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Narrator: The pacific ocean,
a tropical paradise,
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That in 1941 turns
into a vision of hell.
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00:00:17,935 --> 00:00:22,504
Eric: This was the largest
scale maritime war in history.
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Narrator: Many of this
conflict's most shocking
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And inspiring
stories remain untold.
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Because for decades,
its iconic shipwrecks,
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Have been lost under
some of the deepest
waters on the planet.
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Imagine if we could
empty the oceans,
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Letting the water
drain away to reveal the
secrets of the sea floor.
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00:00:49,483 --> 00:00:51,600
Now we can.
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00:00:51,936 --> 00:00:56,305
Using accurate data and
astonishing technology.
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To bring light once
again to a lost world.
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How does the world's biggest
aircraft carrier end up in
pieces on the seabed?
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James: The attacks left
the ship a shambles.
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Narrator: What happened
to the warship that
broke america's heart?
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Norman: This was
a confused battle.
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And all sorts of
terrible things happened.
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Narrator: And what was the
tragic fate of the ship
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That played a key role
in the first atomic bomb?
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The pacific ocean,
60 million square miles.
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The largest mass of
water on the planet.
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Roosevelt (over radio):
The united states of america
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Was suddenly and
deliberately attacked.
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Narrator: After the japanese
attack on pearl harbor,
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It's the site of a conflict
that kills 3 million combatants
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And destroys 3,000 ships.
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Eric: The americans
in particular were
tested to extremes
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But they proved able
to match the challenge
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And eventually
grind japan down.
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Roosevelt (over radio):
We will gain the
inevitable triumph.
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So help us god.
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Narrator: Now an
extraordinary mission
is unlocking the secrets
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Of some of the most important
moments of the pacific war.
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Crammed with state-of-the-art
technology, the research
vessel petrel is on the hunt
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For lost warships.
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Part of a project funded
by microsoft co-founder,
the late paul g allen,
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In honor of his own father's
service in world war ii.
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Veteran marine explorer,
rob kraft, and his crew of
wreck-hunters aim to discover
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And document the last
resting places of the
warriors of the past.
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Rob: There you go,
we've, is that deck?
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We do these as a testament
to the brave souls that
served on these ships and that,
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You know, fought
for their countries.
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Narrator: Petrel is 500
miles east of australia
in the coral sea.
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Hunting for one of the
most famous american
warships of all time.
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When the pacific war begins,
the uss lexington is the
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Biggest aircraft
carrier in the world.
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At 900 feet long and
capable of launching
over sixty warplanes,
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She's bristling with menace.
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Norman: The lexington was
a very, very tough ship.
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Narrator: The 'lady lex' as
she is known, is a key target
of the attack on pearl harbor.
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Her lucky escape makes
her a symbol of hope
for millions of americans.
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And hope is in short supply.
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For months after pearl harbor
the japanese military machine
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Appears unstoppable racking
up conquest after conquest.
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Then, by may, 1942, a huge new
invasion fleet is storming
south towards australia.
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The lady lex is sent
to try and stop it.
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She comes under
fierce aerial attack,
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Is wounded, but survives.
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So why, many hours later,
does she end up on the seabed?
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On the petrel, the team
studies the battle,
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Hoping it will help them find
the wreck of the lexington,
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Lost for 75 years.
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Rob: So lexington was
on southerly heading
at two three zero.
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Paul: Which gives a position.
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Narrator: Paul mayer is
the petrel's onboard
historical researcher.
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He's studying us navy reports
and logbooks from the 1940's,
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Trying to shed light
on a possible location
for the lady lex.
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Rob: Does it say that
lexington sunk here?
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Paul: Yes, it says lexington
disappeared from sight 10 miles
away from us, right?
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Yeah, you do the research
and then you come out
and start looking for it
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And that's kind of the
final piece of the puzzle.
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There you go,
x marks the spot.
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Rob: Right there!
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Narrator: They search
many miles of seabed using an
autonomous underwater vehicle,
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Or auv, a robot submarine
worth $5 million dollars.
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It uses the latest sonar to
map the seabed in fine detail.
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It scans for days,
until it finally spots
something astonishing.
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Rob: Oh man. Look that that!
Paul: Wow.
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Narrator: If you're looking
for an aircraft carrier,
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Then planes are
a very good sign.
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Rob: Two, three, four,
five, six, seven at least!
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Narrator: At 2 miles down,
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These planes are far
beyond the reach of divers.
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The team must deploy
another high-tech tool,
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A remotely operated
vehicle, or rov.
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At three tons, it weighs
more than a small truck.
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00:07:02,573 --> 00:07:08,944
Its super strong titanium
shell can handle pressure
that will be 500 times greater
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Than on the surface.
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Tethered to the petrel, its
cameras send back live images
from a long-hidden world.
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Rob: What have you got?
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Man: Something
coming into view.
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Narrator: The rov's onboard
lamps illuminate a shape.
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Rob: Oh, wow.
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Paul: That looks
like an airplane, t5.
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Narrator: It's an american
bomber called a devastator.
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The lexington carried those.
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Rob: Alright.
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Paul: Shall we
carry on, scott?
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Rob: We do have a
target in front of us.
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About 50 meters dead ahead.
Looks interesting on sonar.
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Where are we?
Is that the?
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Paul: Those are
hangers for lifejackets.
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Rob: I'm trying to work out
what we're looking at here.
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Paul: Basically we're
looking through a tunnel
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And so we're just looking at
a very small portion of it.
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Trying to orientate
our self to where it is.
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Uh oops, go, go
back a little bit.
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Right on the corner
of that little mess.
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Was there something
written there?
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What's that?
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Man: Right there,
lexington, right,
right there. L.E.X.
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Paul: Oh yeah.
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Rob: If there was
ever any question.
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Narrator: The petrel's crew
are the first people to
lay eyes on the lexington
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Since the day she settled on
the floor of the pacific.
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Now, by using their
high definition scans,
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And removing the vastness
of the pacific ocean,
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We can see her in
all her glory.
