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♪

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NARRATOR: At battle sites
all around the world...

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Archaeologists are
exploring lost ships,

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subs, and aircraft,

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from a critical but much
misunderstood year:

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[gunfire].

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1945.

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JAMES: There was no
guarantee that World War II

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was going to end in 1945.

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The noose was tightening,

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both in the Pacific
and in Europe,

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but what was needed
were breakthroughs,

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breakthroughs that
had yet to happen.

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NARRATOR: Hitler still
controls Germany,

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and his scientists refine
terrifying new weapons.

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Japan promises to fight
on to the bitter end:

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surrender remains unthinkable.

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CRAIG: It was a dilemma for
American decision-makers to

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figure out how to bring
this war to an end.

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NARRATOR: What can
draining four wrecks,

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thousands of miles apart,

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reveal about the decisive
final months of World War II?

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JAMES: It's not as if
the war ended quietly.

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It was a year of
incredible violence.

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It was a year that
shook the world.

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[theme music plays].

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NARRATOR: January 1945.

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Soviet forces push into
Nazi held territory,

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triggering a crisis
for German civilians.

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JANN: Behind the German
front there were millions
of German civilians.

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Many of these refugees
simply fear to be
overrun by the Russians.

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NARRATOR: For many, the
only possible route to
safety is by sea.

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What can a haunted wreck below
the icy Baltic reveal about

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a plan to rescue a
million refugees?

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On January 23rd, 1945, the
German navy or Kriegsmarine,

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launches a plan to rescue
soldiers and civilians,

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Operation Hannibal.

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JANN: Not only civilian ships
but also troop transports were

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used for bringing German
civilians into safety.

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NARRATOR: The 550-foot-long
General Von Steuben,

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sets sail from the
German-occupied port of

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Pillau on February 9th.

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She's carrying around 5000
men, women and children,

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all attempting to
flee the Soviet army.

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But just 13 hours later,

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the Steuben is at the
bottom of the Baltic Sea.

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Now, an elite Polish dive
team wants to find out

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what happened to her.

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They're heading to the
Steuben's last known position,

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40 miles off the
coast of Poland.

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The Steuben lies in
waters 230 feet deep.

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In the year-round chill
of the Baltic sea,

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wrecks here are
unusually well-preserved.

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So there's a good chance that
evidence of her terrible fate

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will still survive.

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But it's a dangerous mission.

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TOMASZ: To dive for Steuben
you must be a really
experienced diver.

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It's absolutely dark because
in Baltic Sea under 70 meters

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it's always dark.

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And it is always cold, it is
four degrees so if you have

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any problem with your suit
you are in really trouble.

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NARRATOR: Each diver
will have just 30 minutes
at the wreck site.

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Any longer could prove deadly.

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A shape appears.

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The distinctive windows of
the Steuben's promenade deck.

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TOMASZ: I had this feeling
that I go back in the time.

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Some of the things were
untouched for 75 years.

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This was some special
journey around this ship.

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Fantastic.

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NARRATOR: Soon, time is up for
the divers but armed with the

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data they've collected,

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we can do something
extraordinary.

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Parting the waters
of the Baltic.

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From deep below the icy sea
a gigantic wreck emerges,

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in near perfect condition.

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All along her starboard
side the distinctive
row of windows.

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And, a vital clue,

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a hole below the water line.

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What could have caused it?

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In 1945 the Baltic is
packed with sea mines.

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Does the Steuben
strike one of them?

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INNES: Any vessel could be a
target so a big part of what

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the Kriegsmarine would have
been doing at that time was to

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make sure that their
shipping lanes were swept.

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and so the swept passages as
they were known were then open

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for the ships to move around.

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NARRATOR: But analysis of
the Steuben's route and final

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resting place proves that she
stays within cleared sea-lanes.

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So a mine looks unlikely.

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Returning to the drained
wreck reveals fresh clues.

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Near the bow, a second hole,
68 feet from the first.

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It's unmistakable.

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INNES: Looking at where the
damage pattern is on the ship

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it's quite likely that the
ship has been torpedoed.

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If you're on a submarine and
you're attacking a large ship

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like a liner what you want to
do is to put your torpedoes into

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what is called a spread,
to give yourself the best

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opportunity of
hitting the target.

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NARRATOR: The two blast holes
carry the tell-tale signs

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of torpedo attack.

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The Baltic is packed
with Soviet Subs hunting
for German targets.

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It's likely that one
of them deliberately
attacks the Steuben.

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But firing on a passenger
ship is deeply controversial

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and possibly a war crime.

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Returning to the
drained wreck reveals

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some game-changing evidence.

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Clearly visible on the
aft part of the deck,

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two large anti-aircraft guns.

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This ship is heavily armed.

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The Nazis destroy huge
quantities of military records

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in the final
months of the war.

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But, in his quest to
uncover the truth,

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Maritime Historian Jann Witt
tracks down the last surviving

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documents about the Steuben.

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JANN: Here we see the Steuben
in her heyday as a luxury

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passenger vessel,
a real beauty.

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This image shows the Steuben
after she was taken over by

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the Kriegsmarine as
a transport vessel.

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The painting has changed from
clear white shiny painting to

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this dazzle painting
camouflaging her silhouette.

