Original subtitles

THEY ARE THE TOOLSOF HUMAN CONFLICT AND SURVIVAL.

INGENIOUS,

POWERFUL,

DESTRUCTIVE.

FROM THE ANCIENT TO THE MODERN,

WAR WEAPONS COMPRISE AN EVER-EVOLVING ARSENAL

THAT'S TRANSFORMED COMBAT,

HELPED BUILD EMPIRES, DESTROY THEM,

AND DETER AGGRESSION.

THIS SERIES HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE WORLD'S

MOST IMPORTANT AND INNOVATIVE WEAPONS.

THROUGH UNIQUE EXPERIMENTS--

Machnau: I'M READY TO FIRE.

WE EXPLORE HOW AND WHY THEY WORK.

IT'S LIKE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

WHAT PROBLEMS THEY SOLVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

IF THAT GOES OFF, THIS COULD BE SERIOUS.

AND GIVE FRESH INSIGHT--

LET'S GO.

INTO THEIR ROLE IN HISTORY.

YOU'RE IN A MINEFIELD, STOP.

FIREARMS WERE INTRODUCED IN THE MIDDLE AGES,

AND EVER SINCE THE MILITARY HAS LABORED

TO SHOOT FASTER AND MORE EFFECTIVELY.

THE MORE BULLETS THAT HIT THE ENEMY ON THE BATTLEFIELD,

THE MORE LIKELY THE VICTORY.

BUT THERE IS ONE PROBLEM,

RELOADING THE WEAPONS IS CUMBERSOME.

IN 1866, HIRAM MAXIM,

AN AMERICAN ENGINEER, TRIES OUT A RIFLE.

IT IS TEDIOUS TO HAVE TO RELOAD AFTER EVERY SHOT

AND HIS SHOULDER ACHES FROM THE HARD RECOIL.

MAXIM, WHO IS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SPECIALIST,

HAS AN IDEA.

COULD THE ENERGY FROM THE RECOIL BE USED TO RELOAD?

IN 1881, HE TRAVELS TO EUROPE, WHERE SUPPOSEDLY

A FRIEND GIVES HIM A CRUCIAL PIECE OF ADVICE.

AND HIS FRIEND TELLS HIM,

"DO YOU KNOW HOW YOU COULD MAKE SOME REAL MONEY?"

AND HIRAM MAXIM SAYS, "HOW?".

AND MAXIM'S FRIEND SAYS,

"INVENT A WEAPONS SYSTEM THAT WILL ALLOW EUROPEANS

"TO KILL EACH OTHER FASTER".

AND UNFORTUNATELY, MAXIM TAKES THIS ADVICE.

AT THAT MOMENT, EUROPE IS AT PEACE.

BUT IT SEEMS LIKE ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

BEFORE THE NEXT GREAT WAR BREAKS OUT.

MAXIM DEBUTS HIS NEW WEAPON.

AS LONG AS THE TRIGGER REMAINS DEPRESSED,

THE MAXIM GUN FIRES WITHOUT STOPPING,

ALMOST WITHOUT ANY RECOIL,

SINCE THAT FORCE IS USED FOR THE RELOADING PROCESS.

WE WANT TO TEST HOW THIS AUTOMATIC WEAPON WORKS.

KARIN MACHNAU IS A WEAPONS EXPERT FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA.

ON THE SHOOTING RAGE, SHE SHOWS US

AN ORIGINAL MAXIM GUN IN ACTION.

Machnau: THIS GUN WAS ALSO KNOWN

AS THE GRIM REAPER AND THE DEVIL'S PAINTBRUSH.

IT CHANGED THE WORLD OF FIREARMS AND WARFARE FOREVER.

A SPECIAL COMPONENT OF THE WEAPON

IS THE WATER-COOLED BARREL.

Machnau: WE'VE GOT THE WATER JACKET.

WE HAVE AN AREA THAT YOU COULD UNSCREW

TO PUT THE WATER INSIDE THE GUN.

IT HELD ABOUT FOUR LITERS OF WATER.

WHEN THE BARREL GETS VERY HOT,

WHICH IT DOES WITH SUSTAINED FIRE, THAT WATER WOULD BOIL,

STEAM WOULD COME UP, CONDENSE THROUGH THE STEAM TUBE

AND COME OUT THROUGH THE FRONT PART OF THE GUN,

HERE WE HAVE A HOLE.

SO THIS WOULD KEEP THE GUN COOL.

KARIN WANTS TO PUT THE MACHINE GUN TO THE TEST.

HER TARGET, 10 PAINT CANS.

CAN SHE HIT THEM ALL IN 10 SECONDS?

Machnau: OKAY, I'M READY TO FIRE.

IN JUST 10 SECONDS,

KARIN FIRED AROUND 100 SHOTS.

HOW DOES THE RELOAD SYSTEM WORK?

THE RECOIL SLIDES A CARRIAGE WHICH EJECTS

THE EMPTY CARTRIDGE CASEDOWNWARDS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME

PUTTING A NEW CARTRIDGE INTO POSITION.

AS LONG AS THE BARREL STAYS COOL

AND THE SHOOTER KEEPS THE TRIGGER DEPRESSED,

THE FORMER DISADVANTAGE OF THE RECOIL

NOW PROVIDES THE MOMENTUM FOR AUTOMATIC RELOADING.

HIRAM MAXIM HAS CREATED THE FIRST AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUN.

A CARTRIDGE BELT WITH 250 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION

IS ATTACHED TO THE WEAPON, AND WITH BELT CHANGES

IT IS POSSIBLE TO SHOOT UP TO 600 SHOTS PER MINUTE.

SO, IT TOOK THAT KIND OF FIRE INTO NEW SPACES

AND IT BECAME A KEY TOOL IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY

IN THE PACIFICATION OF AREAS OUTSIDE WESTERN EUROPE.

IN THE SUMMER OF1914, WORLD WAR I BREAKS OUT.

THE MACHINE GUN GIVES THOSE ON THE DEFENSIVE FRONT

A HUGE ADVANTAGE OVER THEIR ATTACKERS.

IT IS MAN-PORTABLE.

IF YOU SEPARATE THE BARREL AND THE FIRING MECHANISM

FROM THE MOUNTING AND THE AMMUNITION,

YOU CAN CARRY IT ONE MAN AT A TIME.