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An extraordinary sight.
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Lady lex has been
scythed through as if
by some enormous force.
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She lies amid a vast
field of scattered debris.
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And her mighty frame is broken
into three colossal sections,
each hundreds of feet apart.
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On her flight deck, evidence
of appalling violence.
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Where once planes
landed and took off,
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There's now a
gaping hole.
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What could have caused
such massive destruction?
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Hours before she goes down,
the lexington is involved
in a fight for her life.
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By six am on the
morning of may 8th,
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Two japanese carriers have
entered the coral sea.
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The lexington is one of two
american carriers that come
within striking range.
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The first ever sea battle
between aircraft carriers
is soon underway.
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Anthony: The first
one to sight the other
and launch their planes
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And get the strike in
had a very good chance
of winning the battle.
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Narrator: By 11 am,
lexington is under attack.
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Anthony: Once the japanese
planes were sighted,
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It becomes almost continual
action and gunfire.
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Narrator: At the heart of
the assault, one of the most
feared japanese aircraft.
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In may, 1942, the aichi
is the fastest dive bomber
in the pacific war.
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Its speed of more than
260 miles an hour helps the
aichi sink more allied ships
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Than any other plane
in world war ii.
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It carries two small
bombs under its wings
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And a devastating 500
pounder under its fuselage.
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The lexington's gunners manage
to shoot down four bombers.
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But just ten minutes
into the battle, disaster.
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An aichi soars above the
flight-deck and drops its
500-pound ship-killer.
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Norman: The flight
deck is not armored.
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The flight deck is thin steel.
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So, bombs do go through it.
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Narrator: The bomb
crashes through the deck
just behind a gun turret
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And plummets deep
into the ship's interior
where it explodes.
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James: The attacks
on lexington left the
ship a shambles.
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Narrator: She may
be in shambles,
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But somehow she survives.
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In fact, her wreck is
almost 100 miles away
from the site of the battle.
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So, if the bomb didn't
sink the lexington,
who or what did?
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In remarkable footage
filmed after the battle.
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This shows how immediately
after the attack,
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Her crew begin repairs.
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This allows all her precious
planes to return and land.
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So confident is the crew
that by noon they're even
asking about shore leave.
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They've no inkling of the
disaster about to engulf them.
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Can the drained wreck site
tell us what happened next?
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On the seabed, the lady lex
still wears the scars of
the battle she survived.
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One of the three massive
sections, the bow, bears the
punch hole of the dive bomb.
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00:14:10,150 --> 00:14:13,167
But her other two sections
were clearly thrown far apart
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By a force many times
greater than a bomb.
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And that dive bomb hole
is completely dwarfed
by the cavernous space
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That's been gouged out
of her flight deck.
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00:14:30,303 --> 00:14:34,906
It all looks like
lady lex has been ripped
open from the inside.
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What could have done that?
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Man: See that looks like
a fracture on the ship.
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Rob: Yeah. Oh yeah.
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Yeah, she's broken badly.
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Narrator: On board petrel, the
team studies the lexington's
original blueprints.
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00:14:55,412 --> 00:14:59,347
And these reveal that
like every aircraft
carrier of her age,
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Lexington has an
achilles heel.
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Anthony: It's basically
a floating airport.
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00:15:06,740 --> 00:15:09,274
As you would at an airport you
need to have refueling tanks.
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00:15:14,180 --> 00:15:17,865
Narrator: To fuel herself
and her many planes,
the lady lex is carrying
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00:15:17,901 --> 00:15:23,671
140,000 gallons of
gasoline running along
a network of fuel lines.
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00:15:25,308 --> 00:15:28,843
When she is hit,
these are ruptured.
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00:15:31,014 --> 00:15:35,033
Anthony: Gas vapor began
to leak very slowly through
the ventilation systems
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00:15:35,068 --> 00:15:36,935
And through the doors.
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00:15:39,673 --> 00:15:41,873
It was a time bomb
waiting to go off.
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00:15:45,145 --> 00:15:46,577
(explosion)
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00:15:49,082 --> 00:15:57,038
Narrator: A series of blasts
culminates in a massive
explosion around three pm.
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Lexington can't
take much more.
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00:16:01,144 --> 00:16:07,115
Almost 3,000 crew rush to
escape the inferno and are
rescued by nearby ships,
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00:16:09,436 --> 00:16:12,971
But even now the lady lex
is not quite ready to die.
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00:16:17,711 --> 00:16:21,112
At the wreck site there's
one final discovery.
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00:16:22,315 --> 00:16:24,399
Rob: What the hell is that?
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00:16:27,671 --> 00:16:30,838
Narrator: This american
torpedo is a haunting artifact
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00:16:30,874 --> 00:16:33,408
From the lexington's
final moments.
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00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,882
24 hours ago, she had
been the pride of the fleet.
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00:16:42,869 --> 00:16:47,071
Now the us navy decides to
put her out of her misery.
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00:16:50,944 --> 00:16:56,014
A us destroyer at close
range aims five torpedoes
at the lexington.
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00:16:56,549 --> 00:16:58,433
Man (over radio):
Commence firing.
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00:17:07,677 --> 00:17:09,744
Narrator: She slips
under the water.
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00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:13,448
Partly filled with gas,
and packed with munitions,
200
00:17:13,483 --> 00:17:16,768
She erupts in a
cataclysmic explosion.
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00:17:23,143 --> 00:17:27,912
It's this that tears
the lexington into the
three broken pieces
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00:17:27,947 --> 00:17:30,314
That are so striking
in her wreck site.
203
00:17:33,937 --> 00:17:38,005
But the lady lex snatches
victory from her own defeat.
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00:17:38,475 --> 00:17:43,144
She may lie on the seabed but
the japanese don't know that
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00:17:43,179 --> 00:17:46,514
And fear she could
launch more air attacks.
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00:17:48,017 --> 00:17:52,737
Their invasion fleet
retreats and never
returns to the coral sea.
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00:17:54,340 --> 00:17:57,041
James: The tides of war
were beginning to change.