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NARRATOR: Under
the rules of war,

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the Steuben is no longer
an innocent ocean liner.

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JANN: Being a simple troop
transport in the service
of the Kriegsmarine,

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from the point of
international law of war,

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she was fair game.

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NARRATOR: By piecing
together all the evidence.

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The tragic final hours
of this ill-fated ship.

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Come clearly into focus.

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A massive crowd of
refugees reaches Pillau
in early February.

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They know the Steuben may be
one of the last ships out.

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Although she's already
crowded with soldiers,

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the Steuben's captain takes
pity and allows over

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1,000 civilians
to join them.

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But this simple act of
humanity has appalling
consequences.

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Just before 1:00 am, while
many people are sleeping,

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the first torpedo hits the
starboard bow of the Steuben.

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[explosion].

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A few seconds later another
explosion rocks the ship,

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[explosion].

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as a second torpedo detonates.

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JAMES: You're a civilian,
you've been pushed to a

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waterfront in the face of
an advancing, vengeful army.

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You go out to sea, suddenly
there's an explosion,

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the lights go out and
the ship begins to sink.

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It had to be absolute,
sheer terror.

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NARRATOR: In the
freezing Baltic waters,

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fewer than 700 of the
5,000 passengers survive.

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Nearly a million German
civilians do manage to

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escape the Soviet Army.

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But Operation Hannibal costs
the Germans 161 vessels and

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over 30,000 lives.

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Allied troops are now
closing in on Berlin,

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but Hitler refuses
to surrender.

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To turn his fortunes
around, he puts his
faith in secret weapons.

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What can a mysterious wreck
off the coast of Norway reveal

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about his final
throw of the dice?

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NARRATOR: In 2003, a
Norwegian Navy survey ship

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is searching for wrecks.

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Two miles off the
coast of Fedje Island,

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it detects something
surprising on the seabed,

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around 500 feet down.

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A crew explores the site with
a remotely operated vehicle.

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SCIENTIST: We're about
30 meters off seabed.

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NARRATOR: After
a short search,

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the ROV spots
something unexpected.

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The unmistakable
outline of a submarine.

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To understand what kind
of submarine it is,

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and why it's lying on the
floor of the North Sea,

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we can now use new data...

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To drain the sea bed dry.

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The larger sections of the
wreck bear the tell-tale signs

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of a German U-boat.

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But this U-boat is far
bigger than any found
in these waters before.

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Its remains are spread
across two separate areas
as if torn apart.

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Putting all the pieces
together reveals the scale of

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this massive submarine,
a full 287 feet long.

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What is this
monster of the deep?

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JANN: If you find a
large German U-boat,

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you can be quite sure
you've found a Type 9 boat.

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They were specially
constructed long-range U-Boats

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for long range operations.

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NARRATOR: Type 9D U-boats can
carry an incredible 252 tons

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of cargo and they have
gigantic fuel tanks,

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allowing them to travel all
the way around the world

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without refueling.

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The Germans build only
30 of these monster-subs.

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Can that help the team
identify exactly which

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U-boat this one is?

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Returning to the drained
wreck reveals a new clue...

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Lying broken away near
the stern of the sub.

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A snorkel.

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When extended, it brings air
from the surface to the sub's

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engines allowing it to remain
underwater and undetected for

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longer periods of time.

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Jann Witt, turns
to wartime records,

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and discovers that only five
Type 9D U-boats are ever

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fitted with snorkels.

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He's then able to piece
together the fate of each.

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Two of the subs survive
the war and two others

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sink in other waters.

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That leaves only one
unaccounted for, U-864,

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a very significant submarine.

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War records reveal
that in February 1945,

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U-864 is on a
top-secret mission,

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bound for Japan as part of a
plot, called Operation Caesar,

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to give Imperial forces an
advantage against America.

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JANN: Operation Caesar was
the desperate attempt of

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Germany strengthening
their Japanese Allies.

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Helping them with fighting
their war in the Pacific

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against the British
and the Americans.

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NARRATOR: So exactly
what is this giant sub
carrying to Japan?

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To find out the team
returns to the ocean floor.

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This time, they focus on the
keel section of the wreck and

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find something intriguing,

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six cylinder-shaped
metallic canisters.

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They're partially buried
under the sediment and
appear badly corroded.

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Any identifying
marks are long gone.

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SCIENTIST: Yeah go ahead deck.

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NARRATOR: So the team sends
down an ROV to retrieve one

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and find out what
secrets it contains.

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SCIENTIST: It's on the
seabed and it looks good.

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NARRATOR: Lab analysis
of its contents reveals
large amounts of mercury,

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a liquid metal that's
key to building the

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bomb switches and
detonators that Japan needs.

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But that's not all.

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JANN: Onboard U-864 there were
top secret new technologies

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the Germans had
developed in the war,

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like modern jet engines.

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So it was kind of technology
transfer to Japan.

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NARRATOR: In 1945 the
Nazis are far ahead in the

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development of
jet-engine technology,

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which allows them
to build the ME262,

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the fastest operational
jet-fighter in the sky.

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But the prototype engines
sent to Japan never arrive.

