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- [Rudy] The following
program contains footage
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of military operations.
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Viewer discretion is advised.
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Tonight, on The Proof Is Out
There: Military Mysteries.
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Film of a top secret base.
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What was it hiding and
should we be worried?
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- The vision for Camp
Century was enormous.
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- [Rudy] Video of
a decimated plane.
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Were its passengers sacrificed
in a mission to target Saddam?
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- The government
deliberately landed them
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in a war zone to get the
secret team on the ground.
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- [Rudy] Who were
the mystery pilots
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00:00:34,083 --> 00:00:36,500
who terrified the
Nazis in World War II?
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- You wouldn't know
where they were
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or what they were targeting
until you heard the explosion.
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- [Rudy] And if this
photo doesn't show
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the world's strangest
secret weapon,
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somebody tell us what is.
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- Historians are really
struggling to figure out
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how and why the Nazis
would've even tried
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to build this thing
in the first place.
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[dramatic music]
[artillery booming]
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- [Rudy] In the modern history
of war, there are films.
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- Shazam.
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- [Rudy] Photos,
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00:01:06,083 --> 00:01:07,542
recordings,
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and documents that
raise questions.
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- So everything about this
story is one big mystery.
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- This particular footage has
caused a lot of controversy.
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- [Rudy] What's
really happening?
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- [Expert] There's so
little information.
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- Nothing like this has
been attempted before.
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- [Rudy] That's
where we come in.
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Our mission:
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Investigate the battlefield's
strangest images,
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sounds, and more.
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- [Expert] This
photo blows my mind.
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- [Amy] You can imagine
how terrifying it would be.
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- [Rudy] We'll analyze
each with military experts
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and try to come up with answers.
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- I'm Ronnie Adkins, former
U.S. Army intelligence analyst.
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- I'm Rudy Reyes, recon
Marine war veteran.
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The proof starts now.
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[dramatic music]
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Hello everyone, I'm Rudy.
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He's Ronnie.
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And we are locked and loaded
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to take on some of
the wildest stories
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ever to come out of
the world of warfare.
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- Let's get to it. Picture this.
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In 1995 in a remote
area of Greenland,
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a Danish team comes across
a huge abandoned ice base.
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- You had me at ice base.
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The mystery.
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What was the base used for?
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And today, is it a
ticking time bomb?
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[tense music]
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It's 1960.
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This is footage of a U.S.
military facility being built
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in Greenland into a glacier.
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The U.S. had made a
deal with Denmark,
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which administers Greenland.
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The facility's 150 miles inland
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and just 800 miles
from the North Pole.
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It's called Camp Century
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and built as a nuclear-powered
research center,
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supposedly to study
the Earth's climate.
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The trenches average 26
feet in height and width
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and are topped
with a steel arch,
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using the cut and
cover technique.
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- The vision for Camp
Century was enormous.
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53,000 square miles
planned for this base.
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11,000 troops planned to be
stationed and working there.
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2,500 miles of tunnel.
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- [Rudy] For an ice base,
there are plenty of amenities.
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The Army Corps of Engineers
chiseled out a chapel,
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a library, and even
a movie theater.
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- I think the best way
to probably describe it
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is building a
complete city in ice.
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- [Rudy] But within six years
of the initial groundbreaking,
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the massive camp is abandoned.
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The soldiers are gone,
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but plenty of diesel fuel
and construction materials
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of wood and iron
are left behind.
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So when the Danish
team arrived in 1995,
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they could see that something
went seriously wrong here.
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As you can see from
this government footage,
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the American soldiers
who built the base worked
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in extreme cold.
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Is that why the
base was abandoned?
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Or did it have to do with
something the base was hiding?
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If you're not
properly protected,
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your core temperature
can go down.
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You start to become delirious.
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You actually feel like
you're getting hot.
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You can rip off your clothes
and now you've got hypothermia.
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Once you've got
hypothermia, death follows.
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- That's right, man. It's
also hell on the gear.
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When temps hit 20 below,
engine oil freezes
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and your whole logistics
train can be derailed.
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- So what the hell
happened at Camp Century?
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[tense music]
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First things first, Camp
Century was just a cover, a lie,
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to conceal something
called Project Iceworm.
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- The purpose of Iceworm was
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to build a strategic nuclear
missile facility and site
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that could launch
over the Arctic Circle
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and strike targets
in mainland Russia.
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- [Rudy] Those miles
of deep tunnels
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were really designed to shuttle
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and protect 600 Iceman
nuclear missiles,
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modified versions of
the Minuteman ICBM.
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Designed as a two-stage rocket
with a range of 3,300 miles,
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Iceman had the ability
to hit most targets
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in the Soviet Union.
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- This seemed like a
perfect plan for us
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where we could have this
hidden in plain sight
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and only using the
medium-range missiles,
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as compared to the long-range.
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- [Rudy] Okay, so that
answers the question
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of what the base was really for.
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How about what happened to it?
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The first thing we found out
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was that all was going
according to plan
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until the middle of 1962,
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when a frightening
discovery was made.
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The ceiling of this chamber,
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housing the research
facility's nuclear reactor,
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had lowered by five full feet.
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Journalist MJ Banias explains
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that repairs were
ordered immediately.
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- All of a sudden, they're
in serious jeopardy.
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You have a nuclear reactor.
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You could have meltdowns.
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You could have a
catastrophic event occur
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if this reactor suddenly
shuts down or breaks down.
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- [Rudy] Why did the
ceiling collapse?
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00:06:03,208 --> 00:06:05,542
Turns out it was due
to a big mistake.
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00:06:06,500 --> 00:06:08,542
The Defense Department
miscalculated
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00:06:08,542 --> 00:06:10,458
how fast the
glaciers were moving.
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It was only when scientists
took ice core samples,
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lo and behold, they
realized within two years,
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all the tunnels would be
destroyed by the ice's movement,
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nuclear missiles and all.
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The U.S. carted off
its nuclear reactor
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and the missiles, of course,
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but it left behind
the nuclear waste
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produced by the reactor.
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00:06:32,875 --> 00:06:36,708
The thinking was the ice
would keep the material safe.
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- There's some some ego
there that kinda says,
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well, nobody's gonna find this
stuff this far underground.
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It's gonna be buried in ice.
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It's not going to hurt anyone.
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- [Rudy] Unfortunately,
global warming
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messed up their plans.
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- What no one was
predicting in the 1960s
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was that the temperature
of the planet is increasing
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and Greenland itself is
becoming much more green.
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- [Rudy] That leaves us
with a two-sided problem.
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- First part is the scientific
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and technology
part of the problem
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in terms of how to clean
this stuff up effectively
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before it becomes a
larger issue in 2090.
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- [Rudy] Climate predictions
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from the American
Geophysical Union
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suggest that by 2090, there
will be enough ice melt
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to unleash the toxic
chemicals buried within.
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- The second part of the problem
is kind of a diplomatic problem
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because this is a mess that
the United States left
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in a ally's backyard,
essentially.
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- For now, both the nuclear mess
and the diplomatic mess remain.
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Unbelievable!
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We have a word for that, buddy.
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SNAFU.
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Situation normal, all fouled up.
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- SNAFU 2090.
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Mark your calendar.
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- The next story is about one
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of the biggest military
controversies in recent years.
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It happened during the opening
shots of the first Gulf War.
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- The big question.
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Did the British government
sacrifice a plane full of people
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to smuggle special
operators into Kuwait?
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It's 1991.
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A Boeing 747 has been
reduced to rubble
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on the ground at Kuwait
International Airport.
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- The body of the plane
is definitely destroyed,
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twisted metal,
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parts thrown all
over the airfield.
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- [Ronnie] This was no crash
and it's not just any plane.
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- Everything about this
story is one big mystery.
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- [Ronnie] Let's rewind.
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[tape rewinding]
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On August 1st, 1990,
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the plane, British
Airways Flight 149,
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takes off from London.
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Its first stop is Kuwait City.
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Deborah Saloom and
her husband George
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are among the 367
passengers on board.
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- We were in first class
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and it's quite separated on
the British Airways flights
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from the regular passengers.
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We got our seats and
everything was really nice.
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00:09:06,042 --> 00:09:08,583
- [Ronnie] But when Flight
149 lands in Kuwait,
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all hell breaks loose.
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While it's refueling,
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the cabin door opens to let
in an unexpected visitor
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who reportedly speaks
with a British accent.
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- He was not in uniform.
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He had on very
nondescript clothes,
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like a khaki colored
light blazer, khaki pants.
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No insignias, no anything.
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00:09:29,625 --> 00:09:32,083
- [Ronnie] Suddenly,
a group of nine men
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00:09:32,083 --> 00:09:33,625
who'd been passengers
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00:09:33,625 --> 00:09:36,458
and have a military look
stand up to meet the guy.
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- They were young men.
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They were fit and muscular.
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They had crew cuts.
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The officer said, "You're
late, you're really late."
