1 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,199 Tonight on "Secrets Declassified," 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,399 the ingenious disguises and elaborate ruses 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,399 used by governments everywhere to deceive the enemy, 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:19,359 from the decoy army created by some unlikely tricksters... 5 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:21,079 Army chiefs turned to an industry 6 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:23,479 where the nation leads the world-- 7 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:24,839 show business. 8 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:26,519 To the luxury dive resort 9 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:28,159 that's really a secret spy base. 10 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,079 The scuba diving tourists 11 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,839 wake one morning to find that the entire senior staff 12 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:34,479 have deserted them. 13 00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:37,439 And the Allied agent who takes on the Nazis 14 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,079 by baking the perfect camouflage. 15 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,479 He's carrying a bomb disguised as lunch. 16 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,359 These are some of the strange and terrible schemes 17 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,879 created throughout history by governments 18 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:51,439 and the people who work for them. 19 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:53,799 It's time to bring them to light. 20 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,239 The bigger the mission, the bigger the disguise. 21 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,199 In the 1950s, when the CIA needs to hide 22 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,439 its covert operations across all Southeast Asia, 23 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,959 it secretly purchases one of the world's 24 00:01:13,960 --> 00:01:15,759 biggest airline companies. 25 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,759 In the early 1950s, the French military 26 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:25,879 is fighting Communist rebels for control 27 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,799 of their greatest Southeast Asian colony, Indochina. 28 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:33,879 But it's a battle that they're losing. 29 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,599 By 1954, much of the French army, 30 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,679 just over 10,000 troops, are holed up 31 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,399 in this mountainous valley named Dien Bien Phu, 32 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,719 surrounded by enemy troops. 33 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,319 The French don't have the air power 34 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,719 to actually resupply their troops. 35 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,079 Outnumbered, outgunned and out of options, 36 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,439 the French make a desperate appeal for aid 37 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,639 to the Americans. 38 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,919 President Eisenhower sees the French 39 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,159 as a major ally in fighting Communist expansion 40 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:07,399 across the globe. 41 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:08,919 The president realizes, though, 42 00:02:08,920 --> 00:02:11,119 that the American public has no appetite 43 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:12,959 for another ground war. 44 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,519 We recently had World War II and the Korean War, 45 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,319 and he doesn't wanna write the French a blank check. 46 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:20,719 So Eisenhower is more interested 47 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,119 in covert assistance to the French 48 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,119 than in sending the Marines. 49 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,719 To keep the U.S. support under wraps, 50 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,439 he's gonna need a major smoke screen. 51 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,359 The answer could be an extraordinary air service 52 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,439 with a very inconspicuous name-- 53 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:43,919 Civil Air Transport, or CAT for short. 54 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:47,839 CAT was formed in 1946 by combat veteran pilots 55 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:49,999 flying supplies to anti-Communist forces 56 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:51,759 fighting in the Chinese Civil War. 57 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,279 Weapons, people, livestock, 58 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,239 no cargo was too wild 59 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,319 and no route is too hazardous for CAT's pilots. 60 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,279 Their gung ho reputation 61 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,719 catches the attention of the CIA, 62 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:05,719 who start using CAT to help supply 63 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,559 their overseas operations. 64 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,479 Soon, CAT is flying 65 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:12,399 hundreds of covert missions for the U.S., 66 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,599 and by 1950, the CIA have bought 67 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,519 the entire airline using a shell company 68 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,479 called the Airdale Corporation. 69 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:22,999 And CAT has the perfect disguise. 70 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,719 They become an actual legitimate business, 71 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,399 flying regular passengers all around Asia. 72 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,959 In fact, their work ends up making them 73 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:35,639 the second largest air transport company in the world. 74 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:41,559 CAT is a ready made solution to secretly funnel supplies 75 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:42,959 to French troops. 76 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:44,839 But there is a problem. 77 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,199 This mission is so politically sensitive 78 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,639 that the CIA worries CAT's cover might not be enough. 79 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,719 So they add a whole new level of subterfuge. 80 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,999 The U.S. government wants to be 100% sure 81 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,359 that these airdrops are never traced back to them. 82 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,279 So they begin working with the CAT pilots 83 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,039 to make sure that this entire operation 84 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,599 looks like a French enterprise. 85 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,159 Overnight, a fleet of CAT's finest planes 86 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:17,079 and pilots get a French makeover. 87 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,679 All the planes are repainted in French colors 88 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:21,439 to make them appear to be 89 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,639 regular French military flights. 90 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,159 Some of their aircrews 91 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,759 even use French language commands over the radio. 92 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:35,439 In March 1954, the supply drops begin. 93 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:41,079 Disguised as French airmen, CAT pilots risk it all, 94 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,279 flying ammo and equipment through hostile skies. 95 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:48,039 These are incredibly dangerous missions. 96 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,199 Two pilots die. 97 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:51,919 Among those who survive, 98 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,639 they say that the anti- aircraft fire they receive 99 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:59,399 is as intense as the worst they faced during World War II. 100 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:05,399 For two months, CAT pilots run a deadly gauntlet, 101 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:10,199 flying almost 700 missions to supply besieged French troops. 102 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,879 Despite Eisenhower's top secret aid mission, 103 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,399 the French forces are defeated in May 1954. 104 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,879 Even so, CAT's adventures in the region are far from over. 105 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,359 In the late 1950s, CAT is rebranded as Air America. 