Original subtitles

THEY ARE THE TOOLS

OF 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!

AMBUSH THE ENEMY.

SOME INSIDIOUS BUT EFFICIENT INVENTIONS HAVE INFLUENCED

THE OUTCOME OF WARS AND HAVE BEEN USED FOR CENTURIES.

ONE WEAPON PERILOUS FOR CAVALRY, THE CALTROP.

YOU CAN'T SMELL THEM, YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE,

YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THEY ARE.

THAT'S RUSSIAN ROULETTE!

THE ROMANS WERE USING CALTROPS

AS EARLY AS TWO -THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW DO THEY WORK?

AFTER DOMESTICATED HORSES

BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE BATTLEFIELD,

INFANTRY SOLDIERS ARE NO MATCH FOR ARMED RIDERS.

THE PROBLEM FOR INFANTRY,

WHEN THEY FACE CAVALRY,

IS THE SPEED WITH WHICH THE CAVALRY MOVE

AND THE WEIGHT THEY BRING TO CONTACT.

THE IMPACT OF A CAVALRY ATTACK

CAN DECIDE THE FATE OF AN ENTIRE WAR.

AND IT TAKES A LOT OF DISCIPLINE

TO MAKE FOOT SOLDIERS STAND

WHEN THEY'RE BEING CHARGED BY HORSEMEN.

THE MOBILITY AND SPEED

OF CAVALRY ATTACKS WREAK HAVOC.

ANCIENT MILITARY LEADERS TRY TO FIND WAYS TO COUNTER THEM.

A WEAPON KNOWN AS THE CALTROP

PROVES TO BE AN INGENIOUS SOLUTION.

MIKE LOADES WANTS TO TAKE ACLOSER LOOK AT THE SMALL WEAPON.

HOW WERE CALTROPS DEPLOYED ON THE BATTLEFIELD?

THIS VICIOUS, MATRIX OF IRON SPIKES,

IT'S CALLED A CALTROP.

AND THEY WERE USED ON THE ANCIENT

AND MEDIEVAL BATTLEFIELD IN THEIR THOUSANDS,

SCATTERED ALL OVER THE FIELD.

THE THING ABOUT THEM IS, WHEN YOU THROW THEM,

THEY LAND SPIKE UP.

THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA LAND WITH

ONE OF THESE SPIKES STICKING UP.

SO, ANYBODY WALKING THROUGH LONG GRASS

CAN'T SEE THIS AND THE FOOT DRIVES THROUGH THE SPIKE,

THIS ONE'S GOT A BARB, SO VERY DIFFICULT TO GET OUT.

VICIOUS AGAINST HORSES, KIND OF A MEDIEVAL MINEFIELD.

ON HORSEBACK,

SOLDIERS CAN BARELY SEE THE CALTROPS

AND THEY CAN CAUSE DEEP INJURIES

FOR BOTH HUMANS AND ANIMALS.

217 AD. ROMAN INFANTRY SOLDIERS ARE FIGHTING

ARMED PARTHIAN RIDERS IN THE BATTLE OF NISIBIS.

AS THE HORSEMEN GALLOP TOWARDS THEM,

THE ROMANS FAKE A RETREAT

AND SCATTER TRIBULI ON THE BATTLEFIELD,

THE ROMAN VERSION OF THE CALTROP.

THEY CONSIST OF FOUR SHARP IRON SPIKES.

ROMAN TRIBULI HAVE BARBS,

WHICH ARE LESS COMMON ON THEIR MEDIEVAL COUNTERPARTS.

IN THOSE SITUATIONS,

THE CALTROP CAN BE VERY USEFUL TO CONTROL A TERRAIN.

YOU CAN CREATE DEAD GROUND WHERE NO ONE CAN GO

AND THAT CAN PREVENT A FLANKING ATTACK

OR THE ENEMY COMING AROUND BEHIND.

SO THE CALTROP IS USEFUL TO CONTROL THE GROUND.

TRIBULI SLOW DOWN CAVALRY ATTACKS

OFTEN CAUSING GREAT LOSSES OF MEN AND HORSES.

AND THEY ARE EASY TO MAKE.

ANY BLACKSMITH CAN FORGE THEM.

JENS CHRISTIANSEN DEMONSTRATES.

HE HEATS A PIECE OF IRON

THAT HAS BEEN SPLIT INTO FOUR ARMS,

BENDS THE ENDS AND FORGES THE SPIKES.

THAT'S IT, THE DEFENSIVE WEAPON IS READY TO USE.

WHAT A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE THING.

SO THIS IS THE ROMAN VERSION, THE TRIBULUS.

THE BARBS ARE INTIMIDATING.

IF THAT GOES THROUGH YOUR FOOT,OR CERTAINLY A HORSE'S FOOT,

THAT MAN IS OUT OF ACTION,

THAT HORSE IS OUT OF ACTION FOREVER.

SO BY THE MIDDLE AGES THEY HAD DISPENSED WITH THESE BARBS.

AND THE TRIBULUS BECAME THE CALTROP.

IT'S THE SAME THING, DIFFERENT NAME, BUT WITHOUT THE BARBS.

TRIBULI ARE PART OF THE STANDARD EQUIPMENT

OF THE ROMAN LEGIONS.

FOR HORSES, STEPPING ON A CALTROP USUALLY SPELLS DOOM.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE ANIMALS IN MILITARY HISTORY

HAVE VULNERABLE HOOVES.

HORSES ARE A DECISIVE FACTOR

IN WINNING WARS UP TO THE 20TH CENTURY.

EVER SINCE MEN HAVE BEEN WAGING WARS,

ANIMALS HAVE BEEN AMONG THE VICTIMS.

