Original subtitles

Narrator: A mysterious concrete giant

Atop a mountain peak...

It looks like a u.F.O. Or a flying saucer

With a concrete spire Going above it.

Narrator: ...A fantastical structure

In the middle Of an american river...

He was an amateur architect.

There were no blueprints.

He actually drew on napkins And on paper.

Narrator: ...And a technological Masterpiece lost to the sea.

When you get up Close you realize

When you get up Close you realize

That there's a lot more That meets the eye.

Narrator: once, they were some Of the most advanced structures

And facilities on the planet,

At the cutting edge Of design and construction.

Today, they stand abandoned, Contaminated,

And sometimes deadly.

But who built them? And how?

And why were they abandoned?

*

*

*

-- captions by vitac -- Www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by Discovery communications

Over 5,000 miles away,

High up in the central Balkan mountains of bulgaria

Is a structure that is Literally out of this world.

*

*

Through the cold, Swirling mist, a strange,

Curved concrete surface emerges, Punctuated by oblong openings.

An amazing structure That is a little bit mysterious

I think I'd say.

It reminds me of something out Of a 1970s sci-fi film.

Narrator: Eerie light and haze pierce the 197-feet-wide decaying copper

Narrator: Eerie light and haze pierce the 197-feet-wide decaying copper

That covers this abandoned 22,550-ton structure.

It looks like a u.F.O. Or a flying saucer

With a concrete spire Going above it.

Narrator: a 230-feet-high Sheer-sided tower

Punctuates the concrete disc.

But what on earth Was it used for?

But what on earth Was it used for?

If you told me it was a control Center for nuclear missiles,

I'd believe you.

If you told me it was some Pagan-ist cult worship center,

I'd believe you.

It's confusing.

Narrator: what is this Extraordinary complex?

And why is it here, abandoned 4,600 feet up

In the central Balkan mountains?

The answer lies behind The iron curtain of the 1970s.

The answer lies behind The iron curtain of the 1970s.

Bulgaria is the soviet union's Most loyal follower,

Thanks the country's communist Dictator, todor zhivkov.

To persuade his people That the communist cause

Is part of bulgarian history,

Zhivkov needs a unifying Project on a grand scale

That will win their Hearts and minds.

And its seemingly Remote location

Is vital to its success.

Is vital to its success.

Bell: the location's important To bulgarians

Because it's on the site Of a 19th-century battle

Between bulgarian rebels,

Which became The communist party,

And the forces Of the ottoman empire.

Narrator: this bizarre, Crumbling shell of a building

Is the striking Buzludzha monument.

Today it lies abandoned On a mountaintop.

Bulgarian communist Dictator todor zhivkov

Hopes that this structure Will ignite nationalistic spirit

And unite his people under The u.S.S.R. Communist banner.

First impressions When you see the monument

Are sort of bewilderment.

When you see monuments There's classical shapes.

This is not classical in anyway.

And so it's strikingly strange.

Bell: for me, buzludzha pretty Much exemplifies

Bell: for me, buzludzha pretty Much exemplifies

The methods communists used To keep people under the thumb

And to exert the power Over the power

Through their brutalistic And oppressive architecture.

Narrator: the project begins On january 23, 1974.

However, creating such A massive structure

On top of this inhospitable Mountain range

Is no easy task.

Is no easy task.

Dokrell: constructing anything Of large size

In a remote area is challenging.

I think it was sort of classical Socialist will that decided,

You know, "We're gonna build This building right here,

And no matter what it takes,

We're gonna cart all this Material up this mountain.

We're gonna dynamite The top off the mountain,

And this is what We're gonna do,"

And they did it.

Narrator: Over 500,000 cubic feet of rock

Is blasted away to level The top of the mountain,

Dropping its height By an incredible 30 feet.

Dropping its height By an incredible 30 feet.

At such high altitude, The progress of construction

Is at the mercy Of the elements.

The workers battle Heavy snowfall, high winds,

And enveloping mists.

They work around the clock To achieve the build

In the narrow weather window From may to september.

