(26 X 52 minute episodes)
THE SERIES
Rarely has a war produced such clear cut reasons to fight as World War II. On the one hand were the totalitarian Dictators - Tojo, Hitler and Mussolini. On the other were the great democracies of the Western World which were gradually regaining their feet after the Great War of 1914-18 and the Wall Street Crash.
Suddenly, ordinary men and women from all walks of life found themselves thrown into fearsome, nerve-tingling situations worthy of any Hollywood movie. The only difference in this series is that every story is true. Real people emerge as the Heroes of Telemark. Ordinary GIs and US Airforce and Navy personnel suddenly find themselves flying against the Japanese in China, jungle fighting in Burma and being dropped by submarine on enemy coasts at midnight.
These untold stories can now be examined in great detail with the benefit of hindsight, newly-discovered archive film, maps and computer graphics which can complete the picture for today’s viewer. Each fifty-two minute story covers the background to the main action. It will give the viewer a clear view of the historical context, the strategic objective and the tactical effort made by flyers, sailors and foot-soldiers - often in the most oppressive and life-threatening situations - to win victory from the enemy.
This is an inspiring series with a giant canvas including much never before seen colour film. Over 300,000 hours of archive material have been searched for its compilation. Specially orchestrated music and compositions from the great composers all contribute to the excitement and drama of some of the world’s greatest stories of bravery under fire.
It is the largest series of its kind ever produced and with recently released secret footage will give the viewer a new insight into the great untold war stories of World War II. In many cases, this new series gives the true stories for the first time this Century.
FOR WORLDWIDE TV 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:
VIDEO SALES
BBC WORLDWIDE
WOODLANDS
80 WOOD LANE
LONDON
W12 0TT
TEL: 020 8433 2192
FAX: 020 8433 2250
UK VIDEO CASSETTES ALSO AVAILABLE FROM:
MAVERICK ENTERTAINMENT LTD.
5. BUTTER MARKET. THAME
OXFORDSHIRE
OX9 3EW
TEL: 01844 260 858
FAX: 01844 215 055
E-MAIL: maverickltd@aol.com
(USA) VIDEO CASSETTES ALSO AVAILABLE FROM:
TIMELIFE HOME VIDEO
200. DUKE ST
ALEXANDRIA
VIRGINIA 22314
USA
TEL: 703 838 5278
FAX: 703 838 6912
E-MAIL: Harvey_Becker@time-inc.com
(each programme = 52 mins)
Programme 1
The Corpse that Fooled the Axis
Little did the Germans know that the body they discovered on the coast of Spain in 1943 was part of one of the most elaborate hoaxes of World War II.
For video availability click here.
Programme 2
Adolf Hitler’s Last Days
With access to Eva Braun’s personal photograph album, this programme reconstructs the final days in the Dictator's underground lair, and in particular it examines the possibility of escape for the selected few.
For video availability click here.
Programme 3
Secret Mission to North Africa
After numerous adventures, a small number of American officers managed to rendezvous with their submarine on the North Africa coast in 1942 and relay back to Eisenhower information which would save thousands of British and American lives.
For video availability click here.
Programme 4
When Hitler Invaded America
In June 1942 two German U-Boats landed secret agents on Long Island and at Jacksonville, Florida. Their aim was sabotage… but their methods left a lot to be desired!
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Programme 5
The Bruneval Raid
In 1942 a reconnaissance Spitfire photographed a strange shaped piece of German apparatus in a Normandy field. It turned out to be a sophisticated German radar system whose secrets had to be discovered.
For video availability click here.
Programme 6
What Really Happened to Rommel
He was nicknamed the ‘Desert Fox’ and highly decorated by Hitler. However, Rommel was not in sympathy with the Nazi party and may have been involved in the plot to kill Hitler. Did the legendary German General commit suicide or was he murdered?
For video availability click here.
Programme 7
Cracking the Enigma Secret
By early 1940, British codebreakers at Bletchley Park, working with information from the Poles, had begun to crack the German military codes produced on the Enigma cipher machine. Once this had been achieved, the challenge was how to prevent the Germans from finding out their codes had been broken.
For video availability click here.
Programme 8
Human Torpedoes
In 1941 four Italian frogmen used their two-man underwater ‘chariots’ to place explosive charges on two British battleships in Alexandria Harbour. They were the first of many brave men to use these unconventional weapons.
For video availability click here.
Programme 9
The Secrets of the Battle of the Bulge
In 1944 as Hitler faced defeat he tried one last gamble of an offensive on the Western Front. The result was the ‘Battle of the Bulge’. But what the Germans did not know was the Allies were decoding their radio messages.
