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A century since
the outbreak of World War I,
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archaeologists in Europe
are uncovering
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a unique time capsule
from that conflict.
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(artillery fire)
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(explosions)
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(gunfire)
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For eight months,
N has been in Belgium
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following a massive
archaeological dig,
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and it's revealing
how World War I
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became a technological
arms race.
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For four years,
70 million men fought
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in the first ever
industrialized war.
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Nine million died as new
and more powerful weapons
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enabled both sides
to fight each other
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to a bloody standstill
in trenches,
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many of them stretching
across France and Belgium.
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(artillery fire)
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(explosion)
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It was a war
that came to epitomize
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man's inhumanity to man.
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MAN:
It must be a gas shell.
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MAN:
Phosgene is not an instant gas.
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It can take 24 hours
to come into effect.
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A horrible, horrible,
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and painful,
agonizing way to die.
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NARRATOR:
The dig is on a site
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where the entire history
of that war
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is uniquely captured.
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We discover how the conflict
went underground
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to blast the w out
of its trench-bound deadlock.
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Stop, stop, stop.
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Is it possible
to turn the camera?
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NARRATOR:
It's here Allied troops
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would secretly tunnel
beneath enemy lines
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and create the biggest explosion
the world had ever seen.
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(explosion)
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NAATOR: With time and
weather against them,
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surrounded by unexploded
ammunition,
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can archaeologists
tell the story
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of this "Secret Tunnel Warfare"?
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Right now, on NOVA.
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Major funding for NOVA is
provided by the following...
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a region of Belgium
on the border of France,
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but almost 100 years ago,
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the site
of the biggest explosion
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the world had ever seen.
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(explosion)
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During World War I,
this was the Western Front,
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where German and Allied soldiers
faced each other
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in a hellish killing field.
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For over three years,
the battle lines barely moved
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as the war took lives
by the hundreds of thousands.
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(explosion)
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The stalemate drove each side
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to develop increasingly
deadly weaponry,
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triggering a high-speed,
technological arms race
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that gave birth to modern
mechanized warfare.
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Now, prompted by a project
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to lay a two-kilometer pipeline
around the town of Messines,
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a team of archaeologists has
been called in to clear a path
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through the remains
of these long buried trenches
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where so many fought and died.
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What they are discovering,
buried in this unique site,
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is a snapshot
of the first modern arms race.
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MAN:
The round one here is German,
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and the pointed one is British.
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NARRATOR: Miraculously
preserved for a century,
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these trenches hold the entire
technological history
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of World War I,
from horses to tanks.
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Racing against
the construction schedule,
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they hope to preserve
invaluable clues
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and to discover
which technological innovations
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helped to finally break
the deadlock.
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Just outside Messines, work
has begun on the new pipeline.
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The undercarriages
of the heavy equipment
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are fitted with armor plating,
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and the glass
has been reinforced
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because nearly 100 years
after the war,
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the ground here is still full
of unexploded shells.
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It is rich,
if dangerous, pickings
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for Belgian scientist
Simon Verdegem,
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who leads
the archaeological dig.
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Working alongside him are
ex-Belgian military personnel
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trained in bomb disposal.
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But one of their first
discoveries offers evidence
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of the decidedly low-tech
beginnings of the conflict.
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SIMON VERDEGEM: It looks
like the jaw of a horse.
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You can see the jaw,
the end of the jaw.
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Here, you have the teeth.
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This is the front.
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There are some more teeth
over here that came loose.
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That one belongs here.
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It's definitely from a horse.
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NARRATOR: World War I
began in August 1914,
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when Germany invaded
Belgium and France.
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The Allies pushed
the Germans back,
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digging in at Messines
and elsewhere.
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At the beginning of the war,
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the British army had
165,000 horses on its books,
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and in the slaughter
that followed,
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it was not only the soldiers
who would die.
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(flies buzzing)
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VERDEGEM:
You can see a row of teeth.
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NARRATOR: Horses and mules were
used extensively in the war,
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from pulling artillery
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to carrying water to the troops
at the front.
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They were the war horses.
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At the start of the conflict,
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mounted cavalry were expected
to lead the fight.
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It was a British cavalry unit,
the 9th Lancers,
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who were holding
part of the town of Messines
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in the autumn of 1914.
