Doctors at the Front 1939

In Wehrmacht, the direct medical care for wounded soldiers on the battlefield was provided by medics who were part of platoons, companies, and battalions. They could be distinguished from ordinary infantrymen by their special medical pouches, additional water flasks, patches, and armbands. Filmed footage of wounded soldiers do not appear in the propaganda newsreels of the Third Reich. Those films preferred to present laughing soldiers to strengthen the confidence in victory on the home front.
This documentary offers a special behind-the-scenes look at the Third Reich. The documentary series published in the Netherlands under the title 'The German Archive Presents' is a creation by filmmaker and historian Karl Hoffkes, an avid collector of archival material as old film reels. Over the years, he has built up an extensive private collection of film material from all kinds of sources. His own archive has become the basis of a series of documentaries, often playing in the margins of the great events of World War II. This makes the documentaries interesting for an audience who knows the course of the war, but wants to know more about specific aspects of warfare and its impact on the soldiers, civilians and their environment.
The original title of this part of 'The German Archives Presents...' is: 'Als Arzt im Fronteinsatz' and follows the experiences of the motorized medical unit of the 254th Division. The unit has been added to Army Group B, commanded by general (later field marshal) von Bock. For the making of the documentary, the film material of the staff doctor Dr. Karl Trautman is mainly used. Trautman was an enthusiastic amateur filmmaker, who took his 16 mm camera everywhere to shoot pictures of what was happening around him.
Army group B was involved in the invasion of the Netherlands, Belgium and France in early 1940. This is very interesting for people in the Dutch language area. We see the medical unit at the beginning of May 1940 practice in the forests near Kleve and Goch. Marching, simulating an airstrike, taking care of the injured. Then the war on the Western Front begin and the unit behind the "Blitzkrieg" enters the Netherlands. Dordrecht and Rotterdam pass by, after which the army enters France via Brussels. In Abbeville, the medical unit temporarily establishes a headquarters. Via a stopover in Paris, the unit is transported to the east by train. There await the preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. Via Estonia and Lithuania, the German army is heading towards Leningrad, the medical division in its wake. The harsh Russian winter causes major problems for the poorly prepared and equipped Germans. Trautman has run out of film, so the next images only date from the spring of 1942. In 1943 the army calls Dr. Trautman and his unit return to Germany. As indicated in the film, it is likely to save their life. Hundreds of thousands of their compatriots are in battle or are captured by the Soviets.
The home movies of a German senior medical officer that have now been found are all the more significant, as they reflect the everyday life of a medical company in France and Russia in an undisguised manner. The films, which have never been shown before, document a largely unknown chapter of the war on the western and eastern fronts in a unique way.
Written & Directed by Karl Hoffkes ; Polar Film & Medien GmbH Production

The Siegfried Line

The formidable Seigried line, didn't come into play prior to Nazi Germany's invasion of France so it was substantially disassembled to build the Atlantic Wall. Five years later after D-Day Germany desperately attempted to refortify the decayed, disassembled and somewhat obsolete defenses. Battle focuses on Aachen where the allies employ withering fire power but become stalled leading Germany to squander its remaining military strength in the Battle of the Bulge leaving the Sigfried line open to a rapid crossing by the allies.

Axis Weapon The Kamikaze

As American naval forces hand Japan defeat after defeat Japan turns in desperation to the Kamikaze. The tactic proves effective against smaller ships but does not fails to sink a major vessel. Japan turns to an rocket propelled human guided bomb known as the Ohka and a torpedo know as the Kaiten. German considers a Kamikaze version of the V-1 rocket and later employs Kamikaze fighter attacks on Allied bombers.

Hitlers Megaships

In violation of the Treat of Versailles Hitler embarked on a program to build massive battleships but was only able to produce two; Bismarck and Tirpitz. To the frustration of his naval commanders Hiller found the ships far more valuable as propaganda weapons then warships. But they were obsolete almost as soon the they were launched and both succumbed to the emerging dominance of air power.

The SS

As Hitler's power grows within Nazi Germany, so does that of the SS. From its humble beginnings as Hitler's personal body guard, the SS under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler becomes a terrifying cult that engineers Hitler's vision for a new Germany. By the start of the war, the SS holds sway in politics, police and security and is responsible for the creation of the concentration camps. Its power, influence and terror spread with the creation of a military wing: the Waffen SS. By the end of the war, the SS has grown into a machine that controls of every aspect of the Third Reich and brutally disposes of any opposition to Hitler.

V1 Hitlers Vengeance Missile

In retaliation for devastating Allied bombing raids on German cities, Hitler orders the development of a groundbreaking weapon. This is the story of one of the most ambitious projects of the Third Reich: Hitler's Vengeance weapon, the V1. Though it was ready too late to make a difference to the outcome of the war, its legacy is the cruise missile a weapon that changed the face of war forever.

