1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:04,400 ONS 5 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:06,640 one of the largest single convoys ever 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,360 undertaken. 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:11,720 Load torpedo tube 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,800 one, two, and four. 6 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:19,760 Dönitz's fleet is expanding and he will 7 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,000 not rest until he sent every convoy ship 8 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,840 to the bottom of the North Atlantic. 41 9 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,400 U-boats, a wolf pack like we've never 10 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,120 seen before. 11 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,680 Ladies, remember every one of you plays 12 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,120 an essential part. Never forget that. 13 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,480 Don't overestimate your opponent. 14 00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:41,320 Strike him dead. 15 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,400 Escort ships, half raspberry. Half 16 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,280 raspberry! 17 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,360 We're dealing with a new weapon. 18 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,240 Come on, ladies. Think. 19 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,240 Your men have forced their way into my 20 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,199 operations room. 21 00:01:05,199 --> 00:01:09,840 And now you expect me to talk to you. 22 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:18,480 This is the breakthrough we've been 23 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:22,200 waiting for. There's no going back. 24 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,400 10 days into its journey to Canada, 25 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,720 Convoy ONS 5 has been battered and 26 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,600 dispersed by gale force winds. 27 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,560 As the storm passes, the largest wolf 28 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,440 pack of the Second World War begins to 29 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,000 stalk the convoy. 30 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,320 Following the departure of Commander 31 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:58,440 Peter Gretton [music] 32 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,240 to refuel in Newfoundland, Admiral 33 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,240 Horton assesses the damage. 34 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,320 We've got Gretton's report. 35 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:12,920 Before detaching, he said he could only 36 00:02:12,920 --> 00:02:15,080 account for 32 ships. That leaves what? 37 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,240 Nine or 10. 38 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:18,720 God knows where they are. Scattered all 39 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:20,080 over the ocean for now, probably. And 40 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,320 he's sent another escort to assemble 41 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:23,760 them. Until we get any further 42 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,411 information, shall I put the stragglers 43 00:02:25,411 --> 00:02:27,440 [music] here, astern? 44 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:29,400 Mhm. 45 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:30,660 No way, Gretton. I'm down to seven 46 00:02:30,660 --> 00:02:33,440 [music] escorts. 47 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,760 I hope this new man, Sherwood, 48 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,440 is up to it. 49 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,120 Following Gretton's departure, Robert 50 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,720 Sherwood, lieutenant commander of HMS 51 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,240 Tay, is now in charge of the stricken 52 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,600 convoy. 53 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,720 We're sitting ducks out there, bobbing 54 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:55,640 around like corks. 55 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:56,800 We need to start rounding them up as 56 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,120 soon as we can. Sherwood is now your 57 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:00,640 number one man. He's the commander in 58 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:02,880 charge. But lo and behold, there he is, 59 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:04,640 literally in the eye of the storm. 60 00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:06,640 Multiple intercepts. 61 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,640 Port bow, port quarter, starboard beam, 62 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:11,560 starboard quarter. 63 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,440 About 20 U-boats. 64 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,600 This is the crisis because this is the 65 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:17,600 point when the maximum number of U-boats 66 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:22,360 are engaged and the escorts are reduced. 67 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,000 Prepare for contact. 68 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,040 Prepare for contact! Prepare for 69 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,200 contact! 70 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,000 The Germans can exploit gaps in the 71 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,280 defenses and maximize the number of 72 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,680 kills they make on the convoy. 73 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,520 You, here. 74 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,120 In spring 1943, 75 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:55,680 after the German army's defeat at the 76 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:57,960 Battle of Stalingrad, 77 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,680 Dönitz is still gaining successes in 78 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,520 terms of sinking enemy vessels. 79 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,920 So, strong hopes lie 80 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,720 from the side of Hitler on Dönitz 81 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,920 to be one of the men who is still able 82 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,440 to win the war for Germany. 83 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,400 What he really wanted to do was wipe out 84 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,000 a convoy altogether to demonstrate to 85 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,000 the allies that they [music] could not 86 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,120 venture onto this ocean, that that 87 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,360 convoy could lose every ship in it. That 88 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:34,360 was his goal. 89 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,720 Do you do an intelligence blackout, the 90 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,400 allies are unaware of the unprecedented 91 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,360 scale of the wolf pack that Karl Dönitz 92 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,080 is assembling? 93 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,400 We're covering 400 miles 94 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,280 west-northwest to east-southeast. 95 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:51,160 41 U-boats, 96 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:52,800 a wolf pack like we've never seen 97 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:54,640 before. 98 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:56,600 We're getting sightings. 99 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:01,360 Ships drifting miles from the escorts. 100 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,680 What are they waiting for? 101 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,360 Message. 102 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:08,760 You are better placed than you ever were 103 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:09,880 before. 104 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:11,920 I am certain that you will fight with 105 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,840 everything you've got. 106 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,320 Don't overestimate your opponent. 107 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,400 Strike him dead. 108 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:31,000 Six miles behind the convoy, a 109 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,560 straggling merchant ship is spotted by 110 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:37,200 U-boat 707. 111 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:42,920 Load torpedo tubes one, two, and four. 112 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,120 Dönitz has made many promises to the 113 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:54,800 Führer and now that he holds that rank, 114 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:56,760 he has to prove the German navy can 115 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,000 deliver a victory. Dönitz, by this stage 116 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:00,920 of the war, is aware that this is a duel 117 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:02,480 between him and Western Approaches 118 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,120 Command. 119 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:15,600 So many stragglers, 120 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:17,200 miles away from the convoy. They could 121 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:18,560 be strikes that Sherwood doesn't even 122 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:19,640 know about, ships that have already 123 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:21,200 gone. 124 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,160 We have to focus on what we know for 125 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:24,280 now. 126 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:25,720 Sherwood has done our course, he'll know 127 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:27,400 what to do. Really? 