106 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,199 And as the Vietnam War heats up, 107 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:35,359 it flies thousands of covert missions in Southeast Asia, 108 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,039 until 1975, when the conflict ends 109 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,359 and its doors are closed for good. 110 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,639 In 1979, journalist Christopher Robbins 111 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,199 publishes a best-selling book called "Air America." 112 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,199 And the truth about this amazing airline... 113 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,359 Is finally revealed. 114 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:01,559 The CIA goes to extreme lengths to protect CAT's cover story. 115 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,039 This next spy does, too, but his disguise 116 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,959 doesn't hinge on what's in his papers 117 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:09,679 but what's in his pants. 118 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,519 In the late 1950s, Egypt's President Nasser 119 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,119 is determined to turn his nation 120 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,719 into an unshakeable power in the Middle East. 121 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:24,599 One of the ways he wants to do this 122 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,239 is to launch an Egyptian ballistic missile program. 123 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:29,639 The problem is that he doesn't have 124 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,199 the expertise inside the country 125 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:33,919 to be able to launch this program. 126 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,199 So he turns to German rocket engineers 127 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,239 who were actually part of the missile program 128 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,039 during World War II. 129 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,599 For Egypt's neighbor, the state of Israel, 130 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:47,199 the rocket program is a major red flag. 131 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,119 Israel is alarmed by the idea of the dictator 132 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,879 of an unfriendly country having long-range missiles. 133 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,079 If Egypt perfects these missiles, 134 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,159 it could strike Israel with no warning. 135 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:03,319 Israeli intelligence decides to send in a spy. 136 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,039 That means finding a Jewish agent 137 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,959 who can operate amongst Nazi engineers undetected. 138 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,639 One man fits the bill. 139 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,279 Wolfgang Lotz is an Israeli spy who was born 140 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,479 in Germany to a Jewish mother. 141 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:20,399 He's blond haired, blue eyed, and speaks fluent German, 142 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,039 which makes him the perfect fit to go into Cairo 143 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:25,599 to cozy up to some German rocket engineers. 144 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,959 In December 1960, Mossad deploys Lotz to Egypt, 145 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,799 armed with an extravagant cover. 146 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,879 Lotz's cover story is that he's a fabulously wealthy 147 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,239 ex-Nazi officer who has an unquenchable thirst 148 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,119 for champagne. 149 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,439 To find his marks, Lotz begins wining and dining 150 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:45,319 Egypt's high society. 151 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,079 Lotz is a fun guy. 152 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:48,519 He's really good at parties. 153 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,719 He's great at cocktail conversations. 154 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:52,239 He quickly becomes the drinking buddy 155 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,479 of a lot of high-ranking Egyptian officers, 156 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,359 including in particular General Osman. 157 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,919 This is the very general who oversees security 158 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:03,479 for the rocket bases that he's here to spy on. 159 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:05,399 But Lotz's party is cut short 160 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,319 when Mossad sends an urgent report. 161 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,079 Israeli reconnaissance identifies what it believes 162 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,079 to be a rocket base in the desert east of Cairo 163 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:14,879 in a place called Shallufa. 164 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:16,879 They want to send Wolfgang Lotz in 165 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:21,599 to basically see whether or not this is an active base. 166 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,879 If it turns out to be the real deal, 167 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:25,999 Mossad will probably recommend that 168 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,119 the Israeli Air Force bomb the site. 169 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,599 Lotz heads into the desert to investigate. 170 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,839 He brings his wife along so they can pose as tourists 171 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,319 visiting a nearby lake. 172 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:40,719 At a crossroads, they identify 173 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:42,919 a lone track and a sentry box. 174 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,039 No barriers and a single guard, and that one guard 175 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:47,879 steps away for a bathroom break. 176 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,519 So the two of them jump on the accelerator and charge down 177 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,479 the track past the barrier. 178 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:54,239 This is a terrible idea. 179 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,519 They haven't thought through the ramifications 180 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:58,199 of what they're doing. 181 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,639 Lotz and his wife are intercepted by a Jeep load 182 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,799 of heavily armed Egyptian military troops. 183 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:05,959 Inside the base, the commanding officer 184 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:07,839 interrogates them. 185 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:09,519 Lotz makes up a tale about how they were 186 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,199 trying to find a place to picnic, and they just got lost. 187 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,559 So he tells the base commander to call his friend, 188 00:09:14,560 --> 00:09:16,559 General Osman, to prove his identity. 189 00:09:16,560 --> 00:09:19,759 A few minutes later, Lotz is chatting with Osman, 190 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:23,599 who even unknowingly teases him about his spy mission. 191 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,999 Osman has no idea how close to the truth he really is, 192 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,039 and the pair is set free. 193 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:33,279 But just as Lotz's operation is gaining momentum, 194 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,679 his plan falls apart. 195 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:37,759 Lotz has been secretly communicating 196 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:41,079 with the Israelis using a covert radio transmitter, 197 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,319 and the Egyptians pick up on his transmissions. 198 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,079 In February of 1965, Lotz and his wife 199 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:50,319 return home, and it's filled with Egyptian agents. 200 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,399 They find the radio transmitter. 201 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,279 Lotz knows at this point the game is up. 202 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,999 Lotz and his wife are accused of being Israeli spies. 203 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,479 The punishment for that is execution. 204 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:04,919 To save them both, this smooth-talking spy 205 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:08,359 must spin his greatest lie of all. 206 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,199 Lotz insists that he's a German patriot, 207 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,559 and he only agreed to spy for Israel 208 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:15,439 because he needed the money. 209 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,399 And they threatened to expose his SS background 210 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:19,919 if he refused. 211 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,479 The problem is, Lotz's interrogators 212 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:24,479 aren't convinced. 