HEROES AND WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR II
(20 X 24 minute episodes)
THE SERIES
HEROES OF WORLD WAR II
10 x 24 mins
"Cometh the hour - cometh the man"
Suddenly, in 1939, something long expected came as something most unexpected, as Hitler invaded Poland. Within two years the Japanese had thrown in their lot with the Germans and Italians and the world was embroiled in a major conflagration of epic proportions. Ordinary men and women from all walks of life were suddenly thrown into the most challenging situations, either fighting - on land, sea and in mid-air - or assisting their countries in intelligence duties, code-breaking, sabotage or scientific research.
These heroes, many of whom served on the battlefield, were matched by their civilian counterparts, who helped to liberate the free world by deciphering enemy codes, designing faster and better aircraft and inventing war-winning machinery and ordnance. Some of them were prepared to put their lives on the line - like the man who tried to blow up Adolf Hitler.
From pathfinding pilots to scientists, from the officers and journalists who were confronted with Hitler's grossest atrocity at Belsen to the inventors of radar - all these characters played a part in hastening the end of the most cataclysmic conflict ever recorded by the camera.
In this new series "HEROES OF WORLD WAR II", the producers have had access to over 500,000 hours of rare archive film, much of which will appear for the first time. Together with new state-of-the-art computer graphics, the story of each individual's contribution will be examined in terms of its far-reaching impact on the course of the war, which were out of all proportion to the single contribution made. This is the qualification for including their stories, which are intended to show today's television viewer the inside story of how Germany and Japan were eventually defeated by the skill, bravery and ingenuity of people whose lives were changed forever by World War II.
WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR II
10 x 24 mins
In the annals of 20th Century warfare, World War II saw the sharpest and most dramatic rise in the design, manufacture and effectiveness of some of the world's most lethal weaponry.
It saw 55,000 ton battleships become obsolete in the space of 5 years. It saw the emergence of the aircraft carrier become the most potent weapons platform the world had ever seen. It saw the emergence of rocketry with designs for missiles which could be fired from Germany to reach New York. It saw the introduction of tank warfare from lightweight underpowered vehicles of 1939 to the prototype of Dr Porche's 65-ton monster - "The Maus".
In artillery terms, World War II produced everything from the hand-held rocket launcher to the 26-mile range railway gun. In aircraft design, it took the biplane fighter of 1939 to the 600 mph jet fighter of Willi Messerschmitt. It took bomb design from the 250lb "dumb" bombs to the 10 ton "Tallboy" with its titanium screwed nose which could penetrate the armoured deck of the "Tirpitz" from a height of 15,000 feet. It saw twin-engined aircraft carrying 200lb bombs increase in just 5 years to the pressurised giant "B29" which bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Advances were made in other fields too. Tracked vehicles, basic army trucks, handguns, rifles, machine guns and all forms of infantry weapons underwent dramatic development during these 5 crucial years. Whilst enormous advances were also made in the development of the remote weapons such as the homing torpedo and its sophisticated counter measures.
Dramatic advances in the accuracy of the bombsight carried the war to countless innocent civilians whilst ultra sophisticated technological weapons bombed dams and damaged U-boat pens.
In 1939, the world went to war with most countries using obsolete weaponry. Even Germany's Panzer armies still relied on horse-drawn transport equipment. In order to gain supremacy it was necessary for an army of designers, inventors and manufacturers to develop and implement the manufacture of more and more sophisticated killing machines and in this new series "WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR II" the development of each weapon system is addressed from the outbreak of war through to its 1945 peak.
FOR WORLDWIDE TV, PUBLISHING AND MERCHANDISING RIGHTS
PLEASE CONTACT:
BBC WORLDWIDE
WOODLANDS
80 WOOD LANE
LONDON
W12 0TT
TEL: 020 8433 2261
FAX: 020 8433 3944
FOR WORLDWIDE VIDEO AND ALL PUBLISHING RIGHTS
PLEASE CONTACT:
STUART SNAITH
MANAGING DIRECTOR
2 ENTERTAIN
33 FOLEY STREET
LONDON
W1W 7TL
TEL: 44 (0) 20 7612 3100
FAX: 44 (0) 20 7612 3053
E-MAIL: stuart.snaith@2entertain.co.uk
THE STORIES
(each programme = 24 minutes)
HEROES OF WORLD WAR II
WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR II
Heroes - Programme 1
THE MEN WHO INVENTED RADAR
Radar gave British air defence the edge during the Battle of Britain and helped save Britain from invasion. But who were the electronic boffins behind its development in the 1930s and 40s? This programme reveals the technological race between Britain, Germany and America to create the most effective radar and how radar also helped Britain defeat the U-boat menace.
