17:55,900 had seen in 30 years. 298 00:17:58,367 --> 00:18:01,767 Fossa was directly in the firing line. 299 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,099 People were sleeping when the quake hit, 300 00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:09,300 and the ground began to shake violently. 301 00:18:12,266 --> 00:18:13,967 We could not get out of bed. 302 00:18:14,133 --> 00:18:15,567 It was terrifying. 303 00:18:19,100 --> 00:18:21,467 Like being in the hands of a dragon. 304 00:18:23,567 --> 00:18:25,967 Cracks opened up in buildings. 305 00:18:26,133 --> 00:18:29,566 Huge boulders sheared off the sides of mountains 306 00:18:29,567 --> 00:18:32,400 and came crashing down on the town. 307 00:18:36,967 --> 00:18:38,400 My house is quite modern, 308 00:18:38,567 --> 00:18:40,266 and was built accordingly. 309 00:18:42,500 --> 00:18:44,867 But my relatives and my husband's relatives 310 00:18:45,033 --> 00:18:47,700 lived here in the old town. 311 00:18:47,867 --> 00:18:50,600 So we drove as far in as we could. 312 00:18:52,266 --> 00:18:53,867 And we found hell. 313 00:18:59,467 --> 00:19:02,766 In one building, a boulder struck a house 314 00:19:02,767 --> 00:19:05,667 and bunk beds that children once slept in 315 00:19:05,834 --> 00:19:07,467 are left exposed. 316 00:19:08,667 --> 00:19:10,700 It was sheer chance 317 00:19:10,867 --> 00:19:12,467 they weren't sleeping there that night. 318 00:19:12,633 --> 00:19:14,666 They would have been killed. 319 00:19:14,667 --> 00:19:18,200 But four people did die-- a three-year-old girl, 320 00:19:18,367 --> 00:19:22,999 a 76-year-old lady, and a couple who died together. 321 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,300 They say they were hugging each other. 322 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:30,967 In the nearby city of L'Aquila, 323 00:19:31,133 --> 00:19:34,233 the situation was even worse. 324 00:19:36,700 --> 00:19:39,666 Entire buildings were reduced to rubble, 325 00:19:39,667 --> 00:19:42,400 and 70,000 people were forced to flee. 326 00:19:44,867 --> 00:19:50,166 309 people were killed and more than 1,600 were injured. 327 00:19:51,967 --> 00:19:54,165 The dust didn't even have time to settle 328 00:19:54,166 --> 00:19:55,700 before the backlash began. 329 00:19:57,166 --> 00:19:59,667 Mounting anger led to the region's capital 330 00:19:59,834 --> 00:20:02,867 of L'Aquila bringing a prosecution case against 331 00:20:03,033 --> 00:20:07,166 the scientists who said there was no reason for alarm. 332 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:10,999 The prosecution didn't blame them 333 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,866 for not predicting the earthquake, 334 00:20:12,867 --> 00:20:16,867 but rather for the failure of accurate communication. 335 00:20:18,266 --> 00:20:22,099 The fact that they told people to stay in their homes 336 00:20:22,100 --> 00:20:23,867 was a key part of the trial. 337 00:20:25,667 --> 00:20:27,700 If you say to people, "Don't worry," 338 00:20:27,867 --> 00:20:29,165 they won't worry. 339 00:20:29,166 --> 00:20:32,667 One of the scientists said, "Have a glass of Montepulciano 340 00:20:32,834 --> 00:20:33,934 and go to bed." 341 00:20:35,900 --> 00:20:37,800 A year later, the seven defendants were 342 00:20:37,967 --> 00:20:41,100 convicted and sentenced to six years imprisonment. 343 00:20:43,367 --> 00:20:47,265 The result triggered an international outcry 344 00:20:47,266 --> 00:20:50,300 as researchers around the world felt science itself 345 00:20:50,467 --> 00:20:52,999 was being put on trial. 