With such a demanding schedule,

A constant supply Of materials is vital.

A constant supply Of materials is vital.

Agrawal: now, this thing's Made out of concrete,

So you need to get The aggregates up there,

You need get The wet concrete up there,

You need mix it up,

Make sure that it's all, you Know, properly molded together.

You need to get The formwork up there

So that you can actually Shape the concrete.

It's really a big Logistical challenge.

Narrator: Despite the challenges, 70,000 tons of concrete

And 3,000 tons of steel are used To construct the monument.

And 3,000 tons of steel are used To construct the monument.

At its core is a y-shaped base

That takes the whole Vertical load

Of the unique flying saucer.

Centered around a simple Interior structure,

The futuristic outer shell Poses more of a problem.

The design of the monument Was a great challenge

For the engineers in the '70s.

The shape in the concrete Was calculated

The shape in the concrete Was calculated

By computers in moscow.

Agrawal: when you're trying To make something as curved

And as sinuous as this structure That we're looking at here,

Then you need to think about,

"Well, how am I actually Going to achieve that,"

So it's a really interesting Challenge for engineers,

Especially in that era,

To create these Really smooth curves

Against which they then Want to pour the concrete.

Narrator: An impressive 30 tons of copper

Cladding covers The roof of the saucer,

Cladding covers The roof of the saucer,

Which can be heated To melt heavy snowfall,

Preventing the roof From collapse.

Agrawal: one of the biggest Challenges that the engineers

Would have had to consider In designing

This is the amount of snow

That the roof Would need to resist,

So having this Shallow dome shape

Is actually a fairly good shape,

Because it will allow some snow To kind of move its way off

And to flow off.

Narrator: The most outstanding elements Of this construction

Narrator: The most outstanding elements Of this construction

Is the tower that soars from The mountaintop towards the sky.

Its summit takes the load of 2 39-feet-high red glass stars,

Each weighing A colossal 3.5 tons.

Ivanova: they were the biggest Illuminated stars in the world.

They could be seen from Hundreds of kilometers

Away by good weather.

Narrator: no expense is spared

Narrator: no expense is spared

On the lavish interior Of the structure.

Bell: from the outside you see This brutalist,

Concrete version Of the millennium falcon,

But on the inside The feeling's quite different.

They used 35 tons of mosaic

And stained glass To decorate the inside

To give it the atmosphere That they wanted.

The mosaics are not just For decorative purposes.

The mosaics are not just For decorative purposes.

Every element Within the monument

Must be a reminder Of the communist cause.

From the one side, Could be seen the faces

Of lenin, marx, and engels,

And from the other side The bulgarian communist leaders.

Narrator: A 5,490-square-feet mosaic

Of the sickle and hammer crowns

Of the sickle and hammer crowns

The center of this Monumental achievement.

It takes seven years, 6,000 volunteers,

And $35 million in today's money To construct buzludzha.

The grand opening On august 23, 1981,

Is attended by the world's Top communist leaders.

The site is immediately Glorified throughout

The site is immediately Glorified throughout

The communist world As a beacon of power.

*

But communism collapses Seemingly overnight,

And this icon falls with it.

*

Narrator: planted on top Of a bulgarian mountain peak

Is buzludzha monument,

A powerful symbol Of bulgarian communist

And its sudden collapse.

Bell: many of the communist Structures that we see were

Almost monuments To either individuals

Or to military control,

To the power Of that communist party.

To the power Of that communist party.

I mean, they weren't Necessarily beautiful --

Or maybe they were Beautiful in their own way.

There was certainly A lot of concrete involved.

Narrator: this incredible Structure doubles as

A meeting place for The bulgarian communist party

As well as a site that draws Over 3 million visitors.

Today, it sits derelict And covered in graffiti

On the mountaintop.

People were really impressed And astonished by the building.

People were really impressed And astonished by the building.

They still remember, Until today, their visits.

And in this sense, buzludzha's A really effective tool

Of creating communist mythology.

Narrator: for eight years, It serves as the emblem

Of bulgarian communism.

But in 1989, The demise of the u.S.S.R.