For video availability click here.
Heroes - Programme 2
THE MAN WHO DESIGNED THE SPITFIRE
The Spitfire is perhaps the most famous fighter plane of World War II, being a key element in winning the battle of Britain. But who designed it? R J Mitchell was a sickly inventor who created the Vickers Supermarine Schneider trophy-winning seaplane of the 1930s. It was this aircraft which was transformed into the battle-winning Spitfire just weeks before its inventor died.
For video availability click here.
Heroes - Programme 3
THE MAN WHO STOOD UP TO HITLER
By 1944, German generals could see that Hitler was leading them on a path to destruction, but who would stop him? In July 1944, Colonel Count Claus von Stauffenberg placed a bomb in a briefcase beside Hitler. The room exploded and Stauffenberg made his escape, thinking Hitler was dead. But the dictator was not and savage retribution followed.
For video availability click here.
Heroes - Programme 4
THE MEN WHO CRACKED ENIGMA
Enigma was the encoding machine of the German army - break the code and you could win the war. Polish agents sent a captured machine to the British and at Bletchley Park, using the genius of men like Alan Turing, a team of cryptanalysts broke its code, giving valuable advanced intelligence to the Allies throughout the war.
For video availability click here.
Heroes - Programme 5
THE MEN WHO STOPPED THE BISMARCK
Completed in 1940, the Bismarck was widely regarded as the most powerful warship in the world. In April 1941, Admiral Tovey of the British Royal Navy detected an attempt by the Bismarck to break out into the Atlantic and the hunt was on. In a first battle, the Bismarck sank HMS Hood. But Tovey used radar to track her down again and finally she was surrounded by British heavy warships and pounded into submission.
For video availability click here.
Heroes - Programme 6
THE MAN WHO SAVED BRITAIN'S CITIES
In 1940, German bombers were ready to bomb Britain into submission and they were aided by the use of radio beams which told them exactly where to drop bombs at night. Dr R V Jones of British Air Intelligence was tasked with defeating this high-tech warfare. Ingeniously, he devised counter-beams which put the Germans off target.
For video availability click here.
Heroes - Programme 7
THE MAN WHO HOODWINKED HITLER
How could one dead man save the lives of thousands of Allied soldiers? Ewen Montagu knew how and devised a cunning deception in which the body of a dead officer was washed ashore in Spain with false information about Allied landings in the Mediterranean. Hitler took the bait and was poorly prepared for the Allied invasion of Italy. NMP has uncovered exclusive new information on the identity of the body.
For video availability click here.
Heroes - Programme 8
THE MEN WHO LIBERATED BELSEN
In April 1945, British troops walked through the gates of Belsen, the notorious concentration camp. What they saw shocked the world. Richard Dimbleby and other Allied correspondents made sure through radio broadcasts and unique film footage that the world knew about the dreadful crimes committed by Hitler and his Nazi henchmen.
For video availability click here.
Heroes - Programme 9
THE MEN WHO LIT UP GERMANY
At first, Allied bombing raids on Germany were highly inaccurate, but then an elite force of night-bomber navigators were trained. They flew before the main bombing raids, marking targets with different coloured flares. It was highly hazardous work, but helped make Allied bombing raids significantly more effective.
For video availability click here.
Heroes - Programme 10
THE MEN BEHIND D-DAY
In 1944 the Allies knew that they must invade Occupied Europe to free millions from Nazi tyranny. But the Nazis knew they were coming. The only question was when the attack would take place, and where. This programme reveals the inventive and often bizarre methods that were used to mislead the Nazis. Double agents spread bogus invasion plans, fake armies were mustered in the south of England and elaborate methods of breaking through Hitler's Atlantic wall were developed.