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The Germans who were
approaching the town
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were intent on removing them.
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ALEXANDRA CHURCHILL: The Lancers are
in trenches to the east of Messines,
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and prior to the German attack,
they were being heavily shelled.
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(artillery fire)
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(explosion)
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It's quite a miserable position
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for them to be in,
because not only have they got
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to think about themselves
and protect themselves,
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but they've got horses
to look after as well.
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It's effectively like dragging
a small child
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around the Western Front
because you've got to constantly
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give care and attention
to the animal,
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but at the same time,
you're still expected
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to do everything that
an infantry battalion is doing.
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NARRATOR: Among the officers of the
9th Lancers defending the town
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were two brothers
in their early 20s:
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Douglas and Lenny Harvey.
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At dawn on the 31st of October,
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the Germans launched their push
for Messines.
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(explosions)
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CHURCHILL: For the 9th
Lancers, it's just horrific.
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The Germans successfully
push the Lancers back,
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and they're forced to retreat
into the town itself.
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And they're getting fired on
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from in front, behind,
to the side
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from machine guns, rifles,
and artillery shells as well,
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so it's a pretty dire situation.
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NARRATOR: The 9th Lancers
regrouped at the cemetery
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before being pushed
from the town,
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which then fell to the Germans.
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(explosion)
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The battle had claimed the lives
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of both Douglas
and Lenny Harvey.
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The war was barely
three months old.
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Having taken Messines,
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the Germans now set about
consolidating their gains
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by digging trenches
to protect their troops.
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The front line was etched
into the battlefield.
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Only days into the dig,
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archaeologists uncover the floor
of a World War I German trench,
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part of a huge network
which defined the war.
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MAN:
Both sides dug in.
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They dug trenches
to protect their troops.
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The Germans dug in at Messines,
and the British just below,
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separated by just a short
stretch of no-man's land
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that could be just
tens of yards apart.
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And by early 1915,
this massive network of trenches
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now stretched
from the North Sea coast
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right through and down
to the Swiss border...
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450 miles
of continuous trenches.
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(explosions)
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NARRATOR: Both sides tried
with brute force
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to break this deadlock
on the Western Front.
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When British troops went
over the top of the trenches
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at the Battle of the Somme,
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they suffered nearly
60,000 casualties
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on the first day alone.
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At the battle of Verdun,
over 700,000 fell
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over ten months of fighting.
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But for the time being,
nothing defeated the trenches.
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(engine whirring)
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At Messines, the team has been
struggling on the site.
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A day's worth of rain
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has transformed the dig
into a quagmire.
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It's a scene that would be
all too familiar
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to the soldiers
of the First World War.
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The archaeologists
bail out the trenches
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with their safety helmets,
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as soldiers would have done
with their steel helmets.
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CHURCHILL:
In the winter of 1914, '15,
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if it wasn't raining,
it was snowing,
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so consequently,
in the trenches,
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it was muddy beyond belief.
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They were sinking
up to their knees
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and some even deeper
trying to get through them.
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It got so bad that
they had to abandon trenches,
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and men were chancing
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going over the top
and risking sniper fire
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to be able to not suffer
the discomfort
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of getting covered in this mud
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and having to wade knee deep
through it.
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If we look at the map,
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just ahead of us,
probably on the rise...
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NARRATOR: Helping the
archaeologists at the Messines dig
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is the discovery
of a highly detailed German map
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of the trench systems.
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Marked on the trench map
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in front of both the German
and British positions
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are belts of barbed wire.
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Barbed wire was an unexpectedly
effective and ferocious barrier,
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feared and hated by the soldiers
who had to get through it.
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VERDEGEM: We've found this almost
complete roll of British barbed wire.
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REED: It's certainly fearful-looking
barbs, but you're right,
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it definitely looks like
British wire.
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00:11:47,674 --> 00:11:50,341
Barbed wire was
an American invention
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used for agricultural purposes...
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To contain cattle
on the big, open prairies.
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00:11:54,481 --> 00:11:58,049
But by the American civil war,
it had a military use.
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It could be used to defend
positions on the battle field.