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00:18:02,649 --> 00:18:07,869
Narrator: The petrel has
moved 600 miles north hunting
another massive wreck from
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00:18:07,904 --> 00:18:11,005
Another critical moment
of the pacific war.
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00:18:14,410 --> 00:18:17,411
Today, these
waters are idyllic.
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00:18:17,647 --> 00:18:21,448
Seventy-five years ago they
are a scene of carnage.
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00:18:24,370 --> 00:18:26,871
The allies summon enough
resources to attack
213
00:18:26,906 --> 00:18:29,640
And land on the
island of guadalcanal,
214
00:18:29,676 --> 00:18:32,610
Seizing a strategic
airfield from the japanese.
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00:18:35,014 --> 00:18:38,199
James: Guadalcanal is one
of the key turning points
in the pacific war.
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00:18:38,935 --> 00:18:41,135
It's where the united states,
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00:18:41,171 --> 00:18:44,205
And its allies,
begin to push back.
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00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:48,876
Narrator: For three months,
battle rages on land and in
the waters around the island
219
00:18:48,912 --> 00:18:51,712
As the japanese try to
take back the airfield.
220
00:18:54,667 --> 00:19:00,238
Now petrel is looking for a
mighty warship that played a
tragic role in that campaign.
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00:19:02,542 --> 00:19:06,410
Her loss, it is said,
breaks america's heart.
222
00:19:08,148 --> 00:19:12,800
Only nine months old,
the uss juneau is one of
the most modern warships
223
00:19:12,836 --> 00:19:14,602
In the allied fleet.
224
00:19:16,172 --> 00:19:20,641
With forty anti-aircraft
cannons, and the latest
strengthened armor,
225
00:19:20,677 --> 00:19:23,611
She's well-equipped to
resist japanese bombers.
226
00:19:25,014 --> 00:19:28,699
She's also loaded with new
technology, including radar.
227
00:19:31,237 --> 00:19:37,208
Amongst her crew of 697,
are the most famous sailors
in the united states navy,
228
00:19:37,810 --> 00:19:40,378
The sullivans.
229
00:19:40,780 --> 00:19:44,482
Anthony: All five
resolved to join the
navy after pearl harbor,
230
00:19:44,517 --> 00:19:47,802
And not only that,
they insisted on serving
on the same ship.
231
00:19:49,138 --> 00:19:52,673
Narrator:
The sullivan brothers
become household names.
232
00:19:52,709 --> 00:19:56,777
Yet just months after they
volunteer, they're gone.
233
00:19:57,647 --> 00:19:59,146
(explosion)
234
00:20:00,884 --> 00:20:04,535
Anthony: All the descriptions
of the juneau explosion talk
about its volcanic power.
235
00:20:06,890 --> 00:20:09,140
When the smoke cleared
away there was nothing
to be seen of juneau.
236
00:20:11,644 --> 00:20:15,413
Narrator:
The juneau disappears in an
astonishing thirty seconds.
237
00:20:16,816 --> 00:20:20,401
What could make a ship blow
up that catastrophically?
238
00:20:24,173 --> 00:20:28,209
Rob: So, we've got deck logs
and war diaries from the other
vessels but the uss...
239
00:20:28,244 --> 00:20:31,712
Narrator: Rob and paul
want to find the
location of the juneau,
240
00:20:31,748 --> 00:20:35,399
One of the last great
mysteries of world war ii.
241
00:20:36,069 --> 00:20:40,404
Rob: We have three positions
reported for juneau,
242
00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,374
But all three positions
are within about a mile.
243
00:20:43,409 --> 00:20:45,142
1.3, 1.4 miles.
244
00:20:45,178 --> 00:20:47,545
So, it's a very
concentrated area.
245
00:20:48,715 --> 00:20:50,214
Narrator: After many
weeks of searching,
246
00:20:50,250 --> 00:20:53,000
The crew finally have a
target that looks promising.
247
00:20:55,471 --> 00:20:57,305
Rob: The problem is
it is very deep,
248
00:20:57,340 --> 00:21:00,574
And the north side is,
is very treacherous.
249
00:21:01,477 --> 00:21:05,379
Narrator: The area they're
searching lies among steep
ravines on the seabed,
250
00:21:05,415 --> 00:21:09,900
Some are over twice the
depth of the grand canyon.
251
00:21:17,343 --> 00:21:19,944
The crew uses its sonar to
search for anything that
252
00:21:19,979 --> 00:21:22,480
Stands out from the
natural topography.
253
00:21:25,435 --> 00:21:30,104
Rob: All of that looks pretty
natural, except for that.
254
00:21:31,140 --> 00:21:35,776
We've got a massive debris
field right here, which spans
probably a kilometer.
255
00:21:36,646 --> 00:21:38,412
Prep the rov.
256
00:21:47,073 --> 00:21:49,290
Narrator: As the rov
descends to the seabed,
257
00:21:49,325 --> 00:21:54,712
Two and a half miles down,
it sends a live video feed.
258
00:21:58,334 --> 00:22:01,535
First, there's a trail
of enigmatic debris,
259
00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:09,043
Then suddenly,
metal, lots of it.
260
00:22:11,714 --> 00:22:18,102
Rob: This is definitely a ship
but obviously we're looking
for some unique identifier.
261
00:22:19,906 --> 00:22:22,840
Ah, there you go,
we've, is that deck?
262
00:22:24,577 --> 00:22:28,112
Narrator: This wreck
has clearly suffered
horrific damage.
263
00:22:29,182 --> 00:22:30,381
Rob: Is that the keel?
264
00:22:31,384 --> 00:22:33,134
Yeah, look at this.
265
00:22:33,169 --> 00:22:35,403
Man: Yeah.
Rob: That is the bow.
266
00:22:36,606 --> 00:22:38,305
So, we are gonna
wanna go over there
267
00:22:38,341 --> 00:22:40,174
And take a look at
that stern, huh?
268
00:22:43,746 --> 00:22:45,379
Man: There's a letter,
right here, yeah?