346 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,166 Many in the scientific community warned 347 00:20:55,333 --> 00:20:57,600 it would discourage scientists from sharing 348 00:20:57,767 --> 00:20:59,400 their expertise for fear that they might 349 00:20:59,567 --> 00:21:01,467 face lawsuits in the aftermath. 350 00:21:03,867 --> 00:21:06,766 5,000 scientists signed an open letter calling, 351 00:21:06,767 --> 00:21:10,300 demanding that these defendants be released. 352 00:21:10,467 --> 00:21:13,100 And In 2014, the Court of Appeal overturned 353 00:21:13,266 --> 00:21:15,366 these convictions, but the families of those 354 00:21:15,367 --> 00:21:19,233 that lost their lives were outraged at this. 355 00:21:21,667 --> 00:21:25,366 I'm a believer, so if our justice failed, 356 00:21:25,367 --> 00:21:27,400 there'll be divine justice. 357 00:21:28,700 --> 00:21:31,467 Let's hope their dreams are tormented. 358 00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:34,367 Sorry if I'm blunt. 359 00:21:42,467 --> 00:21:44,967 Now, well over a decade later, 360 00:21:45,133 --> 00:21:47,766 a reconstruction is happening in Fossa, 361 00:21:47,767 --> 00:21:49,967 but it's a slow process. 362 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,766 After the event, people have changed. 363 00:21:56,767 --> 00:21:58,500 A lot of them would like to come back, 364 00:21:58,667 --> 00:22:00,500 but many are still afraid. 365 00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:08,066 We need to carry on and try 366 00:22:08,233 --> 00:22:10,667 and rebuild this place and repopulate it. 367 00:22:20,967 --> 00:22:23,467 In Camden, New Jersey, lie remains 368 00:22:23,633 --> 00:22:26,467 of an American juggernaut that symbolizes 369 00:22:26,633 --> 00:22:29,700 an era plagued by global conflict. 370 00:22:35,667 --> 00:22:36,767 We are on the Delaware River, 371 00:22:36,934 --> 00:22:38,300 and on it you can see 372 00:22:38,467 --> 00:22:42,300 this huge mass of metal just glinting in the sunlight. 373 00:22:43,300 --> 00:22:45,600 You don't have to be a naval expert to realize 374 00:22:45,767 --> 00:22:48,200 that you are looking at a battleship 375 00:22:48,367 --> 00:22:50,266 and a big one at that. 376 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,300 So the ship had served in World War II in Korea 377 00:22:53,467 --> 00:22:55,366 and earned 13 battle stars 378 00:22:55,367 --> 00:22:58,166 and the affectionate nickname the "Big J." 379 00:22:59,567 --> 00:23:03,000 It was an avenging angel to American servicemen 380 00:23:03,166 --> 00:23:05,467 in conflict time and time again. 381 00:23:07,100 --> 00:23:09,400 In Vietnam, this vessel achieved 382 00:23:09,567 --> 00:23:10,800 something extraordinary. 383 00:23:11,700 --> 00:23:14,467 We fired all nine 16-inch guns. 384 00:23:14,633 --> 00:23:17,100 And then we had the plane come back and tell us, 385 00:23:17,266 --> 00:23:19,366 "Congratulations, you're the first battleship 386 00:23:19,367 --> 00:23:20,867 to sink an island." 387 00:23:22,367 --> 00:23:24,766 But any ship with a service record that long 388 00:23:24,767 --> 00:23:27,999 is bound to eventually run a ground of controversy. 389 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,667 And that's what happened with this one's last deployment 390 00:23:30,834 --> 00:23:31,867 to the Middle East. 391 00:23:38,266 --> 00:23:41,265 2 In New Jersey, floating on the Delaware River, 392 00:23:41,266 --> 00:23:44,867 is an icon of American strength. 393 00:23:45,033 --> 00:23:50,666 In 1968, Steve Sheehan began serving aboard this vessel. 