THEY ARE OFTEN KILLED ON THE FRONT LINES

OR WHILE TRANSPORTING WEAPONS, AMMUNITION AND FOOD.

GERMAN FORCES ALONE LOST ABOUT 1.5 MILLION HORSES

DURING WORLD WAR ONE.

CANNON, SIEGE ENGINES HAVE BEEN PULLED BY OXEN

RATHER THAN BY HORSES.

AND THE GREAT ADVANTAGE OF THE OX IS

WHEN HE'S FINISHED HIS JOB YOU CAN EAT HIM.

SO ANIMALS ARE ALSO A CRITICAL PART OF THE FOOD CHAIN

AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE MOBILE MEANS IT'S

EASIER TO MOVE AN ANIMAL FOOD SUPPLY

THAN IT IS A VEGETABLE FOOD SUPPLY,

WHICH NEEDS ANIMALS TO TOW IT.

THEIR GREAT MILITARY VALUE

OFTEN MAKES ANIMALS

A TARGET FOR THE ENEMY.

FOR HORSES, STEPPING ONTO A CALTROP

OFTEN PRODUCES A MORTAL WOUND.

IN BATTLE, SOLDIERS HAVE NEITHER THE TIME

NOR THE SYMPATHY FOR A WOUNDED ANIMAL.

MIKE LOADES WANTS TO FIND OUT IF CALTROPS

ARE REALLY THAT EASY TO DEPLOY.

WHAT I WANT TO FIND OUTIS IN A FIELD OF CALTROPS

WHAT'S THE RUSSIAN ROULETTE,

WHAT'S THE CHANCE OF A CAVALRYMAN GETTING THROUGH.

I'VE GOT THESE SPONGES SOAKED IN BLUE PAINT

AND I AM GOING TO HIDE THEM IN THE GRASS HERE

SO THE HORSES CAN'T SEE THEM.

GET THEM WELL COVERED.

MIKE DISTRIBUTES THE DUMMY CALTROPS

ACROSS A STAKED-OFF PLOT.

IF YOU WERE DOING IT IN THE MIDDLE AGES

YOU WOULD JUST SIMPLY BE

THROWING THEM OUT AS YOU WALK BACK.

YOU COULD GET IT DOWN REALLY QUITE QUICKLY.

AT TOP SPEED, FOUR HORSEMEN WILL TRY

TO CROSS THE FIELD UNHARMED.

YOU CAN ALSO SEE UNDERNEATH ON A HORSE'S FOOT,

HOW VULNERABLE IT IS.

LOOK, THIS IS SOFT.

THIS IS WHERE THE SPIKE OF THE CALTROP WOULD GO IN;

REALLY CRUEL WEAPON.

CAN THE HORSES CROSS THE AREA AT FULL SPEED

AND ESCAPE UNSCATHED?

ACTION!

CALTROPS ARE INSIDIOUS WEAPONS,

INVISIBLE TO AN ATTACKING HORSE AND RIDER.

IN OUR EXPERIMENT THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN

ARE COLOR STAINS ON HOOVES.

BUT IN WAR, STEPPING ON A CALTROP

WOULD MEAN GAME OVER FOR THE HORSE

AND OFTEN FOR THE RIDER AS WELL.

OKAY, LET'S HAVE A LOOK.

I CAN SEE STRAIGHT AWAY THAT ABSOLOM

HAS FALLEN VICTIM TO A CALTROP.

LOOK AT THAT, YOU CAN SEE THIS STREAK OF BLUE DOWN HIS LEG.

THE HORSE WOULD BE DOWN, THE RIDER WOULD BE THROWN,

THEY'RE OUT OF THE BATTLE.

LOOK AT THAT.

ON HIS HIND LEG THIS HORSE AS WELL AS STEPPED ON A SPONGE,

IT MEANS IT WOULD A STEP ON THE CALTROP,

EVEN BEING THIS WET I THINK THAT COULD BE A TRACE.

SO MAYBE YOU SURVIVED.

NOTHING HERE.

BOTH HOOVES ARE CLEAN.

BUT THAT'S TWO HORSES OUT OF FOUR IN THAT ONE RUN

GOT STRUCK BY CALTROPS.

IMAGINE IF YOU ARE IN A CAVALRY CHARGE

AND YOUR FELLOWS GO DOWN AND YOU,

THE CRY WOULD GO UP, CALTROPS!

IT WOULD TAKE A BRAVE MAN OR A FOOLISH MAN

TO RIDE THEIR HORSE THROUGH, AND THAT'S RUSSIAN ROULETTE.

OUR EXPERIMENT HAS SHOWN

THERE IS NO PROTECTION AGAINST A CALTROP ATTACK.

ONE OF THE FEW IMAGES DETAILING THE USE OF CALTROPS

IS A MURAL IN THE CHAPEL OF SCHOÖNENBUCHEN

IN SOUTHERN GERMANY.

IT DEPICTS MERCENARIES ON A RAID

IN THE BLACK FOREST IN 1444.

FARMERS ARE TRYING TO HINDER THEM WITH CALTROPS.

YOU PUT BASKETS OF CALTROPS ON A MOUNTAIN PASS

THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO YOUR TOWN,

THEN YOU DECIMATE AN ARMY BEFORE IT ARRIVES.

YOU PUT BASKETS OF CALTROPS THROUGH A WOODLAND CAUSEWAY

THEN YOU CAUSE CHAOS IN AN ATTACKING ARMY.

YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO FIGHT THEM.

THERE ARE FEW PORTRAYALS OF CALTROPS,

MOST LIKELY BECAUSE THEY WERE CONSIDERED INHUMANE.