128 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:29,280 It's that simple, is it? Did I say it 129 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:30,920 was simple? It's one thing to teach them 130 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:32,320 here, in this little room. It's quite 131 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,160 another out there. 132 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:42,760 If we don't get results [music] soon, if 133 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,680 we don't prove our worth, 134 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:46,920 then Dönitz will pack our bags. 135 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,520 >> We will prove our worth, sir. I wish I 136 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,640 had your confidence, Laidlaw. 137 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:53,400 It's not confidence, sir. It's 138 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,040 determination. 139 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:57,440 I'm just expressing a reasonable 140 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,200 concern. If we don't do that, 141 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:00,280 complacency [music] 142 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:01,880 sets in. 143 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:03,440 If you're saying I am complacent, then 144 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:05,000 you are mistaken. 145 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,640 I am determined not to feel defeated. 146 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:09,920 Now, can I have the convoy report, 147 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,200 please? 148 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:17,360 For Roberts and Laidlaw, the pressure is 149 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,080 on because they're just hoping that when 150 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:21,840 the weather improves and the U-boats do 151 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,400 start really circling, that the Wa Too 152 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:27,000 tactics kick in, that they'll be able to 153 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:31,320 show once and for all that they work. 154 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,080 As the convoy travels into the black 155 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,520 pit, where there is no Allied air cover, 156 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:41,640 the wolf pack begins to penetrate the 157 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,000 screen of escorts. 158 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:47,640 This is a crucial phase and this is 159 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,080 where the convoy escort commander comes 160 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:52,760 into his own. 161 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:55,520 Message from Admiralty. Heavy and 162 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,440 continuous traffic in all directions. 163 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:02,160 One of the key benefits of wargaming is 164 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:07,200 that it allows officers to practice and 165 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,080 create a sort of muscle memory about 166 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:11,560 responses to different scenarios. They 167 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:15,200 just do it intuitively. 168 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:24,760 Convoy, full steam ahead. Loose Strife, 169 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:26,840 proceed astern and assist Northern Spray 170 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:28,960 with the survivors. 171 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,520 Three merchant ships are torpedoed at 172 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:33,240 close range, 173 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,000 all sinking within 19 minutes of each 174 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,400 other. 175 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,800 They're in columns one and two. Escort 176 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:50,200 ships, half raspberry. Half raspberry! 177 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,360 Half raspberry. 178 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:55,600 Similar to raspberry, however, some 179 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,040 escorts are held back at the group 180 00:08:58,040 --> 00:08:59,280 commander's discretion [music] to 181 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:00,840 protect the convoy 182 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,440 whilst the other escorts hunt for 183 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,400 U-boats. Half raspberry is the 184 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,200 brainchild of Jean Laidlaw, as was 185 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:10,320 raspberry. 186 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,400 She's our statistician. She's one of our 187 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:14,560 pioneering [music] female accountants 188 00:09:14,560 --> 00:09:16,880 and she's someone who is quite literally 189 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:21,120 taking the fight to Hitler via 190 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,120 our escort commander, Sherwood, who's 191 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,920 falling back on a plan designed by a 192 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:27,280 woman. 193 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,160 I bet she burnt the candle at both ends. 194 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,280 Looking at those fresh set statistics, 195 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:34,080 how do you confront eight wolf packs? 196 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:36,800 How do you confront an enemy that's 30 197 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,280 plus U-boat strong? This is a totally 198 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:44,000 different fight. 199 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:47,840 Once the escort ships are in a half 200 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,800 raspberry formation, a pattern of depth 201 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,240 charges are fired. 202 00:09:58,160 --> 00:09:59,960 And this tactic, the thing that he'd 203 00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:02,400 learned from Watteau. 204 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:04,080 And they've no way of knowing if those 205 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,320 depth charges were successful or not. 206 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:08,240 They can only hope that they can 207 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,520 continue in safety. 208 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:26,160 In Belfast Castle, Christian Oldham, 209 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:29,440 awaiting news of her fiance John Lamb, 210 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:33,680 refuses to leave the plotting room. 211 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:37,920 It was only place that you could have 212 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,520 any contact with what was happening to 213 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,240 John. So, naturally, I needed to stay 214 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,560 there. And although they tried to 215 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:48,640 persuade me to I probably lay down on 216 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:49,440 the 217 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:51,720 chair or something, but and there was no 218 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,840 way that I could leave the plot until 219 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:58,560 the battle was decided. 220 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,680 Christian doesn't yet know that HMS 221 00:11:01,680 --> 00:11:03,960 Auribe is about [music] to play a key 222 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,360 part in the most important sea battle of 223 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,800 the Second World War. 224 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,520 As they contact, 1,200 yd. 225 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:22,839 Around midnight, the Auribe, which is 226 00:11:22,839 --> 00:11:25,000 one of Horton's support ships that has 227 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,600 come to rescue this convoy, gets an 228 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:28,320 Asdic [music] 229 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:31,760 ping on a U-boat. And it goes in 230 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,520 pursuit. 231 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,080 And John was woken up by a huge bang, 232 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,800 which he thought was them going aground. 233 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:43,120 But as they couldn't possibly going 234 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:45,480 aground, he realized cuz they were miles 235 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:47,360 out in the middle of the ocean. 236 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:48,920 He realized that it couldn't be that. 237 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:51,200 What could it be? 238 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,720 In 2 seconds, he was back on the bridge. 239 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:56,680 And then how he found that his ship had 240 00:11:56,680 --> 00:11:59,800 rammed the U-boat. 241 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,680 It was actually lying on top of it. 242 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:04,400 So that he could then 243 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,440 see the extraordinary sight going on. 244 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,240 As HMS Auribe heads to Newfoundland to 245 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:14,240 refuel, the whole of the U-boat crew 246 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,600 is left to perish. 247 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:19,440 During the Battle of the Atlantic, on 248 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,600 both sides, a process of brutalization 249 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:24,320 took place. 