Man 2: Yeah.
269
00:22:46,249 --> 00:22:50,134
Rob: Oh, and it's right where
it's supposed to be, yeah,
e, oh there's that piece,
270
00:22:50,169 --> 00:22:55,639
Yes, u n e, that's it.
271
00:22:56,209 --> 00:22:58,442
That is the juneau.
272
00:23:04,767 --> 00:23:06,600
Narrator: But what
has happened to her?
273
00:23:07,070 --> 00:23:12,406
Using the petrel's scans,
it's now possible to see the
juneau as never before.
274
00:23:16,179 --> 00:23:18,279
She's been ripped apart.
275
00:23:19,015 --> 00:23:21,899
Each piece is
catastrophically mangled.
276
00:23:23,870 --> 00:23:25,636
And there's a mystery.
277
00:23:25,671 --> 00:23:30,107
How did the two opposite
ends of the ship,
the bow and the stern,
278
00:23:30,143 --> 00:23:32,910
End up crumpled on
top of each other,
279
00:23:34,981 --> 00:23:39,100
While her mid-section is
2,000 feet away?
280
00:23:40,436 --> 00:23:44,171
What could explain
a wreck so strange?
281
00:23:53,082 --> 00:23:59,170
D
is furious that after three
282
00:23:59,205 --> 00:24:04,008
Months they've still not
recaptured guadalcanal
from the us marines.
283
00:24:07,146 --> 00:24:10,948
They send a mammoth
japanese fleet racing
towards the island.
284
00:24:12,101 --> 00:24:17,104
To stop this, the allies can
only muster a much less
powerful naval force,
285
00:24:18,541 --> 00:24:20,274
Including the juneau.
286
00:24:22,512 --> 00:24:25,179
It's david versus goliath.
287
00:24:26,415 --> 00:24:28,265
Anthony: The american
commanders know they
would be outgunned.
288
00:24:28,835 --> 00:24:31,635
In fact, some of them
saw it as a potential
suicide mission.
289
00:24:33,940 --> 00:24:37,074
Narrator: As night
falls the two fleets
approach each other.
290
00:24:38,778 --> 00:24:41,612
The allies do
have one advantage.
291
00:24:41,647 --> 00:24:44,448
The very latest radar.
292
00:24:45,635 --> 00:24:47,268
But there's a problem.
293
00:24:47,637 --> 00:24:49,904
Norman: The american ships
had radars of various kinds,
294
00:24:50,439 --> 00:24:53,541
But we didn't
really understand
how you use radar.
295
00:24:54,777 --> 00:24:59,313
Narrator: Radar is so new,
many allied captains
don't trust its data.
296
00:25:01,184 --> 00:25:03,868
As they struggle to make
sense of their positions,
297
00:25:03,903 --> 00:25:05,903
They drift out of formation
298
00:25:09,275 --> 00:25:12,510
And right into the gun-sights
of their approaching enemy.
299
00:25:14,213 --> 00:25:16,847
The japanese captains
can't believe their luck.
300
00:25:18,935 --> 00:25:20,868
James: Ships were crossing
in each other's wakes.
301
00:25:20,903 --> 00:25:24,371
They were practically
colliding and gun
flashes in the night
302
00:25:24,407 --> 00:25:27,908
Illuminated a vessel right
next to you and then away.
303
00:25:32,615 --> 00:25:35,132
Narrator: The japanese target
the thirteen warships in the
304
00:25:35,167 --> 00:25:39,270
Allied fleet with one of their
most devastating weapons.
305
00:25:42,909 --> 00:25:47,645
The type 93 is the
most powerful torpedo
of world war ii.
306
00:25:48,014 --> 00:25:51,215
Norman: It's a very
fast torpedo and it
has an enormous warhead.
307
00:25:51,767 --> 00:25:58,122
Narrator: With its 1,000-pound
warhead the mega torpedo helps
wreck six allied ships.
308
00:26:01,377 --> 00:26:03,877
One strikes the
juneau amidships.
309
00:26:08,184 --> 00:26:11,535
But from the maelstrom of
destruction all around her,
310
00:26:11,571 --> 00:26:14,038
The juneau manages
to slip away.
311
00:26:17,043 --> 00:26:22,479
Her strong modern keel
is barely cracked,
enabling her to escape.
312
00:26:23,649 --> 00:26:27,434
James: Daylight finds
juneau limping away
after the night fight,
313
00:26:27,470 --> 00:26:29,737
Hoping to join the
other survivors.
314
00:26:31,407 --> 00:26:35,175
Narrator: The juneau
does eventually find
the other allied ships,
315
00:26:35,211 --> 00:26:38,779
And her captain signals
she's in decent shape,
316
00:26:39,181 --> 00:26:41,966
But seconds later
she explodes.
317
00:26:52,011 --> 00:26:54,945
The juneau ends up in pieces,
318
00:26:56,048 --> 00:27:01,201
Yet just hours before she'd
survived the strongest weapon
the japanese have.
319
00:27:03,205 --> 00:27:05,806
What could possibly
destroy her now?
320
00:27:08,177 --> 00:27:11,812
The latest historical
research allows us to
answer that question,
321
00:27:12,848 --> 00:27:17,401
And rebuild the juneau
the way she was moments
before she sinks.
322
00:27:19,572 --> 00:27:25,209
She looks undamaged apart from
the tell-tale wound left by
the japanese mega-torpedo.
323
00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:31,048
Behind this spot is
the armaments store.
324
00:27:35,738 --> 00:27:38,138
As her crew signals
to their comrades,
325
00:27:38,174 --> 00:27:41,642
They don't spot a lone
japanese submarine nearby,
326
00:27:42,978 --> 00:27:46,246
And out of the blue,
a torpedo rushes towards her.
327
00:27:47,950 --> 00:27:53,370
It's much smaller than the one
she's already survived, but,
unfortunately for the juneau,
328
00:27:53,406 --> 00:27:56,473
It hits in almost
exactly the same spot,
329
00:27:56,509 --> 00:28:02,746
Breaking through the
weakened armor and igniting
the stored munitions.