Coupled with todor zhivkov's Fall from power dooms

The buzludzha monument To the past,

The buzludzha monument To the past,

And it is abandoned.

Today buzludzha monument Is a ruined shell,

Clouded in the mist,

And its future looks bleak.

But maybe its final chapter Is soon to be written.

On november 24, 2016,

The bulgarian government Passes a new law

That bans the public display Of communist symbols.

That bans the public display Of communist symbols.

So are they going to Tear it down,

Or will this hill return To its former glory?

Perhaps future generations Will have no idea that

For a short period 40 years ago

A powerful icon rose And fell here.

Bell: say what you like About eastern europe

Communist regimes.

But they could certainly Make a statement structurally.

But they could certainly Make a statement structurally.

*

Narrator: high in The chugach mountains of alaska

Is one of the world's first Arctic feats of engineering.

*

Wedged in a glacier-lined gap 178 feet above

Wedged in a glacier-lined gap 178 feet above

The vast flowing copper river

Is this 1,550-feet Rusting steel structure.

Borer: nothing had ever Been built like it.

It was one of the greatest Feats of arctic engineering.

It really required Some innovative thinking,

And the challenges Were pretty demonstrable.

Narrator: Supporting the steel expanse

Are three 6-sided concrete masses,

64 feet long, and 21 feet Wide at their bases.

64 feet long, and 21 feet Wide at their bases.

But a closer look reveals That this mammoth feat

Had structural flaws that Soon heralded its destruction.

To get all of that material In a very pristine

Alaskan wilderness Is truly mind-blowing.

You have these concrete blocks Coming out of the water.

You have these concrete blocks Coming out of the water.

Why?

Narrator: What are these concrete wedges?

And why is this seemingly Perfect structure abandoned?

The answer lies in its history.

In 1900, alaska is rich In undiscovered resources.

Deep in the territory's Wrangell mountains, prospectors

Discover high-grade copper ore

And set up the kennicott mine To extract it.

And set up the kennicott mine To extract it.

But that is only Half the battle.

How will they get all this Priceless ore to civilization?

The mine's owners, j.P. Morgan And daniel guggenheim,

Sink $25 million into The creation

Of the 196-mile-long Copper river railway.

But they know they have a major Operation ahead of them.

But they know they have a major Operation ahead of them.

Jerram: Whenever you have engineering Projects in high latitude,

The arctic regions, antarctic Regions, it's a problem.

It might be easier To work there in winter

When the ground's more solid.

You've got that dynamic Problem of a melt season.

As you've got lots of snow, When you get to summer,

Short summer, you get lots And lots of water.

So you get big rivers.

So all of these things Make engineering projects

In such environments Very, very difficult.

In such environments Very, very difficult.

Narrator: but how do engineers Plan to get man and machinery

Across this icy expanse?

*

Narrator: deep in alaska's Wrangell mountains

Are two formidable Walls of ice --

The childs And miles river glaciers.

Barely three miles apart,

They block both banks Of the copper river.

But how do engineers plan To span this icy expanse?

But how do engineers plan To span this icy expanse?

The only solution Is to build this --

The miles glacier bridge,

Better known As the million dollar bridge.

The million dollar bridge Is aptly named

Because that's what It cost to construct.

It was a completely unique Engineering challenge.

It was new technology For everything.

Nobody had a glacier On both sides of a bridges

Nobody had a glacier On both sides of a bridges

That's dumping 1,000-ton icebergs

And 100-mile-an-hour winds

And 60-below-zero temperatures Across a river

That has a current of 10 knots,

Plus the fact access to here Was near impossible.

Narrator: this impossible bridge Needs to be light enough

To stretch across the river

But strong enough To take the strain

Of two fully-loaded trains

Meeting in the middle Of the span.

Meeting in the middle Of the span.

To achieve this economically,

Engineers build four Steel truss bands,

Mounted on three concrete piers.

Agrawal: so this bridge is A pennsylvania truss bridge.

Now, engineers love trusses

Because They're full of triangles,

And triangles Are a strong shape.