250 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,560 And this leads to incidents where, 251 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:30,640 contrary to the laws of the sea and also 252 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,600 international law, survivors were not 253 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,320 picked up. 254 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:38,200 There is chaos. 255 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:40,000 There's the sound of depth charges going 256 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:41,480 off. 257 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:43,240 Ships that have been struck, and there 258 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,120 are flames visible in the darkness, 259 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:47,720 silhouetting the other vessels around 260 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:48,520 them, 261 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,040 making them increasingly at risk of a 262 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,040 torpedo attack. 263 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,320 They're now perfectly in target 264 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:57,960 silhouetted for the U-boats. 265 00:12:57,960 --> 00:12:59,880 In addition, there are escorts racing 266 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:01,480 from point to point, following the 267 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:02,960 tactics that have been defined by the 268 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:04,920 escort commander, and the U-boats 269 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:07,160 hovering on the periphery, looking for 270 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,440 an opportunity to work their way through 271 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:13,400 to the convoy to target their victim. 272 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:21,040 Torpedo fire. 273 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,680 Column two. 274 00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:26,520 Dolius is hit. 275 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:28,640 Artichoke. 276 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,440 Artichoke. 277 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,600 Wake up. 278 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,400 Come on. 279 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,360 Let's be having you. 280 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,160 From Sherwood. 281 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:10,320 24 attacks 282 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:12,600 were attempted on the convoy during the 283 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,079 night. 284 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,000 All repulsed. 285 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,880 Five U-boats sunk. 286 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:28,640 Vedette claims hits. 287 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:30,800 Loosestrife depth charged the U-boat 288 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,320 which surfaced and blew up. 289 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:35,120 Sunflower has one depth charge 290 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:36,560 remaining. 291 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,360 Sunflower rammed one. Snowflake 292 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:42,440 destroyed one by depth charge. 293 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,800 And Auribe rammed one. 294 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,280 Well done, all of you. 295 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:53,800 Thank you. 296 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:59,120 Well done. 297 00:14:59,839 --> 00:15:01,240 Well, 298 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:03,120 as you were. 299 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:04,880 They would have been absolutely thrilled 300 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:06,520 and delighted if they'd even managed to 301 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:10,760 sink one. But to sink five U-boats means 302 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:12,680 that the tactics that they put in place 303 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,240 are clearly working. And what it really 304 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:16,680 means in the overall war for the 305 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:19,079 Atlantic and to Dönitz is that 306 00:15:19,079 --> 00:15:21,839 everything is changing now. 307 00:15:21,839 --> 00:15:24,920 It's just so important, and it means an 308 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,680 enormous amount to the entire team of 309 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:29,920 the Wrens 310 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,760 at Western Approaches. 311 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:34,959 Chief. 312 00:15:36,005 --> 00:15:37,520 >> [panting] 313 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:39,600 >> It was quite a night. 314 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:41,640 Well, can I take heart? That is your 315 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:42,760 prerogative. 316 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:44,240 All I can say 317 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:45,320 is that I 318 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:46,800 I think there'll be a lot more food on 319 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,480 our plates soon. 320 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:53,360 Did they use our tactics? Do we know? 321 00:15:58,275 --> 00:16:00,160 >> [snorts] 322 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,200 >> I believe so. 323 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,120 How many U-boat strikes? Five. Can you 324 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:06,136 believe it? 325 00:16:06,136 --> 00:16:07,120 >> [panting] 326 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:08,560 >> And to think we used to count ourselves 327 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,079 lucky if we managed to sink one. 328 00:16:11,079 --> 00:16:12,839 Indeed. 329 00:16:12,839 --> 00:16:14,920 How many ships were lost? 13, I'm 330 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:17,360 afraid. 331 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,520 Five U-boats to 13 [music] ships. 332 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,720 That's [snorts] an unsustainable ratio. 333 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,160 Dönitz can't keep going on like that, 334 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,200 can he? Absolutely not. 335 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:27,800 His fleet would be wiped out in a matter 336 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:29,240 of months. 337 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:30,760 He's outmaneuvered. 338 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,520 Our technology and our tactics have 339 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:35,920 outwitted him. 340 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,320 I always knew they would. 341 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:39,560 This is the breakthrough we've been 342 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,079 waiting for. There's no going back. 343 00:16:42,079 --> 00:16:45,000 Complacency, Gilbert. Touché. 344 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:46,280 We never know what Dönitz has up his 345 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,360 sleeve. 346 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:49,640 But for now, I think this deserves a 347 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:51,640 celebration. 348 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:52,880 Would you care to join me for a cup of 349 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,400 warm tea and a stale scone, sir? 350 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,640 Don't mind if I do, Laidlaw. 351 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:00,920 Won't even need one of the damn things 352 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:03,400 this time. 353 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,199 This is vindication for Robertson 354 00:17:05,199 --> 00:17:08,160 Laidlaw, entirely. Their tactics are not 355 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,280 only working, they're working in the 356 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,560 most difficult conditions against 357 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:14,760 ridiculous numbers of boats under 358 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,199 constant attack. They must have felt 359 00:17:17,199 --> 00:17:18,800 elated. 360 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:20,280 It means that tonnage isn't 361 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,439 disappearing. It means goods, 362 00:17:22,439 --> 00:17:25,800 fuel, food are coming back into England. 363 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,240 It means that people's lives are being 364 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,880 saved. 365 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,760 All of a sudden, 366 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,400 Dönitz is on the run. 367 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,560 Dönitz is summoned to the Wolf's Lair, 368 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,840 the Wolfsschanze, Hitler's headquarters 369 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,000 on the Eastern Front. 370 00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:00,120 You know what our people are calling 371 00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:02,960 that convoy? Hitler is furious, [music] 372 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,720 and he rants against Dönitz. How dare 373 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:07,840 you? You promised me these wolf packs 374 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,400 were going to destroy and decimate these 375 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:12,800 Allied convoys. We were going to conquer 376 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,600 Britain, and now what's happening? 377 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,080 It is not our tactics that have failed. 378 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,040 That would be to ignore the real truth. 379 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,040 The enemy's new technology is making it 380 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,679 impossible for us in the Atlantic. 381 00:18:26,679 --> 00:18:29,000 Their new radar can find us in zero 382 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:30,919 visibility. In a fog, we are fighting 383 00:18:30,919 --> 00:18:32,520 blind. 