330
00:28:07,069 --> 00:28:09,603
She sinks in just
thirty seconds,
331
00:28:10,172 --> 00:28:13,974
A victim of almost
impossible bad luck.
332
00:28:18,047 --> 00:28:20,080
And what of her crew?
333
00:28:20,983 --> 00:28:23,767
The explosion is so
cataclysmic that nearby
334
00:28:23,803 --> 00:28:27,971
Us ships are convinced the
entire crew must be dead.
335
00:28:31,877 --> 00:28:36,280
Rob: When the smoke had
cleared the ship and all
debris completely vanished.
336
00:28:36,315 --> 00:28:37,865
There was nothing left.
337
00:28:40,336 --> 00:28:44,805
Narrator: But eight days
later other us forces make
a terrible discovery.
338
00:28:45,941 --> 00:28:51,945
100 men from juneau did
survive the blast, and were
left behind on the open sea.
339
00:28:55,735 --> 00:28:59,436
Only ten live long
enough to tell the tale.
340
00:29:01,707 --> 00:29:05,309
James: What powerfully
hit american households
341
00:29:05,344 --> 00:29:07,678
Was the loss of all
five sullivan boys.
342
00:29:09,281 --> 00:29:11,348
But it also inspired them.
343
00:29:11,801 --> 00:29:15,202
And a new ship,
the uss "the sullivans",
344
00:29:15,237 --> 00:29:17,404
Would be launched to
commemorate the service
345
00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,407
And the sacrifice
of those five men.
346
00:29:22,745 --> 00:29:25,946
Narrator: The sullivan
brothers and their ship
aren't lost in vain.
347
00:29:28,768 --> 00:29:31,535
Faced with unexpectedly
strong resistance,
348
00:29:31,570 --> 00:29:33,904
The japanese abort
their mission.
349
00:29:35,007 --> 00:29:37,975
At guadalcanal,
the allies gain ground
350
00:29:38,010 --> 00:29:41,712
And keep it for the first
time in the pacific war.
351
00:29:46,535 --> 00:29:48,735
The petrel is on
another expedition,
352
00:29:48,771 --> 00:29:53,907
In pursuit of a
new and spectacular
target and this time,
353
00:29:55,911 --> 00:29:57,945
She's japanese.
354
00:29:59,548 --> 00:30:05,636
In late 1944, the allies are
on the March and move north to
try to take the philippines.
355
00:30:08,841 --> 00:30:13,577
Realizing that they're
losing the war, the japanese
launch an all-out attack
356
00:30:13,612 --> 00:30:17,714
On the us navy,
deploying the biggest fleet
they've ever assembled.
357
00:30:19,468 --> 00:30:24,354
James: As the war reaches the
philippines, the japanese are
increasingly desperate.
358
00:30:24,740 --> 00:30:28,242
They're on the ropes and they
throw everything they have in
359
00:30:28,277 --> 00:30:31,378
An effort to stop the
us navy in its tracks.
360
00:30:31,914 --> 00:30:35,015
Narrator: Heading the
southern flank of their
fleet is a giant battleship
361
00:30:35,050 --> 00:30:37,801
That's adored by
the japanese public,
362
00:30:37,837 --> 00:30:41,939
Not least because she
bears the mythic name
for japan herself.
363
00:30:43,475 --> 00:30:45,142
The fuso.
364
00:30:45,411 --> 00:30:50,280
With prodigious battle armor
she's been upgraded with
deadly new anti-aircraft guns.
365
00:30:52,268 --> 00:30:55,269
At the battle of leyte gulf
she has a key role,
366
00:30:55,304 --> 00:30:58,672
Launching a surprise attack
on part of the allied fleet.
367
00:31:00,743 --> 00:31:06,813
So why is it this behemoth
herself that ends up on
the ocean floor?
368
00:31:10,636 --> 00:31:15,239
The petrel crew is on the
case, but finding the fuso
won't be easy.
369
00:31:16,008 --> 00:31:19,476
Rob: We've multi-beamed
up here to the north so
the northwest is where
370
00:31:19,511 --> 00:31:20,611
We need to go.
371
00:31:20,646 --> 00:31:22,880
That's the only place.
There's a lot of wrecks here.
372
00:31:22,915 --> 00:31:26,300
There's a lot of history
from world war ii in
this particular area.
373
00:31:26,335 --> 00:31:28,135
But you're gonna
run here next?
374
00:31:28,170 --> 00:31:29,736
Man: Yeah, we'll
just hold here,
375
00:31:29,772 --> 00:31:31,371
Trying to get over exactly
where we need the ship to go.
376
00:31:32,741 --> 00:31:36,343
Narrator: They've narrowed
down the hunt to a few
square miles of ocean.
377
00:31:37,012 --> 00:31:39,613
Man: C'mon where are you?
Uh, something's coming in.
378
00:31:40,549 --> 00:31:42,399
Man 2: Wow!
379
00:31:42,434 --> 00:31:45,002
Man: Wow, that's
sticking up huge.
380
00:31:45,537 --> 00:31:50,407
Narrator: The object is the
right size for a battleship,
but looks bizarrely twisted.
381
00:31:50,809 --> 00:31:53,610
Man: Something's stuck
out there, something's
stuck out there and...
382
00:31:53,646 --> 00:31:57,114
Man 2: It's well
and truly busted up.
383
00:31:58,250 --> 00:32:04,705
Narrator: Can this bent
and twisted form really
be the mighty fuso?
384
00:32:16,669 --> 00:32:20,437
Of a legendary japanese
battleship, the fuso.
385
00:32:22,241 --> 00:32:24,675
These aren't the deepest
waters they've explored,
386
00:32:24,710 --> 00:32:28,528
But strong currents make it
tricky to operate the rov.
387
00:32:33,869 --> 00:32:36,136
Rob: She is bouncing
around a lot now.