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00:09:43,583 --> 00:09:47,583
And while all the
passengers waited,
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this group of young
men went to the front
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00:09:51,708 --> 00:09:53,167
and got off the plane.
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00:09:54,208 --> 00:09:56,333
- [Ronnie] While the
passengers don't know it yet,
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00:09:56,333 --> 00:09:58,375
Iraqi strongman, Saddam Hussein,
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00:09:58,375 --> 00:10:01,833
and his forces have begun
their invasion of Kuwait.
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00:10:03,708 --> 00:10:06,625
As Flight 149 sits
on the tarmac,
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00:10:06,625 --> 00:10:08,833
Iraqi forces seize the airport.
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00:10:08,833 --> 00:10:10,083
The passengers and crew
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00:10:10,083 --> 00:10:12,625
are taken hostage
by Saddam's troops.
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- They became human
shields of Saddam Hussein.
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00:10:17,333 --> 00:10:20,708
- [Ronnie] Saddam moves the
hostages to strategic locations,
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making them human shields.
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00:10:22,875 --> 00:10:26,667
- He somehow thought that
if he put allied prisoners
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in these locations, the
allies wouldn't bomb there.
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00:10:31,542 --> 00:10:33,125
- [Ronnie] The prisoners
were then transferred
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00:10:33,125 --> 00:10:36,750
to detention centers in
cities like Basra and Baghdad.
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There they were
subjected to starvation,
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00:10:39,375 --> 00:10:41,750
mock executions, and more.
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00:10:43,333 --> 00:10:46,375
Luckily, the Salooms survived.
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00:10:46,375 --> 00:10:47,833
Nine months later,
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00:10:47,833 --> 00:10:50,125
after the allies have
driven Saddam out of Kuwait,
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00:10:50,125 --> 00:10:52,875
their family is reunited
back in America.
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00:10:52,875 --> 00:10:56,042
- We just made it out
because of the grace of God.
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00:10:56,042 --> 00:10:58,750
It was not our time
to leave this earth,
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00:10:58,750 --> 00:11:01,708
and we were very blessed
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00:11:01,708 --> 00:11:05,125
that we were able to
get back to our family.
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00:11:07,208 --> 00:11:10,542
- [Ronnie] And while the other
passengers made it home too,
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00:11:10,542 --> 00:11:14,000
the plane, as we've
seen, was destroyed.
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00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,792
A detail some believe
is no coincidence.
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00:11:17,792 --> 00:11:19,542
- With a spectacular victory
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00:11:19,542 --> 00:11:21,375
and the safe return
of the hostages,
252
00:11:21,375 --> 00:11:23,208
it looks like case closed.
253
00:11:23,208 --> 00:11:24,875
But not exactly.
254
00:11:24,875 --> 00:11:27,000
- As the dust settles,
people start wondering,
255
00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:28,875
who were those guys
that got off the plane
256
00:11:28,875 --> 00:11:30,583
when it first landed?
257
00:11:30,583 --> 00:11:32,042
And how'd the plane
end up like this?
258
00:11:32,042 --> 00:11:33,708
It doesn't look like
this thing went up
259
00:11:33,708 --> 00:11:35,083
in an explosion to me.
260
00:11:35,083 --> 00:11:37,750
It looks a whole lot like
fire and the reason is,
261
00:11:37,750 --> 00:11:39,958
we can see almost
an entire fuselage.
262
00:11:39,958 --> 00:11:41,875
The parts to this
plane look contained,
263
00:11:41,875 --> 00:11:43,292
rather than spread out.
264
00:11:43,292 --> 00:11:46,167
We don't see any evidence
of a blast crater.
265
00:11:46,167 --> 00:11:48,500
- For our answers,
we'll go to our experts.
266
00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:50,917
[tense music]
267
00:11:52,417 --> 00:11:54,542
- [Ronnie] Author Stephen
Davis claims the wreckage
268
00:11:54,542 --> 00:11:59,375
is a clue that Flight 149 was
a pawn in a secret operation.
269
00:11:59,375 --> 00:12:00,667
In Davis's opinion,
270
00:12:00,667 --> 00:12:02,292
it's suspicious the
British government
271
00:12:02,292 --> 00:12:05,458
didn't warn the aircraft that
the Iraqis were invading,
272
00:12:05,458 --> 00:12:08,833
since other countries
did contact their planes.
273
00:12:08,833 --> 00:12:11,458
- What we now know is that
274
00:12:11,458 --> 00:12:17,958
approximately three hours
flying time from Kuwait City,
275
00:12:18,917 --> 00:12:22,708
Iraqi troops crossed the border
276
00:12:22,708 --> 00:12:25,542
and began the
invasion of Kuwait.
277
00:12:25,542 --> 00:12:29,125
I have a defense intelligence
agency flash message
278
00:12:30,208 --> 00:12:33,958
distributed to all
agencies, including NATO.
279
00:12:33,958 --> 00:12:37,000
So all the allies
got it straightaway.
280
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,875
- [Ronnie] The DIA flash
was sent hours earlier.
281
00:12:39,875 --> 00:12:43,000
- The Kuwaiti air
traffic control
282
00:12:44,042 --> 00:12:46,042
were turning away
other aircraft,
283
00:12:46,042 --> 00:12:49,875
so it could have been
alerted at any time.
284
00:12:50,667 --> 00:12:52,000
But it wasn't.
285
00:12:53,042 --> 00:12:55,167
The government has lied
about this constantly
286
00:12:55,167 --> 00:12:59,083
and the government deliberately
landed them in a war zone
287
00:12:59,083 --> 00:13:01,625
to get the secret
team on the ground.
288
00:13:01,625 --> 00:13:03,917
- [Ronnie] A secret team? Yes.
289
00:13:03,917 --> 00:13:06,875
That's what Davis believes
those nine mystery men were.
290
00:13:06,875 --> 00:13:08,875
- They were part of a
group which is known
291
00:13:08,875 --> 00:13:11,750
in the British special
forces community
292
00:13:11,750 --> 00:13:14,583
and intelligence services
as the Increment.
293
00:13:14,583 --> 00:13:17,542
- [Ronnie] The
Increment, aka the Inc,
294
00:13:17,542 --> 00:13:19,625
have a literal license to kill.
295
00:13:19,625 --> 00:13:20,958
They're rumored to
have been involved
296
00:13:20,958 --> 00:13:22,958
with many top-secret operations
297
00:13:22,958 --> 00:13:25,042
on behalf of the
British government,
298
00:13:25,042 --> 00:13:27,958
including secretly monitoring
Gaddafi's inner circle
299
00:13:27,958 --> 00:13:30,333
ahead of the 2011
Libyan uprising,
300
00:13:30,333 --> 00:13:32,375
working undercover
in Northern Ireland
301
00:13:32,375 --> 00:13:34,167
during the height
of the Troubles,
302
00:13:34,167 --> 00:13:36,708
and carrying out
high-value assassinations
303
00:13:36,708 --> 00:13:38,917
during the Bosnian War.
304
00:13:38,917 --> 00:13:41,958
Former Army Ranger
sniper Nick Irving agrees
305
00:13:41,958 --> 00:13:43,208
with the Trojan Horse theory.
306
00:13:43,208 --> 00:13:45,333
He believes the
original plan was
307
00:13:45,333 --> 00:13:48,875
to get the Increment team in
before the invasion started.
308
00:13:48,875 --> 00:13:50,750
But once Saddam moved early,
309
00:13:50,750 --> 00:13:53,333
the British decided
to proceed regardless.
310
00:13:53,333 --> 00:13:56,083
- Having been in this
special operations community,
311
00:13:56,083 --> 00:13:59,458
flying in on a commercial jet,
having special privileges,
312
00:13:59,458 --> 00:14:01,000
deboarding the aircraft,
313
00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,500
all the key traits of what
a clandestine operation
314
00:14:03,500 --> 00:14:04,875
would look like.
315
00:14:04,875 --> 00:14:06,292
And I think they were
there to gather intel,
316
00:14:06,292 --> 00:14:08,417
maybe to scout out
enemy locations
317
00:14:08,417 --> 00:14:11,083
to be bombed or targeted.
318
00:14:11,083 --> 00:14:13,208
Key individuals,
high-ranking individuals
319
00:14:13,208 --> 00:14:17,125
within Saddam Hussein's
army, government.
320
00:14:17,125 --> 00:14:20,750
- [Ronnie] Ex-CIA officer,
Joseph Assad, isn't so sure.
321
00:14:20,750 --> 00:14:22,958
He's worked extensively
in the Middle East.
322
00:14:22,958 --> 00:14:25,958
And Assad thinks Flight
149 landed in Kuwait due
323
00:14:25,958 --> 00:14:28,542
to old-fashioned
bureaucratic bungling.
324
00:14:28,542 --> 00:14:30,333
- There were no obligations
325
00:14:30,333 --> 00:14:32,917
for the British
Front Home Office
326
00:14:32,917 --> 00:14:36,208
or the embassy to warn
them of a pending invasion,
327
00:14:36,208 --> 00:14:38,583
particularly when nobody
knew what was happening.