384 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,720 We have losses of 15 to 20 boats a 385 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:35,800 month. 386 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:37,760 War is a numbers game. 387 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,120 The bottom line, you've got to have the 388 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:43,880 statistics on your side. And what we see 389 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,120 is quite literally the tide turning in 390 00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:50,120 May of 1943. 391 00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:54,320 We have an unsustainable 392 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:58,440 level of U-boat losses. It's not defeat. 393 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,760 We withdraw. We regroup. We develop the 394 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:03,560 Wren. And when we are ready, we go back 395 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:05,120 to the Atlantic. 396 00:19:05,120 --> 00:19:07,240 We will prevail. 397 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,240 The Wren, a new weapon that Dönitz has 398 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,040 been developing since the beginning of 399 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,040 the war, is about to be launched. Hitler 400 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,240 believes that other weapons, his 401 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,440 so-called wonder weapons, will attain 402 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:21,400 the victory, and merely slightly 403 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,720 improving a U-boat isn't as exciting as 404 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:26,480 the new weapons that he's looking at, 405 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,320 the new weapons that promise victory. 406 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:36,760 Dönitz has gone through really this 407 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,919 incredible fall from grace. March riding 408 00:19:39,919 --> 00:19:44,320 high, now by May, it's all over. 409 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:46,440 He starts to withdraw his U-boats to the 410 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,159 Azores because there's no point in 411 00:19:48,159 --> 00:19:50,560 keeping them in the Atlantic any longer. 412 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,320 This is known in Germany as Schwarz Mai, 413 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,360 black May. 414 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,080 This is where Peter Gretton, the former 415 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,560 commander of ONS 5, comes back into the 416 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:05,800 story. 417 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,640 He is patrolling from St. John's, 418 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:10,360 Newfoundland. 419 00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:15,080 They call a WATO tactic observant. 420 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:17,960 And because of this, a U-boat is sunk. 421 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,560 And one of the victims of that sinking 422 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:23,880 is actually Karl Dönitz's son who dies 423 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,600 in the attack. 424 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:31,760 Actually, Dönitz lost his two sons who 425 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:35,840 were also naval officer in action. 426 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:40,320 I certainly believe that he felt grief 427 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,920 and it was a big loss for him, but it 428 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,640 did not affect him as a naval officer 429 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:50,920 and as a professional soldier. 430 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:52,520 Well, it's very similar to the to the 431 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:54,520 British approach of of keeping a stiff 432 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,160 upper lip. 433 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,240 Following the relocation of Dönitz's 434 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,400 U-boats to the Azores, 435 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:06,840 the allies are now able to transport 436 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,520 vast amounts of supplies and troops 437 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:11,840 across the North Atlantic. And of 438 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:13,800 course, this allows Britain and America 439 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,560 to plan the reinvasion of Europe. They 440 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:19,160 can push the Nazis back now 441 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:23,520 once they get all their supplies. 442 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,200 But the Battle of the Atlantic isn't 443 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:27,240 over 444 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,280 and the work [music] of the Wrens is not 445 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:31,760 yet done. 446 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:32,329 I was 447 00:21:32,329 --> 00:21:32,360 >> [music] 448 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:34,680 >> working in Whitehall. 449 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,520 I had a little office below the stairs 450 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:39,400 all to myself. 451 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,080 And the walls of the office were all 452 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:42,809 covered 453 00:21:42,809 --> 00:21:43,000 >> [music] 454 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:47,360 >> in huge scale maps of northern France, 455 00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:48,920 which was where we were about to have 456 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,560 our great battle, 457 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,680 which was going to be called 458 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,600 um D-Day. 459 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:58,040 My job [music] 460 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:01,640 was to draw a map of every compass 461 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,080 bearing on that particular [music] point 462 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,480 so that any captain of a ship who was 463 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:09,010 intending to invade from that point 464 00:22:09,010 --> 00:22:09,600 [music] 465 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,240 would be able to identify exactly where 466 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,679 he was. And that that was my job, which 467 00:22:15,679 --> 00:22:18,080 was quite interesting and [music] and 468 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:22,200 extremely secret, of course. 469 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:27,720 The date and location of D-Day are known 470 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,960 only to the very top of Allied Command. 471 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,600 But it is an open secret on both sides 472 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,640 of the Atlantic that preparations are 473 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,520 underway. 474 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,320 It's strategy now. 475 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:46,440 Stealth. 476 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:47,640 Cunning. 477 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:50,040 This. 478 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:58,240 And they come, we'll be ready. 479 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:02,480 The German spirit won't be defeated. 480 00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:06,320 I know what we have to do. 481 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,320 The problem is Dönitz has a surprise up 482 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,560 his sleeve. The question is, is can they 483 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:13,280 work out what it is before a catastrophe 484 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,880 happens? 485 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,560 September 1943, 486 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,760 4 months after ONS 5, 487 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,040 two convoys delayed by poor weather come 488 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:33,840 under ferocious U-boat attack. 489 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,960 Roberts, come and see this. 490 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:44,440 They're going for our escorts. 491 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,000 Two so far. 492 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:48,480 One could be a misfire, too. That's 493 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,080 intentional. 494 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:53,480 They seem to be goading us to go for 495 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:55,400 them. 496 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:57,600 And then when we line them up, 497 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:01,320 the stern of the escort is blown. 498 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:03,520 We always knew he'd come back at us. 499 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,679 It's just a question of time. 500 00:24:05,679 --> 00:24:07,480 And now the Germans have thought of 501 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,320 their own tactics. They've got this new 502 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,160 weapon and they're not using them 503 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:12,880 against the merchant ships, they're 504 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:15,640 using them against the escort ships. And 505 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:18,160 that is a big change. Now it's aggressor 506 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:21,440 against aggressor. 507 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:25,080 I know some [music] of you have loved 508 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,760 ones and friends in the two convoys that 509 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:30,280 are under attack tonight. 