It also means you've got Thinner pieces of steel,

And you're cleverly channeling Loads and forces through it

And you're cleverly channeling Loads and forces through it

Into the foundations

To create an efficient structure And a light structure

And, basically, Keep the bridge strong.

Narrator: construction of The miles glacier bridge

Begins in april 1909.

Laborers act fast Before the melt season

Releases 1,000-ton icebergs

That could sweep away Their hard work.

This means finishing In a breakneck 13 months

This means finishing In a breakneck 13 months

And preparing for the worst.

So how do you stop these Floating battering rams of ice?

You try and defect them.

You try and stop those Massive pieces of ice

From actually hitting The bridge itself.

There's two icebreakers -- One in front of pier one

And one in front of pier three.

They're both approximately 53 feet long, 31 feet wide,

They're both approximately 53 feet long, 31 feet wide,

Buried about 20 feet Into the bed of the river

And sticking out of the water At about 18 feet.

The iceberg comes down And hit that

And are either split Or deflected by the icebreaker

So that the ice doesn't Hit the piers themselves.

Narrator: with the bridge Complete and now protected,

The first 1,200-ton load Of high-grade copper ore

The first 1,200-ton load Of high-grade copper ore

Travels across the miles glacier Bridge in 1911.

For the next 27 years,

The bridge withstands The elements

To bring its investors A massive return

And making every dime of its $1.4 million spend worthwhile.

Dokrell: so, even though The bridge is called

The million dollar bridge --

For its day, Which was lot of money --

For its day, Which was lot of money --

The amount of money That came out of the mine,

Almost over $200 million,

More than paid For the extravagant sum

That was spent at the time.

Narrator: For almost three decades The bridge is a vital lifeline.

But in november 1938, Having exhausted its resources,

The kennicott copper mine Shuts down

And the bridge turns Into a highway for vehicles.

And the bridge turns Into a highway for vehicles.

But at 5:36 p.M.

On march 27, 1964, Disaster strikes.

Can the miles glacier bridge

Survive a catastrophic Force of nature --

A 9.2 magnitude earthquake.

*

Narrator: near the southeast Coast of alaska

Stands the miles glacier bridge.

In 1964, it's set to become

A vital piece Of the new copper river highway.

But at 5:36 p.M. On march 27th,

A terrifying Natural disaster strikes --

An earthquake Of epic proportions.

An earthquake Of epic proportions.

Jerram: the earthquake That struck alaska in 1964

Was recorded as the second Largest earthquake

Ever recorded in human history.

Narrator: Whole communities are destroyed,

And 139 people are killed In the 9.2-magnitude quake.

Borer: the '64 earthquake Knocked down stand four.

It fell down into the water Basically intact,

It fell down into the water Basically intact,

But the reason it fell

Is the pier supporting it Had sliced itself in half

Because there was no structural Reinforcement in the concrete.

Narrator: for next 40 years,

The engineers wrestle With a problem.

If the rest of the bridge Collapses,

It could create An environmental disaster,

Not only blocking The copper river below

But poisoning its waters With its lead coating.

But poisoning its waters With its lead coating.

The engineers are torn Between repairing

Or demolishing the bridge.

But its fate is determined By pure economics.

Borer: It was less expensive to repair It than it was to take it out.

An excess of $100 million Was estimated

To take the bridge out,

And they spent $17 million On phase one to fix the bridge.

Narrator: in 2004, work begins To rebuild the damaged pier

Narrator: in 2004, work begins To rebuild the damaged pier

And raise the fallen span Back into place.

But despite the repairs,

The bridge is redundant As the highway it serves

Can no longer reach it.

The miles glacier bridge Is abandoned.

Today the bridge serves No purpose,

But remains a tourist attraction

As well as being an Environmental ticking time bomb.

As well as being an Environmental ticking time bomb.

It requires upkeep.

It's too expensive To get rid of,

So what are you Gonna do with it?

Today the million dollar bridge

Is literally A bridge to nowhere.

*

Deep in the forests of upstate New york, hides a remote island

And on it what appears to be The remnants of a mighty castle.