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00:12:00,787 --> 00:12:02,687
And that use increased
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00:12:02,689 --> 00:12:04,622
throughout the course
of the next century
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00:12:04,624 --> 00:12:06,725
until the time
of the First World War,
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00:12:06,727 --> 00:12:08,860
when it was used
on a massive scale,
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literally thousands of miles
of barbed wire fences.
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A lot of people think,
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when they find pieces
of barbed wire like this,
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"Is it modern
agricultural wire?"
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00:12:17,104 --> 00:12:19,037
But as soon as you put
your fingers on it, you can see,
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00:12:19,039 --> 00:12:21,139
because if it's
a modern barbed wire fence,
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we can probably get
our whole hand in there,
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00:12:22,909 --> 00:12:25,110
but you can barely get
two fingers
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because they didn't want you
to be able
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00:12:26,613 --> 00:12:28,980
to get some grip on it
so you could cut it.
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The Devil's rope,
as it became known,
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00:12:31,752 --> 00:12:33,818
was used on an increasing scale.
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There was some evil-looking
barbed wire,
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00:12:36,223 --> 00:12:38,890
even razor wire
being used by the Germans
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in some parts of their line,
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00:12:40,627 --> 00:12:42,861
and troops became
obsessed with it,
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became obsessed with hanging
on the barbed wire.
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NARRATOR: Barbed wire would
stop advancing troops.
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There, they would face
another American invention:
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00:12:52,839 --> 00:12:56,808
the Maxim machine gun,
which was used by both sides.
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The Maxim gun was the first
self-powered machine gun.
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00:13:04,818 --> 00:13:08,820
When a bullet is fired,
it produces a recoil.
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00:13:08,822 --> 00:13:12,624
A spring uses that energy
to eject the spent casing
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and to fire the next bullet.
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00:13:14,861 --> 00:13:18,696
Although the Maxim gun was heavy
and required water-cooling,
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it could fire
up to 600 rounds per minute,
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equivalent
to 30 contemporary rifles.
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Stuck on the barbed wire,
soldiers would be slaughtered
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by the efficient
killing machine.
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At Bayernwald,
a German front line trench
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00:13:42,489 --> 00:13:44,656
has been restored
in the same spot
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where it was first dug
on the Messines Ridge
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in November 1914.
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00:13:50,430 --> 00:13:53,932
MAN: This is a really good
example of the kind of thing
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00:13:53,934 --> 00:13:56,100
that they would have to build
and live in
252
00:13:56,102 --> 00:13:57,902
on a day-to-day basis.
253
00:13:57,904 --> 00:14:00,972
NARRATOR: Military historian
Professor Peter Doyle
254
00:14:00,974 --> 00:14:03,107
has studied the distinctive way
255
00:14:03,109 --> 00:14:05,844
the Germans constructed
their trenches early in the war.
256
00:14:05,846 --> 00:14:07,645
DOYLE:
The trenches themselves
257
00:14:07,647 --> 00:14:11,983
had the sides held back
by wattle and brushwood,
258
00:14:11,985 --> 00:14:14,986
and what they would have done
is to bind this wood together
259
00:14:14,988 --> 00:14:16,654
to hold back the mud
260
00:14:16,656 --> 00:14:19,257
which was continually collapsing
into these trenches.
261
00:14:19,259 --> 00:14:21,059
(explosion)
262
00:14:21,061 --> 00:14:24,996
NARRATOR: Mud wasn't the
German's only problem.
263
00:14:24,998 --> 00:14:27,365
The British were constantly
shelling the trenches,
264
00:14:27,367 --> 00:14:30,235
and the real danger
in this early war trench design
265
00:14:30,237 --> 00:14:33,338
was when a shell
fell right inside.
266
00:14:33,340 --> 00:14:37,575
DOYLE: What we can see in this
trench are some fatal flaws.
267
00:14:37,577 --> 00:14:39,744
The trench is quite wide,
which is good...
268
00:14:39,746 --> 00:14:42,280
It gives real access...
But it's also quite long.
269
00:14:42,282 --> 00:14:45,049
And if a shell exploded here,
270
00:14:45,051 --> 00:14:50,221
the blast radius would kill
most of the occupants.
271
00:14:50,223 --> 00:14:51,990
So this is a pretty
dangerous place to be.
272
00:14:51,992 --> 00:14:53,424
I can't imagine that the Germans
273
00:14:53,426 --> 00:14:55,493
would really like
sitting in this trench,
274
00:14:55,495 --> 00:14:57,061
waiting for this kind of thing
to happen.