YET OVER THE COURSE OF HISTORY,

MILLIONS OF THEM HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED.

AND MEDIEVAL WEAPONS ENGINEERS

CONTINUED TO MODIFY THE BASIC FORM.

THE CALTROP IS A SILENT ASSASSIN.

IT HIDES AND WAITS FOR ITS VICTIMS.

BUT SOMETIMES IT'S USED MORE ACTIVELY.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE EVIDENCE OF CALTROPS IN CLAY POTS.

POTS THAT COULD BE DROPPED

FROM THE HEIGHT OF CITY WALLS OR CASTLES.

BUT YOU WOULD THINK THAT ONCE THE POT SMASHED

AND THESE CALTROPS WERE ON THE GROUND

EVERYONE WOULD KNOW WHERE THEY WERE.

THEY WOULDN'T KNOW IT WAS A MINEFIELD.

BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE IN THE POT.

WHEN THE POTS BREAK,

NOT ONLY CALTROPS COVER THE BATTLEFIELD.

THE RESULT IS ONE OF THE FIRST CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN HISTORY.

THE OTHER INGREDIENT

IN THE POT OF CALTROPS WAS QUICKLIME.

QUICKLIME IS USED IN BUILDING MATERIALS

FOR MORTAR, FOR CEMENT.

THIS IS IT WHEN IT'S SET.

THIS IS NOW INERT.

BUT BEFORE IT'S INERT IT'S A VERY,

VERY DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE IN POWDER FORM.

THAT'S WHY FOR THIS DEMONSTRATION

WE ARE USING FLOUR,

NOT THE REAL THING.

QUICKLIME IS MADE FROM CRUSHED SEA SHELLS AND LIMESTONE

THAT ARE THEN HEATED TO VERY, VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE.

AND THEN YOU GET THIS SUBSTANCETHAT REACTS WITH WATER,

REACTS WITH ANY MOISTURE AND IT HAS

A RAPID ACCELERATION IN TEMPERATURE

AND IT BURNS LIKE ACID.

THE CLAY POTS FILLED WITH CALTROPS

AND QUICKLIME PROVE TO BE

A EFFICIENT DEFENSIVE WEAPON IN SIEGES.

YOU GOT IT?

SOMETIMES, MEDIEVAL DEFENDERS PITCH

MORE THAN SEVERAL HUNDRED CLAY POTS.

IF THIS WAS REALLY QUICKLIME

IT WOULD BE A SCENE OF TRUE TERROR.

THIS DUST WOULD BE GETTING DOWNTHE BACK, BEHIND YOUR ARMOR,

YOU COULDN'T GET AT IT.

IT WOULD BE GETTING IN YOUR EYES,

EVERYTHING WOULD BE STINGING AND YOU WOULD BE BLINDED.

QUICKLIME IS COMPLETELY CAUSTIC FOR HUMANS.

IT IS BASICALLY AN ACID AND CAUSES

EXTREMELY BAD CHEMICAL BURNS.

IT'S ALSO HIGHLY FLAMMABLE,

SO IF IN ADDITION TO THE CALTROPS AND QUICKLIME

YOU ADD OTHER HIGHLY FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES,

YOU CAN EFFORTLESSLY MAKE IT ALL CATCH FIRE.

THIS STUFF, IF IT'S QUICKLIME,

TOUCHING THE MOISTURE IN YOUR EYES WOULD BURN YOUR EYES OUT,

AND YOU COULD NOT SEE AND YOU WOULD STAND ON THE CALTROPS.

THIS STRATEGY STUNNED THE ENEMY,

SLOWED ATTACKS ON THE BATTLEFIELD

OR PREVENTED THEM ALL TOGETHER.

THE FACT THAT CALTROPS ARE SO EASY TO MANUFACTURE

MAKES THEM A CHEAP WEAPON.

MODERN CALTROPS AND THEIR VARIATIONS, LIKE SPIKE STRIPS,

CAN DESTROY CAR TIRES.

POLICE ALL AROUND THE GLOBE USE THEM.

THEY ARE ONE OF THE FEW WEAPONSIN HISTORY THAT HAVE BEEN

DEPLOYED ALMOST UNALTERED SINCE THE ROMAN ERA.

OUR NEXT WEAPON IS ALSO USED TO AMBUSH THE ENEMY.

BUT UNLIKE CALTROPS,

IT'S SUITABLE FOR BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE.

THE DREYSE NEEDLEGUN.

JULY 3RD, 1866, KOÖNIGGRAÄTZ, NORTHERN BOHEMIA.

440,000 SOLDIERS OF THE TWO MOST POWERFUL

STATES IN THE GERMAN CONFEDERATION

ARE FACING EACH OTHER IN BATTLE.

WHOEVER WINS THIS WAR WILL GAIN CONTROL

OVER WHAT WE KNOW TODAY AS GERMANY.

THE AUSTRIAN TROOPS ARE ARMED

WITH TRADITIONAL MUZZLELOADERS,

WHICH HAVE A LIMITED RANGE.

ON THE OTHER SIDE, PRUSSIAN SOLDIERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH

STATE-OF-THE-ART BREECH-LOADING GUNS.

THESE WEAPONS WILLREVOLUTIONIZE WARFARE IN EUROPE.

WEAPONS EXPERT WOLFGANG STABE

WANTS TO TEST THIS WONDER WEAPON FROM 1866.

WHAT MAKES THE NEEDLEGUN SO INNOVATIVE?

A FASCINATING WEAPON.

IT'S AMAZING WHAT IT CAN DO.

IN THE 16TH CENTURY,

THE MUSKET BECOMES THE STANDARDWEAPON OF THE INFANTRY.