510 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:32,360 All the more reason for us to focus now 511 00:24:32,360 --> 00:24:34,600 on how we stop them. 512 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:36,480 There's a difference with this attack, a 513 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,440 crucial difference. It marks a change of 514 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:39,760 strategy. 515 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:41,679 It's not the merchant ships Dönitz is 516 00:24:41,679 --> 00:24:43,520 targeting first anymore, it's the 517 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,320 escorts. The U-boats seem to be goading 518 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,280 our escorts to engage and then they're 519 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:50,440 struck astern. 520 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:52,360 The U-boat begins to dive only when the 521 00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:56,960 escort closes in. Why might that be? 522 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:00,480 Come on, ladies. Think. 523 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:01,920 Sound? 524 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,840 They need our ships to move. Good. 525 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:06,320 It needs the sound of our escorts' 526 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,400 propeller to find its target. [music] 527 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,320 We're dealing with a new weapon. 528 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:15,920 The German Navy acoustic torpedo. 529 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:18,760 And we need to work out a new tactic 530 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:20,720 to stop it. 531 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:23,000 This is exactly the point of WATO. 532 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,240 Something weird happens, tell WATO. They 533 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,440 will go away and think about it 534 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:32,120 and explore the options. 535 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:34,760 Roberts and Laidlaw know that the 536 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,760 acoustic torpedo targets the loudest 537 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:39,160 sound, 538 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:43,640 the twin propellers of the escort ships. 539 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:47,360 So, they look at how these acoustic 540 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:49,280 torpedoes are working and they find out 541 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:51,679 some key points. [music] 542 00:25:51,679 --> 00:25:54,520 Firstly, the U-boat wants the escort 543 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,000 ship coming towards them so they can 544 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,480 fire the acoustic torpedo. 545 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:03,320 And that is when you turn your ship and 546 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:05,360 you go in the other direction. The 547 00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:07,880 acoustic torpedoes will miss you. That's 548 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,200 when you turn back on the U-boat, you go 549 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,880 full pelt and you ram [music] it. 550 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,400 So, that's how it works. 551 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,440 We should think of a code name. 552 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:22,498 Please, not another fruit. 553 00:26:22,498 --> 00:26:23,240 >> [snorts] 554 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:26,280 >> The new tactic, code name step aside, 555 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,360 works on three principles. You evade, 556 00:26:29,360 --> 00:26:32,400 you detect, you attack. What is it? 557 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,440 Evade, detect, attack. 558 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:37,000 Step aside is used for the rest of the 559 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,760 war and continues to be used by NATO 560 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:41,800 after the war. And this is the ultimate 561 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,560 accolade for WATO's ability to develop 562 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,120 new and original effective tactics 563 00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:49,920 against submarines. 564 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,920 Whilst the war still rages, Christian 565 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:56,160 Odum is reunited with her fiance briefly 566 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,520 on his [music] return from the battle. 567 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,840 In December 1943, 568 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,120 they meet up for the third time 569 00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:07,160 to be married. 570 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:09,880 It was a very good party and then we 571 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,200 were lent a baby Austin, 572 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,520 which we drove to the Savoy Hotel for 573 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:18,480 part of our honeymoon. It was all great 574 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,679 fun. It was really such a splendid idea 575 00:27:21,679 --> 00:27:23,960 to be able to to get married and rush 576 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,560 off and drive by car just ourselves 577 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:29,200 without anybody else. Very good. Enjoyed 578 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:31,760 ourselves. 579 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:41,000 Ah. 580 00:27:43,679 --> 00:27:46,000 I have news. 581 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:47,640 I received a letter. 582 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,320 You have? That's good. 583 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:53,400 Not just any letter. 584 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,720 I'm to be honored. 585 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,600 A Commander of the Most Excellent Order 586 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,200 of the British Empire. 587 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,840 CB. 588 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:08,040 That's marvelous. 589 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,800 And there's another thing. 590 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:12,880 I wondered, 591 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:14,760 would you accompany me 592 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,320 to the palace? 593 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,679 Oh. 594 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,679 I couldn't have done it without you. 595 00:28:22,679 --> 00:28:25,200 Of course. 596 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:27,640 Thank you. 597 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:29,960 Spend it. Hm. 598 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,480 None of the women of WATO received any 599 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,400 honors, not even Jean Laidlaw, who was 600 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,560 almost equal to Gilbert Roberts in her 601 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:39,960 efforts at devising these war games. 602 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:43,360 It's really very moving to look at the 603 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:45,960 history of the Wrens at Western 604 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:48,120 Approaches, the contribution that they 605 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:50,200 made, the sacrifices that each of them 606 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,000 made in their own personal lives. And 607 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,080 they really did do an enormous amount 608 00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:58,159 actually to help win the Battle of the 609 00:28:58,159 --> 00:28:59,440 Atlantic. 610 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:01,120 None of them were ever honored 611 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,720 officially. 612 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,520 As D-Day gets closer, one of the few 613 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:08,560 people to be involved in the highly 614 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,560 secretive planning is Gilbert Roberts. 615 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:14,360 Sir. 616 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:16,840 There was a genuine concern if Dönitz 617 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:18,800 understood that there would be large 618 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,360 ships maneuvering in position. If a 619 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,440 U-boat gets amongst those, it is going 620 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:26,280 to kill thousands of troops or destroy 621 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:28,400 hundreds of tanks. I've just got back 622 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:30,960 from London. 623 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,120 We've been teaching a new course, 624 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:36,679 3 days, 625 00:29:36,679 --> 00:29:39,320 to include tactics on patrols in shallow 626 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:40,800 water, 627 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,520 escort duty of unusual objects, 628 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,600 tactics in confined waters. 629 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:48,840 Tactics that could be deployed say in a 630 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,560 water-based invasion. 631 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,240 It's not our place to speculate or share 632 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,400 our speculations, Jean. 633 00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:59,040 Talk is cheap. 634 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:01,360 Yes, sir. 635 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:04,080 Dönitz is still out there. 636 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:07,400 Let's focus on that. Of course. 