THE MACHINE GUN

BECOMES STANDARD ISSUE EQUIPMENT

FOR EVERY EUROPEAN ARMY.

IN THE FIRST WORLD WAREVERYBODY HAS MAXIM GUNS.

THE GERMAN, RUSSIAN, AUSTRIAN, AND BRITISH MAXIM GUN

ARE ALL BASED ON THE SAME PATENTS,

THEY ALL LOOK ESSENTIALLY THE SAME,

THEY ALL DO THE SAME JOB IN THE SAME WAY.

AND HIRAM MAXIM AND HISCOMPANY GOT THE PATENT FOR THAT

AND THEY TOOK ROYALTIES ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.

SO, THEY MADE A FORTUNE

OUT OF EVERYBODY ELSE HAVING MAXIM GUNS.

WITH A MACHINE GUN,

A SINGLE SOLDIER CAN KILL HUNDREDS OF THE ENEMY

WITH JUST ONE FINGER ON THE TRIGGER.

THE NEW WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR I

ALSO PRODUCE UNIMAGINABLE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CONSTANTLYLOOK DEATH IN THE EYE?

AND WHAT IS TRIGGERED BY KILLING DOZENS

OR EVEN HUNDREDS OF OTHER MEN?

TO TACKLE THISISSUE, TRAINING FOR NEW RECRUITS

INCLUDES A STRONG PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPONENT.

REPETITIVE DRILLS ARE DESIGNED

TO OVERCOME FEARS AND INHIBITIONS.

DON'T THINK ABOUT IT, JUST SHOOT.

Nixon: IT'S ABOUT IMMERSING PEOPLE WITHIN THAT TRAINING

TO RESPOND AUTOMATICALLY TO A SITUATION.

TO NOT HAVE THAT HESITATION,

WHICH IS THE FRONTAL PART OF OUR BRAIN,

RATIONALIZING, SAYING THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING TO DO.

I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THIS.

IF YOU CAN MAKE THAT AUTOMATIC,

IF YOU MAKE IT ALMOST AN ANIMAL REACTION,

THIS OCCURS, I RESPOND IN THIS WAY.

BUT EVEN WHEN PULLING THE TRIGGER

BECOMES AUTOMATIC, KILLING TAKES ITS TOLL ON SOLDIERS,

INCLUDING THOSE APPARENTLY UNHARMED.

IN WORLD WAR I, DOCTORS DIAGNOSED

THE SYMPTOMS OF SHELL SHOCK

AS A PHYSICAL REACTION TO THE NOISES OF CONSTANT FIRE.

AT THE TIME IT IS THOUGHT

THAT LOUD SOUNDS TRIGGER MINOR CONCUSSIONS.

TODAY IT IS CLEAR THAT WAR

CAN CAUSE SERIOUS MENTAL DISORDERS.

BUT AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR,

MANY RETURNING SOLDIERS SUFFERED

FROM THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES

OF THEIR EXPERIENCES.

Nixon: AFTER WORLD WAR II, WE HAD MEN

WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THEM.

THEY FELL TO PIECES IF THEYSURVIVED THE WAR AND CAME HOME.

THEIR FAMILIES SUFFERED,

THEIR RELATIONSHIPS SUFFERED, THEIR HEALTH SUFFERED.

AND IT WAS NOT RECOGNIZED.

AND IF THEY SHOWED WEAKNESS, THEY WERE CONSIDERED WEAK.

SO, PEOPLE KEPT IT WITHIN THEMSELVES.

OVER DECADES, RESEARCH

INTO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF WAR IS NEGLECTED.

WELL-FUNDED STUDIES DO NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE 1960S.

IN 1980, THE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS

OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

IS FINALLY ADDED TO TEXTBOOKS.

Nixon: ONCE POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

BEGAN BEING RECOGNIZED, MEN WOULD REALIZE

THAT IT WASN'T THEM BEING WEAK.

IT WASN'T THEM HAVING AN ADVERSE REACTION

THAT NONE OF THEIR COLLEAGUES HAD.

IT WAS A COMPLETELY NORMAL REACTION

TO WITNESSING SUCH TRAUMATIC EVENTS.

AND ONCE THAT WAS RECOGNIZED

AND THEN THEREFORE TREATMENT COULD FOLLOW,

WE NOW HAVE A SITUATION WHERE FAMILIES UNDERSTAND

WHAT THEIR HUSBANDS, SONS, DAUGHTERS NOW,

ARE GOING THROUGH AND RECOGNIZETHAT THEY NEED THAT HELP.

WITH THEINTRODUCTION OF THE MACHINE GUN,

MECHANIZED WARFARE AND THE FEAR

IT INSPIRES REACHES A NEW LEVEL.

THE WEAPON DRAMATICALLY ALTERS THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WAR.

ENGINEER HIRAM MAXIM'S INVENTION

FOREVER CHANGES THE WAY THE WORLD FIGHTS.

AND IT COMPLEMENTS A CENTURIES OLD ONE, THE HAND GRENADE.

AT THE BEGINNING OF WORLD WAR I,

THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY

FREQUENTLY RESULTS IN FATALERRORS AND AVOIDABLE MASSACRES.

WHEN THE FIRST WORLD WAR BROKE OUT IN 1914,

THE GREAT ARMIES OF EUROPETHOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD MANEUVER

IN THE CLASSICAL FORM USING CAVALRY AND INFANTRY,

THEY WOULD SET UP SET-PIECE BATTLES

IN WHICH WHOLE ARMIES ENGAGED ON A BROAD FRONT.

IT RAPIDLY BECAME CLEAR THAT FIREPOWER,

BOTH ARTILLERY FIREPOWER, INFANTRY FIREPOWER,

AND PARTICULARLY THE MACHINE GUN,

MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR MEN TO OPERATE

AS THEY HAD EVEN 50 YEARS BEFORE.

MACHINE GUNS AND IMPROVED ARTILLERY

CLAIM HIGH LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES.

ATTACKS WITHOUT COVER ULTIMATELY END IN A BLOODBATH.

AFTER THE DEVASTATING BATTLE OF THE MARNE,

BOTH SIDES START DIGGING FOR COVER.

