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During World War II, a hand-picked group of American GIs undertook a bizarre mission to create a travelling road show of deception on the battlefields of Europe. The US 23rd Headquarters Special Troops used inflatable rubber tanks, sound trucks and dazzling performance art to bluff the enemy again and again, often right along the front lines. Using archival footage of this top-secret unit and interviews with veterans, The Ghost Army tells their extraordinary story on film.
This programme strips the 1944 Normandy invasion back to its raw data to reveal how the odds of victory, in the greatest gamble of World War II, swung on what happened over a five-hour period on a five-mile stretch of French coastline. Data gathered though forensic laser scanning and 3D computer modelling, along with eyewitness accounts, bring the battlefield to life as never before. Ⓢ
Nazi Town, USA tells the unknown story of the German American Bund, a 1930s pro-Nazi group with chapters in suburbs and big cities across the country. Many believe the Bund represented a real threat of fascist subversion in the U.S.
Paul Murton travels through the central Highlands from Glen Lyon to the Cairngorms National Park. Part 4 of 6.
In the summer of 1944, war-torn France reaches a crisis point. At its heart lies Paris - a symbol of liberty and democracy on the brink of collapse after four years of Nazi occupation. Though conquered, Parisians are yet to give in. The allied landings in Normandy and their advances through France now offer a tantalising glimmer of hope. By mid-August a resistance-led insurrection is underway in the capital, in the hopes the allied forces will secure their liberation. Part 6 of 10.
When the US Air Force develops a new 'wonder' bomber they want a base close to Japan to launch their raids. Marines are tasked with taking the enemies prized home island of Iwo Jima. US Naval might pummels the island in preparation for an invasion, unaware the Japanese have withdrawn to a central mountain peak and a hidden tunnel network. Part 7 of 10.
Hitler’s Nazi empire is in ruins, but there is still one city to take before the allies can declare victory. But as the British, Americans and Soviets close in on Berlin, new questions about the post-war world start to emerge. Who will rule Europe? And who will take the glory of ending the war? Part 8 of 10.
As relentless firebombing and blockade of war-ravaged Japan shows no sign of securing a surrender, the US reluctantly prepares to invade. First, they need Okinawa, an island close to the mainland, as a base to stage their attack. The Marines fear the worst - but their amphibious invasion is met with almost total silence. Lulled into a false sense of security, it’s just the calm before the storm. Part 9 of 10.
Two years after Japan’s audacious attack on Pearl Harbor, America’s great war machine now has them on the back foot. The US Navy devise a way to end the war - taking a series of island groups, from where they can directly strike Japan’s home islands. Part 10 of 10.