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They remain inside U-864 at
the bottom of the North Sea.

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So what prevents this sub
and its top-secret cargo

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from reaching Japan?

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Returning to the drained wreck
reveals the bow and aft parts

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of the submarine lying 100
feet apart on the ocean floor.

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Only one thing
can explain this.

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00:20:51,491 --> 00:20:54,080
INNES: When you look at the
wreck of U-864 it's very

242
00:20:54,114 --> 00:20:57,117
evident that it's
been torpedoed.

243
00:20:59,706 --> 00:21:01,570
I've looked at a number of
submarine wrecks over the

244
00:21:01,605 --> 00:21:04,297
years that have been torpedoed
and they generally share a

245
00:21:04,332 --> 00:21:07,404
very common feature of being
blown completely in half.

246
00:21:09,026 --> 00:21:11,856
NARRATOR: Where does
this torpedo come from?

247
00:21:13,030 --> 00:21:16,896
The team investigates maritime
war records and discovers

248
00:21:16,930 --> 00:21:21,141
there are no Allied
torpedo planes or attack
boats in the area.

249
00:21:21,970 --> 00:21:26,906
But there is a British
submarine, HMS Venturer.

250
00:21:28,563 --> 00:21:32,601
The Norwegians haven't
just found an important
missing U-boat.

251
00:21:32,636 --> 00:21:37,054
They've found the casualty of
a unique underwater battle.

252
00:21:40,022 --> 00:21:43,163
Now, by combining the scan
data and the military records

253
00:21:43,198 --> 00:21:46,235
of two countries, it's
possible to recreate the

254
00:21:46,270 --> 00:21:50,378
final dramatic hours of U-864.

255
00:21:54,174 --> 00:21:57,108
On the 9th of February,
British codebreakers alert

256
00:21:57,143 --> 00:22:00,698
HMS Venturer to a
U-boat in the vicinity.

257
00:22:02,321 --> 00:22:06,808
INNES: Venturer hears the
U-boat approaching using its

258
00:22:06,842 --> 00:22:10,812
hydrophones and from that
point the hunt begins.

259
00:22:15,057 --> 00:22:17,543
NARRATOR: The standard way
to torpedo an enemy sub

260
00:22:17,577 --> 00:22:20,373
is to wait for it to surface.

261
00:22:21,754 --> 00:22:25,344
But the U-864 never comes up.

262
00:22:26,275 --> 00:22:30,176
INNES: The Venturer tracks
U-864 for over an hour until

263
00:22:30,210 --> 00:22:34,214
it maneuvers itself into
an optimum firing position.

264
00:22:36,216 --> 00:22:37,977
NARRATOR: The Venturer's
commander knows the

265
00:22:38,011 --> 00:22:41,014
approximate course of the
enemy sub but hitting it

266
00:22:41,049 --> 00:22:44,328
underwater is
nearly impossible.

267
00:22:45,018 --> 00:22:48,815
Using 3D targeting he fires
a spread of torpedoes and

268
00:22:48,850 --> 00:22:51,956
listens for a result.

269
00:22:52,992 --> 00:22:55,408
INNES: It seems that it was
the last torpedo of the four

270
00:22:55,443 --> 00:22:59,136
that were fired that struck
U-864 right under the

271
00:22:59,170 --> 00:23:01,966
conning tower and
blew it in half.

272
00:23:09,526 --> 00:23:14,116
NARRATOR: U-864 sinks to the
bottom of the icy North Sea,

273
00:23:14,151 --> 00:23:19,328
taking 75 men and Hitler's
secret technology with her.

274
00:23:22,711 --> 00:23:26,405
INNES: This is the first time
a submerged submarine takes

275
00:23:26,439 --> 00:23:29,615
out another submerged
submarine with torpedoes.

276
00:23:29,649 --> 00:23:33,550
So it's a historic
moment in the history
of submarine warfare.

277
00:23:36,276 --> 00:23:39,348
NARRATOR: Hitler's attempt
to help Japan is halted by an

278
00:23:39,383 --> 00:23:44,146
extraordinary underwater
game of cat and mouse.

279
00:23:45,596 --> 00:23:48,254
JAMES: The mercury reaching
Japan would've given them

280
00:23:48,288 --> 00:23:52,776
opportunity to build more
caps, firing mechanisms,

281
00:23:52,810 --> 00:23:57,297
fuses, but the jet
engine, and the rocket,

282
00:23:57,332 --> 00:23:59,576
had the Japanese gotten that
technology and been able to

283
00:23:59,610 --> 00:24:02,613
activate it, it could've
been a game changer.

284
00:24:05,271 --> 00:24:07,722
NARRATOR: The loss of the
latest Nazi technology is

285
00:24:07,756 --> 00:24:11,277
a major blow to
Japan's war effort.

286
00:24:13,797 --> 00:24:18,664
Her generals turn instead
to a new and disturbing
form of attack.

287
00:24:23,220 --> 00:24:26,361
Does the shattered wreck of
an American warship contain

288
00:24:26,395 --> 00:24:30,469
secrets from these
terrible and deadly days?

289
00:24:40,893 --> 00:24:45,138
NARRATOR: In the Pacific
a brutal amphibious war
still rages,

290
00:24:45,932 --> 00:24:49,902
but island by island
the Allies are closing in.