213 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:28,239 They press him with the same question over and over. 214 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,599 Is he Jewish? 215 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:34,319 Luckily for Lotz, he has one ace left to play-- 216 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,439 a bold move that could put their doubts to rest. 217 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,759 Lotz's father wasn't Jewish, and his Jewish mother 218 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:46,079 wasn't particularly religious, so he'd never been circumcised. 219 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,959 Lotz decides that his best form of evidence 220 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,039 is to pull down his pants. 221 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:55,359 Faced with this incontrovertible 222 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,639 physical evidence, his interrogators 223 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:00,599 finally buy his story. 224 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:02,959 Lotz is imprisoned for spying, 225 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,279 but he escapes execution. 226 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,039 Three years later, he's returned to Israel 227 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,759 in a prisoner exchange, yet the details 228 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:12,839 of his mission remain secret. 229 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,799 Then, in 1972, Lotz breaks his silence 230 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:22,079 by publishing an explosive memoir, "The Champagne Spy." 231 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:25,279 The book finally reveals how this silver-tongued spy 232 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,760 fooled Egypt's military by baring it all. 233 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:35,519 In the lead up to D-Day, the Allies are scrambling 234 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,839 to knock out a key Nazi armament factory in France. 235 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,039 To blow it sky high, one young agent cooks up 236 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:43,999 an ingenious deception. 237 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,799 3 cups flour, 2 cups water, 238 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,639 and 40 pounds of plastic explosive. 239 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,919 It's April of 1944, and D-Day is just weeks away. 240 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,919 The Allied commanders are working overtime 241 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:03,759 to weaken the German defenses that they're gonna face 242 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,679 when they invade Normandy. 243 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:08,159 An important target 244 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:09,999 is the national munitions factory 245 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,559 that's located in Saint Medard-en-Jalle 246 00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:15,999 just outside of Bordeaux. 247 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,519 The Allies drop 268 tons of bombs 248 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,279 in an attempt to raze it to the ground, 249 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:25,959 but it's back up within days. 250 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,479 Knocking out a factory is not as simple 251 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,159 as it seems from the air. 252 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,239 So Britain's wartime sabotage unit, the SOE, 253 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,479 devise a black op-- 254 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:41,279 send someone behind enemy lines to blow it sky high. 255 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:43,719 It's a black op at its boldest. 256 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,839 High reward and high risk, 257 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:51,039 which is why Britain calls on an unlikely recruit-- 258 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,839 a 20-year-old French aristocrat. 259 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,759 Robert de La Rochefoucauld 260 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,879 is a young count from one of France's oldest noble families. 261 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,279 He flees to Britain once his father 262 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,999 is imprisoned by the Germans. 263 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,199 While in Britain, he learns of a new covert unit 264 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:12,999 known as the SOE, or the Special Operations Executive. 265 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,359 They were formed by Churchill for the purpose 266 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:20,599 of carrying out sabotage missions in occupied Europe. 267 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,879 Robert arrives in Britain at the perfect time 268 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:24,239 for the SOE. 269 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:25,719 Their operatives on the continent 270 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,079 keep getting caught because they're given away 271 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:28,879 by their school boy French. 272 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,719 So they're looking to recruit eager French exiles 273 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:33,439 to carry out sabotage missions. 274 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:38,279 Rochefoucauld is the perfect fit-- 275 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,799 gung ho, willing, French, 276 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,799 and desperate to avenge his family. 277 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,359 He's given the mission to take out the munitions factory 278 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:50,759 at Saint Medard-en-Jalle. 279 00:13:55,640 --> 00:14:00,199 On May 7, 1944, Rochefoucauld and another SOE agent 280 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,759 head to Southwestern France in two Halifax bombers 281 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:08,359 loaded with weapons, ammunition, and explosives. 282 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,639 The two men parachute into the countryside, 283 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:12,479 where they link up with the local resistance 284 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,519 and begin plotting how to take down the Saint-Medard plant. 285 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,119 Early surveillance reveals 286 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,399 the scale of the challenge. 287 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,599 The place is crawling with guards 288 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,279 who run regular patrols, 289 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,719 and they stop the workers at random 290 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:31,479 to make sure that none of them are smuggling in explosives. 291 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:33,359 Then the team spots a way 292 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:38,159 for a native Frenchman like Robert to just walk right in. 293 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,399 Rochefoucauld observes that the workforce 294 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,039 in the factory, they're French civilians. 295 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,359 And what that means is that he has an opportunity now 296 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:47,919 to blend in. 297 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,599 He can pass for French because he is French. 298 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,119 To convince the guards at the gate, 299 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,679 Robert has to look like a real employee. 300 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,279 So the team scour the workers and eventually find 301 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:02,799 a close match who, desperate to stop the Nazis, 302 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:04,559 hands over his ID. 303 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:06,399 It's a major risk for both men, to be sure, 304 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,319 because being caught would almost certainly mean death. 305 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,719 Getting Robert inside is one thing. 306 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:14,879 Disguising 40 pounds of explosives 307 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:16,959 is a much bigger problem. 308 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:22,199 So the team looks for a cover no guard would question. 309 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,159 They notice that most workers come into the plant 310 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,719 each morning carrying a baguette. 311 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:30,639 It might be possible to smuggle 312 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,559 small amounts of plastic explosive inside baguettes. 313 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,239 In France, nothing raises less suspicion 314 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,319 than the humble baguette. 315 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:43,919 But how can you engineer it into the perfect secret bomb? 316 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,119 Robert needs a baguette with the right structure 317 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:47,319 for concealing explosives. 