328
00:14:38,583 --> 00:14:41,000
It was utter chaos.
329
00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,208
- [Ronnie] As for
those nine mystery men,
330
00:14:43,208 --> 00:14:46,208
Assad says when it comes
to eyewitness testimony,
331
00:14:46,208 --> 00:14:48,792
the facts can get
muddled over time.
332
00:14:48,792 --> 00:14:50,917
- It's not plausible.
333
00:14:50,917 --> 00:14:53,500
People under trauma,
they see things,
334
00:14:53,500 --> 00:14:54,875
they conclude things.
335
00:14:55,958 --> 00:14:59,000
How did you know he is
British or otherwise?
336
00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,208
And particularly if that was
part of a covert mission,
337
00:15:02,208 --> 00:15:06,417
you probably don't want to
reveal your own identity.
338
00:15:06,417 --> 00:15:07,500
- [Ronnie] Wait up.
339
00:15:07,500 --> 00:15:09,708
What about the destruction
of the airplane?
340
00:15:09,708 --> 00:15:12,292
- Saddam set Kuwait ablaze.
341
00:15:13,792 --> 00:15:16,417
So it was not
uncommon at the time
342
00:15:16,417 --> 00:15:21,542
for the Iraqis to
destroy property.
343
00:15:21,542 --> 00:15:23,167
We're gonna destroy this.
344
00:15:23,167 --> 00:15:24,958
We're not gonna
allow them to leave.
345
00:15:24,958 --> 00:15:27,333
We're not gonna allow
this aircraft to leave.
346
00:15:27,333 --> 00:15:29,542
- [Ronnie] But advocates
of the Trojan Horse theory
347
00:15:29,542 --> 00:15:33,167
believe the plane was actually
targeted by the allies
348
00:15:33,167 --> 00:15:36,250
trying to cover up evidence
of the secret operation.
349
00:15:36,250 --> 00:15:38,917
That lack of a blast
crater, for instance.
350
00:15:38,917 --> 00:15:41,208
To me, it suggests
a fire from a source
351
00:15:41,208 --> 00:15:43,667
other than a bomb
planted inside.
352
00:15:43,667 --> 00:15:45,708
And Davis believes that source
353
00:15:45,708 --> 00:15:48,250
was an explosive
dropped from above.
354
00:15:48,250 --> 00:15:50,875
- The plane was destroyed
by the U.S. Air Force
355
00:15:50,875 --> 00:15:53,000
on a request from the
British government.
356
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,333
A pilot zipped in, bombed
it, and destroyed it.
357
00:15:57,542 --> 00:16:03,042
Of course, they did not want
the plane examined closely.
358
00:16:03,042 --> 00:16:05,375
[tense music]
359
00:16:05,375 --> 00:16:07,292
- [Ronnie] Due to that
lack of physical evidence,
360
00:16:07,292 --> 00:16:10,042
we may never know
the whole story.
361
00:16:10,042 --> 00:16:11,333
And to this day,
362
00:16:11,333 --> 00:16:13,833
many passengers
from Flight 149 say
363
00:16:13,833 --> 00:16:15,375
they're still suffering.
364
00:16:15,375 --> 00:16:18,542
And not only because
of what Saddam did.
365
00:16:18,542 --> 00:16:22,125
- We had not received
any apologies
366
00:16:22,125 --> 00:16:23,958
from the British government.
367
00:16:23,958 --> 00:16:26,208
Deborah and myself and my son
368
00:16:26,208 --> 00:16:29,875
and the other passengers
were expendable.
369
00:16:29,875 --> 00:16:33,542
And we were basically
on a Trojan Horse.
370
00:16:33,542 --> 00:16:36,083
[tense music]
371
00:16:37,375 --> 00:16:39,500
- Since the incident, some
people have come forward
372
00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:41,833
to say that they were
involved in the op,
373
00:16:41,833 --> 00:16:43,083
but the British government
374
00:16:43,083 --> 00:16:44,708
has always denied
it ever happened.
375
00:16:45,167 --> 00:16:46,375
- But just last year,
376
00:16:46,375 --> 00:16:49,375
the Brits admitted they
did make a mistake.
377
00:16:49,375 --> 00:16:52,333
They now say they knew
about the invasion,
378
00:16:52,333 --> 00:16:54,125
but failed to tell
British Airways.
379
00:16:58,000 --> 00:16:59,458
Warning, the
imagery may be disturbing.
380
00:16:59,458 --> 00:17:01,333
- It shows the death
of an American hero
381
00:17:01,333 --> 00:17:03,917
in the U.S. Navy SEALAB program.
382
00:17:03,917 --> 00:17:07,667
The big mystery: was it
an accident or murder?
383
00:17:11,042 --> 00:17:13,667
February 17, 1969.
384
00:17:13,667 --> 00:17:15,542
We're in the Pacific
Ocean off the coast
385
00:17:15,542 --> 00:17:17,542
of San Clemente
Island, California.
386
00:17:17,542 --> 00:17:20,792
It's zero dark 30,
and US Navy aquanauts,
387
00:17:20,792 --> 00:17:22,542
Bob Barth and Berry Cannon,
388
00:17:22,542 --> 00:17:24,375
are tasked with a
critical mission.
389
00:17:24,375 --> 00:17:27,625
Fix a helium gas
leak on SEALAB III,
390
00:17:27,625 --> 00:17:31,875
an incredible research
facility 600 feet underwater.
391
00:17:31,875 --> 00:17:35,292
- Everybody was a
little agitated
392
00:17:35,292 --> 00:17:37,667
and there'd been a lot
of delays so far already.
393
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,125
A couple of the
aquanauts volunteered
394
00:17:41,125 --> 00:17:44,250
to resolve the issue underwater.
395
00:17:44,250 --> 00:17:45,708
- [Rudy] Like much
of SEALAB's work,
396
00:17:45,708 --> 00:17:49,250
the tragic incident that
follows is captured on film.
397
00:17:49,250 --> 00:17:51,958
You can see that, suddenly,
Cannon's mouthpiece,
398
00:17:51,958 --> 00:17:54,375
also called a
regulator, comes loose
399
00:17:54,375 --> 00:17:56,708
and he's left convulsing
on the ocean floor.
400
00:17:56,708 --> 00:17:59,792
Barth tries desperately
to save Cannon's life,
401
00:17:59,792 --> 00:18:01,417
but he's too late.
402
00:18:01,417 --> 00:18:03,500
Our country loses
a great aquanaut
403
00:18:03,500 --> 00:18:05,542
when Berry Cannon
is pronounced dead.
404
00:18:05,542 --> 00:18:07,750
[melancholy music]
405
00:18:07,750 --> 00:18:10,375
- Shortly after Cannon's death,
406
00:18:10,375 --> 00:18:13,333
the whole SEALAB
program was shut down.
407
00:18:13,333 --> 00:18:15,042
- [Rudy] Hang on now. Really?
408
00:18:15,042 --> 00:18:17,208
Cannon's death is
a devastating loss,
409
00:18:17,208 --> 00:18:20,292
but the reality of
experimental military programs
410
00:18:20,292 --> 00:18:22,625
is that fatal
accidents do happen.
411
00:18:22,625 --> 00:18:24,125
Just two years earlier,
412
00:18:24,125 --> 00:18:27,208
three NASA astronauts died
during a pre-launch test
413
00:18:27,208 --> 00:18:28,792
for the Apollo 1 mission.
414
00:18:28,792 --> 00:18:32,417
Nobody suggested shutting
down the space program.
415
00:18:32,417 --> 00:18:34,708
Rumors swirl that maybe
SEALAB was scrapped
416
00:18:34,708 --> 00:18:37,625
because Cannon's death
wasn't an accident.
417
00:18:39,208 --> 00:18:42,333
- Rudy, you've got some
experience diving, right?
418
00:18:42,333 --> 00:18:44,542
Does this death seem
suspicious to you?
419
00:18:44,542 --> 00:18:46,708
- I've been diving
over 20 years.
420
00:18:46,708 --> 00:18:48,000
And at these depths,
421
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:49,875
there's many things
that can go wrong.
422
00:18:49,875 --> 00:18:53,083
First and foremost is
decompression sickness.
423
00:18:53,083 --> 00:18:54,792
We call it the bends.
424
00:18:54,792 --> 00:18:56,375
As you see here,
425
00:18:56,375 --> 00:19:00,208
as the diver ascends the
water column, the gas expands.
426
00:19:00,208 --> 00:19:03,458
If you don't do a safety
stop or you ascend too fast,
427
00:19:03,458 --> 00:19:06,958
it comes out of your joints
and into your nervous system,
428
00:19:06,958 --> 00:19:09,417
bends you over in pain.
429
00:19:09,417 --> 00:19:11,625
Now, how do you
take care of that?
430
00:19:11,625 --> 00:19:14,500
First, you do some personal
maintenance on your regulator.