291
00:24:51,731 --> 00:24:56,356
JAMES: By April 1945, as the
US and its allies push closer

292
00:24:56,391 --> 00:24:59,049
to Japan, the Japanese
are desperate.

293
00:24:59,083 --> 00:25:01,361
They're surrounded.

294
00:25:01,396 --> 00:25:05,124
NARRATOR: The Allies are
poised to attack Japan itself,

295
00:25:05,158 --> 00:25:07,816
by invading Okinawa.

296
00:25:07,851 --> 00:25:11,751
But the Emperor's
government vows to defend
the island at any cost.

297
00:25:13,373 --> 00:25:15,652
CRAIG: For the Japanese the
American invasion of Okinawa

298
00:25:15,686 --> 00:25:17,688
was an existential moment.

299
00:25:17,723 --> 00:25:20,173
This would be the first time
in the war that an American

300
00:25:20,208 --> 00:25:23,694
boot set foot on soil that
the Japanese considered

301
00:25:23,729 --> 00:25:25,938
part of the homeland.

302
00:25:26,904 --> 00:25:29,976
NARRATOR: A US Naval
force of 1,000 warships

303
00:25:30,011 --> 00:25:32,979
moves towards Okinawa.

304
00:25:33,704 --> 00:25:37,259
Among them, the USS Emmons.

305
00:25:39,607 --> 00:25:42,264
A Gleaves Class
Destroyer, she's a fast,

306
00:25:42,299 --> 00:25:45,578
maneuverable warship,
whose job is to protect

307
00:25:45,613 --> 00:25:48,236
the larger vessels in a fleet.

308
00:25:49,237 --> 00:25:52,654
Armed with 5-inch guns she
packs a powerful punch.

309
00:25:55,830 --> 00:25:58,211
The Emmons is part of
a forward line of ships

310
00:25:58,246 --> 00:26:01,560
positioned between
Okinawa and Japan.

311
00:26:02,215 --> 00:26:06,357
CRAIG: The Americans dispatch
16 small destroyers out to

312
00:26:06,392 --> 00:26:10,223
what they call the
picket radar position,

313
00:26:10,258 --> 00:26:14,262
40-70 miles beyond the fleet
that was invading the island

314
00:26:14,296 --> 00:26:18,542
and their job was to identify
incoming Japanese threats.

315
00:26:20,958 --> 00:26:24,375
NARRATOR: These heavily armed,
radar-equipped ships should be

316
00:26:24,410 --> 00:26:27,724
able to spot the enemy coming,
and defend themselves.

317
00:26:31,659 --> 00:26:34,972
But in an unexpected body blow,

318
00:26:35,007 --> 00:26:36,180
[explosion].

319
00:26:36,215 --> 00:26:39,977
the Emmons sinks
with 137 casualties.

320
00:26:41,082 --> 00:26:43,291
What goes wrong?

321
00:26:46,466 --> 00:26:50,229
In August of 2000, close to
the Emmons' last reported

322
00:26:50,263 --> 00:26:53,508
position, local fishermen
spot oil in the water.

323
00:26:58,927 --> 00:27:02,517
The Japanese Coast Guard
sends a team to investigate.

324
00:27:07,798 --> 00:27:11,768
Diving soon reveals
a large wreck.

325
00:27:13,873 --> 00:27:17,256
Could this be the
long-lost destroyer?

326
00:27:25,954 --> 00:27:29,889
As the East China
Sea begins to part,

327
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,724
it allows light to
fall once again,

328
00:27:38,001 --> 00:27:42,315
on one of the most
ferocious battlegrounds
of the Pacific War.

329
00:27:45,318 --> 00:27:49,115
She's 348 feet long,
a perfect match for

330
00:27:49,150 --> 00:27:53,257
a World War II
American destroyer.

331
00:27:55,121 --> 00:27:59,747
Nearby lies a Paravane, a
device for sweeping mines.

332
00:28:00,644 --> 00:28:03,336
It leaves little
room for doubt,

333
00:28:03,371 --> 00:28:07,616
the USS Emmons carries exactly
this type of equipment and is

334
00:28:07,651 --> 00:28:11,275
in this area when she sinks.

335
00:28:13,968 --> 00:28:17,903
She bears signs of an
attack from all sides,

336
00:28:19,525 --> 00:28:22,666
but from what?

337
00:28:24,703 --> 00:28:28,361
Is a Japanese
warship responsible?

338
00:28:29,431 --> 00:28:32,158
CRAIG: The Japanese Navy had
very few arrows left in its

339
00:28:32,193 --> 00:28:35,714
quiver, it had one large
battleship, the Yamato,

340
00:28:35,748 --> 00:28:40,339
and a few modified battleships
that didn't have enough fuel

341
00:28:40,373 --> 00:28:44,032
to get to sea anyway, so the
Japanese Navy was not really

342
00:28:44,067 --> 00:28:47,484
going to interfere
with this landing.

343
00:28:53,559 --> 00:28:56,217
NARRATOR: If a battleship
doesn't sink her,

344
00:28:56,251 --> 00:28:59,599
can other evidence from
the wreck prove what does?