275
00:14:57,063 --> 00:14:59,230
(artillery fire)
276
00:14:59,232 --> 00:15:02,867
NARRATOR: Artillery was the
biggest killer in World War I.
277
00:15:02,869 --> 00:15:08,373
60% of all casualties
were caused by shellfire.
278
00:15:08,375 --> 00:15:10,875
For almost three years
at Messines,
279
00:15:10,877 --> 00:15:16,347
there were no major assaults;
just the day-to-day bombardment
280
00:15:16,349 --> 00:15:19,150
that slowly ground
the soldiers down.
281
00:15:19,152 --> 00:15:22,387
MAN: Total silence would
have been very, very rare.
282
00:15:22,389 --> 00:15:24,322
(explosion)
283
00:15:24,324 --> 00:15:26,324
It's very difficult
for people to imagine
284
00:15:26,326 --> 00:15:30,161
just how assailed your senses
would have been,
285
00:15:30,163 --> 00:15:31,829
particularly with shellfire.
286
00:15:31,831 --> 00:15:35,166
And a lot of nervous disorders
suffered by Great War soldiers,
287
00:15:35,168 --> 00:15:38,369
such as shell shock,
were a consequence
288
00:15:38,371 --> 00:15:40,071
not so much of mental injury,
289
00:15:40,073 --> 00:15:42,040
but actually
the way that shelling
290
00:15:42,042 --> 00:15:44,242
affected the nervous system
and indeed the mind.
291
00:15:49,548 --> 00:15:53,518
NARRATOR: Something at the dig
is becoming apparent.
292
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,554
Each of the circles
being marked by spray paint
293
00:15:56,556 --> 00:16:01,259
is the in-filled crater
from an exploded British shell.
294
00:16:01,261 --> 00:16:03,428
And the numbered markers show
295
00:16:03,430 --> 00:16:06,631
they are getting
closer together.
296
00:16:06,633 --> 00:16:09,467
For the archaeologists,
it's a clue they're closing in
297
00:16:09,469 --> 00:16:11,970
on an important target
for the British artillery.
298
00:16:17,943 --> 00:16:21,112
The British were aiming
for the German front line,
299
00:16:21,114 --> 00:16:24,816
and as the team digs,
they begin to unearth
300
00:16:24,818 --> 00:16:29,220
a complete section of a First
World War fighting trench.
301
00:16:31,690 --> 00:16:33,291
DOYLE:
It's just phenomenal.
302
00:16:33,293 --> 00:16:36,427
NARRATOR: Professor Peter Doyle
has come to the Messines dig
303
00:16:36,429 --> 00:16:41,165
to meet Simon Verdegem and see
the newly uncovered trench.
304
00:16:41,167 --> 00:16:44,902
DOYLE: Just by excavating a
trench as small as this,
305
00:16:44,904 --> 00:16:48,773
we get a real sense of the true
nature of trench warfare,
306
00:16:48,775 --> 00:16:51,342
and it's pretty exciting
to see that here.
307
00:16:51,344 --> 00:16:54,712
NARRATOR: We know what the
trench should look like
308
00:16:54,714 --> 00:16:57,148
from this rare
wartime photograph
309
00:16:57,150 --> 00:16:59,117
of the trench
that connects to it.
310
00:16:59,119 --> 00:17:00,718
DOYLE: Shall we get out and
look at the other side?
311
00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,221
NARRATOR:
But what the new trench reveals
312
00:17:03,223 --> 00:17:05,923
is that unlike the trenches
at Bayernwald,
313
00:17:05,925 --> 00:17:08,693
this trench
had been blown to pieces.
314
00:17:08,695 --> 00:17:11,696
VERDEGEM: And the explosion
actually pushed the side of trench
315
00:17:11,698 --> 00:17:13,197
into the middle.
316
00:17:13,199 --> 00:17:16,034
You can see some
of the floorboards sticking out.
317
00:17:16,036 --> 00:17:19,971
NARRATOR: The trench at some
stage received a direct hit
318
00:17:19,973 --> 00:17:22,306
from a British
high explosive shell.