IT'S AN EFFECTIVE RIFLE

THAT DOMINATES BATTLEFIELDS FOR CENTURIES.

BUT IT'S RELATIVELY SLOW TO LOAD.

MUZZLELOADERS ARE THE ORIGINAL FIREARM.

YOU HAVE A MUZZLE THAT'S CLOSED ON ONE END.

IT'S LOADED WITH BLACK POWDER

OR ANOTHER TYPE OF EXPLOSIVE AND THEN THE PROJECTILE.

THE PROBLEM IS YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO

LEAN OVER THE FIREARM TO RELOAD IT.

EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE RAMMED DOWN

INTO THE BARREL REALLY SNUGLY.

THIS RESULTS IN THE LINE FORMATION.

ALL SOLDIERS FIRE THEIR WEAPONS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

UNIFORMS IN THE EARLY MODERN ERA ARE VERY,

VERY COLORFUL BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TELL APART

THE VARIOUS UNITS ON THE BATTLE FIELD.

AS A COMMANDER, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE

WHERE WHICH UNIT IS STANDING.

SOLDIERS STILL FIGHT UNPROTECTED,

OUTFITTED IN COLORFUL UNIFORMS THAT ARE EASY TO SPOT.

BUT GERMAN INVENTOR JOHANN NIKOLAUS VON DREYSE

HAS BEEN WORKING ON A NEW TYPE OF GUN.

BACK THEN, THE WEAPON'S IGNITION WAS NOT WEATHERPROOF

BECAUSE THE FLINTLOCKS WERE EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS.

IN DREYSE'S MODEL THE IGNITION IS PROTECTED.

DREYSE BUILDS A CARTRIDGE THAT CONTAINS A PROPELLANT,

A PROJECTILE AND A DETONATOR ALL IN ONE PIECE.

THE PRUSSIAN ARMY STARTS BUYING THIS GUN

IN LARGE QUANTITIES.

BUT IT WILL TAKE ANOTHER TWENTY YEARS

UNTIL ITS FIRST MAJOR DEBUT.

WOLFGANG STABE RECOGNIZES THE DREYSE GUN'S PLACE IN HISTORY.

THE LOCK SYSTEM WAS SO REVOLUTIONARY

THAT IT HAS BEEN COPIED A MILLION TIMES

AND IT'S STILL USED TODAY.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO MANUFACTURE MODERN WEAPONS

WITHOUT THIS CRUCIAL INVENTION.

THE DREYSE NEEDLEGUN

IS A BREECH-LOADING GUN

WITH A PERCUSSION LOCK AND CARTRIDGES

DETONATED BY A FIRING PIN.

IT STILL HAS PAPER CASES,

BUT THEY MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO REFILL THE PROPELLANT,

PROJECTILE AND DETONATOR IN JUST ONE STEP.

OUR EXPERIMENT BEGINS.

IS THE NEEDLEGUN REALLY SUPERIOR TO THE MUSKET?

WOLFGANG STABE AND ANOTHER GUNMAN

ARE INTENDING TO FIND OUT.

WHICH ONE WILL FIRE FASTER?

THE DREYSE GUN, A BREECH-LOADING GUN?

OR THE MUZZLELOADER WHICH IS EASY TO HANDLE.

WE'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT.

WE'VE GOT ONE MINUTE.

FOR OUR EXPERIMENT, TINS AND PLASTIC BOTTLES

FILLED WITH LIQUID SERVE AS TARGETS.

THE TEST IS DESIGNED TO SHOW WHAT THE AUSTRIANS

HAD TO FACE IN 1866 WHEN THEY ENCOUNTERED THE PRUSSIANS

AND THEIR NEW GUNS.

FIRE AT WILL!

COMPARED TO THE DREYSE AND ITS

ALL-IN-ONE CARTRIDGE, LOADING THE MUZZLE IS TIME-CONSUMING.

THE NEEDLEGUN CLEARLY HAS THE EDGE IN TERMS OF SPEED.

TIME'S UP.

WOLFGANG STABE HAS MANAGED THREE SHOTS IN SIXTY SECONDS.

ONE OF THEM HIT THE TARGET.

HIS OPPONENT MANAGES TO LOAD AND FIRE HIS GUN ONLY ONCE.

I WAS SUPERIOR BY FAR IN TERMS OF RATE OF FIRE.

THE RAPID LOADING AND FIRING

OF THE DREYSE NEEDLEGUN IS A GAME CHANGER

IN BATTLEFIELD TACTICS.

WITH THE HELP OF TWO TEAMS,

WOLFGANG STABE WANTS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW.

HI EVERYONE.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

WE ARE ABOUT TO CONDUCT A HISTORICAL EXPERIMENT.

BLUE IS PRUSSIA, THESE ARE THE AUSTRIANS.

IT'S THE BATTLE BETWEEN A BREECH-LOADING SYSTEM

AND A MUZZLELOADER SYSTEM.

EVERYONE HAS THE SAME WEAPONS.

THE AUSTRIANS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO RELOAD ONCE

AND HAVE TO WAIT 20-30 SECONDS.

THIS IS ABOUT THE TIME IT TOOK

A HISTORICAL MUZZLELOADER TO RELOAD.

THE PRUSSIANS ARE ALLOWED TO RELOAD ONCE,

FIRE, RELOAD ONCE, FIRE.

TEAM ORANGE HAS TO FIRE TOGETHER

AND LOAD WHILE STANDING, JUST AS THE MUSKETEERS HAD TO DO

UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

TEAM BLUE MAY ALSO TAKE COVER TO RELOAD.

ATTENTION EVERYONE, GET READY.

THREE, TWO, ONE.