BY THE END OF NOVEMBER, A CONTINUOUS LINE OF TRENCHES

RUNS ALL THE WAY FROM THE NORTH SEA TO SWITZERLAND.

MOBILE WARFARE HAS TURNED INTO TRENCH WARFARE.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO EFFECTIVELY ATTACK

AN ENEMY HIDDEN IN TRENCHES AND BUNKERS?

ARTILLERY BECOMES A KEY WEAPON.

THE ONLY WAY TO STRIKE IS WITH BALLISTIC FIRE.

ON BOTH SIDES, A SOLID ROW OF GUNS

IS POSITIONED FAR BEHIND THE TRENCHES.

WILLIAM MILLS, AN ENGINEER IN BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND

DEVELOPS A NEW WEAPON.

IN 1915, THE MILLS BOMB

IS INTRODUCED TO EUROPEAN BATTLEFIELDS.

MILLS' INVENTION IS NO NEW IDEA.

IN THE 16TH CENTURY,

TRANSPORTING CANNONS IS GRUELING WORK.

SOLDIERS NEED A LIGHTWEIGHT WEAPON

THAT CAN WRECK HAVOC WITHOUT TOO MUCH EFFORT.

THE SOLUTION, THE HAND GRENADE.

THE SHAPE OF THESE VERY EARLY GRENADES

RESEMBLES A POMEGRANATE, HENCE THE NAME.

THE ROUND,HARD-SKINNED, MULTI-SEEDED FRUIT

INSPIRES THE NAME FOR THE NEW WEAPON IN THE 17TH CENTURY.

A HOLLOW CLAY JAR IS FILLED

WITH GUN POWDER AND METAL SLIVERS.

A FUSE IGNITES THE EXPLOSIVE AND THE SHARP METAL

AND CLAY FRAGMENTS MAKE THEIR DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT.

17TH AND 18TH CENTURY ARMIES HAD ELITE SOLDIERS,

CALLED GRENADIERS WHO WERE GENERALLY BIG, TALL FELLOWS

WHO COULD THROW A GRENADE A LONG WAY.

WITH THEIR HAND GRENADES,

THE GRENADIERS STAND POISED ON THE FRONTLINES.

BUT THE WEAPON ALSO HAS ITS PITFALLS.

THE GRENADE HAD TO BE LIT.

IF THE FUSE WENT TOO QUICKLY,

THE GRENADE WOULD BLOW UP BEFORE IT WAS THROWN.

IF IT GOT DROPPED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT,

THINGS COULD GO WRONG, AND OF COURSE

IF IT WAS RAINING IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T WORK.

SO IT WAS A RATHER TEMPERAMENTAL WEAPON.

DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR,

THE NEXT GENERATION OF HAND GRENADES

APPEARS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

AN INNOVATION BY WILLIAM KETCHUM

ELIMINATES THE NEED TO MANUALLY IGNITE THE WEAPON.

THE IMPACT FUSE IN THE WEAPON'SNOSE TRIGGERS THE EXPLOSION.

IF THE BOMB LANDS ON ITS SIDE

AND DOESN'T DETONATE, THEN IT STAYS

RELATIVELY SAFE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

SO OF COURSE, THE OPPONENT CAN THEN TAKE THE GRENADE

AND THROW IT BACK TO WHERE IT CAME FROM.

IN 1915, AN IMPROVED HAND GRENADE

ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

WITH HISTORIAN STEPHEN BULL,

WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WILLIAM MILLS' INVENTION.

IT HAS CONSIDERABLE ADVANTAGES OVER ITS PREDECESSORS.

IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE MANUALLY IGNITED

AND THERE IS NO UNRELIABLE IMPACT FUSE.

THE GRENADE IS CONSTRUCTED USING A PERFORATED

CAST IRON SHELL AND FILLED WITH EXPLOSIVES.

THE HAND GRENADE WAS AN OLD IDEA,

BUT IT RECEIVED A NEW LEASE OF LIFE

IN THE TRENCHES OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR.

THE EFFECT OF AN EXPLOSION

IN A CONFINED SPACE COULD BE DEVASTATING.

THE FUNCTIONING PRINCIPLE

OF THE HAND GRENADE IS THAT IN THE MIDDLE

THERE'S A FUSE CONNECTED TO THE EXPLOSIVE CHARGE.

WHEN THE SAFETY PIN IS PULLED AND THE LEVER IS RELEASED,

THE TENSION OF THE SPRING

HITS THE STRIKER TO IGNITE THE FUSE.

SEVEN SECONDS LATER, IT EXPLODES.

COMBINING PORTABILITY WITH DESTRUCTIVENESS,

THE HAND GRENADE BECOMES A STANDARD WEAPON

DURING WORLD WAR I.

ON THE FRONTLINES OF FLANDERS AND FRANCE,

AN INGENIOUS TRENCH SYSTEM IS DEVELOPED.

A SUPPORT TRENCH IS DUG BEHIND THE MAIN TRENCH,

CONNECTED TO ANOTHER PASSAGE

KNOWN AS A COMMUNICATION TRENCH.

THE ENEMY IS ANYWHERE FROM 100 TO A FEW HUNDRED FEET AWAY,

AND THE SOLDIERS CALL THE AREA

SEPARATING THE TWO SIDES, NO MAN'S LAND.

HAND GRENADES THAT LAND IN A TRENCH ARE TERRIFYING.

BUT CHANGES TO TRENCH CONSTRUCTION

ALLEVIATE THEIR DEVASTATING EFFECTS.

Hausser: IF A TRENCH IS STRAIGHT,

THEN SHRAPNEL CAN FLY FAR IN ONE DIRECTION

AND POTENTIALLY HIT SOLDIERS.

SO, THEY THOUGHT IF THEY DUG THE TRENCHES

IN A ZIG-ZAG SHAPE, THERE WOULD ALWAYS

BE A CORNER NEARBY WHERE A SOLDIER COULD HIDE.

AND THEN SHRAPNEL WOULD ONLY FLY

TO THE NEXT CORNER AND GET STUCK IN THE WALL,

BUT HOPEFULLY IT WOULDN'T HIT ANYONE.

SOLDIERS THAT ARE HIT BY FRAGMENTS

OF A HAND GRENADE OFTEN SUFFER LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES.