318 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:48,799 So it's not as simple as just 319 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:50,679 popping over to the local bakery. 320 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,599 Any ordinary baguette might be too dense to hollow out, 321 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:55,079 too brittle to hold a charge, 322 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,439 or too dry to seal up convincingly. 323 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,359 The team starts baking. 324 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,759 They shape dough around a cavity, 325 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:03,799 bake it firm but make it pliable, 326 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,199 then load it with plastic explosives 327 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,799 and seal it with a flour and water paste. 328 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,439 It's black ops by baking. 329 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,399 Now it just needs to fool the guards. 330 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:24,319 Robert starts out with a small amount 331 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,839 of plastic explosives, which he smuggles past the guards, 332 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,399 knowing that if anything looks out of place, 333 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,439 the entire operation is over. 334 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,159 He slips away just long enough 335 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:38,599 to plant the explosives at critical points 336 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,399 around the factory, including fuel tanks 337 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,119 and munitions stores. 338 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,599 Once one artillery shell gets detonated, 339 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,559 it has enough explosive power to detonate 340 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:51,799 all of the shells around it. 341 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:53,919 To trigger this chain reaction, 342 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:58,439 Robert needs to plant a network of hidden explosives. 343 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:00,679 This means returning to the factory every day 344 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,279 for an entire week. 345 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:05,239 Each baguette can only hold a limited amount 346 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,919 of explosive, so Robert repeats the mission 347 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:09,679 over and over again. 348 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:13,599 And each visit carries the very real risk of being caught. 349 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:15,159 By the end of the week, he's planted 350 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:16,879 eight baguette bombs in total, 351 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,479 enough to blow the factory to pieces. 352 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,479 It's May 20, 1944. 353 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,879 As thousands of workers begin to exit the factory, 354 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:33,079 Rochefoucauld hides under a piece of machinery. 355 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:35,279 Robert moves quickly, 356 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,119 and he begins attaching timers to the bombs. 357 00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:40,879 But he knows that this is incredibly dangerous 358 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:44,319 because these devices don't always work as predicted, 359 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:49,639 and they sometimes set off the bombs early. 360 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,279 By 7:30, the last charge is armed, 361 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,999 leaving Robert less than 10 minutes to escape. 362 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,679 Robert finds himself trapped inside the factory grounds 363 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:01,279 by an 18-foot wall. 364 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:03,639 But the resistance throws him a ladder, 365 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:07,959 he climbs up over the wall, and disappears into the night. 366 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,799 At 8:00, the explosions begin. 367 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:21,439 They are incredibly effective, 368 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,919 leveling the factory and stripping the Germans 369 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,999 of crucial munitions in the run-up to D-Day. 370 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,719 This secret mission remains secret for decades 371 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:33,519 after the war. 372 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:36,519 It's not until 2017, when a journalist 373 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:39,999 named Paul Kix publishes a book that describes 374 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:41,999 the baguette bomb incident. 375 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,279 The full story is finally revealed-- 376 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:48,199 how a young Frenchman pulled off one of World War II's 377 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,679 boldest black ops with nothing more than nerve, 378 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:56,600 ingenuity, and a handful of baguettes. 379 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:02,359 In World War II, the U.S. Army creates 380 00:19:02,360 --> 00:19:06,239 a top secret unit whose sole job is fooling the enemy. 381 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:10,399 It calls itself the Ghost Army, and for a very good reason. 382 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:13,039 Nothing about this army is real. 383 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,679 It's 1944, and the United States 384 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,599 is preparing to take the fight to Hitler 385 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,799 by invading Nazi occupied Europe. 386 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,919 America needs to leverage any advantage they can find. 387 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:30,879 So army chiefs turn to an industry 388 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,239 where the nation leads the world-- 389 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:34,999 show business. 390 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,879 The Pentagon creates the Ghost Army. 391 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,319 They're not using rifles and machine guns. 392 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:42,319 This unit will ultimately use Hollywood stagecraft 393 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,439 to fight the enemy. 394 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:48,239 The purpose of the Ghost Army is to create diversions 395 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,559 and feints and deception. 396 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:53,359 Officially known as 397 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:55,799 the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, 398 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:59,759 the Ghost Army is made up of just 1,100 men. 399 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:01,759 The concept is that you're engaging 400 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:03,999 in force multiplication by having 401 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:05,719 a small group of soldiers 402 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:08,079 pretend and give the enemy the impression 403 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:09,679 that they're actually a very large group of soldiers, 404 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:11,359 up to two divisions. 405 00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:14,559 So you have a unit with about 1,000 people in it 406 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:19,359 that is able to make the enemy think it's 30,000 strong. 407 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:23,719 In June 1944, the Ghost Army Vanguard 408 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,719 Task Force Mason gets an airlift 409 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,759 onto the battleground in France. 410 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,119 Here, their mission is to support 411 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:33,159 the U.S. 928th Artillery Division 412 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:37,559 by providing an attractive target for German gunners. 413 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:41,399 The Ghost Army inflate a series of rubber howitzers, 414 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,679 matching the real guns. 415 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,679 The idea is to draw in the Nazi fire 416 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:48,399 to get them to focus on that area 417 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:51,599 where these inflatable weapons are, 418 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,199 as opposed to where American soldiers actually are. 419 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,279 The Ghost Army has to keep their inflatable guns 420 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,239 ahead of the real artillery for almost a month, 421 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,199 taking as many hits as possible themselves. 422 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:09,039 So these guys are either just 423 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,719 really, really brave or really crazy. 