345
00:29:01,256 --> 00:29:05,536
Around 50 feet from the Emmons
lie the remains of an engine,

346
00:29:05,571 --> 00:29:07,987
from a plane.

347
00:29:08,022 --> 00:29:10,956
The rest of the aircraft
is completely destroyed,

348
00:29:10,990 --> 00:29:15,443
its joystick the only
other identifiable part.

349
00:29:16,927 --> 00:29:19,447
The construction of the engine
shows the wreckage belongs to

350
00:29:19,481 --> 00:29:22,450
a Japanese plane.

351
00:29:22,484 --> 00:29:25,764
But it's not a
fighter or a bomber.

352
00:29:28,042 --> 00:29:32,322
It's a two-seater Type
98 Reconnaissance plane.

353
00:29:32,356 --> 00:29:35,739
How could such a non-combat
aircraft attack a ship

354
00:29:35,774 --> 00:29:38,569
in the US fleet?

355
00:29:39,847 --> 00:29:42,815
The answer is that the
Japanese are now employing

356
00:29:42,850 --> 00:29:45,784
a new and terrifying
style of warfare.

357
00:29:50,823 --> 00:29:56,277
By 1945 most of Japan's
greatest air aces are dead,

358
00:29:57,796 --> 00:30:01,869
so the country quickly trains
a new generation of pilots.

359
00:30:02,662 --> 00:30:06,494
TOSH: These pilots were
not experienced seasoned
veteran pilots,

360
00:30:06,528 --> 00:30:10,049
they had been rushed through
a flight training school,

361
00:30:10,084 --> 00:30:13,259
and look at these, they're
children, they're kids.

362
00:30:13,846 --> 00:30:17,746
15, either college
age or high school.

363
00:30:18,817 --> 00:30:21,060
Just incredible.

364
00:30:25,133 --> 00:30:27,584
NARRATOR: The Japanese
military doesn't need to train

365
00:30:27,618 --> 00:30:30,863
these young men for very long.

366
00:30:30,898 --> 00:30:32,796
TOSH: These pilots, these
novice pilots that can maybe

367
00:30:32,831 --> 00:30:37,663
fly the plane but that's it,
and therefore one strategy

368
00:30:37,697 --> 00:30:41,598
that was devised was
to use suicide attacks,

369
00:30:41,632 --> 00:30:44,394
so called kamikaze attacks.

370
00:30:47,017 --> 00:30:49,226
[explosion].

371
00:30:50,918 --> 00:30:54,231
NARRATOR: Kamikaze
attacks shock the US Navy,

372
00:30:54,818 --> 00:30:58,649
cause huge losses,
and spread terror.

373
00:31:05,484 --> 00:31:09,281
JAMES: What they talked about
was the abject fear that they

374
00:31:09,315 --> 00:31:12,146
felt as these planes would
come out in large numbers and

375
00:31:12,180 --> 00:31:14,113
come on in at you.

376
00:31:15,735 --> 00:31:21,396
And, it kept going, day,
after day, hour after hour.

377
00:31:25,607 --> 00:31:30,267
It made war, as they got
closer to Japan, sheer hell.

378
00:31:31,234 --> 00:31:34,927
[gunfire].

379
00:31:34,962 --> 00:31:36,756
[explosion].

380
00:31:43,763 --> 00:31:47,043
NARRATOR: Now, using insights
from the drained wreck along

381
00:31:47,077 --> 00:31:51,357
with documents from the
time we can reveal in detail

382
00:31:51,392 --> 00:31:55,465
exactly what happened
to the USS Emmons.

383
00:32:01,471 --> 00:32:05,820
On April 6th, 1945 the
Japanese use hundreds of

384
00:32:05,854 --> 00:32:10,514
aircraft to launch the largest
kamikaze operation ever,

385
00:32:10,549 --> 00:32:13,862
called '‘Floating
Chrysanthemum'.

386
00:32:17,970 --> 00:32:23,217
At 5:32 pm, the first wave of
kamikazes approach the Emmons.

387
00:32:34,021 --> 00:32:38,715
She defends herself with
everything she's got,

388
00:32:38,749 --> 00:32:41,476
but is soon overwhelmed.

389
00:32:45,135 --> 00:32:50,002
In total, five suicide
planes slam into the ship,

390
00:32:50,037 --> 00:32:52,694
fatally wounding her.

391
00:32:53,557 --> 00:32:56,526
CRAIG: 60 sailors on the
Emmons died that day and

392
00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:59,356
another 77 were badly wounded.

393
00:32:59,391 --> 00:33:02,014
Others were plucked
from the sea.

394
00:33:02,049 --> 00:33:04,568
It must have been horrific.

395
00:33:13,543 --> 00:33:17,926
NARRATOR: Between April and
June of 1945 Japan's Kamikaze

396
00:33:17,961 --> 00:33:21,861
campaign reaches
its terrifying peak.

397
00:33:22,897 --> 00:33:27,143
More than 2,500 suicide
attacks destroy or damage

398
00:33:27,177 --> 00:33:30,180
over 400 warships.

399
00:33:30,698 --> 00:33:32,976
JAMES: The Americans are looking
at this, and they're saying,

400
00:33:33,011 --> 00:33:37,153
'‘they're not going to stop,
this is horrific!'

