(13 X 48 minute episodes)
THE SERIES
Men and machines locked in a fight to the death was the ultimate outcome of many of the battles of World War II, but behind the scenes and the epic struggles which took place on land, at sea and in the air, were highly organised and highly disciplined groups of fighting men and women whose regiments, squadrons and naval formations have now passed into the annals of military achievement.
Specialist regiments, squadrons and boat services, together with clandestine forces and formations, gave the vast fighting forces an extra edge when it came to deciding the outcome of World War II's most pivotal battles. In this new series, "Gladiators of World War II", each programme examines the formation and background of the Second World War's greatest fighting forces. The relative strength of each unit is examined from inception to the point it had reached at the outbreak of War.
The achievements of the great Commanders in forming these units, both large and small, was reflected in their success or failure. Each programme will explain the command structure and specific purpose of each fighting entity. It will define the military objectives of the corps, its formation in battle and its success or failure in applying its tactics and strategy in each of the major theatres in which it fought. The series will also examine, in the light of newly released information and recently discovered rare archive film, some of the stories performed by individuals who were members of these fighting bodies, which even today may not generally be known.
Over the last 50 years, as more and more information has become available, new light is being shed on the technologies and methods used by these forces which in some cases have remained secret for nearly 60 years. Revelations about new German secret weapons, the failure of Japan's most closely guarded technological secrets and the way in which the German Navy never officially conceded in any of its post war diaries that its ultimate codes had been broken by the Allies.
In this new series, "Gladiators of World War II", the viewer will be treated to a ringside view of how each of these pre-eminent fighting forces fared against their ultimate adversary. By understanding the purpose of each formation and its battle objectives, together with the competence of its equipment and machinery, the viewer will understand how effective at the front each formation was, sometimes in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The series will also examine, in some cases, how certain forces were crippled by inherent flaws.
It will show how the initially victorious Japanese Army, with its lightning conquest of South East Asia, had some of its own strengths turned against it by the Allies. It will show how Hitler's crack troops, in full retreat after Stalingrad, were killed in their thousands by Cossacks whose fighting methods had remained unchanged since the Middle Ages.
The series will explain how Polish fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain deliberately disobeyed orders, such was their hatred of the approaching Germans. It will explain how the most beautiful Navy the world had ever seen was destroyed in a morning by antiquated biplanes and how young farm boys from the Midwest, with the minimum of training, took on the might of Hitler's Luftwaffe over the Ruhr.
The heroism of individual members of the units, especially those who were decorated with the Congressional Medal of Honour, the Victoria Cross and became Heroes of the Soviet Union, will be examined where their individual action stood out as an inspiration to others.
Some of the greatest battle honours achieved by the fighting forces were won in the most unlikely circumstances, and with access to newly discovered archive film and totally new 3D computer graphics the series explodes some of the myths which have persisted about some of these forces for sixty years.
The stories are constructed from an objective and balanced viewpoint, written by military experts and historians who were themselves serving officers after World War II, and who can bring to the screen for a wide general audience the fascinating story of each major Fighting Force. "Gladiators of World War II" - The true stories can now be told.
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
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 = 48 minutes)
Programme 1
WAFFEN-SS
Originally created as Hitler's personal household troops, the Waffen-SS grew into a formidable fighting force during World War 2. It gained a reputation second to none for its tenacity in combat, but also for brutality, which made it the subject of numerous Allied war crimes investigations.
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Programme 2
SOE
In the dark days of summer 1940 Winston Churchill set up the Special Operations Executive to "set Europe ablaze". Its task was to nurture and support the resistance movements springing up across Occupied Europe. It also operated in the Middle and Far East. The brave men and women of SOE operated under constant threat to their lives, but were responsible for some remarkably successful blows against the Axis enemy.
For video availability click here.
Programme 3
SAS
The brainchild of a junior British officer, the Special Air Service first saw action in North Africa, making daring raids against Axis airfields. Thereafter it continued to specialise in operations behind enemy lines in Italy, the Greek Islands, and North-West Europe. The skills that the SAS acquired during World War 2 enabled it to become one of today's foremost Special Forces throughout the world.