ONE OF THE KEY PROBLEMSIN TRENCH WARFARE

IS THE SECONDARY INFECTION FOLLOWING WOUNDS

BECAUSE OF THE CONTAMINATED AND DANGEROUS NATURE

OF THE GROUND THAT YOU'RE FIGHTING OVER.

SLUDGY GROUND, OVERFLOWING LATRINES,

UNWASHED BODIES AND DECOMPOSING CORPSES.

EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE TRENCHES

IS YET ANOTHER BURDEN FOR SOLDIERS DURING THE WAR.

: THEY HAD TO WEAR THEIR CLOTHES

ALL THE TIME AND WORSE STILL,

THEY ALSO HAD TO KEEP THEIR BOOTS ON.

THAT MEANT THAT CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL FOR FUNGUS TO GROW.

AND BACTERIA ALSO GREW AND THE SKIN BECAME REALLY MACERATED

AND STAYED MOIST AND WAS QUITE FRAGILE AND VERY VULNERABLE.

THE LACK OF HYGIENE

MAKES IT VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE

TO TREAT A HAND GRENADE INJURY IN THE TRENCHES.

: THESE FRAGMENTS OFTEN HAD

VERY SMALL PARTICLES, SO THAT MEANT

EVEN IF YOU HAD A TINY WOUND,

IT COULD EASILY BECOME INFLAMED

BECAUSE OF UNHYGIENIC CONDITIONS.

AND IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT MEDICATION,

THEN YOU COULD GO FROM BARELY HAVING A WOUND AT ALL

TO HAVING A SERIOUS INJURY THAT GETS INFECTED.

AND THE INFECTION CAN THEN SPREAD TO LYMPH VESSELS,

TO BLOOD VESSELS AND CAN EVEN LEAD TO BLOOD POISONING.

IF A SHRAPNEL WOUND DOES HEAL,

IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE NEXT ATTACK.

IN 1917, THE BRITISH MILLSBOMB GOES INTO MASS PRODUCTION.

THE GERMANS ARE ALSO DEVELOPING

THEIR OWN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT HAND GRENADE.

WHILE THE MILLS GRENADE LOOKS LIKE AN EGG,

THE GERMAN VERSION INCLUDES A WOODEN STICK.

AND IT FUNCTIONS DIFFERENTLY.

THE BRITISH HAND GRENADE IS A FRAGMENTATION WEAPON.

THE GERMAN IS AN EXPLOSIVE.

HISTORIAN STEPHEN BULL WANTS TO EXPLORE THE DIFFERENCES

BETWEEN THESE TWO TYPES OF GRENADE.

THE HEAD OF THE STICK GRENADE HOLDS OVER THREE OUNCES

MORE EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL THAN THE EGG VERSION.

THE DIFFERENCE IS THE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION,

NOT THE RADIUS OF THE PROJECTILE FRAGMENTS.

IT NEEDS TO HAVE PINPOINT ACCURACY

AND THE GERMAN GRENADE'S WOODEN STICK

IS SUPPOSED TO HELP WITH THAT.

SO THESE ARE THE TWO GRENADES

THAT WE WILL BE TESTING.

THEY ARE BOTH TIME-FUSED MODELS.

THIS ONE IS THE SOVIET F1, A SIMILAR DESIGN TO THE MILLS.

THIS ONE IS THE GERMAN M24,

STIELHANDGRANATE, OR STICK GRENADE.

DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES, BUT IS ONE BETTER

THAN THE OTHER, AND WHY?

WHICH GRENADE WILL STEPHEN BULL

BE ABLE TO LAND CLOSER TO HIS TARGET IN JUST ONE THROW?

HE TRIES OUT THE MILLS BOMB FIRST.

QUITE SMALL IN THE HAND, LIKE A LARGE EGG REALLY.

PULL THE PIN, AND WE'RE READY TO GO.

THE GRENADE LANDS

ABOUT 16 FEET FROM THE TARGET.

NOT BAD, A REASONABLE THROW,

BUT IT'S A LITTLE SHORT OF THE TARGET.

THE MAIN EFFECT OF THIS, OF COURSE,

WOULD BE THE FRAGMENTATION.

DOES THROWING THE STICK GRENADE

GET A BETTER RESULT?

IT LANDS DIRECTLY ON OUR TARGET.

SO THAT WAS A GOOD LONG THROW,

ALL THE WAY TO THE TARGET.

IT SEEMS THAT THAT LONG STICK

GIVES YOU A BIT OF EXTRA LEVERAGE FOR A LONG THROW.

THE EXPLOSION WOULD HAVE

DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES FOR THE ENEMY.

BUT THE SHARP FRAGMENTS OF THE EGG HAND GRENADE

WOULD ALSO BE DEVASTATING.

THE M24 GAVE ME A LONGER THROW

BECAUSE ITS HANDLE GAVE ME GREATER LEVERAGE.

BUT THIS WAS A WEAPON FOR BLAST,

ESSENTIALLY A WEAPON FOR USE IN THE OPEN.

THE SOVIET F1 IS PERHAPS A LITTLE HANDIER

BUT NOT QUITE SUCH A LONG THROW.

ITS MAIN EFFECT WAS FRAGMENTATION

AND PREFERABLY IN ENCLOSED AREAS.

SO, THESE ARE BOTH GOOD GRENADES

BUT THEY'RE DESIGNED FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES.

BOTH TYPES OF HAND GRENADE

MAKE THEIR MARK IN WORLD WAR I.

TO A LESSER EXTENT, THEY CONTINUE

TO BE USED DURING WORLD WAR II.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR IS NOT SUCH A GREAT WAR

FOR THE HAND GRENADE BECAUSE WARS TEND

TO BE NOW MUCH MORE MOBILE, MUCH MORE FLUID.

THERE ARE STILL TRENCHES AND BUNKERS TO BE CLEARED,

BUT THEY ARE ONLY PART OF RATHERTHAN THE WHOLE OF THE WAR.

DURING WORLD WAR I, 300 MILLION HAND GRENADES

ARE PRODUCED BY THE GERMAN SIDE ALONE,

FOLLOWED BY 70 MILLION IN WORLD WAR II.

BUT THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THEIR USE REMAIN THE SAME.

THOSE WHO SURVIVE A SHRAPNEL WOUND

OFTEN MUST RESORT TO AMPUTATIONTO AVOID DEATH BY GANGRENE.