394 00:23:50,667 --> 00:23:53,767 At the time, he was an electrician's mate. 395 00:23:54,900 --> 00:23:57,200 Taking the first steps 396 00:23:57,367 --> 00:23:59,867 on board since I've been discharged 397 00:24:00,100 --> 00:24:02,200 made me feel like I was finally home. 398 00:24:04,266 --> 00:24:07,367 This now-peaceful ship was built at a time 399 00:24:07,533 --> 00:24:11,366 when the United States was on the brink of war. 400 00:24:11,367 --> 00:24:13,165 The American government sees the writing 401 00:24:13,166 --> 00:24:15,767 on the wall, and in July 1939, 402 00:24:15,934 --> 00:24:19,165 two months before the German invasion of Poland, 403 00:24:19,166 --> 00:24:22,467 they commission an entirely new class of battleships. 404 00:24:23,867 --> 00:24:26,366 When this vessel was launched, it was the biggest 405 00:24:26,367 --> 00:24:30,999 and most powerful battleship in the entire U.S. Navy. 406 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,600 This is the U.S.S. New Jersey. 407 00:24:34,767 --> 00:24:37,967 One of four Iowa-class battleships built to strike 408 00:24:38,133 --> 00:24:42,567 fear into the heart of America's rivals during World War II. 409 00:24:42,734 --> 00:24:46,165 Able to hold a crew up to 2,700, 410 00:24:46,166 --> 00:24:48,967 the New Jersey was a floating fortress. 411 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:54,466 It had nine 16-inch guns and a secondary armament 412 00:24:54,467 --> 00:24:58,066 of 20-millimeter and 40-millimeter anti-aircraft 413 00:24:58,233 --> 00:25:01,266 batteries to protect the battleship from aerial attack. 414 00:25:02,367 --> 00:25:07,165 In 1944, the vessel arrived in the Pacific, 415 00:25:07,166 --> 00:25:09,166 ready for war. 416 00:25:09,333 --> 00:25:12,100 It served with distinction, playing a key role 417 00:25:12,266 --> 00:25:13,900 in the battle for Leyte, 418 00:25:14,066 --> 00:25:18,265 the largest sea campaign of all time. 419 00:25:18,266 --> 00:25:21,600 But despite its critical role in the American victory, 420 00:25:21,767 --> 00:25:23,900 its days were numbered. 421 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,400 By 1957, the U.S.S. New Jersey 422 00:25:28,567 --> 00:25:31,066 had reached the end of its useful life. 423 00:25:32,567 --> 00:25:36,667 The era of big battleships was really coming to a close. 424 00:25:37,700 --> 00:25:39,467 Naval technology is changing, 425 00:25:39,633 --> 00:25:42,266 and the battleship is being supplanted 426 00:25:42,433 --> 00:25:45,400 by the aircraft carrier, because the aircraft carrier 427 00:25:45,567 --> 00:25:47,300 can engage targets at much longer range. 428 00:25:48,767 --> 00:25:50,967 When the Vietnam War begins, the Americans 429 00:25:51,133 --> 00:25:53,366 begin this air campaign called Rolling Thunder, 430 00:25:53,367 --> 00:25:56,600 where they send planes over North Vietnam 431 00:25:56,767 --> 00:25:58,800 to take out critical infrastructure. 432 00:26:00,467 --> 00:26:02,666 But these repeated sorties are ending up 433 00:26:02,667 --> 00:26:05,999 putting American pilots in immense jeopardy. 434 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,467 Around 1,000 U.S. aircraft were shot 435 00:26:08,633 --> 00:26:11,000 out of the skies, with the same number of pilots 436 00:26:11,166 --> 00:26:13,166 being wounded, killed, or captured. 437 00:26:15,300 --> 00:26:16,967 As increasing numbers of downed 438 00:26:17,133 --> 00:26:20,767 U.S. airmen were paraded on TV screens around the world, 439 00:26:20,934 --> 00:26:25,767 pressure mounted to find a new way to attack the enemy. 440 00:26:27,667 --> 00:26:30,066 The U.S. Navy had a secret weapon, 441 00:26:30,233 --> 00:26:33,667 and it was one that would save American lives. 