424 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:13,999 Possibly both. 425 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:20,199 Over the next 12 months, the Ghost Army supports the Allies 426 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:24,439 in some 20 operations before this wartime Hollywood team 427 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,919 gives their finest performance on the banks of the Rhine 428 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:30,879 in March 1945. 429 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,999 The biggest obstacle that we had to confront 430 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:35,959 after the Normandy landings 431 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,999 was crossing the Rhine. 432 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,479 General Patton and his Ninth Army 433 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:43,839 are trapped behind the river, which blocks them off 434 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:46,359 from the path to Berlin. 435 00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:48,679 Rivers are a natural obstacle, 436 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,519 especially to heavy treaded vehicles like tanks. 437 00:21:54,120 --> 00:21:56,599 You have to bring in army engineers, 438 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:57,679 start erecting bridges. 439 00:21:57,680 --> 00:21:59,759 It turns into a big mess. 440 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:01,119 Meanwhile, German forces 441 00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:02,559 are waiting on the other side, 442 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,319 and they're just poised to rain hell 443 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:06,719 on any Allied troops that try to make 444 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:08,559 that difficult river crossing. 445 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:11,519 The Ghost Army is ordered 446 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:13,879 to divert German defenders' attention 447 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,399 from Patton's crossing point 448 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,799 to draw the fiercest German fire. 449 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:22,639 The first phase is to generate 450 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,479 sneaky signals traffic. 451 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:27,719 Ghost Army communications teams fill the airwaves 452 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,879 with bogus radio chatter, creating the illusion 453 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,159 of a huge army on the move. 454 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,879 But that's just the beginning for the Ghost Army. 455 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:39,879 During the day, sonic teams 456 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:41,519 play the sound of heavy construction 457 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:45,039 through 500-pound speaker systems. 458 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:46,999 To the Germans on the other side, 459 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,799 it sounds as if pontoon bridges are being constructed. 460 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,919 The enemy would then be led to believe that 461 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,639 I'm about to be attacked by this very powerful force, 462 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,039 when in actuality, all that was over there 463 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:01,679 were a couple of Jeeps with loudspeakers on them. 464 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:06,319 The supporting cast plays its part 465 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,199 behind the lines, but the key part 466 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,439 of the operation is yet to come. 467 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,919 The Germans are conducting daily photo reconnaissance 468 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,919 sorties over Allied lines, measuring what our strength 469 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:23,359 looks like across the river, so that if there's any 470 00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:26,719 noticeable build up, those photo reconnaissance aircraft, 471 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,199 they will detect it. 472 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:30,919 To fool these pilots, 473 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:35,359 the Ghost Army creates an entirely fake front line. 474 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:37,479 600 inflatable Sherman tanks 475 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,839 and field artillery pieces are moved into position 476 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:45,079 purposely so that an aircraft can photograph them, 477 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,399 and the enemy can then be left to wonder, all right, 478 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,759 it looks like there's a build-up here. 479 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:53,999 The Nazis react as intended, 480 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,239 pounding the Ghost Army's position with artillery fire. 481 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:02,479 Three of the unit lose their lives, but the ruse works. 482 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:05,759 Patton's army crosses the Rhine miles up the river, 483 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,679 facing only scattered Nazi resistance. 484 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:10,679 They take only minimal casualties. 485 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,199 This is a critical victory for the Allies. 486 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:23,639 In 2024, the Ghost Army is presented 487 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:27,919 with the Congressional Gold Medal for heroism. 488 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,119 It can be quite difficult to quantify 489 00:24:30,120 --> 00:24:33,479 psychological operations, but it has been estimated 490 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:36,959 that the Ghost Army saved tens of thousands of American lives 491 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:38,520 during the war. 492 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,999 Desperate times demand daring deceptions. 493 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,719 In 1941, when one American singer 494 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:49,919 wants to save her husband from the horrors 495 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,239 of a Japanese internment camp, 496 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,919 she deceives hundreds of enemy troops 497 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,879 and puts on the performance of a lifetime. 498 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,039 On December 8, 1941, 499 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,079 the Japanese begin an amphibious landing operation 500 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,879 on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. 501 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,479 These islands host key U.S. military bases, 502 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,399 and Tokyo is determined to stop them 503 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,159 from becoming a launch pad for future American counterattacks 504 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:19,679 in the Pacific. 505 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,199 U.S. forces beat a hasty retreat 506 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,039 out of the capital, Manila. 507 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,319 Fleeing with them is a young American couple in love, 508 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,279 Claire and John Phillips. 509 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:32,719 Claire is a singer from Michigan 510 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:33,919 who's been performing in the Philippines 511 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:35,319 for the last two years. 512 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,559 John is a young and handsome sergeant 513 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,239 that she met while working there. 514 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:43,479 Despite the war, Claire and John marry, 515 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:45,799 tying the knot in a makeshift chapel. 516 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:48,039 But these newlyweds are torn apart 517 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,559 when John is sent to the front line. 518 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:55,439 Five months later, Claire gets the news she's been dreading. 519 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,039 Claire learns that John has been captured 520 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,319 by Japanese forces and sent to a prison camp 521 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:01,399 called Cabanatuan, 522 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,359 roughly 60 miles north of Manila. 523 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:07,319 This is one of the most infamous prisoner of war camps 524 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,159 in the Philippine Islands. 525 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,559 Meals are mainly basic rations of rice. 526 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:15,279 Sanitation is all but non-existent, 527 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:17,959 and dysentery and malaria are everywhere. 