431
00:19:14,500 --> 00:19:18,167
The regulator brings
compressed air through the tube
432
00:19:18,167 --> 00:19:20,625
in your mouth so
that you can breathe.
433
00:19:20,625 --> 00:19:21,917
For that reason,
434
00:19:21,917 --> 00:19:24,958
something about this story
seems a bit odd to me.
435
00:19:24,958 --> 00:19:27,292
[tense music]
436
00:19:29,542 --> 00:19:32,667
Was Cannon's regulator
not properly checked?
437
00:19:32,667 --> 00:19:36,208
Retired U.S. Navy submariner
and author, Ken Sewell,
438
00:19:36,208 --> 00:19:38,292
admits it's possible this
439
00:19:38,292 --> 00:19:41,375
or other human errors
could have been the blame.
440
00:19:41,375 --> 00:19:43,583
- There are always
gonna be problems
441
00:19:43,583 --> 00:19:46,583
whenever you're
developing a new system.
442
00:19:46,583 --> 00:19:50,125
Some of the conditions from
breathing these compressed gases
443
00:19:50,125 --> 00:19:53,458
could cause some
cognitive impairment.
444
00:19:53,458 --> 00:19:55,375
And so it could
have been the fact
445
00:19:55,375 --> 00:19:57,042
that these men made mistakes.
446
00:19:57,042 --> 00:19:59,542
This was really dangerous.
447
00:19:59,542 --> 00:20:01,667
- [Rudy] But another
theory soon emerged
448
00:20:01,667 --> 00:20:04,708
after an investigation
into Cannon's death.
449
00:20:04,708 --> 00:20:09,292
- What they found was that his
system was missing a chemical
450
00:20:09,292 --> 00:20:13,625
that pulled the carbon
monoxide out of his air supply.
451
00:20:13,625 --> 00:20:16,375
And it wasn't that it was
short or that it was damaged,
452
00:20:16,375 --> 00:20:18,083
it just wasn't there at all.
453
00:20:18,083 --> 00:20:20,083
So that led some to believe
454
00:20:20,083 --> 00:20:22,125
that it could have
been sabotage.
455
00:20:22,125 --> 00:20:23,958
Somebody tried to
kill these divers
456
00:20:23,958 --> 00:20:25,292
when they were below water.
457
00:20:25,292 --> 00:20:27,292
- [Rudy] U.S. Army vet
and military journalist,
458
00:20:27,292 --> 00:20:29,708
Chris Capelluto,
says Cannon's death
459
00:20:29,708 --> 00:20:32,625
was part of a pattern
of suspicious events.
460
00:20:32,625 --> 00:20:36,458
- There was no shortage of
sketchy problems happening.
461
00:20:36,458 --> 00:20:38,958
The transport capsule that
brings the divers all the way
462
00:20:38,958 --> 00:20:42,292
down to the bottom of the
ocean was tampered with,
463
00:20:42,292 --> 00:20:44,042
mysteriously flooded.
464
00:20:44,042 --> 00:20:45,958
And that caused a
two-month delay.
465
00:20:45,958 --> 00:20:48,250
There was accusations
that the oxygen valves
466
00:20:48,250 --> 00:20:49,750
in the decompression chamber
467
00:20:49,750 --> 00:20:52,375
had been tampered
with multiple times.
468
00:20:52,375 --> 00:20:53,833
All the evidence suggested
469
00:20:53,833 --> 00:20:56,208
that there was a saboteur
working behind the scenes.
470
00:20:56,208 --> 00:20:59,083
- [Rudy] Not much info on the
investigation's been released.
471
00:20:59,083 --> 00:21:02,208
But what has is chilling.
472
00:21:02,208 --> 00:21:05,042
- A potentially unstable
suspect was identified
473
00:21:05,042 --> 00:21:07,542
by the Navy mental
health officials.
474
00:21:07,542 --> 00:21:09,292
- [Rudy] But oddly, that suspect
475
00:21:09,292 --> 00:21:12,208
was never publicly
named or charged.
476
00:21:12,208 --> 00:21:14,375
Maybe the Navy didn't
think he was guilty,
477
00:21:14,375 --> 00:21:16,500
despite the fact
that life in SEALAB
478
00:21:16,500 --> 00:21:19,250
could be triggering
for a troubled person.
479
00:21:19,250 --> 00:21:20,917
- They're in this
cramped environment.
480
00:21:20,917 --> 00:21:22,500
It's not crazy to think
481
00:21:22,500 --> 00:21:24,833
that it may have
altered their mindset.
482
00:21:24,833 --> 00:21:26,500
I don't know that it
would alter somebody
483
00:21:26,500 --> 00:21:29,583
to the point of sabotaging
one of their crewmates,
484
00:21:29,583 --> 00:21:31,750
but it's entirely possible.
485
00:21:31,750 --> 00:21:34,292
- [Rudy] Another theory is
that the Navy didn't wanna
486
00:21:34,292 --> 00:21:35,708
draw attention to SEALAB
487
00:21:35,708 --> 00:21:39,042
because of the types of
experiments they were doing.
488
00:21:39,042 --> 00:21:41,708
- It was a military program
from the very beginning.
489
00:21:41,708 --> 00:21:45,042
SEALAB was strictly to
develop the technology
490
00:21:45,042 --> 00:21:47,042
to tap the Soviet cables.
491
00:21:47,042 --> 00:21:49,458
The Soviet Union sent most
492
00:21:49,458 --> 00:21:52,208
of their military
messages via cable.
493
00:21:52,208 --> 00:21:54,083
It was heavy, it
was armor plated,
494
00:21:54,083 --> 00:21:55,625
it was buried in the sand,
495
00:21:55,625 --> 00:21:58,375
and it was well within
their territorial waters.
496
00:21:58,375 --> 00:22:02,333
The cables were at depths
where the technology derived
497
00:22:02,333 --> 00:22:06,000
from the SEALAB project
could be utilized.
498
00:22:07,542 --> 00:22:08,750
- [Rudy] In other words,
499
00:22:08,750 --> 00:22:10,875
SEALAB may have been a
deep-sea proving ground
500
00:22:10,875 --> 00:22:15,292
for testing tools to sabotage
Russian communications.
501
00:22:15,292 --> 00:22:19,000
So could this unnamed
suspect have been a spy?
502
00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:20,500
Consider this:
503
00:22:20,500 --> 00:22:23,083
at the exact time of
the SEALAB disaster,
504
00:22:23,083 --> 00:22:27,542
the KGB had infiltrated the
Navy thanks to this man,
505
00:22:27,542 --> 00:22:30,375
Chief Warrant
Officer John Walker,
506
00:22:30,375 --> 00:22:33,000
a traitor who fed the
Soviets intelligence
507
00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,958
for a whopping 18 years.
508
00:22:35,958 --> 00:22:37,542
- Ironically, at this time,
509
00:22:37,542 --> 00:22:40,375
the Soviet Union was
also listening to us.
510
00:22:40,375 --> 00:22:42,458
So we were listening
to each other.
511
00:22:42,458 --> 00:22:45,000
- [Rudy] Did the Soviets
penetrate SEALAB?
512
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:46,500
There's no hard evidence.
513
00:22:46,500 --> 00:22:50,042
But there's one final theory
about how SEALAB ended.
514
00:22:50,042 --> 00:22:51,542
It didn't.
515
00:22:51,542 --> 00:22:53,250
- It never really did go away.
516
00:22:53,250 --> 00:22:54,708
It kinda went to the next level
517
00:22:54,708 --> 00:22:57,667
into a world of
covert operations.
518
00:22:57,667 --> 00:23:00,542
So what better way to
just kinda pull the plug?
519
00:23:00,542 --> 00:23:03,750
I think it was a
convenient point
520
00:23:03,750 --> 00:23:07,708
to transfer that program
from the light of day
521
00:23:07,708 --> 00:23:10,333
into the shadows of
a covert operation.
522
00:23:10,333 --> 00:23:12,792
[tense music]
523
00:23:16,125 --> 00:23:18,375
- Okay, so Rudy, where
do you come out on this,
524
00:23:18,375 --> 00:23:20,500
accident or murder?
525
00:23:20,875 --> 00:23:23,792
- The circumstances
seem suspicious to me,
526
00:23:23,792 --> 00:23:26,667
but there are a million things
that can go wrong underwater.
527
00:23:26,875 --> 00:23:28,500
And I doubt there
was a spy involved
528
00:23:28,500 --> 00:23:30,750
given the high security
in the program.
529
00:23:34,625 --> 00:23:36,000
- Operation Barbarossa
was the code name
530
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,375
for Adolf Hitler's invasion
of the Soviet Union.
531
00:23:38,375 --> 00:23:39,833
He assumed it would
be another win
532
00:23:39,833 --> 00:23:42,375
for his Blitzkrieg machine,
but he was dead wrong.
533
00:23:42,375 --> 00:23:43,875
- One of the ways the
Russians fought back
534
00:23:43,875 --> 00:23:46,833
was with a squadron
of mystery pilots.