And on it what appears to be The remnants of a mighty castle.

*

What is it doing here?

And why has it been forgotten?

When you first see these ruins It looks like

Just another castle Over a brooding scottish loch.

The site Sprawls across the island.

Concealed amongst its trees Are multiple turrets

Of a derelict castle.

But hidden in this carcass Are clues to its real function.

But hidden in this carcass Are clues to its real function.

Gough: so what is its purpose?

The giveaway is in the letter Along one of its walls.

Narrator: what was this Impressive fortification

Trying to protect?

And why was it abandoned?

In 1900, the the center Of new york city,

In 1900, the the center Of new york city,

Millionaire businessman Francis bannerman vi

Runs a successful Military surplus empire.

He needs a warehouse big enough To house his explosive supplies,

Including some 30 million munition cartridges

Left over from The spanish-american war.

The city did not want him To store black powder there

Because it's very, very volatile And just a small cup

Could blow up An entire building.

Could blow up An entire building.

Narrator: 50 miles up the Hudson river from new york city

Is the solution --

Pollepel island.

Bannerman buys the rocky land For $600

And creates a series Of structures

To house his dangerous supplies,

Which evolve into This mighty fortress --

Bannerman's island arsenal,

Better known As bannerman's castle.

Gough: This is no scottish castle.

Gough: This is no scottish castle.

It's no british stately home Or ruined french château.

This is an ammunition warehouse.

Narrator: it is close enough to New york to carry on business

And where his lethal catalog Of goods won't pose a threat.

Placing his own, unique stamp On the island,

Bannerman turns His hand to design.

He was an amateur architect. There were no blueprints.

He was an amateur architect. There were no blueprints.

He actually drew On napkins and on paper.

And when he built Something he said,

"I want you to build It up to here,"

And if he didn't like it He would say, "Break it up"

And put another window In or something,

And the whole place Was built like that.

Narrator: Work starts in spring, 1901,

Blasting away tons of rock

To create a level platform For a 3-story warehouse.

As business booms, so too does Bannerman's island creation.

As business booms, so too does Bannerman's island creation.

In 1905 he constructs two More buildings and a harbor wall

To receive and store His expanding arms empire.

But rather than designing them In a simple fashion,

Instead he draws on his scottish Heritage for inspiration.

Gough: why did bannerman design The building like he did?

Well, he was a proud scot,

And he was paying homage To his homeland.

And he was paying homage To his homeland.

So anything he'd use to make The structure look

Sort of castle-esque, That's what he wanted to do.

Narrator: his building methods Are anything but ordinary.

To create the harbor, he sinks Multiple barges filled with junk

And rubble To act as foundations.

Frank bannerman was A practical businessman

Who made his fortune Selling junk.

What does that mean?

It means he never Wasted a thing.

If he couldn't sell it, He used it --

If he couldn't sell it, He used it --

Old bed stands, Pieces of battleship,

He used them To reinforce his building.

Narrator: his unconventional Approach to building

Also extends to all The structures on the island.

Agrawal: when you think About the way this building's

Actually been put together,

Which is a complete mishmash of All kinds of different materials

With a bit of brick and A very thin layer of concrete

Actually surrounding that --

I mean, that sounds Questionable enough

I mean, that sounds Questionable enough

For someone to live In or to reside in,

But then you put Explosives in there,

And I think that's, quite Frankly, a terrible idea.

Will bannerman's explosives Destroy his castle?

And why was it abandoned?

*

Narrator: 50 miles from new york city On an island on the hudson river

Is the mysterious and Abandoned bannerman's castle.

But back in 1908, It stored one of the largest

Private collections Of army surplus and ammunition

Ever seen in the united states.

Gough: army surplus stores Are everywhere today,

But that wasn't Always the case.

It's thanks to bannerman.

He's the one Who bought this stuff.

Nobody else cared, and before Long, hollywood, broadway,

They're turning to him And him only for their props.

Narrator: To be closer to his ammunition,

Bannerman moves his family into His own purpose-built castle.