FOR DECADES, RESEARCHERS HAVE SOUGHT IN VAIN

TO FIND A CURE FOR GANGRENE.

IN 1928, SCOTTISHBACTERIOLOGIST ALEXANDER FLEMING

ACCIDENTALLY DISCOVERS THAT PATHOGENS

NO LONGER MULTIPLY WHEN INCLOSE VICINITY TO A MOLD FUNGUS.

FLEMING, TOGETHER WITH BIOCHEMIST ENRST CHAIN

AND PATHOLOGIST HOWARD FLOREY,

FINALLY DEVELOP THEIR FIRST ANTIBIOTIC, PENICILLIN.

THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT PREVENTS GROWING BACTERIA

FROM COMPLETING THEIR CELL WALLS,

EFFECTIVELY STOPPING THEM FROM SPREADING.

TESTING PROVES THAT THE NEW DRUG IS EFFECTIVE

BUT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT

IS UNABLE TO TAKE ON THE COSTLY PRODUCTION.

IN 1942, AFTER JOINING THE WAR,

THE UNITED STATES STARTS MASS PRODUCTION.

: THE NEED FOR PENICILLIN AT THE FRONT

LED TO IT TO BECOMING A TOP PRIORITY

FOR THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

AND THEY ACTIVELY PUSHED THIS RESEARCH,

BECAUSE IT WAS ALSO A HUGE MARKET FOR THEM.

THE ANTIBIOTIC IS AMERICA'S

SECOND MOST IMPORTANT PROJECT, AFTER THE ATOMIC BOMB.

LARGE ADVERTISEMENTS PROCLAIM,

THANKS TO PENICILLIN, HE WILL COME HOME.

THE GERMANS AND RUSSIANS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE DRUG YET.

AND AS A RESULT, HIGH NUMBERS

OF THEIR MEN DIE FROM INFECTION,

A STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE FOR THE ALLIES.

PEOPLE DON'T DIE OF DISEASE,

THEY GET KILLED IN BATTLE.

WHETHER THAT'S MORALLY UPLIFTING

OR MORALLY BANKRUPT I DON'T KNOW,

BUT IT DOES CHANGE THE WAY THAT WARS LOOK.

WARS ARE NOW ABOUT MEN DYING IN BATTLE

AND THAT'S SLIGHTLY EASIER TO SELL

BECAUSE IT'S HEROIC TO DIE IN BATTLE.

IT'S NOT HEROIC TO DIE OF DIPHTHERIA.

AFTER THE WAR, THE EXPENSIVE RESEARCH

ALSO BENEFITS THE CIVILIAN POPULATION

AND SOON REACHES THE ENTIRE WORLD.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, ADVANCING ON TWIN TRACKS,

WE'RE FINDING NEW WAYS OF KILLING PEOPLE

IN CONFINED SPACES

AND GIVING THEM HORRIFIC INJURIES,

WHICH MAY BECOME CONTAMINATED,

AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE FINDING WAYS

OF DEALING WITH THOSE CONTAMINATIONS

AND HEALING PEOPLE.

AND FOR ALL ARMIES,

THE HAND GRENADE CONTINUES TO BE STANDARD ISSUE EQUIPMENT.

AFTER 1945,

IT IS USED IN PRACTICALLY EVERY ARMED CONFLICT.

IT CONTINUES TO BE A VERY USEFUL MEANS

OF DOING A JOB THAT NOTHING ELSE DOES.

YOU HAVE A SYSTEM OF FIGHTING IN WHICH YOU'RE GOING

INTO INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS AND CLEARING INDIVIDUAL ROOMS,

AND THE HAND GRENADE IS STILL

THE WEAPON OF CHOICE TO CLEAR THE ROOM.

A HAND GRENADE IS ALSO DEVELOPED

FOR POLICE, MINUS THE FATAL FRAGMENTS.

STUN OR SMOKE GRENADES ARE HURLED AT CRIMINALS

AND SOMETIMES DEMONSTRATORS.

THEIR USE REMAINS CONTROVERSIAL.

A LEGENDARY VERSION OF THE WEAPON OWES ITS NAME

TO SOVIET FOREIGN MINISTER VYACHESLAV MOLOTOV.

DURING THE RUSSO -FINNISH WAR OF 1939,

FINNISH SOLDIERS TOSSED GAS-FILLED BOTTLES

AT THEIR SOVIET ATTACKERS,CALLING THEM MOLOTOV COCKTAILS.

THE ORIGINAL HAND GRENADE

WAS A HOMEMADE BOMB AND THE MOLOTOV COCKTAIL

IS A LATER VERSION OF THE HOMEMADE BOMB.

IT'S A CLASSIC SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF RESISTANCE

AGAINST ARMED FORCE WHEN YOU HAVE NO WEAPONS.

YOU HAVE TO MAKE A WEAPON

OUT OF SOMETHING THAT ISN'T A WEAPON.

AND THROUGHOUT HISTORY HUMAN INGENUITY

HAS RESULTED IN THE CONVERSION OF PERFECTLY ORDINARY THINGS

INTO WEAPONS IN TIMES OF NEED.

BOMBARDING THE ENEMY

IS A REFLEX AS OLD AS MANKIND.

THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS WHAT WE THROW.

IN THE TRENCH WARFARE OF WORLD WAR I,

THE DEFENSE GENERALLY HAS THE ADVANTAGE.

THE RESULT IS YEARS OFBLOODSHED WITH LITTLE PROGRESS.

BUT THAT CHANGES WITH THE NEXT DEVELOPMENT

IN WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY, THE TANK.

IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY,

MILITARY TECHNOLOGY MAKES A GIANT LEAP FORWARD.

THE INVENTION OF THE COMBUSTION ENGINE

PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT.

IN 1906, IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, THE FIRST TANK IS INTRODUCED,

WITH A ROTATING TURRET INTENDEDFOR BOTH ATTACK AND DEFENSE.

BUT ITS FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE ISN'T RELIABLE

ON THE BATTLEFIELDS.

A SPARK OF INSPIRATION COMES FROM AGRICULTURE.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY,

TRACTORS ARE BUILT WITH ROTATING TRACKS,

A SYSTEM THE MILITARY QUICKLY ADOPTS.