535
00:23:46,833 --> 00:23:49,208
Now at the time, the
Nazis were wondering
536
00:23:49,208 --> 00:23:50,792
who were the mystery pilots
537
00:23:50,792 --> 00:23:52,875
and why were they so deadly?
538
00:23:53,958 --> 00:23:56,875
June 28th, 1942.
539
00:23:56,875 --> 00:23:58,708
After its initial
invasion of Russia
540
00:23:58,708 --> 00:24:01,000
has bogged down in
a war of attrition,
541
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,750
the Nazis are launching
a summer offensive
542
00:24:03,750 --> 00:24:06,833
and making some significant
advances in the south.
543
00:24:06,833 --> 00:24:10,042
But on this evening, outside
the city of Stavropol,
544
00:24:10,042 --> 00:24:13,125
a brand new threat is
preparing to strike.
545
00:24:13,125 --> 00:24:17,083
Silent, deadly, and
unlike anything the Nazis
546
00:24:17,083 --> 00:24:18,542
have ever faced before.
547
00:24:18,542 --> 00:24:21,500
- It's nighttime, the
Germans are resting.
548
00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:24,833
Suddenly they hear this
very unique sound,
549
00:24:24,833 --> 00:24:29,042
like branches
whistling in the wind.
550
00:24:29,042 --> 00:24:30,250
[wind whooshing]
551
00:24:30,250 --> 00:24:32,167
And before they know it,
552
00:24:32,167 --> 00:24:37,042
their base just lights up
in a series of explosions.
553
00:24:37,042 --> 00:24:38,708
[explosions booming]
554
00:24:38,708 --> 00:24:40,667
- [Ronnie] It's an air
raid by the Russians,
555
00:24:40,667 --> 00:24:42,583
and it's not just one.
556
00:24:42,583 --> 00:24:43,833
Night after night,
557
00:24:43,833 --> 00:24:45,708
the Germans are
attacked from above
558
00:24:45,708 --> 00:24:48,375
by pilots who seem to
have incredible aim
559
00:24:48,375 --> 00:24:50,750
and whose planes make
this weird sound.
560
00:24:50,750 --> 00:24:53,042
To the Germans, it's a mystery.
561
00:24:53,042 --> 00:24:54,958
Who are these guys?
562
00:24:54,958 --> 00:24:57,792
- You can imagine how
terrifying it would be
563
00:24:57,792 --> 00:25:00,708
to be out at night minding
your business, doing your job,
564
00:25:00,708 --> 00:25:03,042
and you hear this
whistling in the distance.
565
00:25:03,042 --> 00:25:04,250
You can't see it.
566
00:25:04,250 --> 00:25:05,542
You can't protect yourself.
567
00:25:05,542 --> 00:25:07,625
You have no idea if you're safe.
568
00:25:08,583 --> 00:25:09,958
- Many soldiers will tell you
569
00:25:09,958 --> 00:25:12,417
they can identify different
aircraft from afar
570
00:25:12,417 --> 00:25:13,667
just by the sounds they make.
571
00:25:13,667 --> 00:25:14,875
- That's right.
572
00:25:14,875 --> 00:25:16,167
You can easily
tell the difference
573
00:25:16,167 --> 00:25:17,292
between a Little Bird
574
00:25:17,292 --> 00:25:19,458
[helicopter whirring]
575
00:25:19,458 --> 00:25:20,333
and a Chinook.
576
00:25:20,333 --> 00:25:22,625
[helicopter whirring]
577
00:25:22,625 --> 00:25:23,917
- But in this case,
578
00:25:23,917 --> 00:25:26,083
the Germans couldn't
hear much of anything.
579
00:25:26,083 --> 00:25:28,417
It slowed down their
reaction speed.
580
00:25:28,417 --> 00:25:30,875
They had no time
to duck and cover.
581
00:25:30,875 --> 00:25:33,292
- We asked our experts
what's behind all this.
582
00:25:33,292 --> 00:25:35,708
[tense music]
583
00:25:37,875 --> 00:25:40,125
Former naval aviator,
Ward Carroll,
584
00:25:40,125 --> 00:25:42,542
says the Germans
figured out the identity
585
00:25:42,542 --> 00:25:44,917
of the pilots when
they shot a few down.
586
00:25:44,917 --> 00:25:47,625
- The Germans were
shocked to realize
587
00:25:47,625 --> 00:25:50,292
that all of the
pilots were female.
588
00:25:51,250 --> 00:25:54,708
- [Ronnie] Here's some photos
of these mystery pilots.
589
00:25:54,708 --> 00:25:56,792
Dictator Joseph
Stalin had formed
590
00:25:56,792 --> 00:25:59,542
this all-female
combat air squadron,
591
00:25:59,542 --> 00:26:01,917
officially known as
the 588th Regiment,
592
00:26:01,917 --> 00:26:05,958
at the behest of female
aviator Marina Raskova.
593
00:26:05,958 --> 00:26:09,750
- 400 women were put through
an accelerated flight program.
594
00:26:09,750 --> 00:26:12,375
- [Ronnie] But why
were they so deadly?
595
00:26:12,375 --> 00:26:15,750
That tied back to the strange
sound their planes made.
596
00:26:15,750 --> 00:26:17,708
Turns out these top-notch women
597
00:26:17,708 --> 00:26:19,750
were given
bargain-basement gear,
598
00:26:19,750 --> 00:26:21,625
outdated wooden
planes better suited
599
00:26:21,625 --> 00:26:24,083
for crop dusting
than bombing raids.
600
00:26:25,458 --> 00:26:28,208
- [Ward] So the Po-2, the Mule,
601
00:26:28,208 --> 00:26:32,792
was a early 20th-century
technology biplane.
602
00:26:33,917 --> 00:26:36,208
It would've been more
at home in World War I
603
00:26:36,208 --> 00:26:37,250
than World War II.
604
00:26:37,250 --> 00:26:41,042
Canvas, wooden, very
basic, very rudimentary.
605
00:26:41,042 --> 00:26:43,500
- [Ronnie] Even so, these
women figured out a way
606
00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:44,833
to use these planes
607
00:26:44,833 --> 00:26:47,125
that would provide that
element of surprise.
608
00:26:48,250 --> 00:26:50,542
- And once they got close
to their bombing area,
609
00:26:50,542 --> 00:26:51,792
they'd idle their engines
610
00:26:51,792 --> 00:26:54,250
and glide down
towards their target.
611
00:26:54,250 --> 00:26:56,833
This meant that they
were effectively silent.
612
00:26:56,833 --> 00:26:58,458
All anyone could hear
613
00:26:58,458 --> 00:27:02,042
was the sound of the wind going
over and under their wings.
614
00:27:02,042 --> 00:27:05,000
So it would've created
this really eerie,
615
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,750
almost otherworldly
sounding sound.
616
00:27:09,542 --> 00:27:11,083
You wouldn't know
where they were
617
00:27:11,083 --> 00:27:14,292
or what they were targeting
until you heard the explosion.
618
00:27:14,292 --> 00:27:16,292
[tense music]
619
00:27:17,708 --> 00:27:19,250
- [Ronnie] The Germans
would create a name
620
00:27:19,250 --> 00:27:20,875
for these unique attackers,
621
00:27:20,875 --> 00:27:24,917
Die Nachthexen, AKA
the Night Witches.
622
00:27:24,917 --> 00:27:27,833
- The type of plane actually
plays into the nickname
623
00:27:27,833 --> 00:27:29,167
that these pilots had.
624
00:27:30,208 --> 00:27:32,917
These wooden planes were
akin to broomsticks.
625
00:27:32,917 --> 00:27:35,083
And the fact that you couldn't
hear the plane coming,
626
00:27:35,083 --> 00:27:37,042
you just heard this
whistling sound,
627
00:27:37,042 --> 00:27:40,333
was like a witch flying a
broom through the night sky.
628
00:27:42,958 --> 00:27:44,667
- [Ronnie] So, why
haven't we heard more
629
00:27:44,667 --> 00:27:47,042
about these deadly pilots?
630
00:27:47,042 --> 00:27:49,125
Sadly, although
the Night Witches
631
00:27:49,125 --> 00:27:52,125
were the most highly-decorated
unit in the Soviet Air Force,
632
00:27:52,125 --> 00:27:53,958
they were disbanded
after the war
633
00:27:53,958 --> 00:27:57,583
and excluded from the big
victory day parade in Moscow,
634
00:27:57,583 --> 00:28:00,292
leaving history the
same way they arrived,
635
00:28:00,292 --> 00:28:02,625
as a shadowy, secret legend.
636
00:28:02,625 --> 00:28:04,917
[tense music]
637
00:28:06,583 --> 00:28:08,250
By the end of World War II,
638
00:28:08,250 --> 00:28:11,708
the Soviet Night Witches had
flown 30,000 combat missions.
639
00:28:11,708 --> 00:28:13,708
That's a huge number.