But the patchwork construction And the surplus stock

Within lay the foundations For destruction.

Agrawal: I love the idea of taking scrap Bits of metal and material

And making something Fantastic out of it.

The one thing I wouldn't recommend

Is doing that On a structure,

'cause ultimately If you're gonna live in there

It needs to stand up.

I definitely wouldn't Want to live there.

Narrator: on august 15, 1920, Disaster strikes.

Narrator: on august 15, 1920, Disaster strikes.

His wife was here, Helen bannerman.

She was up at the residence Sitting in her hammock,

And as soon as she got up --

She went into the house To get a cup of tea.

She turned around And the building blew up...

And a piece of that building Right in the hammock

Where she was sitting.

Narrator: 200 pounds of black Powder stored

In the powder house explodes, Throwing a 25-feet section

Of wall across the river On to the railway tracks.

Of wall across the river On to the railway tracks.

But miraculously, Bannerman's castle

Complex survives the explosion.

For the next 30 years, as Bannerman's business dwindles,

His island complex Falls into disrepair

And in 1969 a catastrophic fire

That burns for 3 days Seals its fate.

Bannerman's castle is abandoned.

Bannerman's castle is abandoned.

*

Today the ruins are Being stabilized

And bannerman's island

Is becoming a popular Tourist attraction and venue.

Francis bannerman's Fantasy castle

Continues to frighten All those who see it.

Caplan: he left an incredible Building here, which is an icon.

All over the world people come And ask about bannerman island.

All over the world people come And ask about bannerman island.

Gough: clearly, bannerman's Building is in a state

Of disrepair.

It will require Millions to restore,

But I think we should Make the effort

Because this is A slice of history

That, well, frankly, I don't Think should be forgotten.

*

Narrator: Deep beneath a norwegian fjord

Narrator: Deep beneath a norwegian fjord

Near the port of narvik

Lies a forgotten Engineering masterpiece.

*

From among the scattered Debris littering the sea floor,

Rises a corroded bulk Of metal 37 feet wide.

Bell: When you first see this massive,

Twisted rusting steel In the otherwise beautiful

Twisted rusting steel In the otherwise beautiful

Setting of the norwegian Fjords you think,

"Hang on -- someone's just Been dumping junk down here."

Narrator: for over 390 feet, It climbs towards

The rocky shoreline Of rombaksfjorden,

Piercing the surface Of the water.

But something has crushed And warped this metal.

What force could do that?

Bell: when you get up close And actually you see

Bell: when you get up close And actually you see

Just how twisted and mangled This massive rusty steel is,

You realize it's not just The roof of someone's shed

That they've lobbed down there To disintegrate into the sea.

Actually, there's a lot more Than meets the eye.

Narrator: what is this Mysterious metal structure

Doing here in the pristine Nordic wilderness?

And why is it abandoned?

*

*

The answer lies in its history.

On march 1, 1940,

Adolf hitler orders The invasion of neutral norway,

Intent on obtaining Essential raw materials

For his growing war machine.

The high-grade iron ore Flowing from the port of narvik

Is vital to his plans,

But there is a problem.

The large-scale and heavily Armored british navy

The large-scale and heavily Armored british navy

Patrol these waters.

To succeed, the germans need A modern fleet of the fastest

And most maneuverable Of ships -- destroyers.

They create a warship That represents

The absolute apogee Of german technology.

And these destroyers are gonna Be the best warships on the sea.

Corum: destroyers are not Mini battleships.

Corum: destroyers are not Mini battleships.

They are, to some degree, Expendable weapons

With relatively small crews,

And they're capable of A multitude of operations.

They're an essential Part of the navy.

Narrator: the german's ingenious Solution is this --

A type 1934 destroyers, the mighty georg thiele.

It is a quantum leap In warship technology.

It is a quantum leap In warship technology.

Costing $92 million In today's money to build,

She enters service in 1937.

bell: the georg thiele was one of the first of hitler's

New breed of warship

That he believed was gonna Win him the war in the waves.