BY FIRING FASTER AND TAKING COVER TO RELOAD

THE BLUE TEAM SHOULD HAVE A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE.

HOW REAL.

JUST IMAGINE HOW MUZZLELOADERS

USED TO SHOOT BACK IN THE DAYS,

THEY ALL FIRED THEIR GUNS AT THE SAME TIME.

IT MAYBE TOOK A WELL -TRAINED SHOOTER

20 SECONDS TO FIRE ONE SHOT.

THEY'RE AN EASY TARGET.

HIT!

ONE MAN DOWN.

TEAM BLUE IS STILL INTACT.

ZERO HITS.

THEY'RE BENDING DOWN AND ARE MUCH HARDER TO HIT.

HIT!

OH, THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD AT ALL FOR THEM.

TEAM BLUE WINS EASILY.

ON THE 19TH CENTURY BATTLEFIELD,

THE BREECH-LOADING TECHNIQUE STILL HAS A FEW BUGS,

BUT SOON TURNS OUT TO BE A PIONEER DEVELOPMENT.

ONLY THE GENERALS STILL HAVE THEIR RESERVATIONS.

YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE THE GENERALS

AS VERY CONSERVATIVE PEOPLE.

NEVER CHANGE A WINNING TEAM, NEVER CHANGE A WINNING WEAPON.

THEY WERE ALSO WORRIED THAT INTRODUCING NEW GUN SYSTEMS

LIKE THE DREYSE NEEDLEGUN

WOULD MAKE THE AMMUNITION USE SKYROCKET.

HOWEVER, THE BATTLE OF KOÖNIGGRAÄTZ IN 1866

PUTS ANY DOUBTS TO REST.

A WOODED HILL, KNOWN AS SWIEP FOREST,

IS A KEY POSITION FOR THE PRUSSIANS.

THE LONGER RANGE OF THE AUSTRIAN MUZZLELOADERS

OFFERS NO ADVANTAGE IN THE WOODED ENVIRONMENT.

THE PRUSSIANS FIRE THEIR DREYSA GUNS FROM COVER.

BY NIGHTFALL, 13,000 AUSTRIANS ARE DEAD OR MISSING.

THE PRUSSIANS ONLY LOSE ABOUT 2,000 MEN.

THIS BECOMES THE BATTLE-WINNING WEAPON IN 1866

AND IT TRANSFORMS THE WAY THE REST OF THE WORLD LOOKS

AT INFANTRY FIREPOWER.

ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE IS A NEW WAY OF FIGHTING WITH INFANTRY

AND IT INVOLVES BREECHLOADING, RIFLED WEAPONS.

NEW WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY OFTEN LEADS TO

FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN WARFARE.

IT'S UP TO THE GENERALS TO ORGANIZE THEIR

BATTLEFIELD TACTICS AROUND THE LATEST ADVANCEMENT.

THE 17TH CENTURY SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS.

THE BAYONET REPLACES THE PIKE AND LEADS TO THE INTRODUCTION

OF WHAT IS CALLED LINE FORMATION.

INFANTRY UNITS FORM TWO TO THREE RANKS.

THE LINES OF SOLDIERS CAN BE OVER 3,000 FEET LONG.

ON COMMAND, ALL WEAPONS ARE FIRED SIMULTANEOUSLY,

KNOWN AS VOLLEY FIRE.

INFANTRY BATTLES IN THE AGE OF THE MUSKET

WERE FOUGHT BY PLATOONS, REGIMENTS,

AND WHOLE ARMIES OF MENSTANDING IN TWO AND THREE LINES

EXCHANGING VOLLEYS OF LEVELED FIRE, NOT AIMED FIRE.

SOLDIERS WERE NOT TRAINED TO AIM AT THE ENEMY,

THEY WERE TRAINED TO LEVEL,

TO POINT THEIR MUSKET DEAD AHEAD TOWARDS THE ENEMY.

AND YOU FIRED AS MANY ROUNDS AS POSSIBLE

AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE,

HOPING THAT YOU WOULD DO MORE DAMAGE TO THE ENEMY

THAN THEY WOULD DO TO YOU.

PRECISION WAS NOT AN ISSUE,

THIS WAS ABOUT MASSES OF BULLETS

BEING FIRED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

THE RATE OF FIRE AND RANGE OF THE

DREYSA NEEDLEGUN ALLOWS BATTLES TO BECOME MORE MOBILE.

AS A RESULT, SOLDIERS DEVISE NEW TACTICS.

MOVEMENT DURING BATTLE BECOMES INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS.

ANOTHER REASON FOR THIS IS THAT AN OLD DESIGN CAN NOW BE

MANUFACTURED AT AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE; THE LANDMINE.

EL-ALAMEIN, EGYPT, 1942. THE GERMAN AFRICA CORPS

UNDER THEIR COMMANDER ERWIN ROMMEL

HAS PUSHED THROUGH TUNISIA AND REACHED EGYPT.

BRITISH TROOPS ARE INTENDING TO STOP THE GERMAN ADVANCE

NEAR EL-ALAMEIN, ABOUT 62 MILES FROM ALEXANDRIA.

THE DESERT BATTLEFIELD OFFERS VIRTUALLY NO COVER

AND THEREFORE LENDS ITSELF TO THE USE OF LANDMINES.

BOTH SIDES HIDE MORE THAN 17 MILLION LANDMINES IN THE SAND.

THE MODERN LANDMINE WAS INVENTED AS A PART OF

A DEFENSIVE SYSTEM TO PREVENT THE ENEMY ATTACKING.

RATHER LIKE THE MEDIEVAL CALTROP,

IT'S AN ANTI-ATTACK SYSTEM.