637 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,040 What can I do? 638 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:11,040 And in fact, when the monarch himself is 639 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:13,560 informed that WATO has been tasked with 640 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:15,800 this, he actually states to Roberts that 641 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,560 his confidence is now complete. He is 642 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:20,560 more than sure that U-boats will not get 643 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,800 towards the invasion fleet. 644 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:29,000 D-Day has come. 645 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,840 Early this morning, 646 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:33,080 the Allies began the assault on the 647 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:35,480 northwestern face of Hitler's European 648 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:37,040 fortress. 649 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:39,800 I heard it on the radio. I was more than 650 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:43,200 frightfully excited, I can tell you. 651 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:44,720 I didn't know whether whether they ever 652 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:45,811 used my maps, 653 00:30:45,811 --> 00:30:46,080 >> [music] 654 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,040 >> but they had them anyway. 655 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:52,120 D-Day was the largest amphibious 656 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:54,880 operation in the history of the world. 657 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:57,320 Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands 658 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,080 of men, and even more importantly, their 659 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:01,480 supplies, the trucks, the jeeps, the 660 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:03,400 tanks that had to get across the 661 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:07,440 channel, the food to feed them. 662 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:12,666 I think we all felt enormous relief, 663 00:31:12,666 --> 00:31:12,720 >> [clears throat] 664 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,840 >> not least for our free French friends, 665 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:18,160 that at last Europe was going to be 666 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,680 freed. We always had absolute confidence 667 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:25,160 that that would be the conclusion. 668 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,440 It was the most wonderful moment of my 669 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:30,880 life. 670 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,280 Misled by the Allies to believe that 671 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,240 D-Day is going to happen near Calais, 672 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:38,720 the Germans are totally unprepared for 673 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:42,360 the landings in Normandy. 674 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:46,600 Dönitz is absolutely shocked. 675 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:48,680 So, what does he do? 676 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:50,920 He goes in for a sort of a reckless, 677 00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:54,840 strange order to his men. 678 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:57,920 Every enemy [music] vessel is a target. 679 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:01,080 It is to be attacked. 680 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:06,400 Even if this carries the risk of 681 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:09,720 loss 682 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:10,307 of one's 683 00:32:10,307 --> 00:32:10,320 >> [music] 684 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,920 >> own life. 685 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,120 Many U-boat captains see this order as a 686 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,000 kind of a suicide mission. 687 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,080 It is like Dönitz is kind of saying, 688 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,600 "I even sacrifice my sons on the altar 689 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:26,027 of the fatherland, 690 00:32:26,027 --> 00:32:26,040 >> [music] 691 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:29,120 >> so I'm not expecting something from my 692 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,640 crews or from my commanders that I 693 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,679 wouldn't do myself." 694 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:38,160 Only 35 U-boats scrambled to Normandy. 695 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:40,520 Deterred by WATO tactics and the vast 696 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:44,960 invading force, they sink only 23 Allied 697 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:46,600 vessels. 698 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,800 It is my belief that if WATO had not 699 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:51,960 been deterring U-boats through the 700 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,040 deployment of escorts, 701 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:56,840 the use of mines, etc., that there would 702 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,640 have been probably major attacks on the 703 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:01,200 fleet. Even though there were a few 704 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,560 U-boats, this was the decisive battle. 705 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:06,120 The Germans would have taken every risk 706 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:07,760 if they had a chance of disrupting that 707 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:09,080 invasion. 708 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:10,640 And in the end, 709 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,520 five U-boats limp back 710 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,880 to their ports. This is a terrible, 711 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,960 terrible blow for Dönitz. Once the high 712 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:22,920 mighty admiral of the German Navy, 713 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,160 he now has five U-boats back from 714 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,080 Normandy landings. 715 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:37,423 Hi, ladies. Hi. 716 00:33:37,423 --> 00:33:39,160 >> [laughter] 717 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:43,973 >> Speech? Yes. Speech. No, no. I will 718 00:33:43,973 --> 00:33:46,920 [music] leave that to the admirals. 719 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:48,200 But 720 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,200 I will say this, 721 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,600 we may not be awarded CBEs, 722 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:54,560 but 723 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:56,000 we are honored to have served our 724 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:57,760 country. 725 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:00,320 Every one of us has helped to save 726 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:04,280 fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, 727 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,000 sweethearts. 728 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,840 And if you don't believe me, here, look 729 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,320 at this. 730 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:15,800 Tada! 731 00:34:16,068 --> 00:34:16,640 >> [laughter] 732 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:18,688 >> Look who it is. 733 00:34:18,688 --> 00:34:19,040 >> [gasps] 734 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,640 >> Captain Roberts. 735 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:23,240 Jean, you're the performer, you should 736 00:34:23,240 --> 00:34:25,320 read it. 737 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:27,640 Yes, here it is. 738 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:31,679 So thorough is the course, so clever the 739 00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:34,320 setting of each game, that many naval 740 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:37,080 officers fighting actual U-boats in the 741 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:39,359 Atlantic suddenly realize that they 742 00:34:39,359 --> 00:34:41,520 first saw the same situation present 743 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:44,679 itself when it was only a game on a 744 00:34:44,679 --> 00:34:47,509 make-believe ocean. 745 00:34:47,509 --> 00:34:48,280 >> [laughter] 746 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:49,800 >> Isn't it a little strange to be put in a 747 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:53,040 magazine, giving the game away? 748 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:55,320 Excuse the pun. 749 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:57,480 When the war's not even finished. 750 00:34:57,480 --> 00:34:59,840 It is strange, but 751 00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:00,920 it must have been cleared for 752 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:02,920 publication. 753 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:04,760 They must want the Germans to know about 754 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:05,760 us 755 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,800 in case they start again. 756 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:10,440 We call it today an information 757 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:12,880 campaign. That is where you put a 758 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:14,880 message out which is designed to 759 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,320 influence your adversary's thinking, to 760 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,240 deter them from action, 761 00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:23,160 or to confine their thinking, to concern 762 00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:24,960 them, to add an element of risk to their 763 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:26,880 decision-making. 