640
00:28:13,708 --> 00:28:15,417
- You know, over
here in the U.S.,
641
00:28:15,417 --> 00:28:19,042
we had an all-female air
group called the WASPs,
642
00:28:19,042 --> 00:28:21,250
the Women Airforce
Service Pilots.
643
00:28:21,250 --> 00:28:22,667
They tested planes
644
00:28:22,667 --> 00:28:25,250
and they helped train
male fighter pilots.
645
00:28:25,250 --> 00:28:27,417
But unlike their
Russian counterparts,
646
00:28:27,417 --> 00:28:28,958
they never saw a day of combat.
647
00:28:32,833 --> 00:28:34,042
It's time for this week's
secret weapon piece.
648
00:28:34,042 --> 00:28:36,750
And in this case, the
weapon is so secret,
649
00:28:36,750 --> 00:28:38,875
there are hardly
any photos of it.
650
00:28:38,875 --> 00:28:40,625
- Yeah, this was
over 80 years ago
651
00:28:40,625 --> 00:28:42,917
and we think it might be a tank,
652
00:28:42,917 --> 00:28:44,375
but it doesn't look like
anything I've ever seen.
653
00:28:44,375 --> 00:28:46,667
It actually looks a
little bit dorky looking.
654
00:28:46,667 --> 00:28:50,125
The question is, what
was the Kugelpanzer?
655
00:28:50,125 --> 00:28:51,708
[tense music]
656
00:28:51,708 --> 00:28:54,292
- [Rudy] Manchuria, 1945.
657
00:28:54,292 --> 00:28:56,792
It's the tail end of
the Second World War
658
00:28:56,792 --> 00:28:58,833
and the Russian Red
Army is on the march
659
00:28:58,833 --> 00:29:02,167
for the largest campaign
of the Soviet-Japanese War.
660
00:29:02,167 --> 00:29:05,833
In just over one week, the
Red Army is victorious.
661
00:29:05,833 --> 00:29:07,833
But when the smoke clears,
662
00:29:07,833 --> 00:29:10,542
Russian soldiers are
left standing perplexed
663
00:29:10,542 --> 00:29:13,667
over a small, strange
alien-like piece of machinery
664
00:29:13,667 --> 00:29:15,542
that's been left behind,
665
00:29:15,542 --> 00:29:18,208
wondering what the heck is this?
666
00:29:18,208 --> 00:29:20,042
- Compared to a
lot of the weapons
667
00:29:20,042 --> 00:29:22,958
that we saw being developed
during the Second World War,
668
00:29:22,958 --> 00:29:25,125
this is definitely one
of the stranger ones.
669
00:29:26,083 --> 00:29:28,292
- [Rudy] We can see it's
a sphere made of metal,
670
00:29:28,292 --> 00:29:32,542
just under five feet tall and
weighing over 4,000 pounds.
671
00:29:32,542 --> 00:29:34,458
The only clue to
this oddity's origin
672
00:29:34,458 --> 00:29:37,375
is the Iron Cross
painted on its sides.
673
00:29:37,375 --> 00:29:40,000
That means it's Nazi tech.
674
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,583
While it may not have a known
purpose, it does have a name.
675
00:29:43,583 --> 00:29:45,042
- So what we have here
676
00:29:45,042 --> 00:29:50,542
in this picture is a mysterious
Second World War vehicle
677
00:29:50,542 --> 00:29:52,167
known as the Kugelpanzer.
678
00:29:53,542 --> 00:29:56,292
- [Rudy] The Nazis used
nearly 100 different types
679
00:29:56,292 --> 00:29:57,667
of combat vehicles.
680
00:29:57,667 --> 00:29:59,208
And while some of them,
681
00:29:59,208 --> 00:30:02,542
like the Panzer V Panther
or the Panzer VI Tiger,
682
00:30:02,542 --> 00:30:04,500
became infamous legends,
683
00:30:04,500 --> 00:30:08,000
the Kugelpanzer barely
left the development stage
684
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,500
and remained a
strange curiosity.
685
00:30:10,500 --> 00:30:12,875
- They never made it
to the assembly line.
686
00:30:12,875 --> 00:30:16,167
So it was just one thing
and one thing only.
687
00:30:16,167 --> 00:30:22,625
So, even if it was useful in
actual battlefield situation,
688
00:30:22,625 --> 00:30:24,125
with only one thing,
689
00:30:24,125 --> 00:30:27,000
there's only so much
you can accomplish.
690
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,750
- [Rudy] With barely any
historical records to go on,
691
00:30:29,750 --> 00:30:31,125
we have to look deeper
692
00:30:31,125 --> 00:30:33,958
to determine more about
this mystery machine.
693
00:30:33,958 --> 00:30:36,708
What was the Kugelpanzer's
actual purpose
694
00:30:36,708 --> 00:30:39,333
and how did it end up in Japan?
695
00:30:39,333 --> 00:30:41,750
- The Kugelpanzer
actually joins a long list
696
00:30:41,750 --> 00:30:44,208
of other bizarre
combat contraptions
697
00:30:44,208 --> 00:30:47,208
that never quite made
it to the assembly line.
698
00:30:47,208 --> 00:30:49,250
- Right here's the Big
Bob from New Zealand.
699
00:30:50,375 --> 00:30:53,542
This is the Treffas-Wagen
from Germany.
700
00:30:53,542 --> 00:30:56,708
And last but not least,
from the bad idea factory,
701
00:30:56,708 --> 00:30:59,000
the Praying Mantis from the UK.
702
00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:00,500
- Yeah, I don't
know what's weirder,
703
00:31:00,500 --> 00:31:02,042
the Kugelpanzer itself
704
00:31:02,042 --> 00:31:04,667
or the fact that other people
had this same strange idea.
705
00:31:04,667 --> 00:31:06,167
Let's check in with our experts
706
00:31:06,167 --> 00:31:07,792
and see what they have to say
about this odd bit of tech.
707
00:31:07,792 --> 00:31:10,375
[intense music]
708
00:31:12,250 --> 00:31:13,792
- Obviously, it's much smaller
709
00:31:13,792 --> 00:31:16,667
than a full-sized
World War II tank.
710
00:31:16,667 --> 00:31:18,208
It can get into a lot of places
711
00:31:18,208 --> 00:31:20,500
that a full-size battle
tank's not gonna get into.
712
00:31:20,500 --> 00:31:22,500
- A few characteristics
here is the exterior
713
00:31:22,500 --> 00:31:26,083
was made up of a thick
kind of metal construction,
714
00:31:26,083 --> 00:31:29,208
designed to keep out bullets
and other small arms fire.
715
00:31:29,208 --> 00:31:31,000
On the back side of the ball
716
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,500
was an entryway for the
operator to be able to crawl in
717
00:31:33,500 --> 00:31:36,750
and access the driving
mechanism inside.
718
00:31:36,750 --> 00:31:41,167
- If it only has an engine the
size of a motorcycle engine,
719
00:31:41,167 --> 00:31:43,208
it's not gonna be the fastest
thing on the battlefield.
720
00:31:43,208 --> 00:31:46,667
It's gonna be
limited in its speed.
721
00:31:46,667 --> 00:31:48,708
It's probably also
gonna be limited
722
00:31:48,708 --> 00:31:50,458
in terms of how far you can go
723
00:31:50,458 --> 00:31:53,583
on a single tank of gas
before it needs to refuel.
724
00:31:53,583 --> 00:31:56,875
- [Rudy] World War II
historian, Sayuri Shimizu,
725
00:31:56,875 --> 00:31:58,208
adds another observation.
726
00:31:58,208 --> 00:32:01,250
- This can only be
used for reconnaissance
727
00:32:01,250 --> 00:32:06,208
or some kind of a moving
things over for long distance.
728
00:32:06,208 --> 00:32:09,333
That kind of transport or
reconnaissance purpose.
729
00:32:10,292 --> 00:32:12,042
- [Rudy] Maybe the
biggest mystery is
730
00:32:12,042 --> 00:32:14,708
how this one-of-a-kind
Nazi weapon ended up
731
00:32:14,708 --> 00:32:16,417
in Japan to begin with.
732
00:32:17,417 --> 00:32:21,042
- Some experts believed that
it was given by the Germans
733
00:32:21,042 --> 00:32:24,000
to Japan as a sort of
a gift of good will.
734
00:32:24,958 --> 00:32:27,333
And then nobody was
really expecting
735
00:32:27,333 --> 00:32:31,042
to really do any actual
military purpose.
736
00:32:31,042 --> 00:32:32,958
- [Rudy] But by that
point in the war,
737
00:32:32,958 --> 00:32:35,042
the Japanese were so desperate,
738
00:32:35,042 --> 00:32:37,000
they were willing
to send this oddity
739
00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,417
to the front lines
to fight the Soviets.
740
00:32:39,417 --> 00:32:41,833
- This looks kind of
very science fictiony.
741
00:32:41,833 --> 00:32:44,167
And maybe in the movies,
like "Star Wars,"
742
00:32:44,167 --> 00:32:47,333
it would play a
valuable role in combat.