For video availability click here.
Programme 10
The Greatest Sea/Air Battle in History
There have been larger land battles and more protracted air campaigns than Okinawa but this was a combined operation, unparalleled in size, scope and ferocity.
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Programme 11
Above Us - The Enemy (Secrets of the Submarine War)
The underwater war saw many innovations and a rapid increase in electronic technology, which eventually enabled the Allies to achieve ultimate victory.
For video availability click here.
Programme 12
The Secrets Behind the Battle of Guadalcanal
Hundreds of sailors, eight ships and two American Admirals were to be lost in actions where valour overcame many mistakes on both sides - leading to the defeat of the Japanese Admiral Yamamoto.
For video availability click here.
Programme 13
The Real Heroes of Telemark
In 1943 as the Germans were producing ‘heavy water’ to build their atomic bomb, the Norwegian resistance launched a daring raid against the Norsk Hydro plant.
For video availability click here.
Programme 14
They Flew for China
Between 1941 and 1943 some of America’s most talented fighter pilots flew for Nationalist China against the Japanese. They became known as the ‘Flying Tigers’ and with the name a legend was born.
For video availability click here.
Programme 15
How Germany was Bombed to Defeat
One thousand bomber raids flown by the US airforce by day and the same by Britain’s RAF by night. The result was a firestorm which destroyed German cities, industry and communications; raids which involved much personal bravery and the use of secret technology.
For video availability click here.
Programme 16
The End of the Scharnhorst
She was faster than any British battleship, but in what was to become known as ‘The Battle of the North Cape’, the Scharnhorst was about to meet her destiny at the hands of Admiral Fraser in one of the most exciting naval engagements ever.
For video availability click here.
Programme 17
The RAF versus the V-2
Hitler’s ultimate goal was to produce a rocket capable of carrying an atomic weapon weighing five tons. Fortunately, the Royal Air Force discovered his plan and set about destroying his dream.
For video availability click here.
Programme 18
Japan’s Last Secret Weapon
Had it not been winter, North America’s vast western forests, farms and cities might have been decimated by a secret weapon sent in thousands across the Pacific by the Japanese in 1944.
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Programme 19
The Minehunters
One of the most feared weapons of World War II was the mine. Some were laid by ship and submarine, others by aircraft. Of all of these the most lethal was the magnetic mine, and the race to counter it was one of the most crucial of the war.
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Programme 20
The Nazi Plundering of Europe
Throughout occupied Europe the Nazis systematically plundered the continent’s museums, galleries, and private collections. At the war’s end, a massive effort was mounted by the Allies to locate the missing art treasures and return them to their rightful owners. But even today many great objects are still unlocated
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Programme 21
Confusion was their Business
The exciting story of the emergence of special forces such as the British SAS and the US Rangers.
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Programme 22
Merrill’s Marauders
America’s answer to fighting behind Japanese lines in the jungle was to deploy a highly trained unit called Merrill’s Marauders.
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Programme 23
The Amazing Colonel Doolittle
The citizens of Japan could not believe their eyes when the Americans dared to fly an audacious bombing mission against Tokyo only a few months after Pearl Harbor.
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Programme 24
Destroy the German Oil Fields
Amazing new footage has become available which shows the raid by the US Air Force against the Ploesti oil fields in Rumania which supplied 60 percent of Hitler’s oil in 1943.
For video availability click here.
Programme 25
Home Run from Colditz
The Germans said it was impregnable but the confines of Colditz were to inspire some of the most legendary escapes of all time.
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Programme 26
The Cruise of the Secret Raiders
The fascinating story of the secret heavily armed cargo ships deployed by the Germans which were in reality designed to sink allied merchant ships as well as refuelling German U-Boats and warships.
For video availability click here.
FOR WORLDWIDE TV 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:
VIDEO SALES
BBC WORLDWIDE
WOODLANDS
80 WOOD LANE
LONDON
W12 0TT
TEL: 020 8433 2192
FAX: 020 8433 2250
UK VIDEO CASSETTES ALSO AVAILABLE FROM:
MAVERICK ENTERTAINMENT LTD.
5. BUTTER MARKET. THAME
OXFORDSHIRE
OX9 3EW
TEL: 01844 260 858
FAX: 01844 215 055
E-MAIL: maverickltd@aol.com
(USA) VIDEO CASSETTES AVAILABLE FROM:
TIMELIFE HOME VIDEO
200. DUKE ST
ALEXANDRIA
VIRGINIA 22314
USA
TEL: 703 838 5278
FAX: 703 838 6912
E-MAIL: Harvey_Becker@time-inc.com