764 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:28,320 I know you're too modest to think this, 765 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:30,400 Jean, but you really should think about 766 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:32,480 modeling or acting when this is all 767 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:33,400 over. 768 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:35,359 Everyone says it. You should. You really 769 00:35:35,359 --> 00:35:36,160 should. It'd be a waste of that 770 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:39,000 beautiful face if you didn't. 771 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,560 What about you, Jean? Will you go back 772 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:43,400 to the accountancy? 773 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:45,080 If they'll have me. 774 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:46,520 A mere woman. 775 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,400 Yeah. I mean, you only helped win the 776 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:50,389 Battle of the Atlantic, so 777 00:35:50,389 --> 00:35:52,200 >> [laughter] 778 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:56,280 >> not that we can tell anyone it was us. 779 00:35:57,720 --> 00:36:00,000 Good girls, polite girls, didn't show 780 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:02,560 off. Heavens above, no, that's not what 781 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:04,160 women in the 1940s were encouraged to 782 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,200 do. So, the Wrens, that crucial crack 783 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:10,200 team in WATO at the top of Derby House, 784 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,840 didn't leave much of a paper trail. 785 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:15,080 Well, 786 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:19,120 cheers to us. Cheers. 787 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:24,120 As the Allies push through Nazi-occupied 788 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:25,560 Europe, 789 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:27,920 Karl Dönitz's life takes a bizarre 790 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:29,560 twist. 791 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,760 On the 29th of April, 1945, Berlin has 792 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:35,080 been under siege by the Soviets, and 793 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:36,880 they are desperate at this point. There 794 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:38,880 are children with guns in the streets 795 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:41,000 trying to defend the city, and they just 796 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:42,120 can't. 797 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:44,680 Hitler knows this, and he gives up. He 798 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:47,240 commits suicide. 799 00:36:47,240 --> 00:36:49,000 But before doing this, he names his 800 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,680 successor. 801 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,680 And that is [music] Dönitz. 802 00:36:57,680 --> 00:36:59,480 Dönitz had once seen himself as [music] 803 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:01,680 one of the sort of saviors of Germany 804 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:03,240 along with Hitler. They were going to 805 00:37:03,240 --> 00:37:05,715 create this sort of brave new German 806 00:37:05,715 --> 00:37:08,320 [music] Reich. 807 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:17,160 And there he [music] is. He's the one 808 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:18,920 who's responsible for signing the 809 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:21,240 unconditional surrender of Germany at 810 00:37:21,240 --> 00:37:23,600 the end of World War II. 811 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:25,240 Enter. 812 00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:28,320 For this lowest point really in in 813 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:31,040 German history. 814 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,640 Overseeing the unconditional surrender 815 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:35,080 of Germany, 816 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:39,120 Dönitz betrays Hitler and the Reich. 817 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,960 But his leadership is in name only. 818 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:45,160 After 23 days, he is arrested by the 819 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:46,560 Allies 820 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:50,720 and charged with war crimes. 821 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:56,440 Thank you. 822 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:05,640 But before Dönitz's fate is sealed by 823 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:07,040 the Allies, 824 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:09,600 Gilbert Roberts faces one final 825 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:12,400 challenge. 826 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,000 On the 23rd of May, 1945, 827 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,200 Gilbert Roberts is asked to go to 828 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:24,040 Flensburg. 829 00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:27,880 And who's in Flensburg? 830 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,720 Good afternoon, Admiral. 831 00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:44,480 I am on Admiral Sir Max Horton's staff. 832 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:46,359 I'm here to gather information about 833 00:38:46,359 --> 00:38:49,840 German U-boat practice. 834 00:38:50,720 --> 00:38:52,720 As Führer, 835 00:38:52,720 --> 00:38:54,840 I have a number of duties to perform in 836 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,640 Luxembourg. 837 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:00,240 Very well. 838 00:39:00,240 --> 00:39:03,120 I will not keep you. 839 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:06,200 One can only imagine this encounter 840 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:08,520 between these two men who for years have 841 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:11,359 been locked in a deathly struggle for 842 00:39:11,359 --> 00:39:13,560 mastery over the Atlantic. And yet, 843 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:15,080 there they are in these sort of peaceful 844 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:17,040 surroundings at the end of the war, 845 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:18,840 looking at one another and sizing one 846 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,760 another up, and then finally having to 847 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:23,400 say goodbye. 848 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:39,680 He comes across, ironically, a 849 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:42,040 photograph of himself, which had been 850 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:44,320 printed in a magazine, and it says, "You 851 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:46,680 know, this is your enemy." Well, well, 852 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:48,840 well. 853 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:52,400 That's how you recognized me. 854 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:07,360 Your men have forced their way into my 855 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:10,000 operations room. 856 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,160 I've been waiting 5 hours in the parade 857 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:13,520 ground. 858 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:15,800 They've broken into my cabin, 859 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:20,480 and now you expect me to talk to you. 860 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:24,360 As to May Light. 861 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:46,400 Admiral Got, 862 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:49,240 did you have a tactical unit 863 00:40:49,240 --> 00:40:52,280 similar to that of Wrens? 864 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:54,160 No. 865 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:56,840 No such need. 866 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:59,000 The men did all the tactical work on the 867 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,880 North Atlantic. 868 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:04,480 It surprises me that 869 00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:08,280 women would be involved at this level, 870 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:09,720 especially when they had never seen 871 00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:12,120 battle. 872 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:13,880 And it surprised Got that women were 873 00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:16,200 given such an important role in naval 874 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:18,560 operations. They did have the equivalent 875 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:21,080 of Wrens in the German Navy, but they 876 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:22,760 weren't given anything like the 877 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,320 responsibilities of the women of 878 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:26,080 Britain. 879 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:30,000 Do you know any of our tactics? 880 00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:31,840 Raspberry 881 00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:33,400 I have heard of. 882 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:35,480 Very complicated, but 883 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:37,840 useful if all the escorts acted 884 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:40,440 according to the stated plan. 885 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:42,440 This is so amazing because of course it 886 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:44,920 brings this whole story back to Jean 887 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:48,520 Laidlaw who named this tactic Raspberry 888 00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:52,160 as a kind of raspberry to Hitler. 889 00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:53,440 Thank you. 890 00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:56,480 Unbeknownst to Got, a second recorder, 891 00:41:56,480 --> 00:42:00,040 secreted in a suitcase, is recording 892 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:02,800 even when Roberts' recorder is switched 893 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:05,280 off. 894 00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:09,360 So, why, in your opinion, did the 895 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:12,600 U-boats not prevail? 