743
00:32:47,333 --> 00:32:50,000
But I think in the
battlefield of Europe
744
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,458
in the Second World War,
745
00:32:51,458 --> 00:32:54,042
this is probably not your
best choice of vehicle.
746
00:32:54,042 --> 00:32:55,792
- So some people might theorize
747
00:32:55,792 --> 00:33:00,000
that this was designed to work
as a reconnaissance platform
748
00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,000
or for use by scouts,
749
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,583
but all of the other
drawbacks of it
750
00:33:04,583 --> 00:33:06,042
make that less likely
751
00:33:06,042 --> 00:33:08,875
just based on the
problems with the scale,
752
00:33:08,875 --> 00:33:12,000
the problems with
the visibility.
753
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:14,125
- [Rudy] The idea for
a rolling ball tank
754
00:33:14,125 --> 00:33:15,708
first presented itself
755
00:33:15,708 --> 00:33:19,792
as a way to traverse no man's
land in the First World War,
756
00:33:19,792 --> 00:33:23,750
where the Kugelpanzer could
have possibly had some success
757
00:33:23,750 --> 00:33:25,917
as a one-man combat vehicle.
758
00:33:25,917 --> 00:33:28,333
But, as our experts
have pointed out,
759
00:33:28,333 --> 00:33:30,833
this design would've been
completely ineffective
760
00:33:30,833 --> 00:33:32,583
against the more
advanced weapons
761
00:33:32,583 --> 00:33:35,833
and divergent landscapes
of World War II.
762
00:33:35,833 --> 00:33:37,333
- Once you start trying
763
00:33:37,333 --> 00:33:39,750
to get this object through
heavily forested areas
764
00:33:39,750 --> 00:33:41,000
or through cities
765
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,375
or through sort of
real life battlefields,
766
00:33:43,375 --> 00:33:46,750
I think the theory of how
successful this machine would be
767
00:33:46,750 --> 00:33:49,250
sort of quickly falls apart.
768
00:33:49,250 --> 00:33:51,292
- [Rudy] And while we all
can make our best guesses
769
00:33:51,292 --> 00:33:52,875
about the Kugelpanzer,
770
00:33:52,875 --> 00:33:56,333
it remains to be seen if we
will ever figure out the truth
771
00:33:56,333 --> 00:33:58,708
behind this strange,
little vehicle.
772
00:33:58,708 --> 00:34:02,208
- We need to understand
there's very few photos
773
00:34:02,208 --> 00:34:05,042
of this object, even today.
774
00:34:05,042 --> 00:34:07,542
We're ultimately just
left to speculate.
775
00:34:07,542 --> 00:34:09,583
[tense music]
776
00:34:10,875 --> 00:34:12,333
- I still think
it's dorky looking,
777
00:34:12,333 --> 00:34:14,750
but our best guess
of what it was for
778
00:34:14,750 --> 00:34:17,875
is the Kugelpanzer's some
sort of recon vehicle
779
00:34:17,875 --> 00:34:20,958
presented to the Japanese in
the final days of the war.
780
00:34:20,958 --> 00:34:22,500
- But this we do know.
781
00:34:22,500 --> 00:34:25,375
You can see the artifact in
all of its ridiculous glory
782
00:34:25,375 --> 00:34:27,708
at the Kubinka Tank
Museum in Moscow, Russia.
783
00:34:31,958 --> 00:34:33,250
- The fog of war
is a real thing.
784
00:34:33,375 --> 00:34:35,500
I've been lit up a couple
of times by friendly forces.
785
00:34:35,500 --> 00:34:39,042
Now, that's people that
you know are your friends,
786
00:34:39,042 --> 00:34:40,708
and then you know who
the enemies are as well.
787
00:34:40,708 --> 00:34:44,375
But imagine fighting
someone or some force
788
00:34:44,375 --> 00:34:46,292
that's completely anonymous.
789
00:34:46,292 --> 00:34:49,000
- And that's exactly what
happened a few years back.
790
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,375
A bunch of randos
on the battlefield,
791
00:34:51,375 --> 00:34:53,833
nicknamed little green men.
792
00:34:53,833 --> 00:34:55,667
And the mystery, who were they?
793
00:34:55,667 --> 00:34:57,333
[suspenseful music]
794
00:34:57,333 --> 00:34:59,000
[citizens cheering]
795
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,542
Eight years prior to Russia's
infamous invasion of Ukraine,
796
00:35:02,542 --> 00:35:05,375
a conflict erupted
between loyal Ukrainians
797
00:35:05,375 --> 00:35:06,750
and Russian stalwarts,
798
00:35:08,167 --> 00:35:09,625
who intended to annex
799
00:35:09,625 --> 00:35:12,208
the strategically important
peninsula of Crimea.
800
00:35:14,083 --> 00:35:16,208
[camera shutter clicking]
801
00:35:19,667 --> 00:35:23,292
You can see in this video
some mysterious armed men.
802
00:35:23,292 --> 00:35:26,333
They're wearing face masks
and plain green uniforms
803
00:35:26,333 --> 00:35:28,250
with no identifying insignia.
804
00:35:29,042 --> 00:35:31,542
Historian Martin KA Morgan
805
00:35:31,542 --> 00:35:34,208
says they immediately
make their presence felt.
806
00:35:34,208 --> 00:35:36,458
- The fact that their
clad from head to toe
807
00:35:36,458 --> 00:35:38,708
in this contemporary
green camouflage
808
00:35:38,708 --> 00:35:41,292
leads to them being
called the green men,
809
00:35:41,292 --> 00:35:44,292
the way that Americans referred
to aliens back in the day.
810
00:35:44,292 --> 00:35:45,208
- Who were these guys?
811
00:35:45,208 --> 00:35:47,042
Were they Russian intelligence?
812
00:35:47,042 --> 00:35:48,417
Were they Russian
special forces?
813
00:35:48,417 --> 00:35:50,417
Were they Russian military?
814
00:35:50,417 --> 00:35:52,083
Were they Ukrainian separatists?
815
00:35:52,083 --> 00:35:53,333
Were they contractors
brought in?
816
00:35:53,333 --> 00:35:56,250
Were they warlords
from another country?
817
00:35:56,250 --> 00:35:58,500
- [Ronnie] These
mysterious little green men
818
00:35:58,500 --> 00:36:01,667
seized the local airports
and military bases.
819
00:36:02,667 --> 00:36:05,875
President Vladimir Putin denies
that they're Russian troops.
820
00:36:05,875 --> 00:36:09,958
Instead, he claims that they're
local self-defense forces.
821
00:36:09,958 --> 00:36:11,542
- In other words,
these are people
822
00:36:11,542 --> 00:36:13,583
living within the
borders of Ukraine,
823
00:36:13,583 --> 00:36:15,542
who because of their fondness
824
00:36:15,542 --> 00:36:18,667
and their admiration for
Russia and the Russian people,
825
00:36:18,667 --> 00:36:20,333
wish to secede
826
00:36:20,333 --> 00:36:23,083
and wish to become a part
of the Russian Federation.
827
00:36:23,083 --> 00:36:25,208
- [Ronnie] Military
historian Anand Toprani
828
00:36:25,208 --> 00:36:26,833
says under that pretext,
829
00:36:26,833 --> 00:36:29,750
Russia seizes Crimea
from Ukraine weeks later.
830
00:36:29,750 --> 00:36:31,667
- People are sort of
thinking to themselves,
831
00:36:31,667 --> 00:36:34,958
"Well, what if they actually
are pro-Russian groups?"
832
00:36:34,958 --> 00:36:36,125
[citizens chanting]
833
00:36:36,125 --> 00:36:37,583
- [Anand] "What if
actually people in Crimea
834
00:36:37,583 --> 00:36:38,917
want to stay part of Russia?
835
00:36:38,917 --> 00:36:40,208
Who are we to say
836
00:36:40,208 --> 00:36:41,958
that they shouldn't
remain part of Russia?"
837
00:36:41,958 --> 00:36:43,125
[citizens chanting]
838
00:36:43,125 --> 00:36:44,750
And by the time
that whole process
839
00:36:44,750 --> 00:36:46,333
had worked its way out,
840
00:36:46,333 --> 00:36:48,042
the Russians have already
taken over the whole thing
841
00:36:48,042 --> 00:36:49,917
and it's au fait accompli.
842
00:36:49,917 --> 00:36:51,500
- We know that historically,
843
00:36:51,500 --> 00:36:54,250
the Crimea has been of
strategic importance to Russia.
844
00:36:54,250 --> 00:36:55,542
The Port of Sevastopol
845
00:36:55,542 --> 00:36:57,542
is one of the few
deep-water ports
846
00:36:57,542 --> 00:36:59,708
available to Russia in the area.
847
00:36:59,708 --> 00:37:02,917
So the Crimea is a key
hold for maritime routes
848
00:37:02,917 --> 00:37:04,083
from the Black Sea,
849
00:37:04,083 --> 00:37:05,708
to the Mediterranean Sea,
850
00:37:05,708 --> 00:37:07,542
and all the way out
to the Atlantic Ocean.