528 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:19,839 The thought of her husband suffering 529 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:23,919 is unbearable, so Claire dreams up an audacious scheme 530 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:28,279 to help him survive, one that will call on all her skills 531 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:29,759 as a performer. 532 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,039 Claire's idea is to open a high-end nightclub 533 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,959 in the heart of Manila that she'll run and star in. 534 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,599 She'll pack it with paying Japanese officers 535 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:42,679 and use the profits to help her husband and other POWs 536 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:47,399 by smuggling money and medical supplies into the camps. 537 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,159 Claire's grand plan has just one problem. 538 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:52,279 She's an All-American girl. 539 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,519 To run the hottest nightspot in Manila, 540 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,119 she needs an entirely new identity. 541 00:26:57,120 --> 00:26:59,919 So Claire Phillips disappears, 542 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:04,119 and Dorothy Fuentes, a Filipino-Italian showstopper, 543 00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:06,119 steps into the spotlight. 544 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,559 Dorothy's persona is perfect for Claire. 545 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:12,719 Claire is already an accomplished performer, 546 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:14,159 and although she doesn't speak Italian, 547 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:16,439 she knows most Japanese troops won't either. 548 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:17,999 She persuades someone who 549 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,039 used to work in the Italian embassy 550 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,119 to cook up some fake documents to support 551 00:27:22,120 --> 00:27:25,359 the Dorothy Fuentes cover story. 552 00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:27,319 Now Claire gets to work opening 553 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,639 the best cabaret in town. 554 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,119 She pawns her jewelry, including her wedding ring, 555 00:27:32,120 --> 00:27:34,319 and pours every dollar she has 556 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:36,439 into leasing a modest dance studio. 557 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:38,639 Then she painstakingly transforms it 558 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:42,319 into one of the city's most glamorous nightspots. 559 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:44,279 To appeal to Japanese clientele, 560 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:46,479 she names it Club Tsubaki, 561 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,359 named after a delicate Japanese flower. 562 00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:51,919 On October 15, 1942, 563 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:55,039 Club Tsubaki finally opens its doors. 564 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:58,559 Japanese officers are treated to dazzling dance routines 565 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,319 and very overpriced drinks. 566 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,879 The liquor is flowing. The music is hot. 567 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,159 And at 10:00 p.m. on opening night, 568 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:07,279 they're already turning away customers. 569 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,119 Her grand opening is the talk of the town. 570 00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:13,119 But before Claire can funnel any profits to help John, 571 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:15,799 her world is turned upside down. 572 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,959 Claire receives word that John caught malaria 573 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,239 and has died at Cabanatuan. 574 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,559 Claire is devastated by the news, 575 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:24,719 but she realizes that 576 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:26,479 while she couldn't save John, 577 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:29,199 she can press on to help other prisoners. 578 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,399 Driven by Claire's grief, 579 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:35,119 Club Tsubaki is soon raking in thousands of dollars a week. 580 00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:37,559 Now Claire needs to get this money 581 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:42,319 and the aid it can buy to the prisoners inside Cabanatuan. 582 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,879 She links up with a Filipino allied guerrilla network, 583 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:46,919 and they quickly devise an ingenious way 584 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:48,759 to slip goods past the guards. 585 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:50,759 They have sweet-faced young women 586 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:53,319 pose as street vendors, and they sell bags of fruit 587 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:57,039 to prisoners on work detail for just a few centavos. 588 00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,159 The bags look completely innocent, 589 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,799 but inside are hollowed out bananas 590 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:03,999 stuffed with medicine or secret messages, 591 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:05,919 while some bags have false bottoms 592 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,439 that hide hundreds of pesos. 593 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,439 Soon, Claire is funneling the equivalent 594 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:14,399 of $20,000 U.S. a week into the camps, 595 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,799 money that's used to buy vital rations 596 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:19,359 at the camp's commissary. 597 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:23,319 Thanks to Club Tsubaki, countless lives are saved. 598 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:26,159 But after almost two years, the curtain finally 599 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,599 comes down on Claire's daring act. 600 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:32,719 In early 1944, incriminating resistance letters 601 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:34,679 are discovered inside Cabanatuan 602 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:36,599 that point directly to Claire. 603 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:39,279 Soon after, armed policemen storm the club, 604 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:41,119 and Claire is arrested. 605 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,439 Japanese military police subject Claire 606 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:46,799 to weeks of brutal interrogation and torture. 607 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:48,839 She displays incredible resolve, 608 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,839 refusing to reveal the names of co-conspirators 609 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:53,999 who could be targeted and keeps the details 610 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,039 of her operation completely hidden. 611 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:59,679 In November 1944, Claire is tried 612 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:01,479 in a military court and sentenced 613 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:03,519 to 12 years in prison. 614 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:05,599 Claire endures brutal conditions. 615 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:08,359 She's starved and forced to do hard labor. 616 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:10,639 Her weight drops to a mere 85 pounds, 617 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,599 leaving her on the brink of death. 618 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,599 Her rescue comes in the nick of time 619 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:22,599 when, in February 1945, U.S. troops retake Manila. 620 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,639 Two years later, she shares her story with the world 621 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:29,359 in a sensational memoir. 622 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,599 Shortly after, the United States government 623 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,919 awards the singer-turned-spy the Medal of Freedom 624 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:37,880 for her truly heroic wartime deception. 625 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:43,559 Imagine relaxing at a five-star beach hotel, 626 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:45,439 then waking up one morning to find 627 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,439 every member of the staff has left. 628 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:49,239 That's exactly what happened 629 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,599 to the guests of Arous Dive Resort, 630 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,519 a luxury vacation getaway in Sudan 631 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,759 where nothing was what it seemed. 632 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:04,679 As a result of the Ethiopian Civil War 633 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:06,359 and the famine that was produced 634 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:09,119 as a consequence of it, Ethiopian Jews by the thousands 635 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,839 fled Ethiopia into Sudan. 