896 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:16,200 Detection technology. 897 00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:19,040 Your radar meant we would not operate 898 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:20,840 economically 899 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:23,800 on the surface. 900 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,480 Anything else? 901 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:31,920 Superior training 902 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:35,000 of your escorts. 903 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:36,880 And our tactics? 904 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:39,160 Did they play a part in our victory? I 905 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:42,560 noticed the photograph. 906 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:48,360 Perhaps. 907 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:51,760 The information gained by Roberts from 908 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:53,680 Got is a real vindication for Jean 909 00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:56,000 Laidlaw. She managed to get into the 910 00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:58,080 brains of U-boat captains. She 911 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:01,240 understood their tactics just from her 912 00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:03,960 war gaming strategies. It was an amazing 913 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:06,400 vindication for her and everybody at 914 00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:08,960 Wrens. 915 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,640 For his war efforts, Karl Dönitz is 916 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:16,840 tried 917 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:19,920 along with other top-ranking Nazis in 918 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:22,240 Nuremberg. 919 00:43:22,240 --> 00:43:24,040 Dönitz denies any knowledge of the 920 00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:25,560 Holocaust, even though he's known to be 921 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:28,480 a virulent anti-Semite. He's an absolute 922 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:30,440 dyed-in-the-wool supporter of Hitler and 923 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:32,280 Hitler's war aims. [music] And yet he 924 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:34,040 manages at the Nuremberg trials to 925 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:35,400 present himself something quite 926 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:38,080 different. 927 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:39,920 Dönitz is accused of breaking 928 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:43,120 international naval law by not rescuing 929 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:45,080 enemy survivors. 930 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:46,920 But his lawyers force the court to 931 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:49,800 recognize the same behavior in the 932 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:51,720 Allied fleet. 933 00:43:51,720 --> 00:43:55,600 As a result, Dönitz avoids execution 934 00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:58,520 and is sentenced to 10 years in Spandau 935 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,240 Jail. 936 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:03,800 Fire. 937 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:06,280 U-boat ace Otto Kretschmer is never 938 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:08,640 charged with war crimes. 939 00:44:08,640 --> 00:44:11,440 Resuming an illustrious naval career, 940 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:13,880 he rises to become chief of staff of the 941 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:16,160 Baltic NATO command 942 00:44:16,160 --> 00:44:18,480 and is featured in the '90s computer 943 00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:22,520 game Aces of the Deep. 944 00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:25,200 Smoke on horizon, Captain. 945 00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:27,240 It was 946 00:44:27,240 --> 00:44:29,040 fairly easy for me 947 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:33,760 to penetrate the screen of the escorts 948 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:38,280 and getting into the convoy proper. 949 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:41,680 You know, their aces lacked one quality 950 00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:45,120 that you have in abundance. 951 00:44:45,760 --> 00:44:48,520 Imagination. 952 00:44:49,359 --> 00:44:52,240 I've never seen myself like that. 953 00:44:52,240 --> 00:44:54,040 You put yourself into the mind of our 954 00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:55,960 enemies 955 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:57,720 in the middle of the convoy, 956 00:44:57,720 --> 00:45:00,200 in the chaos. 957 00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:02,160 Engines silenced 958 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:05,480 till the danger passed. 959 00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:07,240 It was you who insisted that was their 960 00:45:07,240 --> 00:45:09,800 modus operandi, and it was. 961 00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:12,520 Admiral Got confirmed it. 962 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:13,696 Well, 963 00:45:13,696 --> 00:45:13,880 >> [snorts] 964 00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:16,080 >> thank you, but 965 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:17,800 it was a team effort. 966 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:20,240 It was. 967 00:45:20,359 --> 00:45:21,440 But we couldn't have done it without 968 00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:23,640 you. 969 00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:26,560 Likewise. 970 00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:32,760 Laidlaw. 971 00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:35,000 Sir. 972 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:43,920 Sir. 973 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:47,920 Do you mind? 974 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:50,840 I would look the other way. 975 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:08,040 The Battle of the Atlantic is against 976 00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:11,880 our two great enemies. 977 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:13,720 The U-boat 978 00:46:13,720 --> 00:46:17,040 and the cruel sea. 979 00:46:17,880 --> 00:46:20,640 We will prevail. 980 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:23,000 I know we will. 981 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:25,800 Well done, Laidlaw. 982 00:46:44,320 --> 00:46:46,800 After years of ill health and 983 00:46:46,800 --> 00:46:49,920 campaigning for arthritis charities, 984 00:46:49,920 --> 00:46:52,560 Gilbert Roberts, CBE, 985 00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:56,200 dies in 1986. 986 00:46:56,200 --> 00:46:58,720 I find this story tremendously moving. 987 00:46:58,720 --> 00:47:01,480 It's inspirational. It's just a symbol 988 00:47:01,480 --> 00:47:04,200 of what women were capable of if given 989 00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:05,600 the chance, 990 00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:07,720 even in the dire circumstances of the 991 00:47:07,720 --> 00:47:09,440 Second World War. So, really, their 992 00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:12,359 story should be celebrated, should be 993 00:47:12,359 --> 00:47:15,600 written large, and should be really 994 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:20,000 commemorated as much as possible. 995 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:22,640 After the war, Jean Laidlaw resumes her 996 00:47:22,640 --> 00:47:25,760 career as an accountant and lives 997 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:28,560 quietly with her partner, Beru, until 998 00:47:28,560 --> 00:47:32,800 her death in 2008. 999 00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:37,400 So, meet Wren rating Janet Okell, 1000 00:47:37,400 --> 00:47:40,760 the woman who [music] beat you 5-0. 1001 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:43,280 Janet Okell returns to her old life near 1002 00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:44,440 Liverpool. 1003 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:47,120 She dies in 2005, 1004 00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:49,200 less than 10 miles from the Western 1005 00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:53,160 Approaches [music] tactical unit. 1006 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:56,193 Never surrender. [music] 1007 00:47:57,120 --> 00:48:00,240 June Duncan enjoys a successful career 1008 00:48:00,240 --> 00:48:02,920 as a top model and actor, 1009 00:48:02,920 --> 00:48:04,600 later becoming the [music] assistant 1010 00:48:04,600 --> 00:48:08,880 editor of Harper's Bazaar. 1011 00:48:09,760 --> 00:48:12,960 In 1945, Vera Laughton Matthews, wartime 1012 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:14,720 director [music] of the Wrens, I've got 1013 00:48:14,720 --> 00:48:18,400 a secret little plan. is made a Dame. 1014 00:48:18,400 --> 00:48:23,560 She dies aged 71 in 1951. 1015 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:26,400 What have I done, [music] 1016 00:48:26,400 --> 00:48:28,440 you may ask, 1017 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:31,440 compared to what my boy has to put up 1018 00:48:31,440 --> 00:48:32,880 with, 1019 00:48:32,880 --> 00:48:36,560 dodging submarines in the Atlantic? 1020 00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:38,840 When I have talked with women, 1021 00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:40,240 how often 1022 00:48:40,240 --> 00:48:42,640 when I admire their pluck, 1023 00:48:42,640 --> 00:48:44,840 have I heard them say, 1024 00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:47,720 "Oh, well, it's not much. 1025 00:48:47,720 --> 00:48:50,359 I'm just doing my best to help us win 1026 00:48:50,359 --> 00:48:52,920 the war." 1027 00:48:54,480 --> 00:48:57,080 The Wrens may not have received any 1028 00:48:57,080 --> 00:48:58,240 honors, 1029 00:48:58,240 --> 00:49:00,840 nor did they publish their memoirs, 1030 00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:02,840 but they did something far more 1031 00:49:02,840 --> 00:49:04,359 important. 1032 00:49:04,359 --> 00:49:06,920 They recaptured the savage waves of the 1033 00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:10,200 Atlantic for the Allies 1034 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:11,680 and so 1035 00:49:11,680 --> 00:49:15,320 delivered them victory. 1036 00:49:59,880 --> 00:50:01,920 >> Mhm.