THE BRITISH MINE FIELD

LIMITS ROMMEL'S TANK TROOPS,

WHO ALSO LACK SUPPLIES AND AIR SUPPORT.

THE BATTLE COMES TO AN END IN AUTUMN 1942.

THE GERMANS HAVE TO RETREAT.

SIX MONTHS LATER, HITLER LOSES HIS WAR IN NORTH AFRICA.

THE LEGACY OF THIS CAMPAIGN

LIES DEEP WITHIN THE NORTH AFRICAN DESERT.

EXPERTS ESTIMATE THAT ABOUT 1/5 OF THE LANDMINES

BURIED WORLDWIDE LIE IN THE DESERT AREA

AROUND THE LIBYAN -EGYPTIAN BORDER.

THE PURPOSE OF LANDMINES IS TO

STOP THE ENEMY USING A PIECE OF GROUND

AND THAT WORKS BOTH AS AN ABSOLUTE BARRIER,

BUT IT CAN ALSO WORK AS A CHANNEL.

YOU CREATE MINEFIELDS WHICH OBLIGE THE ENEMY

TO GO THROUGH A PARTICULAR ZONE

WHERE YOU MAY HAVE TARGETED ALL OF YOUR ARTILLERY,

WHERE YOU MAY BE READY WITH OTHER FORMS OF DEFENSE

TO MEET THEIR ATTACK.

IN WORLD WAR II,

LANDMINES BECOME AN EFFICIENT MEANS

TO SLOW DOWN THE ENEMY'S APPROACH.

THE DEADLY LEGACY OF THIS TACTIC

CLAIMS VICTIMS IN THE FORMER WAR ZONES TO THIS DAY.

STEPHEN BULL WANTS TO LEARNMORE ABOUT THIS WEAPON THAT COST

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES IN THE 20TH CENTURY.

SO, THIS IS A SECOND WORLDWAR TYPE ANTI-PERSONNEL MINE.

ONE OF THE MOST VICIOUS WEAPONS EVER INVENTED.

THIS IS A BOUNCING BETTY.

THE SORT OF WEAPON EVERYBODY WANTS TO BAN NOW.

LIKE MOST LANDMINES THE BOUNCING BETTY'S

DETONATOR IS TRIGGERED BY PRESSURE.

AFTER A SHORT DELAY, THE MINE IS LAUNCHED INTO THE AIR

AND DETONATES AT A HEIGHT OF ABOUT THREE FEET.

THIS MAGNIFIES THE EFFECT OF THE MINE.

BUT WHAT MADE MINES POSSIBLE WAS THE FUSES,

THE WAYS THEY WERE INITIATED.

AND THIS IS A SURPRISINGLY LONG STORY.

THE STORY DATES BACK

TO THE 11TH CENTURY IN CHINA.

THE CHINESE DISCOVER THAT A MIXTURE OF SALTPETER,

CARBON AND SULFUR CAN EXPLODE.

GUNPOWDER IS BORN.

INITIALLY USED FOR FIREWORKS, IT'S ADOPTED BY THE MILITARY.

IN 1368, AN EARLY VERSION OF THE LANDMINE

MAKES ITS DEBUT IN INNER MONGOLIA.

THE EXPLOSIVE DEVICES CONSIST OF HOLLOWED OUT CONTAINERS

WEIGHING TWELVE POUNDS.

A SPECIAL TYPE OF FUSE,

BLACK POWDER WRAPPED IN THIN SILK PAPER,

TRIGGERS THE EXPLOSION.

IT'S EASY TO MAKE, BUT NOT RELIABLE.

IN THE CENTURIES THAT FOLLOW, CONCEALED EXPLOSIVES ARE USED

MANY TIMES TO DEFEND FORTS AND CASTLES.

BUT THE ATTACKERS ARE NOW ALSO USING SIMILAR WEAPONS.

THE TIME-CONSUMING YETDEVASTATING SIEGE WAR TACTIC

REQUIRES SOLDIERS WHO ARE ALSO ENGINEERS.

THE IDEA IS TO BUILD A TUNNEL, OR A MINE,

UNDERNEATH THE ENEMY'S FORTIFICATION WALLS,

FILL IT UP WITH EXPLOSIVES AND DETONATE IT.

THE TURKS DO THIS DURING THE SIEGE OF VIENNA IN 1529.

SEVERAL TIMES, VIENNA IS CLOSE TO BEING CONQUERED

THANKS TO THE WORK OF THE OTTOMAN ENGINEERS.

THEIR EXPLOSIVES CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE

TO THE WALLS OF THE AUSTRIAN CAPITAL.

THE DEFENDERS ARE FORCED TO COME UP WITH COUNTERMEASURES.

THEY SET UP LISTENING POSTS TO DETECT VIBRATIONS

CREATED BY THE MINING OF THE TUNNELS.

IF THEY FIND A TURKISH MINE TUNNEL,

THE DEFENDERS FILL IT WITH WATER

OR ATTACK THE ENEMY UNDERGROUND.

AS EARLY AS THE MID-16TH CENTURY,

GUNSMITH SAMUEL ZIMMERMAN FROM AUGSBURG, GERMANY,

DEVELOPS A MECHANICAL SYSTEM FOR SELF-DETONATING MINES.

HE COMBINES THE IGNITION MECHANISM OF A MUSKET

WITH AN EXPLOSIVE.

THE WEAPON SEEMS TO HAVE ENORMOUS POTENTIAL.

BUT IT IS NOT RELIABLE

AND CANNOT BE PRODUCED ON A LARGE SCALE.

IN 1862, LANDMINES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE

IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.

