Secrets of World War II — Season 1

Aired 1 January 1998

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.

Aired 8 January 1998

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.

Aired 15 January 1998

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.

Aired 22 January 1998

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!

Aired 29 January 1998

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.

Aired 5 February 1998

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?

Aired 12 February 1998

Know what this is about?

Aired 19 February 1998

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.

Aired 26 February 1998

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.

Aired 5 March 1998

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.

Aired 12 March 1998

The underwater war saw many innovations and a rapid increase in electronic technology, which eventually enabled the Allies to achieve ultimate victory.

Aired 19 March 1998

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.

Aired 26 March 1998

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.

Aired 2 April 1998

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.

Aired 9 April 1998

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.

Aired 16 April 1998

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.

Aired 23 April 1998

Aired 30 April 1998

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.

Aired 7 May 1998

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.

Aired 14 May 1998

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.

Aired 21 May 1998

The exciting story of the emergence of special forces such as the British SAS and the US Rangers.

Aired 28 May 1998

America's answer to fighting behind Japanese lines in the jungle was to deploy a highly trained unit called Merrill's Marauders.

Aired 4 June 1998

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.

Aired 11 June 1998

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.

Aired 18 June 1998

The Germans said it was impregnable but the confines of Colditz were to inspire some of the most legendary escapes of all time.

Aired 25 June 1998

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 refuel German U-boats and warships.