636 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:16,679 In total, 16,000 end up packed 637 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:19,799 into refugee camps in this neighboring country. 638 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,079 Sudan is an Islamist country 639 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:25,799 and hostile to Judaism. 640 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,159 So the problem for the Ethiopian Jewish refugees 641 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,319 is that in Sudan, they're not safe. 642 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:31,719 They are actively being hunted, 643 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,319 and they are a target for killing. 644 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,559 So Israel has to find a way to exfiltrate their Jews 645 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:39,519 out of the refugee camps in Sudan 646 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:41,239 and smuggle them to Israel. 647 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,239 The Sudanese government won't help. 648 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:48,399 Time for Mossad to come up with a plan. 649 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:52,559 Mossad identifies an officer, Dani Limor, 650 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:54,079 to go to Sudan to try to find a way 651 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,839 to bring these Ethiopian Jews back to Israel. 652 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:00,479 Well, he knew from the start that he needed something 653 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,399 on the sea because these evacuations 654 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,399 would have to start on the coastline. 655 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:09,239 The rat line would lead them over water directly to Israel. 656 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:14,679 So he starts shopping for a location, 657 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,839 when he finds the perfect cover story in the form 658 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:21,119 of this abandoned Italian dive resort 659 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:23,479 right on the water's edge. 660 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:25,679 The resort is called Arous. 661 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:29,119 For most, it's a collection of crumbling buildings. 662 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:31,719 For Limor, it's an opportunity. 663 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,399 Nobody would ever suspect a luxurious dive resort 664 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:36,119 on Sudan's Red Sea Coast 665 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,759 could ever disguise a secret spy op. 666 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,999 So he does a deal with Sudan's government to lease the resort 667 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,159 for $1/4 million. 668 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:47,519 Mossad rebuilt the resort at Arous 669 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,439 to turn it into a functioning vacation destination 670 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,159 that Europeans would want to go to 671 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:53,759 and that the Sudanese government 672 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:56,159 would not want to interfere with. 673 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:58,959 Mossad would use the resort as a cover story 674 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:05,079 to slowly and secretly exfiltrate Ethiopian Jews. 675 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:09,479 During the day, the plan is for Mossad to host guests. 676 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,959 Then at night, they will drive over 500 miles 677 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,319 to collect the refugees. 678 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:18,999 A two-night truck convoy will then take them to the coast, 679 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,559 where Israeli special forces will ferry them 680 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:25,279 via Zodiac dinghies to a naval ship offshore 681 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,679 bound for Israel. 682 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:29,839 The mission is highly classified. 683 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,119 All involved are well aware of the mortal danger 684 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:34,439 that they face, not only to themselves, 685 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,559 but all the fleeing refugees. 686 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:41,159 Mossad agents are convinced that anyone who's uncovered 687 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:46,039 participating in the operation could be hanged in Khartoum. 688 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,999 By spring 1982, this luxury resort 689 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:53,879 has been rebuilt, and Mossad's escape route opens. 690 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,359 The refugee camps that were holding the Ethiopian Jews 691 00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:59,159 were about 500 miles from the coastline. 692 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,079 But under cover of darkness, the actual agents on the resort 693 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:04,999 would go to the refugee camps and literally wake up 694 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:07,839 the Ethiopian Jews to smuggle them by truck. 695 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,839 And then by night, they take the refugees out 696 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:13,399 and deliver them to the Israeli Navy, 697 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:15,719 who then takes them back to Israel. 698 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:19,239 The rescue resort operates 699 00:34:19,240 --> 00:34:21,919 for more than two years. 700 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:26,319 A thousand refugees escape to a new future in Israel, 701 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:28,239 until political chaos in Sudan 702 00:34:28,240 --> 00:34:31,359 makes it impossible to continue the mission. 703 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:36,119 The scuba diving tourists wake one morning 704 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:39,599 to find that the entire senior staff 705 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:41,919 have deserted them. 706 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:44,799 The mission stays secret for more than 20 years, 707 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,439 until a British journalist hears rumors 708 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,559 that lead to Dani Limor. 709 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:53,159 And Limor, feeling comfortable that enough time 710 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:55,679 had passed, reveals details about the way 711 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:58,999 that the Mossad operated a fake dive resort. 712 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:08,519 This is why Mossad has the reputation that it has, 713 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:11,359 because it is willing to rebuild a resort 714 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:14,319 to smuggle Jews across 500 miles of desert 715 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,199 to take them back to Israel. 716 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:19,960 The scale of this operation is absolutely mind boggling. 717 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:26,039 Cover stories can fool the enemy. 718 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:28,319 They can also ensnare the innocent. 719 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:30,759 In the hunt for Osama bin Laden, 720 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:33,719 the CIA tricks thousands of ordinary people 721 00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:35,199 to catch one man. 722 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:40,359 The United States has been hunting 723 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:42,879 for Osama bin Laden for well over a decade, 724 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:44,759 but he's been like a ghost. 725 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:47,039 But then in August of 2010, 726 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:49,559 an operation tracking an al-Qaeda courier 727 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:54,439 leads the CIA to a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 728 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:56,559 Satellite imagery shows a man taking 729 00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:00,559 regular walks through the courtyard of this compound. 730 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:04,319 And visually, it looks like a match to Osama bin Laden, 731 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:06,519 but it's not a certain match. 732 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,719 And if you're going to undertake a mission like this 733 00:36:09,720 --> 00:36:11,839 in a foreign country, then you need to be 734 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:16,279 100% certain, or at least as close as possible to that. 735 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:18,439 Pakistan is a nuclear power, 736 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,799 and a raid like this risks destabilizing the government. 737 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,999 We have to be absolutely sure that Bin Laden is there 738 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:26,599 before we decide to launch. 