The Wolfs Lair

As European countries fall like dominoes to the all-conquering German armies, Hitler becomes convinced of his own military genius. He plans to invade Russia and orders the construction of a huge, heavily protected command complex of bunkers and buildings named the Wolfs Lair. But as he isolates himself in his concrete city, the war begins to slip from his grasp and a conspiracy is hatched to make the secret base his tomb.

B29 Frozen in Time

Travel on a perilous mission to repair and refly a rare B-29 bomber stranded on a Greenland icecap for almost 50 years.
Gleaming like a jewel, this well preserved bomber from World War II rests on the Arctic tundra where it was abandoned when it crash landed in 1947. This plane has long been a legend, and now, facing incredible hardship, a team of adventurers struggle to bring the frozen warbird back to life.
In February 1947, a B-29 bomber nicknamed Kee Bird became lost above the Arctic Circle while on a secret Cold War reconnaissance mission. After crash landing in northern Greenland, the crew was rescued, but the Kee Bird was left behind. Although nearly 4,000 B-29s were built in the 1940s, by 1994 the Kee Bird was one of only a few such planes left in the world.
Its historical significance and well-preserved condition attracted the attention of Darryl Greenamyer, an experienced salvage pilot. After surveying the plane and its location, Greenamyer decided to repair the Kee Bird and fly it back to the United States. He and a team of dedicated enthusiasts take up the impossible challenge of bringing the frozen legend back to life.
NOVA follows bold pilot Darryl Greenamyer and his team on two expeditions to revive Kee Bird and make it fly again in one of the most isolated and harshest environments on Earth-- -endurance, improvisation and experience. Despite severe weather illness and difficulties with the shuttle plane in 1994 Greenamyer returns in May 1995 with a larger crew a more reliable shuttle plane and a new plan to bring Kee Bird back to life and back home. An amazing and enthralling story, superbly filmed and documented.
Written, Produced, and Directed by Mike Rossiter ; A Debonair Production Co. Ltd. for NOVA/WGBH in association with Channel Four Television and SVT Sveriges Television

Lusitania: Murder on the Atlantic

"Remember the Lusitania!" "Avenge the Lusitania!"
These are the words with which American men were urged to enlist for the First World War. The sinking of this great liner was an event which provoked outrage on an unprecedented scale, marking a pivotal moment in the war. In 1915, it was the fastest, biggest and most glamorous ocean liner in the world, plying the Atlantic between New York and Liverpool.
Then, on the morning of May 17 that year, just a few miles from the port of Liverpool, the ship was suddenly hit by a German torpedo. 18 minutes later it's over, the Lusitania has sunk. 1,200 of the 1,900 people on board die a gruesome death in the cold waters of the Irish Sea. The brutal, unprovoked attack with many innocent victims would change the rules of warfare forever...
Bitter controversy surrounded the sinking. Was the ship as innocent as she seemed? Had the British government secretly used a passenger ship to carry explosives? Worse still had Winston Churchill deliberately sacrificed then Lusitania to bring America into the war?
This dramatised documentary retells the story of the Lusitania's fateful voyage, when the liner, on route to the port of Liverpool, was torpedoed off the south coast of Ireland by a German U-Boat. Its demise was rapid sinking in just 18 minutes, with a catastrophic loss of life. Over 90 years later mystery still surrounds the atrocity. Was the ship as innocent as she seemed? Had the British government secretly used a passenger ship to carry explosives? Worse still, had they deliberately sacrificed the Lusitania to bring America into World War One? Now after painstaking research and the discovery of new evidence, this film can finally answer the questions. Bringing to life events on board both vessels, the film reveals how the political and intelligence communities failed to stop the tragedy.
Based on the book The SINKING of the LUSITANIA by Diana Preston.
Directed by Christopher Spencer ; Darlow Smithson Produced for Channel 4 International, BBC and Discovery Channel in association with M6 and NDR Norddeutscher Rundfunk

Dieppe Uncovered

Before D-Day, there was Dieppe. After 70 years, the true story can finally be told.
On August 19, 1942 the Allies launched their first amphibious attack on mainland Europe at the small French port of Dieppe. At dawn, five thousand troops stormed the rocky beaches, but in the end, it was a disastrous failure with thousands of soldiers killed and taken prisoner.
Dieppe Uncovered brings the events of the day to life, re-enacting key moments leading up to and during the allies first amphibious attack on Western Europe. At the heart of Dieppe Uncovered is a revelation that has never been written in history books.
Surprisingly, centered around one soldier who went on to become a world famous writer and was eventually knighted by the queen of England. The leader of the top secret 30th Assault Unit behind the raids was none other than Sir Ian Fleming. Now, investigative reporting, interviews and reenactments bring the events of that day to life and reveal the role Sir Ian Fleming played in Operation Jubilee - The Disastrous Dieppe Raid. Could the man who created James Bond been behind one of the blackest days of World War II?
Produced & Directed by Wayne Abbott ; Northern Sky Entertainment in Association with Shaw Media and Yesterday, UKTV

The Wild West

Political turmoil in Norway leads a voyage of discovery west. The Vikings discover Iceland where they established lasting settlement. Further exploration from Iceland leads to the discovery of Greenland and to the shores of Newfoundland, making them the first Europeans to discover America.