388
00:32:36,755 --> 00:32:41,041
Narrator: 600 feet
below the surface,
and just barely visible,
389
00:32:41,076 --> 00:32:42,943
A damaged hull.
390
00:32:44,446 --> 00:32:47,247
Rob: Let's push in,
have a, a little look here.
391
00:32:50,436 --> 00:32:52,402
That looks like a shaft
and a propeller over there.
392
00:32:52,438 --> 00:32:54,538
Paul: Looks like a prop.
Rob: Okay.
393
00:32:54,573 --> 00:32:56,606
Paul: Looks like
that's the rudder.
394
00:32:56,942 --> 00:33:01,578
Narrator: It's definitely a
large warship and there are
clear signs of battle-damage.
395
00:33:02,681 --> 00:33:06,733
Rob: And that's a big hole.
Man: Torpedo damage.
396
00:33:08,404 --> 00:33:12,272
Narrator: The team turns
to us action reports from
the battle of leyte gulf
397
00:33:12,307 --> 00:33:15,842
That describe how the fuso was
hit by american torpedoes.
398
00:33:16,545 --> 00:33:19,146
Rob: We can see the
torpedo hit was aft.
399
00:33:19,548 --> 00:33:21,348
Narrator: This
gives them an idea.
400
00:33:21,383 --> 00:33:26,870
If they can match the pattern
of torpedo holes on this
wreck with the reports,
401
00:33:27,272 --> 00:33:29,673
They'll know whether
this is the fuso or not.
402
00:33:31,443 --> 00:33:32,876
Rob: Oh, there you go.
Look at that.
403
00:33:32,911 --> 00:33:35,012
Paul: Yeah, there you go. Wow.
404
00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:38,965
Rob: We're seeing damage all
over the hull in the places
noted in the damage report.
405
00:33:40,135 --> 00:33:42,736
Narrator: The damage
pattern is an exact fit.
406
00:33:43,939 --> 00:33:48,175
Rob: Kabam!
That's fuso.
407
00:33:48,210 --> 00:33:49,710
Paul: Yeah.
408
00:33:51,246 --> 00:33:54,114
Narrator: The torpedo holes
are clues to fuso's fate,
409
00:33:54,149 --> 00:33:56,767
But they don't fully explain
what happened to her.
410
00:34:01,807 --> 00:34:04,941
As the waters of the
pacific ocean drain away,
411
00:34:04,977 --> 00:34:09,046
We can at last see fuso's
vast steel structure.
412
00:34:14,103 --> 00:34:19,139
600 feet long, it's resting
upside down, half sunk in mud,
413
00:34:20,209 --> 00:34:22,609
Like a gargantuan
beached whale.
414
00:34:24,646 --> 00:34:27,881
The bow bent back like
an opened sardine can.
415
00:34:31,970 --> 00:34:34,905
Then, 150 feet from the wreck,
416
00:34:36,508 --> 00:34:41,278
A second, complex structure,
studded with glinting glass.
417
00:34:44,883 --> 00:34:48,301
Could this help explain
what happened here?
418
00:34:49,671 --> 00:34:52,906
It's a remarkable structure
no allied ship possessed.
419
00:35:00,249 --> 00:35:03,333
Anthony: The distinctive
feature of the japanese
battleships is the tall tower
420
00:35:03,368 --> 00:35:06,803
Masts which they called
pagodas, which were
essentially a series of
421
00:35:06,839 --> 00:35:11,241
Platforms to provide the
highest possible level for
observation to sight the enemy
422
00:35:11,276 --> 00:35:12,876
Vessels on the horizon.
423
00:35:15,514 --> 00:35:20,200
Narrator: The fuso's pagoda
was the biggest warship
observation tower ever built.
424
00:35:22,271 --> 00:35:27,407
An astonishing 144 feet high,
it towered over the ship.
425
00:35:29,945 --> 00:35:34,414
Packed with some of the
most sophisticated optical
equipment in the world from
426
00:35:34,449 --> 00:35:38,835
Telescopes and binoculars to
rangefinders and searchlights.
427
00:35:42,207 --> 00:35:46,309
At the height of a battle,
sailors and technicians
would work as one,
428
00:35:46,345 --> 00:35:50,013
Computing distances
and spotting enemy
ships and planes.
429
00:35:52,501 --> 00:35:57,420
It's ingenious,
but the americans
have gone one better.
430
00:35:59,775 --> 00:36:04,244
Since the battle of
guadalcanal, they've
perfected radar.
431
00:36:06,648 --> 00:36:10,133
James: By the late war,
the united states not only
had learned how to use radar,
432
00:36:10,169 --> 00:36:12,235
Had learned to use radar well.
433
00:36:16,909 --> 00:36:22,345
Narrator: As the fuso closes
in on leyte gulf ready to
surprise the allies,
434
00:36:23,649 --> 00:36:26,082
She now lights up on
their radar screens,
435
00:36:31,306 --> 00:36:34,374
And the allies prepare
their own surprise.
436
00:36:40,249 --> 00:36:43,500
Anthony: They were able
to set the perfect trap
as a result of this,
437
00:36:43,535 --> 00:36:46,603
And array their destroyer
lines in a perfect ambush
438
00:36:46,638 --> 00:36:48,838
Position from both
sides of the strait.
439
00:36:49,975 --> 00:36:54,611
Narrator: As soon as they come
in range, the us warships
launch a barrage of torpedoes.
440
00:36:55,214 --> 00:36:58,682
Anthony: There's no
way to turn east or west
without running into some
441
00:36:58,717 --> 00:37:00,600
American torpedo spread.
442
00:37:01,436 --> 00:37:04,204
Narrator: Two torpedoes
slam into the fuso.
443
00:37:07,876 --> 00:37:09,809
She immediately
starts to capsize,
444
00:37:12,614 --> 00:37:15,215
Her top-heavy
pagoda shearing off.
445
00:37:18,103 --> 00:37:21,838
In the shallow water, her bow
crashes into the rocky seabed.