739 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:30,759 We can't just rely on some grainy satellite photos. 740 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:32,199 The race is on to verify 741 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:35,719 Bin Laden is inside the compound. 742 00:36:35,720 --> 00:36:38,279 Then the surveillance team spots something, 743 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:41,759 which leads to a brilliantly devious bit of deception. 744 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:44,079 Teams watching the compound have observed 745 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:47,199 that very few people are allowed in, 746 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:48,999 but one group that is allowed in 747 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:53,679 is health workers administering polio vaccines. 748 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:56,399 So the thinking is, one way the CIA can get inside 749 00:36:56,400 --> 00:37:00,319 is to set up a fake inoculation program. 750 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:03,679 If they can get medical professionals into the compound 751 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:05,519 and collect blood samples, 752 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:07,159 they're probably not gonna get his blood, 753 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:10,479 but they might be able to get blood of his relatives. 754 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:11,879 The plan is hatched, 755 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:15,199 but then they discover a critical flaw. 756 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:18,479 There is no historical sample of Bin Laden's blood, 757 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:20,719 so we don't actually know what his DNA 758 00:37:20,720 --> 00:37:22,879 specifically looks like. 759 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,799 The CIA does some digging and learns that Bin Laden 760 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:28,599 has a sister who died in Boston of brain cancer, 761 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:30,599 and there is some of her genetic material 762 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:32,559 still in the United States. 763 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:34,279 Because she's a close blood relative, 764 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:37,519 they can use this sample to make a DNA match. 765 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:39,439 With the DNA secured, 766 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:43,719 now they need to find a local accomplice to run the scheme. 767 00:37:43,720 --> 00:37:47,239 The CIA identifies Dr. Shakil Afridi 768 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:49,119 as a man who might be able to help them 769 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:51,839 set up this healthcare scheme without arousing suspicion. 770 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:55,879 He's a leading physician in the Khyber tribal district 771 00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,239 who's already overseen a number 772 00:37:58,240 --> 00:38:02,039 of U.S.-funded vaccination programs in Pakistan. 773 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:07,279 Even better for the CIA, Afridi needs cash. 774 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:08,919 Afridi was recently kidnapped 775 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:11,079 by a local Islamic warlord. 776 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:14,799 His family paid $10,000 for his release, 777 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:16,959 and that was money that they didn't have. 778 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:21,799 So the agency offers him about $60,000 to set up 779 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,359 this covert vaccination scheme. 780 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:26,479 Afridi accepts the CIA's offer, 781 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:29,359 and to maintain total secrecy over the operation, 782 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:33,359 he's not even told who the prime target is. 783 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:34,959 With their doctor signed up, 784 00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:37,079 the CIA starts devising a program 785 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,559 to get health workers into the compound. 786 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:42,399 They pick a hepatitis B vaccination program 787 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:45,839 for their cover because it requires a drop of blood 788 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:50,199 be taken from the subject and blotted on rapid test strips. 789 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:54,679 And then the blood can be later tested for DNA. 790 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:57,559 But ethically, it's quite dubious 791 00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:00,439 because the vaccine needs three rounds to work. 792 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:03,959 And here, they're only planning to do one. 793 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:06,119 They're leaving an entire community 794 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:07,919 thinking they're immune to hepatitis B, 795 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,479 when really, they're not protected. 796 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:11,959 Ultimately, Bin Laden 797 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,239 is considered such a high-value target 798 00:39:14,240 --> 00:39:17,039 that the CIA decides mass subterfuge 799 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:20,959 is a price worth paying. 800 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:24,799 In March 2011, the CIA roll out the scheme. 801 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,719 After administering 1,000 jabs, the time comes 802 00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:32,959 to enter Bin Laden's suspected compound. 803 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,439 In late April, one of Afridi's nurses 804 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:37,799 is sent to the compound. 805 00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:39,959 If she's denied entry at the door, 806 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:45,639 the entire scheme, months of work, could come crashing down. 807 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:47,439 The stakes are incredibly high. 808 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:50,159 This might be their one shot to confirm that Bin Laden 809 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:52,359 is actually on the compound. 810 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:56,759 And then the door opens and she's allowed in. 811 00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:59,279 Exactly what happens next within the compound 812 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:01,599 is fiercely debated. 813 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,079 A nurse tells a local journalist 814 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:07,239 that she was able to enter and take a sample 815 00:40:07,240 --> 00:40:10,079 from a young woman whose description 816 00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:13,399 matched Bin Laden's daughter, Mariam, 817 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:15,599 but she later retracted that statement. 818 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:17,999 But according to Pakistani intelligence, 819 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:22,279 the nurse hands over the hep B blood test to Afridi. 820 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:24,519 As far as the results from those blood samples, 821 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:26,439 it's still a bit of a mystery today 822 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:30,239 as all the Bin Laden files haven't been declassified. 823 00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:33,039 Tonight, I can report to the American people 824 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:34,399 and to the world. 825 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:36,839 What we do know is that just a few days 826 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:39,799 after those blood samples were reportedly taken, 827 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:43,599 President Obama gave the okay to a mission 828 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:46,279 to go into the compound and either capture or kill 829 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:47,999 Osama bin Laden. 830 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:51,159 That's not quite the end of the story. 831 00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:52,759 Three weeks after Bin Laden's death, 832 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:55,279 Afridi is arrested by Pakistani authorities 833 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:58,559 for colluding with U.S. intelligence. 834 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:01,239 A British newspaper investigates the arrest, 835 00:41:01,240 --> 00:41:04,319 revealing the CIA's clandestine operation 836 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,439 to the world. 837 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:10,159 From phantom armies to fake doctors 838 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:12,479 and exploding baguettes, 839 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:15,919 the most powerful weapon in covert warfare isn't force. 840 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:17,439 It's deception. 841 00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:20,119 But no matter how dark a disguise is, 842 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:23,599 it will always be revealed in the end.