The Road to Lindisfarne

An attack on a small religious community on the holy island of Lindisfarne in AD 793 heralded the start of the Viking Age of conquest and expansion. For 200 years, the longships from Scandinavia threatened all of Europe. But it was far from their first attack. We reveal how the Vikings' reign of terror began in Scandinavia.

The Great Heathen Army

The Siege of York occurred from 866 when the Great Heathen Army laid claim to the Northumbrian capital of York. We look at the major battles, players and strongholds of the York battle and how the Vikings later came to control much of the 9th Century England.

As Far East as Baghdad

The "Silk Road" opened up a world of trade for the Scandinavians in the East. Seeking further wealth, the Vikings known in the East as "the Rus" attacked Constantinople in 860. The Rus became a permanent and feared fixture in the Byzantine Empire.

The Fall of Francia

The siege of Paris in 885 was the culmination of the Viking invasions of Francia. We look at the persistent Viking attacks on Francia and the enduring presence of the Scandinavians on the Frankish Empire and beyond.

The Second Viking Age

The mid-10th-century reign of Harald Bluetooth as king of a newly unified, powerful and Christianized Denmark marked the beginning of a second Viking age. But the reign was not to last with the Normans finally winning the English Kingdom in 1066. We look at the final days of the Viking empire.

Nazi Supership: Who Sank the Bismarck?

Almost 70 years after its sinking, the powerful headlights of two high-tech research submersibles illuminate the silhouette of the biggest German battleship ever. The pride of the German Kriegsmarine: Bismarck. In 1941 the Bismarck was sent out to raid and destroy allied supply convoys in the North Atlantic. With resources vital to their nation under threat, the British fleet went after this supposedly unsinkable ship. But who actually sank the steel giant?
This high-end, CGI-intensive documentary retraces the first and final voyage of Hitler's dreaded weapon: the Bismarck. The Bismarck was a German battleship and one of the most famous warships of the Second World War. The lead ship of her class, named after the 19th century German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Bismarck displaced more than 50,000 tonnes fully loaded and was the largest warship then commissioned.
Bismarck took part in only one operation during her brief career. She and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen left Gotenhafen (Gdynia) on the morning of 19 May 1941 for Operation Rheinubung, during which she was to have attempted to intercept and destroy convoys in transit between North America and Great Britain. When Bismarck and Prinz Eugen attempted to break out into the Atlantic, the two ships were discovered by the Royal Navy and brought to battle in the Denmark Strait. During the short engagement, the British battlecruiser HMS Hood, flagship of the Home Fleet and pride of the Royal Navy, was sunk after several minutes of firing. In response, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued the order "Sink the Bismarck!", spurring her relentless pursuit by the Royal Navy.
Two days later, with Bismarck almost in reach of safer waters, Fleet Air Arm Swordfish biplanes launched from the carrier HMS Ark Royal torpedoed the ship and jammed her rudder, allowing heavy British units to catch up with her. In the ensuing battle on the morning of 27 May 1941, Bismarck was heavily attacked for almost two hours before sinking.
This National Geographic documentary is telling the story with the last survivors and visits the mangled wreck after sixty years.
Written & Directed by Julia Knobloch and Adam Geiger ; Produced by Context TV GmbH in association with Sealight Pictures for National Geographic Channels

Occupation

In all more than 20,000 people from all sides lost their lives in the Cretan conflict. The British intelligence service, known as the SOE, assisted what became one of the most successful resistance movements of the war. It helped rescue Allied soldiers who had been abandoned on the island and involved agents such as archeologist John Pendulbury, known as "the Cretan Lawrence" and writer and adventurer Patrick Leigh Fermor who staged the famous kidnap of the German commander of Crete with William Moss. Crete was one of the last places surrendered by the Nazis right at the end of the war. German soldiers had to be escorted off the island by the British for fear of reprisals. Two German commanders on the island were executed by firing squad for war crimes. It took more than 30 years before the 4,000 German dead were properly buried on the island. They were stored in a monastery as claims for reparations dragged on. They have still not been settled today.