IN THE BATTLE OF YORKTOWN,

CONFEDERATE TROOPS

UNDER BRIGADIER GENERAL GABRIEL J RAINS

BURY LARGE NUMBERS OF LANDMINES

WITH SIMPLE MECHANICAL FUSES.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY A WEAPON OF THE DEFENSE,

IT'S A RELATIVELY SIMPLE WEAPON,

AND BECAUSE THE CONFEDERACY IS ON THE DEFENSIVE,

IT'S MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE FOR THEM THAN THE UNION,

WHICH IS LARGELY AN OFFENSIVE ARMY.

MOST OF THE CONFEDERATE MINES

DO NOT DETONATE.

THE UNION ARMY USES CAPTURED ENEMY SOLDIERS

TO DETECT THE DEVICES.

LANDMINES ARE NOT BATTLE-WINNING WEAPONS YET.

THE BLACK POWDER IS NOT WEATHERPROOF.

THE FUSE MECHANISM IS TOO UNRELIABLE.

IN 1867, SWEDISH INVENTOR ALFRED NOBEL MAKES A DISCOVERY

THAT ADVANCES LANDMINE EFFICIENCY.

AFTER COUNTLESS SETBACKS HE EVENTUALLY DEVELOPS

AN EXPLOSIVE THAT IS MORE STABLE THAN BLACK POWDER

AND ALSO RELEASES MORE ENERGY.

THE NAME OF HIS INVENTION, DYNAMITE.

DUE TO THE HIGH DEMAND IN WORLD WAR ONE,

THE GREAT POWERS START MANUFACTURING

LARGE QUANTITIES OF LANDMINES.

PRODUCTION REACHES A PEAK DURING THIS TIME.

BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARS, MINES ARE IMPROVED.

IN WORLD WAR II, PLENTY OF THEM ARE USED,

MOSTLY IN THE SOVIET UNION AND IN NORTH AFRICA.

HISTORIANS ESTIMATE THAT ABOUT 300 MILLION TANK MINES

AND A MUCH LARGER NUMBER

OF SMALLER ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES WERE DEPLOYED.

WEAPONS EXPERT STEPHEN BULL WANTS TO CONDUCT A TEST

ON A TRAINING AREA.

WHICH TACTIC DID THE TROOPS USE?

MOST LANDMINES ARE SET OFF BY PRESSURE.

A CAP OR A DETONATOR IS CRUSHED AND THE MINE EXPLODES.

THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE REQUIREDVARIES ACCORDING TO PURPOSE.

ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES REQUIRE VERY LITTLE PRESSURE,

AN ANTI-TANK MINE AN AWFUL LOT OF PRESSURE.

THE T42 IS AN ANTI-TANK MINE

WITH A DIAMETER OF ONE FOOT AND A HEIGHT OF FOUR INCHES.

ITS TRIGGER WEIGHT IS 462 POUNDS.

THE S35 IS AN ANTI-PERSONNEL MINE WITH A DIAMETER

OF ONLY FOUR INCHES.

SIX POUNDS IS ENOUGH TO SET OFFTHE PRESSURE FUSE MECHANISM.

STEPHEN BULL: KICKS OFF THE EXPERIMENT.

11 ASSISTANTS HAVE TO PLANT LANDMINES

IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PLAN USED IN WORLD WAR II.

SO WELCOME TO MY TRAINEE MINE TECHNICIANS.

OUR JOB TODAY IS TO LAY A MINEFIELD ACROSS THIS TRACK.

TWO MINES A PERSON AND MOVE AWAY TO THE LEFT.

THANK YOU.

STEPHEN BULL IS FOLLOWING THE GERMAN FORCES'

TECHNICAL MANUAL 514/4 FOR THE PLACEMENT OF MINES.

SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU NUMBERS

AND PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR NUMBERS.

SO ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE,

SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT,

NINE, 10, 11.

AND I'D LIKE YOU TO MOVE INTO POSITION

AT TWO METER INTERVALS, RIGHT ON THE FAR SIDE OF THIS TRACK.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

All: YES.

OKAY. PLEASE TAKE YOUR POSITIONS.

SO, I WOULD LIKE ODD NUMBERS TO TAKE ONE PACE

INTO THE TRACK AND PREPARE TO LAY YOUR MINES.

EVEN NUMBERS, STAY WHERE YOU ARE, PLEASE.

SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO DIG AHOLE, ABOUT 10 CENTIMETERS DEEP,

SO JUST THE TOP PART OF THE MINE

IS SHOWING ABOVE THE GROUND.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT REMOVE THE PIN YET.

WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE THE PINS TO ACTIVATE THE MINES

AT THE END OF OUR JOB, OKAY?

OUR DUMMY MINES BASICALLY WORK

LIKE ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES

EXCEPT THE FUSE MECHANISMDOESN'T SET OFF AN EXPLOSION

BUT A COLORED CLOUD INSTEAD.

SOON, THE MINES ARE HIDDEN IN THE GROUND,

EACH SPACED AT A WIDTH OF FIVE FEET

AND LENGTH OF THREE FEET FROM EACH OTHER.

THESE PATTERNS ARE INTENDED TOFORM AN IMPENETRABLE BARRIER.

ANTI-TANK MINES ARE PLACED IN THREE CONSECUTIVE ROWS,

THREE TO SIX FEET APART FROM EACH OTHER.

THE CHANCES OF CROSSING THESE LINES UNHARMED ARE SLIM.

IN THE LARGEST MINE BATTLE OF WORLD WAR II

IN EL-ALEMIN, EGYPT, BOTH SIDES USED MILLIONS OF MINES.