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 1
TANKS
Tank development was dramatic in World War II. From pre-war light tanks, we see the emergence of the monster tanks such as the legendary Panthers and King Tigers of 1944/45. But were the German tanks over engineered and too vulnerable to breakdown? Lighter, simpler tanks such as the Russian T-34 and the American Sherman overwhelmed German tank formations with their sheer numbers. Was quantity more important than quality?
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 2
MIDGET SUBMARINES
From attacks on Pearl Harbor and Sydney Harbour, to the British Mediterranean Fleet and the Tirpitz, midget submarines played their part in some of the most gripping stories of the war. This programme recalls the heroic encounters of the men who piloted these midget craft towards their giant quarries.
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 3
GLIDERS
When it was impossible for aircraft to land safely on enemy territory, gliders were the perfect answer for delivering special forces behind enemy lines. German paratroopers used gliders spectacularly to land on Belgian defences in 1940, while the British employed them to land soldiers in their effort to win a bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem in 1944.
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 4
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
Giant aircraft carriers dominated the Pacific War between Japan and the USA. Pearl Harbor was launched to destroy US carriers but failed, while the battle of Midway - the turning point in the Pacific War - was won by US carriers delivering tremendous air strikes against Japanese battleships. This programme shows them in dramatic action.
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 5
FIGHTER BOMBERS
By 1944, the Allied fronts in both western and eastern Europe had become faster moving and a new form of aircraft was needed to deliver swift, powerful attacks against German lines. This programme looks at the key fighter-bombers on all sides, including the American Thunderbolt, the Russian Sturmovik, and the British Hurricane developed to carry bombs and rockets for ground attack purposes.
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 6
HEAVY BOMBERS
At the outbreak of World War II, the only heavy four engined bombers in the war were either Russian or American. Soon the Short Stirling, the Avro Lancaster, and the Liberator were added to the B-17 Flying Fortress for devastating 1000 bomber raids over Germany. Ultimately, the pressurised B-29 gave the Americans the range and height they required in order to drop the Atomic bomb.
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 7
THE BATTLESHIP
At the beginning of World War II, battleships were seen as the key weapon at sea, their huge firepower dominated the waves but over the next six years their vulnerability was exposed by the submarine and aircraft. This programme looks at the great clashes of the ships such as Bismarck and King George V and the way in which the battleships' role changed to that of shore bombardment and escort work.
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 8
ROCKETS
Rockets had a huge impact on World War II. Hand-held rocket-launchers such as the American bazooka and German panzerfaust enabled infantry to tackle tanks head-on. Multiple rocket launchers such as Stalin's Organ were a ferocious multiplication of firepower. The German V-2s were the world's first ballistic missiles. This programme shows exactly how these revolutionary weapons worked.
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 9
FAST ATTACK BOATS
Fast patrol boats, armed with torpedoes and machine guns, were the marine raiders of World War II. This programme looks at some of their most spectacular raids, as well as the incident involving future President of the United States, John Kennedy, in a clash with a Japanese destroyer.
For video availability click here.
Weapons - Programme 10
THE MACHINE GUN
Unlike World War I, the machine gun did not dominate the battlefield of World War II, but it remained a highly potent weapon. Whether incorporated into the wings of fighter planes such as the Spitfire and Messerschmitt, or used by infantry on the battlefield as a submachine, it packed a considerable punch. This programme looks at its many forms and its influence on warfare.
For video availability click here.
FOR WORLDWIDE TV, PUBLISHING AND MERCHANDISING RIGHTS
PLEASE CONTACT:
BBC WORLDWIDE
WOODLANDS
80 WOOD LANE
LONDON
W12 0TT
TEL: 020 8433 2261
FAX: 020 8433 3944
FOR WORLDWIDE VIDEO AND ALL PUBLISHING RIGHTS
PLEASE CONTACT:
STUART SNAITH
MANAGING DIRECTOR
2 ENTERTAIN
33 FOLEY STREET
LONDON
W1W 7TL
TEL: 44 (0) 20 7612 3100
FAX: 44 (0) 20 7612 3053
E-MAIL: stuart.snaith@2entertain.co.uk