442 00:26:33,834 --> 00:26:38,066 On August 1, 1967, the U.S.S. New Jersey 443 00:26:38,233 --> 00:26:39,900 gets the call. 444 00:26:40,066 --> 00:26:41,999 It was like, "This is my opportunity 445 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,099 to go onboard a ship." 446 00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:46,166 And when I came up here and looked at the battleship, 447 00:26:46,333 --> 00:26:48,967 I went, "My god, that thing is big." 448 00:26:49,133 --> 00:26:50,700 Then we went to the Panama Canal, 449 00:26:50,867 --> 00:26:52,467 and then we were off to... 450 00:26:54,266 --> 00:26:55,567 Vietnam. 451 00:26:57,166 --> 00:27:01,099 On September 29, 1968, the U.S.S. New Jersey 452 00:27:01,100 --> 00:27:03,100 arrives off the Vietnamese coast. 453 00:27:03,266 --> 00:27:05,166 And the next day, it opens fire. 454 00:27:07,100 --> 00:27:09,200 The New Jersey would maraud up and down the coast, 455 00:27:09,367 --> 00:27:13,166 demolishing bunker complexes, fortified positions, 456 00:27:13,333 --> 00:27:16,000 troop concentrations, and sinking enemy ships 457 00:27:16,166 --> 00:27:17,300 in the process. 458 00:27:17,467 --> 00:27:20,166 The ship would also provide ad hoc artillery support 459 00:27:20,333 --> 00:27:23,366 to U.S. troops on the ground near the coast. 460 00:27:23,367 --> 00:27:25,467 In one three-day battle, 461 00:27:25,633 --> 00:27:27,667 it's estimated that the New Jersey 462 00:27:27,834 --> 00:27:30,300 saved 100 American lives 463 00:27:30,467 --> 00:27:32,767 for each day it was deployed there. 464 00:27:34,367 --> 00:27:37,200 It sounded like a railroad train. 465 00:27:37,367 --> 00:27:39,867 There's a projectile went through the air, just vroom, 466 00:27:40,033 --> 00:27:42,667 vroom, vroom, vroom, before it hit. 467 00:27:42,834 --> 00:27:44,766 So they knew that the battleship 468 00:27:44,767 --> 00:27:47,265 was coming to their aid. 469 00:27:47,266 --> 00:27:50,100 With this unrivaled firepower, the U.S.S. New Jersey is able 470 00:27:50,266 --> 00:27:53,200 to pull off the unthinkable in the South China Sea. 471 00:27:54,867 --> 00:27:57,667 The ship was called on to bombard some coastal artillery 472 00:27:57,834 --> 00:27:58,867 on an island. 473 00:28:00,367 --> 00:28:01,466 The captain said, 474 00:28:01,467 --> 00:28:04,100 "All hands, get to your battle stations". 475 00:28:05,300 --> 00:28:07,467 "It's gonna be a nine-gun salvo." 476 00:28:09,333 --> 00:28:11,967 When the U.S.S. New Jersey fired up, it ended up sinking 477 00:28:12,133 --> 00:28:13,567 part of this island. 478 00:28:14,467 --> 00:28:16,367 This is reported with great enthusiasm 479 00:28:16,533 --> 00:28:19,265 back in the States, with newspaper headlines saying 480 00:28:19,266 --> 00:28:22,000 that the New Jersey has sunk an island. 481 00:28:24,100 --> 00:28:26,166 But to the troops fighting on the ground, 482 00:28:26,333 --> 00:28:29,000 Big J, as it became known, 483 00:28:29,166 --> 00:28:31,500 was much more than a battleship. 484 00:28:31,667 --> 00:28:34,999 It was a sanctuary, providing a safe place 485 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:39,166 for exhausted soldiers to rest and relax away from combat. 486 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:44,500 The poor guys hadn't had showers in weeks. 487 00:28:44,667 --> 00:28:46,866 They got a good night's sleep, 488 00:28:46,867 --> 00:28:50,266 warm bed, hot dinner, good breakfast. 489 00:28:51,367 --> 00:28:53,500 When going by where they were bunked, 490 00:28:53,667 --> 00:28:57,767 we had to walk softly because we knew they were still asleep 491 00:28:57,934 --> 00:28:59,467 and we wanted them to be asleep. 