ERWIN ROMMEL, WHO HAD UNDERGONE

SPECIAL MINE CLEARING TRAINING,

HAD HIS MEN PLANT WHAT IS CALLED A DEVILS GARDEN,

A MINE FIELD MAZE, SHAPED LIKE A HORSESHOE.

IT'S EASY TO DRIVE INTO THEM BUT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE

TO ESCAPE WHEN UNDER FIRE.

BRITISH TANK DRIVERS DREADED THIS TACTIC.

STEPHEN BULL WANTS TO FIND OUT

IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO CROSS A MINE FIELD UNHARMED.

SO, HE PUTS THE ASSISTANTS INTO TWO GROUPS.

ONE GROUP HAS PLANTED THE MINES.

THE OTHER GROUP HAS NO IDEA OF THEIR PRESENCE.

ARE WE OKAY?

LET'S GO!

QUICKLY, QUICKLY!

STOP, STOP, STOP!

YOU'RE IN A MINEFIELD!

STOP!

THAT CERTAINLY GAVE A FEW PEOPLE SURPRISES.

ONLY SIX FEET INTO THE FIELD, TWO MINES GO OFF.

IN REALITY, THE EXPLOSIONS WOULD LIKELY HAVE CAUSED

SEVERE HARM TO EVERYONE.

I JUST HEARD IT, BUT I GOT SO SCARED

THAT I JUST HAD TO RUN FASTER AND FASTER.

Woman: THE FIRST INSTINCT IS YOU WANT TO RUN.

TO RUN FAST.

TO STAY ALIVE.

ONE MENACING FEATURE OF LANDMINES

IS THAT THEY ARE INVISIBLE.

IT'S A FACTOR THAT WEIGHS HEAVILY ON SOLDIERS' MINDS.

THERE'S A SERIOUS MESSAGE HERE,

AND THAT IS HOW DANGEROUS MINES WERE ON THE BATTLEFIELD

AND THEIR EFFECT OF SLOWING ARMIES DOWN, OF CAUSING PANIC,

OF CAUSING OCCASIONAL CASUALTIES.

IT ALL ADDS UP TO AN EFFECTIVE,NASTY AND CUNNING WEAPON.

PLANTING MINES IS RELATIVELY EASY

AND INEXPENSIVE.

CLEARING A MINE FIELD IS MORE DIFFICULT.

IN THE AFTERMATH OF CONFLICTS AND WARS

MINEFIELDS OFTEN POSE PROBLEMS BECAUSE THERE ARE NO MAPS

INDICATING WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN PLACED.

THERE ARE STILL LANDMINES

IN THE FALKLAND ISLANDS

FROM THE 1982 WAR.

ALL OVER SOUTHERN AFRICA THERE ARE LANDMINES

IN POST-COLONIAL CONFLICTS.

THEY'RE IN VIETNAM.

PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING KILLED BY LANDMINES.

THERE ARE SEVERAL TECHNIQUES

TO CLEAR MINE FIELDS.

BESIDES MANUAL METHODS WITH DETECTORS,

ANIMALS CAN ALSO HELP, LIKE SPECIALLY TRAINED RATS.

IF IT'S FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE,

MACHINES CAN ALSO DO THIS DANGEROUS JOB.

ACCORDING TO ESTIMATES OF THE UN,

MORE THAN 100 MILLION LAND MINES

WERE STILL BURIED WORLDWIDE IN THE MID-1990S.

CELEBRITIES ALSO GET INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST MINES,

LIKE PRINCESS DIANA.

IN AUGUST 1997, SHE VISITED MINE VICTIMS IN BOSNIA.

IN DECEMBER 1997, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

REACHES AN HISTORIC AGREEMENT.

121 STATES SIGN THE OTTAWA TREATY,

THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF

ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES.

32 STATES STILL HAVE YET TO SIGN THE TREATY TO THIS DAY.

AMONG THEM ARE NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA,

INDIA, ISRAEL, RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE BAN IS, IT'S NOT UNIVERSAL.

THE KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD HAVE USED MINES IN THE PAST

ARE HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO STOP USING THEM NOW.

IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE RIGHT PEOPLE WILL USE THESE THINGS.

BECAUSE THEY WORK.

THESE RELICS OF PAST WARS

STILL CLAIM VICTIMS TODAY.

EVERY TWENTY TO THIRTY MINUTES

SOMEONE STEPS ONTO A LANDMINE SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD.

AN AGE-OLD WEAPON,

LETHALLY IMPROVED BY MODERN TECHNOLOGY,

AND DEPLOYED COUNTLESS TIMES

AS A RESULT OF INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING.

THE RACE TO THE PERFECT ATTACK FROM COVER

IS LIKELY TO BECOME INCREASINGLYESSENTIAL IN THE FUTURE.

NEW TECHNIQUES ARE BEING DEVELOPED THAT AIM AT

CONCEALING ANYTHING FROM THE ENEMY'S EYES, EVEN TANKS.

SPECIAL CAMOUFLAGE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES ALREADY EXIST.

THEY MAKE VEHICLES INVISIBLE AT LEAST TO INFRARED CAMERAS.

THIS IS POSSIBLE THANKS TO THERMO REFLECTORS

THAT CHANGE THEIR TEMPERATURE WITH THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

YOU NEED 1,000 OF THESE PANELS

IN ORDER TO MAKE A TANK DISAPPEAR.

SENSORS ON BOARD CREATE A HEAT IMAGE

THAT MATCHES THE SURROUNDINGS.

IT'S MORE LIKE A CHAMELEON THAN A TRADITIONAL TANK.

COMPARABLE STEALTH TECHNOLOGY FOR SOLDIERS

IS ALREADY BEING DEVELOPED.

IT'S THE NEXT GENERATION OF ATTACKS FROM COVER.