It was bigger, it was faster, And much more heavily armed

Than anything he was Gonna come up against.

*

*

Narrator: so did this great ship Turn into a rusting wreck

In this fjord?

*

Narrator: these are remains of the georg thiele,

One of hitler's destroyers

Spearheading His invasion of norway.

On april 6, 1940, georg thiele and 9 other

High-speed destroyers Head for narvik

With 3,000 elite Mountain troops on board,

But her design Is far from perfect.

But her design Is far from perfect.

The germans build warships That on paper are excellent,

But on the high seas, they just Can't perform properly.

narrator: georg thiele's speed is overshadowed

By a key design flaw --

She is too top heavy, making her Unstable in rough seas.

To avoid the threat Of capsizing,

Her fuel tanks have to remain Just 30% full at all times.

Her fuel tanks have to remain Just 30% full at all times.

And that's not her Only weakness.

Bell: They were so heavy at the front.

They'd really dip into the water In heavy weather

And take on hundreds Of gallons of water.

The engines were unreliable, And the guns were too big.

Narrator: Armed with 5 5-inch guns,

4 37-millimeter Anti-aircraft guns,

4 37-millimeter Anti-aircraft guns,

And 8 21-inch torpedo tubes,

This is one fierce Fighting machine.

On april 10, 1940,

Georg thiele and the nine destroyers attack.

They actually very successfully Landed in a surprise attack

On narvik, Landed their invasion force,

On narvik, Landed their invasion force,

Which fairly quickly Seized the railhead

And the town of narvik,

Drove out The defending norwegians.

Narrator: but their victory Is short-lived.

A royal navy attack force Thunders in to retake narvik.

They're coming with these highly Tuned german sports cars

Of destroyers,

And they're coming up Against these clunky

Royal navy Land rover destroyers.

Royal navy Land rover destroyers.

And the germans -- They fight very well.

Narrator: the georg Thiele unleashes hell,

Taking out one Of the royal navy destroyers,

But in the narrow confines Of the fjord,

She can't use her superior speed And firepower to her advantage,

Suffering seven major hits In the process.

14 of her 325-man crew Are killed.

14 of her 325-man crew Are killed.

You're operating An impossible situation.

You're in an enclosed area,

You can't effectively Use your torpedos,

And the british Have brought in cruisers.

Narrator: british firepower Sends six german destroyers

To the bottom of the fjord.

Trapped, Low on ammunition and fuel,

The surviving German destroyers flee.

but the georg thiele stands defiant.

but the georg thiele stands defiant.

She fires her last torpedo As british destroyer

hms eskimo closes in.

georg thiele last torpedo blow the bow off the eskimo.

*

Britain's navy turns its sights on the georg thiele.

She is badly damaged And has no escape.

Bell: so, the only option They had to ram their ship

As fast as they could On to the shore.

That would allow their crew Some chance of escape on to land

And would effectively Scuttle the ship.

Narrator: the georg thiele hits the shore at nearly 40 knots,

Beaching herself On rombaksfjorden.

*

Bell: what a sight That must have been.

Bell: what a sight That must have been.

It's pretty much a third of The ship that made its way up on

To land to allow its crew Some chance of escape.

But just a phenomenal sacrifice That those captains made of --

Of the technology

And, potentially, Of their crew as well.

Narrator: with the fate Of the ship sealed,

The crew escape into The surrounding hills.

Breaking in two, her stern sinks Deep into the rombaksfjorden

Breaking in two, her stern sinks Deep into the rombaksfjorden

While the bow rolls Onto its side.

This german war machine Now lies mangled and abandoned.

*

Today the twisted steel plate of georg thiele still lie

In their norweigian backwater.

Never able to unleash her Superior speed, maneuverability,

And firepower,

And firepower,

She was ultimately Defeated by the british,

And the surroundings Finished her off.

Bell: well, in another 20, 30 years or so

It's likely what's left Will disintegrate

And slip further down

And finally come to rest On the seabed,

Joining its sister ships Down there.

Maybe that is a more fitting end To the last remaining survivor

Of hitler's lost-vanished fleet.