492 00:29:04,166 --> 00:29:05,767 For the beleaguered troops, 493 00:29:05,934 --> 00:29:09,500 an even bigger surprise lay in store. 494 00:29:09,667 --> 00:29:13,300 At 10 a.m. on Christmas morning, 1968, 495 00:29:13,467 --> 00:29:15,066 a helicopter touched down 496 00:29:15,233 --> 00:29:17,700 on the deck of the U.S.S. New Jersey. 497 00:29:21,266 --> 00:29:22,999 So this is approximately where I stood 498 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,000 when Bob Hope was on the top of the turret 499 00:29:25,166 --> 00:29:28,166 with all of his gorgeous women. 500 00:29:28,333 --> 00:29:32,667 And the deck was filled with Marines, Army, and Navy. 501 00:29:32,834 --> 00:29:35,600 When those girls came out, the place went wild. 502 00:29:36,567 --> 00:29:39,600 Bob Hope was a lifelong performer, and comedian. 503 00:29:39,767 --> 00:29:42,999 He first began entertaining troops in 1943 504 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:44,467 during World War II. 505 00:29:44,633 --> 00:29:46,467 It was always something that the troops 506 00:29:46,633 --> 00:29:48,967 yearned for-- it was a break from the monotony. 507 00:29:49,133 --> 00:29:51,800 He stayed around afterwards and thanked everybody 508 00:29:51,967 --> 00:29:54,466 for their service. He was very generous. 509 00:29:54,467 --> 00:29:55,700 He was a wonderful guy. 510 00:30:01,900 --> 00:30:03,667 But less than four months later, 511 00:30:03,834 --> 00:30:07,400 Big J. was called back to the United States. 512 00:30:07,567 --> 00:30:09,467 Among the ship's crew, it was rumored 513 00:30:09,633 --> 00:30:12,265 the North Vietnamese refused to engage in peace talks 514 00:30:12,266 --> 00:30:14,567 while the battleship patrolled their coast. 515 00:30:15,767 --> 00:30:18,000 Four years after the Jersey returned home, 516 00:30:18,166 --> 00:30:20,500 America's involvement in the Vietnam War 517 00:30:20,667 --> 00:30:23,800 finally ended when they withdrew from Saigon. 518 00:30:24,867 --> 00:30:26,766 Sadly, the next time the New Jersey 519 00:30:26,767 --> 00:30:29,300 was called into action, it ended with tragedy. 520 00:30:34,100 --> 00:30:38,600 2 By the early 1980s, the battleship U.S.S. New Jersey 521 00:30:38,767 --> 00:30:42,467 had been defending America for 40 years, 522 00:30:42,633 --> 00:30:45,567 and its service was not over yet. 523 00:30:51,033 --> 00:30:53,466 In 1983, Lebanon was in the midst 524 00:30:53,467 --> 00:30:56,367 of a messy and brutal civil war. 525 00:30:57,266 --> 00:30:59,166 The New Jersey was dispatched 526 00:30:59,333 --> 00:31:01,866 as part of a peacekeeping force. 527 00:31:01,867 --> 00:31:05,367 Its massive guns were soon called on to retaliate 528 00:31:05,533 --> 00:31:08,200 when U.S. naval reconnaissance planes were fired on 529 00:31:08,367 --> 00:31:10,800 by enemy combatants. 530 00:31:10,967 --> 00:31:11,933 But there was a problem. 531 00:31:11,934 --> 00:31:14,566 The ship's powder had been mixed incorrectly, 532 00:31:14,567 --> 00:31:18,200 so these huge guns were wildly inaccurate, 533 00:31:18,367 --> 00:31:21,700 and they were missing their targets by big margins. 534 00:31:21,867 --> 00:31:24,767 Civilians were likely killed as a result of that, 535 00:31:24,934 --> 00:31:27,800 and so America's reputation in the region took a hit. 536 00:31:29,166 --> 00:31:32,466 These were the last shells ever fired in combat 537 00:31:32,467 --> 00:31:34,467 aboard the U.S.S. New Jersey. 