401
00:33:37,843 --> 00:33:41,605
What's going to happen
when they get to the
shores of Japan?

402
00:33:42,710 --> 00:33:47,025
NARRATOR: The Allies
need to find a response.

403
00:33:48,923 --> 00:33:53,617
Can a wreck off a remote
Pacific island help explain

404
00:33:53,652 --> 00:33:58,726
a new plan to stop the
Kamikaze, and end the war?

405
00:34:04,732 --> 00:34:06,768
[explosion].

406
00:34:07,459 --> 00:34:11,428
NARRATOR: By May of 1945,
the war in Europe is over.

407
00:34:12,326 --> 00:34:16,088
But Japan remains determined
to fight to the bitter end.

408
00:34:17,469 --> 00:34:19,919
CRAIG: Their idea was that
they would make the Americans

409
00:34:19,954 --> 00:34:24,269
pay so much in blood and
treasure for so long that the

410
00:34:24,303 --> 00:34:28,514
Americans would somehow tire
of their loses and agree to

411
00:34:28,549 --> 00:34:31,966
negotiate and bring this
war finally to an end.

412
00:34:33,347 --> 00:34:34,969
NARRATOR: Preparations
are taking place for a

413
00:34:35,003 --> 00:34:37,558
land invasion of Japan.

414
00:34:37,592 --> 00:34:40,457
Allied planners
fear the worst.

415
00:34:41,596 --> 00:34:44,461
JAMES: The numbers are run and
it's estimated that this is

416
00:34:44,496 --> 00:34:49,017
going to be an epic slaughter
that could last and last,

417
00:34:49,052 --> 00:34:52,193
potentially for over a year.

418
00:34:54,264 --> 00:34:56,922
NARRATOR: The US government
faces the prospect of losing

419
00:34:56,956 --> 00:34:59,649
half a million men.

420
00:34:59,683 --> 00:35:05,275
So turns instead
to a new weapon.

421
00:35:06,034 --> 00:35:10,142
One they hope will win
the war without the need
for a ground invasion.

422
00:35:12,386 --> 00:35:16,976
The B-29 Superfortress.

423
00:35:19,462 --> 00:35:22,430
The Superfortress can carry
twice the payload of any other

424
00:35:22,465 --> 00:35:25,330
American long-range bomber.

425
00:35:25,364 --> 00:35:31,646
And, crucially, its
huge fuel tanks give
it a 3,250 mile range,

426
00:35:32,613 --> 00:35:35,271
allowing it to strike
deep into Japan from

427
00:35:35,305 --> 00:35:38,308
bases many hundreds
of miles away.

428
00:35:39,137 --> 00:35:41,139
But there's a problem.

429
00:35:43,589 --> 00:35:46,178
These high-tech planes are
dropping out of the sky

430
00:35:46,213 --> 00:35:48,870
at a frightening rate.

431
00:35:51,873 --> 00:35:57,016
Can finding the wreck
of one of these iconic
aircraft tell us why?

432
00:36:05,197 --> 00:36:09,374
In July of 2016 a US
survey boat investigates a

433
00:36:09,408 --> 00:36:13,723
tantalizing object in a remote
part of the Pacific Ocean.

434
00:36:15,242 --> 00:36:18,762
It's 1500 miles off
the coast of Japan,

435
00:36:18,797 --> 00:36:22,007
not far from Tinian Island.

436
00:36:24,285 --> 00:36:28,807
In World War II, this
place is the biggest
airport in the world,

437
00:36:28,841 --> 00:36:32,949
home to over 400 B-29s
that fly bombing raids

438
00:36:32,983 --> 00:36:36,124
against Japan from here.

439
00:36:39,197 --> 00:36:43,511
So, has the team stumbled
upon the remains of one
of these planes?

440
00:36:46,618 --> 00:36:51,657
Whatever it is, it's deep,
over 1,000 feet down,

441
00:36:53,418 --> 00:36:57,663
so the investigation team
sends an ROV to take a look.

442
00:37:10,331 --> 00:37:14,301
WOMAN [over radio]: We have
discovered some debris on the
sea floor in front of us.

443
00:37:15,302 --> 00:37:17,407
MAN [over radio]:
Part of an airplane.

444
00:37:26,140 --> 00:37:30,248
NARRATOR: The ROV
illuminates some highly
distinctive wreckage.

445
00:37:31,835 --> 00:37:34,838
There's only one
plane this can be.

446
00:37:35,322 --> 00:37:38,221
MAN [over radio]:
It matches 29 wing.

447
00:37:41,051 --> 00:37:42,570
[inaudible] too.

448
00:37:45,780 --> 00:37:48,369
NARRATOR: How does
it end up here?

449
00:37:53,340 --> 00:37:56,274
Draining away the waters
of the Pacific Ocean

450
00:37:56,308 --> 00:37:59,277
allows a closer look.

451
00:38:10,529 --> 00:38:14,878
The wing emerges,
glinting in the daylight.

452
00:38:17,709 --> 00:38:20,263
After 75 years on the seabed,

453
00:38:20,298 --> 00:38:23,197
it's remarkably well preserved.