WHEN WORLD WAR I ERUPTS,

BRITISH NAVAL SECRETARY WINSTON CHURCHILL

ADVOCATES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF TANKS.

ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, 1916, THEY'RE READY.

IN NORTHERN FRANCE, DURING THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME,

THE FIRST BRITISH TANKS ARE PUT INTO ACTION.

THE HULKING BEASTS CAN ONLY MOVE AT A WALKING PACE.

THE MARK I WEIGHS CLOSE TO 28 TONS.

DEPENDING ON THE DESIGN, ITS EIGHT MAN CREW

OPERATES EITHER TWO CANNONS OR FOUR TO SIX MACHINE GUNS.

AT FULL THROTTLE, THE SIX-CYLINDER GAS ENGINE

CAN BARELY REACH FOUR MILES PER HOUR.

49 OF THE WORLD'S FIRST BATTLE TANKS ARE SET TO BE DEPLOYED.

BUT ON THEIR FIRST MISSION, THERE ARE ALREADY PROBLEMS.

IT HAS RELATIVELY LOW-POWERED GASOLINE ENGINE,

WHICH GIVES OFF FUMES INSIDE THE VEHICLE.

THE MACHINE ITSELF IS UNBELIEVABLY UNRELIABLE,

SO LESS THAN HALF THE VEHICLES

ARE GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE START LINE

AND ACTUALLY GET GOING ON THE DAY OF BATTLE.

IT REALLY IS ONLY SUITABLE FOR GOING A SHORT DISTANCE

AT WALKING PACE OVER TO THE ENEMY'S TRENCHES.

THAT'S ALL IT'S EVER GOING TO DO.

THE LOUD AND MASSIVE VEHICLE

NEVERTHELESS TERRIFIES THE ENEMY.

GERMAN SOLDIERS WERE ABSOLUTELY FLABBERGASTED

BY THIS MECHANICAL THING CRAWLING TOWARD THEM

WHICH SEEMED TO BE BULLETPROOF.

THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW ONE THEY WERE TERRIFYING,

THE SECOND TIME THEY WERE FRIGHTENING,

AND THE THIRD TIME THEY WERE SLIGHTLY PREDICTABLE.

THE ARMOR ITSELF

ISN'T THICK ENOUGH TO PROVIDE

TOO MUCH PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT ARTILLERY FIRE.

AND THE GERMANS QUICKLY REALIZED

THAT IF THEY MOVED CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE TANKS

THEY COULD FIRE THROUGH THE OBSERVATION SLITS,

AND THEY COULD SET THE FUEL TANKS ON FIRE.

THE TANK'S DEBUT ISN'T ENOUGH

TO END THE WAR, BUT IT IS A CONVINCING IDEA.

NOW EVERY ARMY IN THE WORLD WANTS TANKS,

EVEN THE GERMANS WHO ARE FORBIDDEN TO DO SO

BY THE 1919 PEACE TREATY.

THEY PROCEED ANYWAY AND BEFORE LONG,

HITLER'S GERMAN WEHRMACHT IS EQUIPPED

WITH ENTIRE ARMIES OF TANKS.

SEPTEMBER 1ST, 1939.

GERMAN TANKS ENTER POLAND AND WORLD WAR II BEGINS.

THE ERA OF THE SO-CALLED BLITZ WARS IS UNDERWAY,

AND TANKS ARE A DECISIVE WEAPON.

THE GERMANS QUICKLY OVERPOWER HALF OF EUROPE.

BY THE END OF JUNE IN 1940, HITLER CONTROLS PARIS.

TWO DECADES EARLIER, THE FRENCH AND THE GERMANS

HAD FOUGHT IN THE TRENCHES FOR YEARS.

NOW THE WESTERN CAMPAIGN TAKES ONLY SIX WEEKS.

THE ENEMY COULDN'T RESPOND,

BECAUSE EVERY TIME THEY RESPONDED,

THE GERMANS HAD ALREADY MOVED.

SO SLOW LUMBERING RESPONSES,

FROM THE BRITISH AND THE FRENCH IN PARTICULAR,

MEANT THAT BY THE TIME THEY REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED,

IT WAS OVER AND THEY WERE ALREADY RETREATING.

ONE YEAR LATER,

GERMAN TROOPS INVADE THE SOVIET UNION.

HITLER BELIEVES THAT VICTORY WILL BE SWIFT

THANKS TO THE LIGHTNING SPEED OF HIS TANK ATTACKS.

AT FIRST, IT SEEMS AS IF ALL IS GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN.

BUT SOVIET LEADERSHIP RECOVERS FROM THE INITIAL SHOCK.

A COUNTERATTACK IS ALREADY BEING PREPARED

AND IT COMES IN THE FORM

OF GROUNDBREAKING WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY.

IT'S NEARLY 19 FEET LONG,

10 FEET WIDE AND WEIGHS 26 TONS.

ITS WIDE TRACKS MAKE THE SOVIET T-34 MOBILE

EVEN IN DIFFICULT TERRAIN.

THE 10 FOOT LONG CANNON PROVIDES FIREPOWER

SUPERIOR TO THE GERMAN MODELS.

AND AT FULL SPEED, THE STEEL COLOSSUS

CAN TRAVEL UP TO 34 MILES PER HOUR.

WEAPONS EXPERT STEPHEN BULL

WANTS TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE T-34.

IN 1941, THE STRENGTH OF ITS ARMOR

TOOK THE GERMANS COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE.

AROUND THE FRONT HERE, THEARMOR WAS 45 MILLIMETERS THICK.

BUT BECAUSE IT WAS SO WELL SLOPED,

A SHELL HAD SO PASS THROUGH 60 MILLIMETERS OF ARMOR.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO DRIVE A T-34?

WITH AN EXPERIENCED TANK CREW,

STEPHEN TESTS IT OUT ON THE TERRAIN.

SO THE T-34 HAD A CREW OF FOUR MEN.

THERE GOES THE DRIVER, THE GUNNER,

THE LOADER, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE COMMANDER.

THIS POST-WAR VERSION OF THE T-34

IS STILL COMPLETELY ROAD-READY.

FROM THE OUTSIDE, THE TANK SEEMS HUGE,

BUT INSIDE, SPACE IS QUITE LIMITED.