538 00:31:34,633 --> 00:31:39,066 After leaving Lebanon in 1984, Big J. continued to serve 539 00:31:39,233 --> 00:31:43,667 in the Pacific and the Persian Gulf until 1991, 540 00:31:43,834 --> 00:31:46,066 when it was officially retired. 541 00:31:47,567 --> 00:31:49,766 It was a ship of such significance, it was even 542 00:31:49,767 --> 00:31:53,400 featured in Tom Clancy's classic Cold War thriller, 543 00:31:53,567 --> 00:31:55,266 "The Hunt for Red October". 544 00:32:00,467 --> 00:32:03,367 In 2001, the U.S.S. New Jersey 545 00:32:03,533 --> 00:32:05,999 was turned into a museum. 546 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,766 Steve Sheehan now shares with the public 547 00:32:08,767 --> 00:32:12,200 the story of America's most decorated battleship. 548 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:16,766 They should know about the people that have fought 549 00:32:16,767 --> 00:32:19,500 for their freedom and the ships they were aboard. 550 00:32:29,367 --> 00:32:33,800 On England's south coast is an aging complex, 551 00:32:33,967 --> 00:32:37,000 designed to defend the nation's borders. 552 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:44,200 Overlooking the port, a vast structure is etched 553 00:32:44,367 --> 00:32:46,467 into the hillside. 554 00:32:46,633 --> 00:32:49,300 It seems to dominate the town and the coastline. 555 00:32:50,567 --> 00:32:52,567 It's a real jumble of architecture 556 00:32:52,734 --> 00:32:54,767 from different eras. 557 00:32:54,934 --> 00:32:57,867 There are cannonades, defensive ditches. 558 00:32:58,033 --> 00:33:02,000 This is clearly some sort of military stronghold. 559 00:33:04,467 --> 00:33:07,265 Once intended to keep Britain's enemies out, 560 00:33:07,266 --> 00:33:11,166 it turned into a site that trapped people within. 561 00:33:12,367 --> 00:33:15,100 There's barbed wire and shiny metal fences, 562 00:33:15,266 --> 00:33:20,367 a sports pitch and a foreboding castle-like structure. 563 00:33:20,533 --> 00:33:24,099 There's no mistaking. This place is a prison. 564 00:33:24,100 --> 00:33:27,300 So what kind of criminals were kept here? 565 00:33:27,467 --> 00:33:29,100 Yet looks can be deceiving, 566 00:33:29,266 --> 00:33:32,366 and not all is as it seems. 567 00:33:32,367 --> 00:33:36,100 Despite its appearance, this building was not planned 568 00:33:36,266 --> 00:33:38,000 to be a prison. 569 00:33:38,166 --> 00:33:40,000 But the people who pass through here tell 570 00:33:40,166 --> 00:33:41,300 a very different story. 571 00:33:52,367 --> 00:33:55,200 For centuries, the coastal town of Dover 572 00:33:55,367 --> 00:33:57,866 has been the gateway to Britain. 573 00:33:57,867 --> 00:34:00,065 Its proximity to mainland Europe, 574 00:34:00,066 --> 00:34:01,999 only 21 miles from France, 575 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,700 across the narrowest part of the English Channel, 576 00:34:04,867 --> 00:34:08,000 often made it a target that needed to be defended. 577 00:34:08,900 --> 00:34:10,300 Let's just say the British and French 578 00:34:10,467 --> 00:34:13,366 have had their disagreements over the years. 579 00:34:13,367 --> 00:34:17,400 In 1803, the rise of a new dictator named 580 00:34:17,567 --> 00:34:21,867 Napoleon Bonaparte spurred a frenzy of construction. 581 00:34:22,033 --> 00:34:24,466 He posed the biggest threat to the island nation 582 00:34:24,467 --> 00:34:25,867 in over a century. 583 00:34:27,300 --> 00:34:29,266 During the Napoleonic Wars, 584 00:34:29,433 --> 00:34:33,467 the fort held barracks for 200 men and was intended 585 00:34:33,633 --> 00:34:38,200 to house 12 24-pounder guns in large casemates. 