446
00:37:25,310 --> 00:37:27,560
It's this collision
that wrenches her back
447
00:37:27,579 --> 00:37:30,247
Into the bent sardine
can shape of the wreck.
448
00:37:35,771 --> 00:37:40,206
The loss of the fuso and
almost her entire crew of 1,600
449
00:37:40,609 --> 00:37:44,110
Is just the beginning
of a bloodbath at leyte gulf,
450
00:37:46,014 --> 00:37:49,799
Where twenty-five more
japanese warships are sunk.
451
00:37:52,103 --> 00:37:58,041
Japan will never again dare
confront the allies in a
large-scale sea battle.
452
00:38:03,382 --> 00:38:08,535
The petrel is in waters 700
miles east of the philippines
looking for another ship,
453
00:38:09,538 --> 00:38:14,474
One that played a vital role
in the final apocalyptic days
of the pacific war.
454
00:38:17,379 --> 00:38:21,715
She's been in the thick
of battle many times
and survived them all.
455
00:38:23,802 --> 00:38:26,236
Uss indianapolis.
456
00:38:27,072 --> 00:38:31,908
In July, 1945, she is chosen
to race to tinian island
457
00:38:31,943 --> 00:38:34,477
With a top-secret
cargo of uranium,
458
00:38:34,846 --> 00:38:41,217
The crucial ingredient in the
bomb that enola gay will soon
carry to hiroshima.
459
00:38:43,739 --> 00:38:47,974
But shortly after completing
her mission, indianapolis'
captain makes a controversial
460
00:38:48,010 --> 00:38:52,278
Decision that will end
in his court martial.
461
00:38:53,949 --> 00:38:57,167
What happens to the ship
and her crew of 1,200
462
00:38:57,202 --> 00:39:01,538
Is one of the most terrifying
tales in maritime history
463
00:39:03,342 --> 00:39:05,542
And makes her wreck
one of the most famous
464
00:39:05,577 --> 00:39:07,744
And sought after on the planet.
465
00:39:09,981 --> 00:39:14,100
No one has ever managed
to find her until now.
466
00:39:23,779 --> 00:39:27,414
To track down the wreck
of uss indianapolis.
467
00:39:27,749 --> 00:39:29,866
Rob: We need to put the
pieces of this puzzle together.
468
00:39:29,901 --> 00:39:32,602
It's, it's seventy-three years
old, and there are you know,
469
00:39:32,637 --> 00:39:34,504
1,200-1,300 lives at stake,
470
00:39:34,539 --> 00:39:37,040
And families, and everybody
has questions as to what
happened here.
471
00:39:39,878 --> 00:39:43,413
Narrator: So far,
they've scanned hundreds
of square miles of seabed
472
00:39:43,448 --> 00:39:48,835
In the philippines sea,
but as yet, the indianapolis
has eluded them.
473
00:39:51,473 --> 00:39:53,873
Then, finally, a
moment of hope.
474
00:39:55,277 --> 00:39:57,377
Rob: What have you got?
475
00:39:57,712 --> 00:40:00,547
Yeah, we definitely need
to go have a look at that.
476
00:40:02,184 --> 00:40:05,268
Narrator: The astonishing
image certainly looks
like a ship.
477
00:40:07,406 --> 00:40:10,540
The only way to know for
sure is to send the rov.
478
00:40:11,443 --> 00:40:13,943
Man: Oh, something
visual coming in top left.
479
00:40:13,979 --> 00:40:16,746
Man 2: Uh huh.
It's the wreckage site.
480
00:40:22,370 --> 00:40:24,971
Rob: There you go.
That's good.
481
00:40:25,307 --> 00:40:27,340
Narrator: It's
definitely a warship.
482
00:40:30,212 --> 00:40:34,280
The rov cameras explore
the deck and the hull
looking for something
483
00:40:34,316 --> 00:40:35,965
That might identify her.
484
00:40:37,068 --> 00:40:38,234
Rob: Look at that edge.
485
00:40:38,270 --> 00:40:40,336
I mean that, that is
just ripped, torn.
486
00:40:42,874 --> 00:40:46,009
Narrator: Then, on the
bow, the crew spot a clue.
487
00:40:47,145 --> 00:40:48,194
Man: So what does
that say right there?
488
00:40:48,213 --> 00:40:52,665
Rob: Three five.
There it is.
489
00:40:53,602 --> 00:40:57,137
Narrator: Every us
naval vessel has its
own unique id number
490
00:40:57,172 --> 00:41:02,142
And the team know
very well what number
thirty-five means.
491
00:41:02,978 --> 00:41:04,544
Rob: Yeah, we've got it.
492
00:41:04,579 --> 00:41:06,379
The indy.
493
00:41:11,002 --> 00:41:13,303
Narrator: It's a
truly historic moment.
494
00:41:13,839 --> 00:41:17,006
The crew is looking at the
first ever images of one of
495
00:41:17,042 --> 00:41:20,643
The most famous shipwrecks
in american history.
496
00:41:25,283 --> 00:41:28,735
As the boundless waters of
the pacific are rolled back,
497
00:41:28,770 --> 00:41:32,805
They reveal the long-lost
wreck of the indianapolis.
498
00:41:35,911 --> 00:41:41,047
On her starboard side,
the unmistakably violent
signature of a torpedo strike.
499
00:41:43,835 --> 00:41:48,605
And where her bow should
be there's nothing but
a ghastly empty space.
500
00:41:51,276 --> 00:41:56,913
We know from contemporary
accounts the bow was sheared
off by a second torpedo strike.
501
00:41:59,968 --> 00:42:04,404
But remarkable as it
seems, this doesn't
explain why she sinks.
502
00:42:05,674 --> 00:42:08,741
Anthony: Throughout the
pacific war, multiple times,
american cruisers had lost
503
00:42:08,777 --> 00:42:13,179
Their bow and or received
up to two torpedo hits
without sinking.
504
00:42:19,771 --> 00:42:22,105
Rob: We need to know what that
space is called right there?