IT'S LIKE A TIGHT LITTLEOVEN, A NOISY TIGHT LITTLE OVEN.

AND THE REASON I'M WEARING THIS

IS BECAUSE I'M EXPECTING THAT MY SKULL

WILL BE BANGING AGAINST THEINSIDE OF THE ARMOR ANY MOMENT.

IN MY LEFT HAND I HAVE THE LANYARD

TO PULL THE MECHANISM OF THE MAIN GUN

AND THERE SHOULD BE A MACHINE GUN

OVER MY LEFT HAND SHOULDER.

DUTIES INSIDE THE T-34 ARE CLEARLY ASSIGNED.

YOU'RE NOW DOWN IN THE FOURTH GUNNER SEAT,

LOOKING BACK UP AT ME, FROM THEPOSITION NEXT TO THE DRIVER.

JUST BELOW YOU IS THE ESCAPE HATCH,

SO IF IT GETS BAD YOU COULD DROP OUT THROUGH THE FLOOR.

HOPEFULLY WE WON'T NEED TO DO THAT.

NOW IT HEADS ONTO THE TERRAIN.

CAN THE T-34 HANDLE THE COURSE AND OVERCOME THE OBSTACLES?

THE COMMANDER SUPERVISES THE EXERCISE.

NO PROBLEM FOR THE STEEL COLOSSUS.

DURING WORLD WAR II, THE SOVIET UNION MANUFACTURES

MORE THAN 50,000 T-34 TANKS, TWICE AS MANY AS GERMANY.

HITLERS WEHRMACHT AIMS TO COMPENSATE FOR THE SHORTAGE

IN NUMBERS BY CREATING A TECHNICALLY SUPERIOR MODEL.

IN 1942, A NEW TANK CALLEDTIGER GOES INTO MASS PRODUCTION.

AT 26 TONS, THE T-34 RUNS AT A SPEED

OF MORE THAN 31 MILES PER HOUR

AND IS EXTREMELY MANEUVERABLE.

THE TIGER IS MORE THAN TWICE AS HEAVY

AND CAN ONLY GO 18 MILES PER HOUR

BUT IT COMES WITH MUCH STRONGER WEAPONRY.

IN A ONE ON ONE BATTLE, IT WOULD HAVE THE ADVANTAGE.

SUMMER 1943.

THE GERMANS PREPARE FOR A MAJOR ATTACK

ON THE FRONT IN KURSK, ROUGHLY 300 MILES SOUTH OF MOSCOW.

THE SOVIETS GETINTELLIGENCE OF THIS OPERATION

AND PREPARE FOR IT AND THEY USE MINEFIELDS, ANTI-TANK TRAPS,

AND A WHOLE SERIES OF SYSTEMS

TO CHANNEL THE GERMAN ATTACKINTO PREDEFINED KILLING GROUNDS

WHERE THEY CAN MASS THEIR OWN TANKS.

JULY 12TH, 1943.

THE CLIMAX OF THE BATTLE OF KURSK.

MORE THAN 7,000 TANKS AND TWO MILLION SOLDIERS

TAKE PART IN THE BIGGEST TANK CONFRONTATION OF WORLD WAR II.

THE GERMAN TANKS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE

IN LONG RANGE FIREPOWER.

THE RUSSIANS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE

IN MOBILITY AND CLOSE QUARTERS FIGHTING.

SO THEY SET UP BATTLES THAT SUIT THEIR TANKS

RATHER THAN THE GERMAN TANKS.

IT IS HITLER'S LAST ATTEMPT

TO DEFEAT THE SOVIET ARMY IN A PIVOTAL BATTLE.

THE LARGEST TANK BATTLE IN HISTORY IS OVER

AND SO IS THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION.

THIS IS THE LAST BATTLE WHERE THE GERMANS ATTACK.

FROM NOW ON THE SOVIETS WILL ATTACK

AND THE GERMANS WILL DEFEND.

THE ERA OF VICTORIES

WON BY TANK ATTACKS HAS ENDED.

CONSTANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ANTI-TANK WEAPONS

AND AIR ATTACKS HAVE TURNED THE HUNTERS INTO THE HUNTED.

TO COMPETE, THE SUCCESSORS

OF THE OLD WORLD WAR II TANKS MUST MODERNIZE.

T-84 OPLOT IS THE LATEST GENERATION OF RUSSIAN TANKS.

SINCE 2009 THEY'VE BEEN PART

OF THE UKRAINIAN ARMY'S ARSENAL.

FORMER MILITARY PERSONNEL ASSIST

THE MALYSHEV WEAPONS FACTORY BY PERFORMING TESTS

AT A TRAINING SITE IN KHARKIV, EASTERN UKRAINE.

SO, THIS IS THE OPLOT, THELATEST SUCCESSOR TO THE T-84.

AND IT'S GOT SOME AMAZING FEATURES.

IT'S GOT EXPLOSIVE -REACTIVE ARMOR

AND IT'S GOT 125 MILLIMETER GUN.

A SMOOTHBORE SO THAT IT CAN ACTUALLY FIRE MISSILES.

BUT PERHAPS MOST AMAZINGLY IT'S A FLYING TANK.

IT MOVES AT 70 KILOMETERS AN HOUR ON THE ROAD.

STEPHEN BULL WANTS TO TEST

WHETHER THE 50 TON TANK CAN REALLY PULL THIS OFF.

A MILITARY TRUCK GOES FULL THROTTLE OVER THE TERRAIN.

BUT IT SOON BECOMES CLEAR THAT THE T-84 OPLOT

CAN NOT ONLY CATCH UP WITH THE TRUCK,

IT CAN ALSO EASILY PASS IT.

BUT HOW DESTRUCTIVE IS THIS KIND OF MODERN TANK?

STEPHEN BULL AND OUR TEAM ARE HERE FOR THE TANK'S TEST.

THE FRONT OF THE CURRENT CONFLICT

IN EASTERN UKRAINE IS ABOUT 200 MILES AWAY.

SO THE GUYS HAVE JUST BOMBED UP THE TANK

AND THEY'VE PUT IN THREE ROUNDS

AND THESE ARE TWO-PART ROUNDS.

THE PROJECTILE IS FIN-STABILIZED

AND BEHIND IT IS THE MAIN CHARGE OF EXPLOSIVE.