586 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:42,166 It was called the "Dover Citadel", 587 00:34:42,333 --> 00:34:45,000 and it formed part of the biggest defense network 588 00:34:45,166 --> 00:34:48,099 ever built on England's south coast. 589 00:34:48,100 --> 00:34:50,200 If Napoleon dared to cross the Channel, 590 00:34:50,367 --> 00:34:53,165 Britain was going to be ready. 591 00:34:53,166 --> 00:34:55,999 Defensive ditches, ramparts and barracks 592 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,600 were built in anticipation. 593 00:34:58,767 --> 00:35:00,600 But the feared invasion never came, 594 00:35:00,767 --> 00:35:03,700 and when the war ended, it was put on hold. 595 00:35:03,867 --> 00:35:06,400 But over the next 150 years, 596 00:35:06,567 --> 00:35:09,166 the Dover Citadel continued to be upgraded 597 00:35:09,333 --> 00:35:11,500 to combat Britain's foreign adversaries 598 00:35:12,667 --> 00:35:14,600 The fort would remain garrisoned 599 00:35:14,767 --> 00:35:18,000 through both world wars until 1944, 600 00:35:18,166 --> 00:35:21,099 when the threat of Nazi invasion had passed. 601 00:35:21,100 --> 00:35:23,767 For the next 50 years, parts of this site 602 00:35:23,934 --> 00:35:27,600 were converted for use as a prison for young offenders. 603 00:35:27,767 --> 00:35:32,667 In the year 2002, it would be transformed once more. 604 00:35:32,834 --> 00:35:35,800 This impregnable structure, went from defending against 605 00:35:35,967 --> 00:35:39,667 enemy forces to a new kind of front line for Britain. 606 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,367 2 On England's south coast is the ruin of 607 00:35:46,533 --> 00:35:48,600 a Napoleonic-era fortress. 608 00:35:48,767 --> 00:35:51,300 It was transformed after a wave of instability 609 00:35:51,467 --> 00:35:54,000 swept across the world in the 1990s. 610 00:35:55,066 --> 00:35:59,866 Global conflicts in places like the Balkans, Somalia, Sri Lanka 611 00:35:59,867 --> 00:36:02,300 and the Middle East triggered large-scale 612 00:36:02,467 --> 00:36:03,767 population movements. 613 00:36:05,166 --> 00:36:07,000 The UK government was struggling to deal with 614 00:36:07,166 --> 00:36:09,967 the growing numbers of refugees. 615 00:36:10,133 --> 00:36:13,367 In the late 1970s, individual asylum applications 616 00:36:13,533 --> 00:36:16,667 to the U.K. were around 300 a year. 617 00:36:16,834 --> 00:36:21,667 In 1999, there were more than 70,000. 618 00:36:21,834 --> 00:36:24,000 They resorted to housing some asylum seekers 619 00:36:24,166 --> 00:36:26,165 in criminal prisons. 620 00:36:26,166 --> 00:36:29,867 But that was only a short-term solution. 621 00:36:30,033 --> 00:36:33,700 This is the Dover Immigration Removal Centre, 622 00:36:33,867 --> 00:36:37,367 the British government's answer to a growing refugee crisis. 623 00:36:38,500 --> 00:36:41,900 The nationalities of those detained tallies closely with 624 00:36:42,066 --> 00:36:46,066 countries that have been torn apart by war in recent years. 625 00:36:46,233 --> 00:36:48,266 Iraq, Syria, for example. 626 00:36:49,867 --> 00:36:53,100 The facility housed over 300 asylum seekers. 627 00:36:54,367 --> 00:36:57,099 Your freedoms are very restricted. 628 00:36:57,100 --> 00:36:59,800 At night, the doors to your cell are locked. 629 00:36:59,967 --> 00:37:02,767 and you're held there until the following morning. 630 00:37:02,934 --> 00:37:05,400 Jack Smith is visiting for the first time 631 00:37:05,567 --> 00:37:08,567 since he was detained here in 2015. 632 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,999 Jack's path to this place began in the aftermath 633 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,866 of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center. 