505
00:42:24,042 --> 00:42:27,143
Narrator: The team analyzes
the indianapolis's blueprints.
506
00:42:29,881 --> 00:42:33,066
This shows her
interior crisscrossed
with compartments.
507
00:42:35,003 --> 00:42:39,272
These can be sealed
shut with hatch doors,
to make them watertight,
508
00:42:39,874 --> 00:42:43,042
And are intended to keep her
afloat even without her bow.
509
00:42:45,647 --> 00:42:49,365
So why does she sink
in just twelve minutes?
510
00:42:51,136 --> 00:42:55,171
There's a clue in
naval records that show
captain charles mcvay
511
00:42:55,206 --> 00:42:56,906
Makes a fateful decision.
512
00:43:00,712 --> 00:43:04,614
After she heads back
from tinian island,
the indianapolis follows
513
00:43:04,649 --> 00:43:09,202
Standard procedure, regularly
changing direction or zigzaggig
514
00:43:09,237 --> 00:43:11,704
To make it harder for
submarines to target her.
515
00:43:14,476 --> 00:43:19,612
But on the evening of July 29t,
mcvay stops zigzagging.
516
00:43:22,217 --> 00:43:26,903
Norman: The captain of the
indianapolis decided that it
was so dark that a submarine
517
00:43:26,938 --> 00:43:29,505
Couldn't possibly
attack and therefore
he didn't have to zigzag.
518
00:43:32,711 --> 00:43:36,062
Narrator: A little after
eleven pm, the moon rises.
519
00:43:37,849 --> 00:43:42,902
It's now light enough for a
nearby japanese submarine to
spot the giant warship.
520
00:43:44,205 --> 00:43:49,142
And at five minutes after
midnight, it gets ready to
fire its torpedoes.
521
00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:56,265
So why don't her
watertight compartments
save the indianapolis?
522
00:43:59,704 --> 00:44:02,839
The answer is revealed
in her drained wreck.
523
00:44:04,876 --> 00:44:08,911
All along what's left of her
once sleek 500-foot length,
524
00:44:09,314 --> 00:44:11,481
Her portholes and
hatch doors lie open.
525
00:44:14,102 --> 00:44:16,669
This strikes
historians as unusual.
526
00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:20,306
James: In the middle
of a sea-fight,
527
00:44:20,342 --> 00:44:22,542
Everything's battened
down, portholes are closed,
528
00:44:22,577 --> 00:44:23,976
Hatches are shut.
529
00:44:24,212 --> 00:44:25,878
Narrator: The day
before her sinking,
530
00:44:25,914 --> 00:44:29,499
Portholes were indeed closed,
and compartments sealed,
531
00:44:30,969 --> 00:44:35,004
But as the tropical temperature
rockets to above 100 degrees,
532
00:44:35,306 --> 00:44:38,808
The captain decides
to open the portholes
and the hatch doors
533
00:44:38,843 --> 00:44:40,843
To ventilate the ship.
534
00:44:44,649 --> 00:44:48,568
Now, without zigzag,
and lying open to the elements,
535
00:44:48,837 --> 00:44:52,004
The indianapolis
is a sitting duck.
536
00:44:52,874 --> 00:44:56,609
And the lurking
japanese submarine
takes full advantage.
537
00:44:58,913 --> 00:45:02,215
Slamming two torpedoes
into the indianapolis.
538
00:45:08,206 --> 00:45:11,474
She continues to power
ahead at full speed
539
00:45:12,644 --> 00:45:14,911
But now her bow
starts to break off.
540
00:45:18,717 --> 00:45:22,935
Her forward movement funnels
sea water into her interior
541
00:45:25,740 --> 00:45:30,276
And with doors open
it can pour through all
the unsealed compartments
542
00:45:30,311 --> 00:45:31,677
Pulling her under,
543
00:45:31,713 --> 00:45:35,581
Sealing the fate of
indianapolis and
300 of her crew.
544
00:45:39,137 --> 00:45:41,938
(splashing)
545
00:45:42,340 --> 00:45:47,744
But for the 900 men who
make it into the water,
the horror has just begun.
546
00:45:50,181 --> 00:45:55,735
600 of them perish over
the next terrible four
days from exhaustion,
547
00:45:55,770 --> 00:46:00,139
From dehydration and worse.
548
00:46:03,278 --> 00:46:07,914
It's the deadliest
single-ship disaster
in us naval history.
549
00:46:11,369 --> 00:46:14,537
Captain mcvay is
court-martialed, convicted,
550
00:46:14,572 --> 00:46:17,473
And in 1968, commits suicide.
551
00:46:20,612 --> 00:46:24,180
But thirty-three years later,
congress clears his name,
552
00:46:24,215 --> 00:46:27,900
Acknowledging that
intelligence about
submarines along his route
553
00:46:27,936 --> 00:46:30,002
Wasn't passed to his ship.
554
00:46:34,742 --> 00:46:38,444
By locating the final resting
place of the indianapolis,
555
00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:41,347
The crew of the petrel has
done something remarkable,
556
00:46:43,701 --> 00:46:48,938
Part of an exceptional series
of discoveries giving a new
generation insight into the
557
00:46:48,973 --> 00:46:53,309
Widest-ranging combat-zone
the world has ever known.
558
00:46:53,912 --> 00:46:56,979
James: The rest of us
have incredible respect
for the late paul allen,
559
00:46:57,015 --> 00:46:59,215
For rob kraft,
and for the entire team.
560
00:47:00,401 --> 00:47:02,034
They've got the
right people,
561
00:47:02,070 --> 00:47:03,736
Their hearts are in
the right place,
562
00:47:03,771 --> 00:47:06,339
They do the right research
and they then employ
563
00:47:06,374 --> 00:47:09,876
The best equipment in
a very effective way.
564
00:47:09,911 --> 00:47:15,014
Narrator: This continuing
quest helps honor those
serving on both sides
565
00:47:15,049 --> 00:47:17,567
Who gave their lives at sea.
566
00:47:18,136 --> 00:47:19,135
Captioned by cotter
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