THE TARGET IS A SOLID STONE WALL.

THE TEAM ALSO SETS UP EXPLOSIVEGASOLINE DRUMS BEHIND IT.

THE GUN AIMS TO HIT THE TARGET

FROM A DISTANCE OF 1,800 YARDS.

AT THAT DISTANCE, THE TANK RELIABLE HITS ITS TARGET.

WELL, THAT WAS A GUT-SHAKING SHOT.

YOU COULD SEE THE FLASH.

I COULD CERTAINLY FEEL THEPRESSURE GOING THROUGH MY HEAD.

I'M GLAD THEY WARNED ME TO KEEP MY MOUTH OPEN,

'CAUSE OTHERWISE I'M QUITE SURE

SOMETHING WOULD POP INSIDE THERE.

SO THIS WRECKAGE HERE IS WHAT'S LEFT OF THE TARGET.

AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S STILL BURNING,

SO I'M NOT GONNA GO ANY CLOSER THAN THIS.

BECAUSE IF THAT GOES OFF, THIS COULD BE PRETTY SERIOUS.

BUT HOW DOES THE MODERN TANK

HANDLE UNEVEN TERRAIN?

STEPHEN BULL GOES ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

THE OBSTACLE, TWO CAR WRECKS.

THE 51 TON T-84 SLIDESEFFORTLESSLY OVER THE VEHICLES.

IN THE NEXT TEST, THE TANK FACES A BURNING ROADBLOCK.

THE TANK SEEMS TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE FLAMES WITH EASE.

BUT IN REALITY, IT CAN ONLY WITHSTAND

A BLAZING FIRE FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

I WON'T BE DOING THAT AGAIN IN A HURRY.

WHEN YOU WERE INSIDE SOME OF THE SMOKE

AND A FEW OF THE EMBERS WERE BEING SUCKED IN

THROUGH SOME OF THE FILTRATION SYSTEM.

AND I COULD FEEL IT GETTING VERY SMOKY IN THERE.

I'M VERY GLAD THAT HE GOT THE LID OPEN WHEN HE DID.

IT CERTAINLY WASN'T PLEASANT.

A TANK THAT OFFERS ITS CREW

FULL PROTECTION IS AN ILLUSION.

IN FACT, TANKS ARE AS POWERFUL AS THEIR MYTH

ONLY WHEN THEY ARE USED AGAINST CIVILIANS,

IN 1953 IN EAST BERLIN, 1968 IN PRAGUE,

OR IN OTHER PLACES WHERE DICTATORSHIPS

ACT AGAINST THEIR OWN PEOPLE.

TODAY, AS A TOOL OF SUPPRESSION,

TANKS ARE STILL THE IDEAL WEAPON.

IT'S A POWERFUL MECHANICAL BEAST

WHICH THREATENS YOUR SECURITY.

IT ALSO MAKES YOU LOOK BIG AND STRONG.

IT'S THE WAR ELEPHANT OF THE MODERN WORLD.

THEY'RE SYMBOLS OF POWER AS WELL AS BEING POWERFUL.

THE ROLE OF LARGE

AND POWERFUL MILITARY EQUIPMENT AS A DETERRENT

HAS LONG SINCE SHIFTED TO OTHER TYPES OF WEAPONS.

IN 2002, AMERICAN WEAPONS ENGINEERS DEVELOPED

WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE MOTHER OF ALL BOMBS,

A 30 FOOT LONG BOMB

WITH AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE OF 11 TONS OF TNT.

THE IDEA IS OF COURSE THAT NUCLEAR WEAPONS

CAN DO IT BIGGER AND BETTER THAN ANYTHING CONVENTIONAL,

BUT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEM

WITHOUT STARTING A WORLD WAR.

SO, LET'S BUILD THE BIGGEST ONE WE CAN

SHORT OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

15 YEARS AFTER ITS DEVELOPMENT,

THE MOTHER OF ALL BOMBS IS USED FOR THE FIRST TIME.

ON APRIL 13TH, 2017, IT TARGETS A SITE

OF THE TERRORIST MILITIA

OF THE ISLAMIC STATE IN AFGHANISTAN.

EVERY BUILDING WITHIN A 500 FOOT RADIUS IS DESTROYED.

THE ATTACK GETS THE HEADLINE,

BUT THE ACTUAL MILITARY GAIN IS CONTROVERSIAL.

WHAT DOES IT ADD TO THE ARSENAL OF THE WORLD?

VERY LITTLE.

THERE IS A SENSE IN WHICH MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS

COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER.

THAT'S NOT A COMPETITION WITH ANYBODY ELSE,

THAT'S INTERNAL, AND THAT'S ABOUT THEIR SHARE

OF THE BUDGET VOTED THROUGH IN WASHINGTON.

SO, HAVING THAT BOMB MAKES THEM LOOK GOOD IN WASHINGTON

AND I SUSPECT THAT'S LARGELY WHAT'S BEHIND THIS.

THIS RIVALRY ALSO PLAYS OUT INTERNATIONALLY.

RUSSIA'S MILITARY DEBUTS THE MALE COUNTERPART,

THE FATHER OF ALL BOMBS.

IN 2007, RUSSIAN STATE TELEVISION

BROADCASTS AN ALLEGED TEST OF THE VACUUM BOMB.

BUT IN THIS CASE AS WELL, THE BOMB HAS A GREAT SYMBOLIC USE

AS PROPAGANDA THAN AS AN ACTUAL MILITARY TOOL.

Hausser: DURING THE EXPLOSION,

THE OXYGEN IN THE AIR BURNS TO CREATE AN IMMENSE VACUUM.

AND THE PRESSURE IN THESURROUNDING AREA DROPS ABRUPTLY.

SO IF I'VE ALREADY INHALED AND THE AIR IN MY LUNGS

IS AT NORMAL ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE,

THEN IT SUDDENLY EXPANDS AND MY LUNGS BURST.

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

ARMS RACES HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS ASPECT OF WAR.

AND DESPITE ANY ASSURANCES THAT NEW WEAPONS

ARE ONLY INTENDED TO DETER AN OPPONENT,

THEY ARE OFTEN STILL USED,

UNLEASHING THEIR FULL POWER OF DESTRUCTION.