454
00:38:26,096 --> 00:38:29,652
The plane is
resting upside-down.

455
00:38:29,686 --> 00:38:34,208
Its landing gear is
retracted, and there are
no signs of any bombs.

456
00:38:36,486 --> 00:38:40,007
Three of the four engines
are still attached.

457
00:38:40,041 --> 00:38:43,666
But the rest of the
plane is missing.

458
00:38:43,700 --> 00:38:48,118
What could cause such
catastrophic damage?

459
00:38:57,231 --> 00:39:01,373
Maritime Archaeologist Megan
Lickliter-Mundon has expert

460
00:39:01,408 --> 00:39:04,376
knowledge of these planes.

461
00:39:04,411 --> 00:39:07,586
MEGAN: The pieces of
the B-29 are relatively
close to each other

462
00:39:07,621 --> 00:39:10,796
that in itself suggests
that it was a break-up that

463
00:39:10,831 --> 00:39:14,490
happened on the surface rather
than an aircraft exploding in

464
00:39:14,524 --> 00:39:17,458
the air and all of the pieces
have a ways to travel before

465
00:39:17,493 --> 00:39:20,288
they even get to the
surface of the water.

466
00:39:22,498 --> 00:39:26,536
NARRATOR: Using sonar data and
B-29 blueprints we can flip

467
00:39:26,571 --> 00:39:30,126
this mighty Superfortress
right side up,

468
00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,996
revealing that all three
engines have a similar pattern

469
00:39:38,030 --> 00:39:40,861
of damage on their underside.

470
00:39:41,827 --> 00:39:45,106
What kind of crash
could cause this?

471
00:39:45,935 --> 00:39:48,800
MEGAN: All of the engines that
we could see were all crushed.

472
00:39:48,834 --> 00:39:52,251
That leads us to believe that
when this airplane came down

473
00:39:52,286 --> 00:39:56,566
it made a pancake style
landing which means it came

474
00:39:56,601 --> 00:40:00,018
down pretty much horizontally.

475
00:40:03,608 --> 00:40:06,438
NARRATOR: It's clear evidence
that this bomber does not

476
00:40:06,473 --> 00:40:09,510
suffer a catastrophic
loss of control,

477
00:40:09,545 --> 00:40:13,756
it's making a deliberate
attempt to ditch at sea.

478
00:40:13,790 --> 00:40:15,999
MEGAN: So our wreck
is about right here.

479
00:40:16,034 --> 00:40:19,831
You can see that it's directly
off of the flight path for

480
00:40:19,865 --> 00:40:23,144
Tinian's North Field.

481
00:40:23,179 --> 00:40:27,286
NARRATOR: The crash site
is only 3 miles from the
end of the runway.

482
00:40:28,909 --> 00:40:31,739
This B-29 never
made it to Japan.

483
00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:37,055
In fact, it looks like
she only briefly made
it into the air.

484
00:40:40,265 --> 00:40:43,855
But why does a plane costing
billions of dollars to develop

485
00:40:43,889 --> 00:40:47,065
crash on take-off?

486
00:40:48,653 --> 00:40:52,346
Answers may lie in
the drained wreck.

487
00:41:03,530 --> 00:41:06,153
NARRATOR: Draining the Pacific
has revealed clues to the

488
00:41:06,187 --> 00:41:10,364
tragic fate of a B-29
Superfortress bomber.

489
00:41:11,054 --> 00:41:13,263
MAN [over radio]: This airplane
had a rough, rough landing.

490
00:41:15,058 --> 00:41:16,853
NARRATOR: The team needs
more evidence to find out

491
00:41:16,888 --> 00:41:19,269
what's gone wrong.

492
00:41:20,650 --> 00:41:24,620
This time they focus on the
aircraft's massive engines.

493
00:41:26,104 --> 00:41:30,142
It leads them to a clue,
on one of the engines,

494
00:41:30,177 --> 00:41:33,767
the exhaust stacks are
heavily corroded and pitted,

495
00:41:33,801 --> 00:41:35,976
signs of fire damage.

496
00:41:38,392 --> 00:41:41,913
But would a fire in only one
of its four engines bring down

497
00:41:41,947 --> 00:41:44,467
this sophisticated bomber?

498
00:41:58,067 --> 00:41:59,896
ALLEN: Pre-flight checklist.

499
00:41:59,931 --> 00:42:02,105
NARRATOR: To learn more
about what it takes to get a

500
00:42:02,140 --> 00:42:06,178
Superfortress off the ground
the investigation turns to

501
00:42:06,213 --> 00:42:09,596
one of the last two
airworthy B-29s.

502
00:42:11,011 --> 00:42:12,771
ALLEN: 125 is our abort speed.

503
00:42:12,806 --> 00:42:15,187
Below that we will abort,
above that we will fly.

504
00:42:15,222 --> 00:42:17,811
ENGINEER: I am set, ready
to go, ready to roll.

505
00:42:20,917 --> 00:42:23,230
ALLEN: The engines on
this aircraft, of course,

506
00:42:23,264 --> 00:42:25,025
had to produce a lot of power.

507
00:42:25,059 --> 00:42:27,303
It's a big engine,
big aircraft.