851
00:37:07,542 --> 00:37:09,292
- We also know that
the little green men
852
00:37:09,292 --> 00:37:11,417
caught the Pentagon by surprise,
853
00:37:11,417 --> 00:37:13,417
thanks to their cyber tactics,
854
00:37:13,417 --> 00:37:16,000
hacking, spoofing, and phishing,
855
00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:20,000
to disable Ukrainian defenses
and pinpoint targets.
856
00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:21,708
But who were they exactly?
857
00:37:21,708 --> 00:37:23,750
[tense music]
858
00:37:25,250 --> 00:37:26,708
- [Ronnie] Morgan
believes the key
859
00:37:26,708 --> 00:37:28,792
to identifying the
little green men
860
00:37:28,792 --> 00:37:30,333
is their gear.
861
00:37:30,333 --> 00:37:31,583
- You can clearly
see they're armed
862
00:37:31,583 --> 00:37:34,458
with the AK-74M assault rifle.
863
00:37:34,458 --> 00:37:35,792
- [Ronnie] The AK-74
864
00:37:35,792 --> 00:37:38,958
is a gas-operated,
selective fire weapon.
865
00:37:38,958 --> 00:37:42,375
Many militaries use it,
including, guess who?
866
00:37:42,375 --> 00:37:43,750
The Russians.
867
00:37:43,750 --> 00:37:45,375
And that's not all.
868
00:37:45,375 --> 00:37:47,833
- They're carrying
the PKM machine gun.
869
00:37:47,833 --> 00:37:50,875
They're carrying the GP-25
40-millimeter grenade launcher.
870
00:37:50,875 --> 00:37:55,042
They're carrying the
SVD-63 sniper rifle.
871
00:37:55,042 --> 00:37:57,583
- [Ronnie] This weapon system
is extremely effective,
872
00:37:57,583 --> 00:37:59,042
all the way out to 800 meters.
873
00:37:59,042 --> 00:38:02,292
It's seen action everywhere
from Vietnam to Nicaragua.
874
00:38:02,292 --> 00:38:04,542
- They're carrying
all of the small arms
875
00:38:04,542 --> 00:38:07,583
that arm the armed forces
of the Russian Federation.
876
00:38:07,583 --> 00:38:09,458
- [Ronnie] Putin
claimed that anyone
877
00:38:09,458 --> 00:38:11,208
could buy those weapons.
878
00:38:11,208 --> 00:38:13,375
And while that didn't
pass the smell test,
879
00:38:13,375 --> 00:38:16,125
it did raise an
interesting possibility,
880
00:38:16,125 --> 00:38:19,292
that these men were not just
any regular Russian troops,
881
00:38:19,292 --> 00:38:21,708
but members of a
shadowy organization.
882
00:38:21,708 --> 00:38:23,250
- There's also the possibility
883
00:38:23,250 --> 00:38:26,208
that these were Wagner
Group mercenaries
884
00:38:26,208 --> 00:38:28,875
and that the Russian
Federation was
885
00:38:28,875 --> 00:38:33,250
employing mercenaries through
a private security firm.
886
00:38:33,250 --> 00:38:34,875
- [Ronnie] The Wagner
Group was once called
887
00:38:34,875 --> 00:38:36,500
Putin's shadow army,
888
00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:38,458
regularly doing
Putin's dirty work,
889
00:38:38,458 --> 00:38:41,542
while providing the Kremlin
with plausible deniability.
890
00:38:42,500 --> 00:38:45,208
Since the Wagner Group's
first appearance in 2014,
891
00:38:45,208 --> 00:38:47,583
two men have
claimed founding it.
892
00:38:47,583 --> 00:38:50,292
The late Russian oligarch
Yevgeniy Prigozhin,
893
00:38:50,292 --> 00:38:54,167
and Dmitry Utkin, a retired
Russian special forces officer.
894
00:38:54,167 --> 00:38:57,000
They've gone on to operating
conflicts all over the world,
895
00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,625
and they were blamed for taking
part in a vicious massacre
896
00:38:59,625 --> 00:39:01,708
that killed over 200 people
897
00:39:01,708 --> 00:39:04,292
in the West African
nation of Mali.
898
00:39:04,292 --> 00:39:06,417
- This firm, it
works at the behest
899
00:39:06,417 --> 00:39:08,958
of whatever state is
sort of paying its bills.
900
00:39:08,958 --> 00:39:11,000
But you have the
plausible deniability
901
00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:14,250
because these are private,
sort of contractors,
902
00:39:14,250 --> 00:39:16,750
they don't have
sort of the rights
903
00:39:16,750 --> 00:39:19,792
or obligations of
ordinary soldiers.
904
00:39:19,792 --> 00:39:20,917
- [Ronnie] Although
once considered
905
00:39:20,917 --> 00:39:23,875
Putin's secret weapon,
in June of 2023,
906
00:39:23,875 --> 00:39:25,708
Yevgeniy Prigozhin
led the Wagner Group
907
00:39:25,708 --> 00:39:27,708
in an attempted
rebellion against Putin
908
00:39:27,708 --> 00:39:29,500
and Russia's Ministry of Defense
909
00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:30,833
due to his increased frustration
910
00:39:30,833 --> 00:39:33,292
with Russia's top
military brass.
911
00:39:33,292 --> 00:39:35,542
However, the
attempted coup failed,
912
00:39:35,542 --> 00:39:37,542
and Prigozhin would
die in a plane crash
913
00:39:37,542 --> 00:39:39,042
just two months later,
914
00:39:39,042 --> 00:39:41,917
leaving the current status
of the Wagner Group unclear.
915
00:39:41,917 --> 00:39:43,542
While some believe
members of the group
916
00:39:43,542 --> 00:39:46,250
have rejoined the war within
different Russian units,
917
00:39:46,250 --> 00:39:48,042
there's never been
any confirmation
918
00:39:48,042 --> 00:39:50,333
that they were the little
green man of Crimea.
919
00:39:50,333 --> 00:39:54,208
- The whole idea was that no
one really knew who to blame.
920
00:39:54,208 --> 00:39:57,875
And as long as there was a
mystery about their identity,
921
00:39:57,875 --> 00:40:00,875
they could push forward
with their goals bit by bit
922
00:40:00,875 --> 00:40:03,417
and destabilize
the entire system.
923
00:40:03,417 --> 00:40:04,917
- [Ronnie] One
other possibility,
924
00:40:04,917 --> 00:40:07,417
the little green men were
Russian special forces,
925
00:40:07,417 --> 00:40:09,208
or Spetsnaz.
926
00:40:09,208 --> 00:40:11,042
But they typically
wear camouflage
927
00:40:11,042 --> 00:40:14,750
or the uniforms of airborne
troops, including berets,
928
00:40:14,750 --> 00:40:18,000
and they typically handle
smaller commando operations,
929
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:19,750
like anti-terrorism.
930
00:40:19,750 --> 00:40:23,833
The mystery raged until the
most unlikely person solved it,
931
00:40:23,833 --> 00:40:25,125
Putin.
932
00:40:25,125 --> 00:40:26,917
After Crimea was conquered,
933
00:40:26,917 --> 00:40:29,667
Putin, without a
reason to lie anymore,
934
00:40:29,667 --> 00:40:33,042
admitted the little green men
were plain old Russian soldiers.
935
00:40:33,042 --> 00:40:35,583
There's even a monument
to them in Russia now.
936
00:40:35,583 --> 00:40:38,375
The soldier in this statue
is not wearing a mask.
937
00:40:38,375 --> 00:40:40,833
Strangely though,
he is saving a cat.
938
00:40:40,833 --> 00:40:42,833
You can't make this stuff up.
939
00:40:42,833 --> 00:40:44,917
[tense music]
940
00:40:46,750 --> 00:40:49,375
- In fact, in February of 2018,
941
00:40:49,375 --> 00:40:51,625
American Special
Operations Forces
942
00:40:51,625 --> 00:40:53,625
engaged the Wagner
Group in Syria,
943
00:40:53,625 --> 00:40:55,333
and they got spanked.
944
00:40:55,333 --> 00:40:56,708
- They absolutely did.
945
00:40:56,708 --> 00:40:58,375
And when it was all over,
946
00:40:58,375 --> 00:41:00,375
its estimated 100
of them were dead,
947
00:41:00,375 --> 00:41:01,625
and none of us.
948
00:41:01,625 --> 00:41:03,458
- And that's our
show for tonight.
949
00:41:03,458 --> 00:41:04,625
I'm Rudy Reyes.
950
00:41:04,625 --> 00:41:05,875
- And I'm Ronnie Adkins.
951
00:41:05,875 --> 00:41:08,125
Until next time,
keep your powder dry.
952
00:41:08,125 --> 00:41:10,375
- And your head on a
swivel, good night.
953
00:41:10,375 --> 00:41:12,708
[dramatic music]
74461
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