634 00:37:28,867 --> 00:37:31,767 Following the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, 635 00:37:31,934 --> 00:37:35,967 Jack's father served in the newly formed Afghan army, 636 00:37:36,133 --> 00:37:39,700 fighting against the Taliban alongside American soldiers. 637 00:37:41,567 --> 00:37:44,866 But in 2006, the Taliban launched a major 638 00:37:44,867 --> 00:37:47,667 offensive, marking the most significant escalation 639 00:37:47,834 --> 00:37:51,166 of the war since the regime was overthrown. 640 00:37:51,333 --> 00:37:55,367 Jack's father was killed during this violent period. 641 00:37:55,533 --> 00:37:57,200 As the Taliban regained territory, 642 00:37:57,367 --> 00:37:59,165 the country became more dangerous 643 00:37:59,166 --> 00:38:01,567 for those opposed to their radical beliefs. 644 00:38:02,667 --> 00:38:04,366 Imagine what it must have been like. 645 00:38:04,367 --> 00:38:06,367 It must have been absolute hell for them. 646 00:38:07,266 --> 00:38:09,667 Tens of thousands were forced to flee. 647 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,367 Jack was one of them. 648 00:38:13,533 --> 00:38:17,166 In 2007, he arrived in the U.K. illegally 649 00:38:17,333 --> 00:38:18,867 and applied for asylum. 650 00:38:35,567 --> 00:38:38,567 Jack spent the next eight years in a legal limbo, 651 00:38:38,734 --> 00:38:42,766 waiting for his asylum application to be processed. 652 00:38:42,767 --> 00:38:45,900 But in 2015, when Jack was 22 years old, 653 00:38:46,066 --> 00:38:48,767 he was detained in this building after failing 654 00:38:48,934 --> 00:38:52,000 to report regularly enough to the authorities. 655 00:39:04,767 --> 00:39:07,366 At any time, you could be presented with the news 656 00:39:07,367 --> 00:39:09,866 that you were gonna be deported within the next two 657 00:39:09,867 --> 00:39:15,367 weeks back to the country you'd suffered so much to escape. 658 00:39:15,533 --> 00:39:17,700 Jack discovered he faced the same fate 659 00:39:17,867 --> 00:39:21,066 after being held here for around two months. 660 00:39:21,233 --> 00:39:23,165 The country he fled in 2007 661 00:39:23,166 --> 00:39:25,466 had become even more dangerous 662 00:39:25,467 --> 00:39:27,099 following the emergence 663 00:39:27,100 --> 00:39:29,867 of the Islamic State terrorist organization. 664 00:39:41,867 --> 00:39:45,165 For some, the fear of being sent back 665 00:39:45,166 --> 00:39:49,600 to the country that they'd escaped from was so bad, 666 00:39:49,767 --> 00:39:51,867 they decided to take their own lives. 667 00:40:02,166 --> 00:40:03,967 But Jack didn't lose hope 668 00:40:04,133 --> 00:40:06,967 and fought the decision to return him to Afghanistan. 669 00:40:07,133 --> 00:40:10,967 He managed to find a lawyer who helped secure his release 670 00:40:11,133 --> 00:40:14,100 and get him permission to stay in the U.K. 671 00:40:36,300 --> 00:40:38,866 Around six months after Jack was freed, 672 00:40:38,867 --> 00:40:42,300 the Dover Immigration Removal Center was decommissioned. 673 00:40:44,567 --> 00:40:46,999 In 2015, it was announced the detention center 674 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:48,200 would be shut down, 675 00:40:48,367 --> 00:40:50,400 with the government citing its lack of modernity, 676 00:40:50,567 --> 00:40:53,266 security, and proximity to airports. 677 00:41:00,467 --> 00:41:04,566 In 2022, Jack was granted refugee status 678 00:41:04,567 --> 00:41:08,567 and could now start his new life in the United Kingdom. 679 00:41:08,734 --> 00:41:11,667 He has high hopes for what the future holds.