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Programme 4
DESERT RATS
The men of the British Armoured Division gained the nickname Desert Rats during their epic campaign against the Axis forces under Erwin Rommel in the deserts of Egypt and Libya. Thereafter, the Desert Rats fought with great distinction in Sicily, Italy and North-West Europe. Their long road took them from the Suez Canal to the Nazi capital of Berlin.
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Programme 5
FREE POLISH FORCES
The swift German overrunning of their country in 1939 did not crush the Polish spirit. Many Poles managed to escape to the West to carry on the fight. Polish fighter pilots played a significant role in the Battle of Britain, while Polish ground forces helped to liberate Western Europe. Another Polish force, which had been held captive by the Russians in Siberia, made an epic trek to the Middle East and then fought in Italy, where their courage brought a victorious end to the drawn out and bitter battle for Monte Cassino.
For video availability click here.
Programme 6
RAF FIGHTER COMMAND
It was the Few of RAF Fighter Command who saved Britain from almost certain defeat in summer 1940. The unique spirit generated by its fighter pilots enabled the Command to overcome the might of the Luftwaffe and to continue to wage a relentless campaign which finally ended in ultimate victory in May 1945.
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Programme 7
PARAS AND COMMANDOS
Winston Churchill created the Commandos in summer 1940 as a means of striking at the coasts of Nazi Occupied Europe. Beginning as a mere raiding force, they became the spearhead of the Allied amphibious landings in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Normandy. Out of the Commandos evolved Britain's airborne forces, whose feats ranged from the daring Bruneval raid of 1942 to the epic of Arnhem.
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Programme 8
THE ROYAL NAVY
Never before nor since has the Royal Navy been so challenged as it was during 1939-45. In the Atlantic it fought the longest campaign of the war against the German U-boats and surface ships, experiencing tragedy and triumph before the battle was finally won. The Mediterranean witnessed its one major fleet action of the war, as well as the grim struggle to prevent the crucial island of Malta from falling to the Axis. In the war against Japan the Royal Navy had to overcome early setbacks, but its Pacific Fleet played its part in bringing about ultimate victory.
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Programme 9
THE CHINDITS
Born of one man's vision at a time when the Japanese seemed to be sweeping all before them, the Chindits proved an inspiration to the Allied forces in Burma. They showed that it was not only possible to live in the jungle for months on end but also that Western troops could defeat the Japanese.
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Programme 10
FREE FRENCH FORCES
In June 1940, with France about to collapse, General Charles de Gaulle unfurled his Free French banner in London. His followers were initially few and were regarded as traitors by many of their fellow countrymen, but they grew in number. Free French forces fought with distinction in North Africa and Italy and went on to play a significant part in the liberation of their own country.
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Programme 11
NORWEGIAN RESISTANCE FIGHTERS
Norway was strategically important to Hitler and endured five years of Nazi occupation, but it developed one of the most effective resistance movements in the whole of Occupied Europe. Its activities helped the British to contain and then destroy Germany's mightiest warships, as well as to ensure that the Allies won the race to develop the atomic bomb
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Programme 12
THE ANZACS
The Australian and New Zealand forces built on the reputation they had earned during World War 1 for being among the finest fighting troops in the world. Australian troops earned the nickname the Rats of Tobruk for their defence of the Libyan port during Rommel's long but ultimately abortive siege of it. New Zealanders fought the length of North Africa and Italy. In the Far East, after suffering disaster in Malaya, Australians became the first Allied ground forces to drive back the Japanese during the grim battles on the Kokoda Trail in the mountainous jungle of New Guinea.
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Programme 13
KAMIKAZE
In autumn 1944, with ultimate defeat beginning to stare them in the face, the Japanese introduced a new and terrible weapon - suicide attack aircraft. The young pilots who volunteered for Kamikaze missions knew that they were embarking on a one way flight, but pressed on regardless, causing severe casualties to Allied shipping in the Pacific. Their spirit was the personification of the Bushido code, in which to die for the Emperor was a warrior's greatest glory
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
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