508
00:42:27,337 --> 00:42:29,650
So on take-off you know
you have turbo charge,

509
00:42:29,685 --> 00:42:33,551
you have super turbo
charge, you know they're
at their maximum.

510
00:42:35,725 --> 00:42:39,004
NARRATOR: Every B-29 is loaded
with a full tank of gas and

511
00:42:39,039 --> 00:42:42,249
the maximum
possible bomb load.

512
00:42:42,283 --> 00:42:46,391
The result, a plane that
is very heavy on take-off.

513
00:42:47,392 --> 00:42:49,049
ALLEN: Alright at max power.

514
00:42:49,083 --> 00:42:51,430
ENGINEER: Max power. 100.

515
00:42:58,990 --> 00:43:01,855
ALLEN: You're just barely
able to fly on four engines.

516
00:43:01,889 --> 00:43:06,584
So if you lose an engine
there is no chance that
you're gonna fly on three.

517
00:43:20,149 --> 00:43:23,531
NARRATOR: To end the war
quickly America is pushing

518
00:43:23,566 --> 00:43:26,776
these planes to their
operational limits.

519
00:43:27,294 --> 00:43:30,469
MEGAN: A lot of these B29s
were rushed off the line,

520
00:43:30,504 --> 00:43:34,025
they were rushed through
testing and they were sent to

521
00:43:34,059 --> 00:43:35,440
the front lines.

522
00:43:35,474 --> 00:43:38,719
So they very quickly
discovered that the engines

523
00:43:38,754 --> 00:43:41,032
were underpowering the air
frame and that's what led

524
00:43:41,066 --> 00:43:43,551
to a lot of these accidents.

525
00:43:44,967 --> 00:43:49,178
So these were not safe
airplanes by any stretch
of the imagination.

526
00:43:52,043 --> 00:43:55,633
NARRATOR: US Air Force records
reveal that during the war

527
00:43:55,667 --> 00:44:00,292
414 B-29s are lost,

528
00:44:00,327 --> 00:44:04,642
nearly two thirds of them due
simply to mechanical problems.

529
00:44:05,125 --> 00:44:09,163
Usually a catastrophic failure
of an engine on take-off.

530
00:44:11,718 --> 00:44:13,581
ALLEN: You're out in the
Tropics where it's already hot

531
00:44:13,616 --> 00:44:16,757
and they're pushing this
up there to max power,

532
00:44:16,792 --> 00:44:18,932
your cylinder head
temperatures are probably

533
00:44:18,966 --> 00:44:21,313
already out of limits,
it gets too hot,

534
00:44:21,348 --> 00:44:23,764
it's going to melt
parts of the engine,

535
00:44:23,799 --> 00:44:27,181
it's going to cause engine
failure, fire and so on.

536
00:44:29,805 --> 00:44:33,843
You know the airplane is just
going to plop, crash and burn.

537
00:44:36,432 --> 00:44:39,366
NARRATOR: Now by combining
evidence from the seabed with

538
00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:42,472
historical records, it's
possible to recreate the

539
00:44:42,507 --> 00:44:46,097
likely chain of events
leading up to the crash.

540
00:44:50,826 --> 00:44:55,416
On take-off from Tinian
Island the B29 develops
engine problems.

541
00:44:58,212 --> 00:45:01,733
Preparing for the worst, the
crew raises the landing gear

542
00:45:01,768 --> 00:45:04,563
and releases their bombs.

543
00:45:17,266 --> 00:45:21,615
Once down, the plane
sinks within minutes.

544
00:45:23,513 --> 00:45:26,620
There's no evidence that
any of the crew survive.

545
00:45:34,559 --> 00:45:39,253
Despite constant mechanical
problems B-29s play a

546
00:45:39,288 --> 00:45:42,809
decisive role in the
final stage of the war.

547
00:45:44,086 --> 00:45:49,643
And on Aug 6th, 1945
a Superfortress named
the "“Enola Gay"”

548
00:45:49,677 --> 00:45:53,233
drops an Atomic
bomb on Hiroshima.

549
00:45:59,342 --> 00:46:02,518
A second bomb
devastates Nagasaki,

550
00:46:02,552 --> 00:46:07,592
and six days later Emperor
Hirohito surrenders.

551
00:46:08,420 --> 00:46:11,596
[cheering].

552
00:46:15,013 --> 00:46:19,707
The wrecks of 1945 survive as a
testament to the sacrifices

553
00:46:19,742 --> 00:46:23,781
made by the military and the
civilians of all nations.

554
00:46:26,369 --> 00:46:30,615
And a reminder of a year
that reshapes the planet.

555
00:46:31,616 --> 00:46:34,170
JAMES: We still live with the
legacy of nuclear weapons and

556
00:46:34,205 --> 00:46:36,414
what they might bring.

557
00:46:37,277 --> 00:46:40,245
We also live with
the shift of borders,

558
00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:42,006
the shift of great
nation states,

559
00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:45,664
the rise and fall
of the Soviet Union.

560
00:46:45,699 --> 00:46:50,324
1945 was the year that
changed the face of the world.

561
00:46:55,605 --> 00:46:56,917
Captioned by Cotter
Captioning Services.