319
00:17:22,308 --> 00:17:26,778
(explosion)
320
00:17:26,780 --> 00:17:28,813
Amazingly, the top of the shell
321
00:17:28,815 --> 00:17:33,217
is still lodged
among the collapsed timbers.
322
00:17:33,219 --> 00:17:35,353
Isn't that fantastic
that an impact fuse...
323
00:17:35,355 --> 00:17:37,422
And actually
the result of the impact,
324
00:17:37,424 --> 00:17:39,490
and it's frozen in time.
325
00:17:39,492 --> 00:17:42,427
VERDEGEM: Everything that's
underneath those boards
326
00:17:42,429 --> 00:17:44,695
hasn't moved
since the explosion.
327
00:17:44,697 --> 00:17:47,632
REED: I've never seen
anything like that.
328
00:17:47,634 --> 00:17:52,837
NARRATOR: But why was only a small
section of the trench destroyed?
329
00:17:52,839 --> 00:17:55,673
This wartime reconnaissance film
330
00:17:55,675 --> 00:17:58,176
shows that the trenches
were constructed
331
00:17:58,178 --> 00:18:01,045
with a series
of rectangular switchbacks,
332
00:18:01,047 --> 00:18:03,848
like the top of a castle wall.
333
00:18:03,850 --> 00:18:07,118
It was a design adopted
by both sides
334
00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:10,755
to protect soldiers
in the trenches on either side
335
00:18:10,757 --> 00:18:12,890
of a direct hit.
336
00:18:12,892 --> 00:18:16,461
DOYLE: This is a much more of a
secure way of digging a trench
337
00:18:16,463 --> 00:18:18,329
because any kind of explosion
338
00:18:18,331 --> 00:18:20,371
would be kept in one area
of the trench.
339
00:18:24,036 --> 00:18:28,372
NARRATOR: In the stalemate of
trench warfare at Messines,
340
00:18:28,374 --> 00:18:30,875
the killing continued.
341
00:18:30,877 --> 00:18:34,112
Among the graves
in this cemetery
342
00:18:34,114 --> 00:18:37,548
below the German trenches
is an unusual marker:
343
00:18:37,550 --> 00:18:39,917
that of Robert Cuthbert,
344
00:18:39,919 --> 00:18:44,956
a former accountant and member
of the New York Yacht Club.
345
00:18:44,958 --> 00:18:50,294
He died when he was 47,
old for a soldier.
346
00:18:50,296 --> 00:18:53,998
Cuthbert was one of at least
five Americans buried here
347
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,868
who had joined the Allied cause
348
00:18:56,870 --> 00:19:01,539
more than two years
before America entered the war.
349
00:19:04,977 --> 00:19:07,578
The Germans were determined
to hold on to the trenches
350
00:19:07,580 --> 00:19:10,181
on the high ground
of the Messines Ridge.
351
00:19:10,183 --> 00:19:12,783
(artillery fire)
352
00:19:12,785 --> 00:19:15,686
But the growing intensity of the
British artillery bombardment
353
00:19:15,688 --> 00:19:18,156
was forcing them
to build stronger defenses
354
00:19:18,158 --> 00:19:21,626
and entrench even deeper.
355
00:19:21,628 --> 00:19:24,629
It's a fact borne out
356
00:19:24,631 --> 00:19:26,964
by the archaeologists'
latest discovery:
357
00:19:26,966 --> 00:19:30,168
an extraordinarily
well-preserved trench
358
00:19:30,170 --> 00:19:34,872
leading to a concrete
structure... a German bunker.
359
00:19:34,874 --> 00:19:38,876
The bunker's walls are
over 3ches thick,
360
00:19:38,878 --> 00:19:40,745
strong enough
to shelter infantry
361
00:19:40,747 --> 00:19:43,514
from all but the biggest shells.
362
00:19:43,516 --> 00:19:46,050
If the Allies were
to take the ridge,
363
00:19:46,052 --> 00:19:49,954
dozens of bunkers like this
would have to be neutralized.
364
00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:57,395
But for Simon Verdegem
and the team,
365
00:19:57,397 --> 00:20:00,598
the most exciting discovery
is the best-preserved
366
00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:05,136
and deepest trench
ever uncovered in Flanders.
367
00:20:05,138 --> 00:20:08,339
VERDEGEM: We are standing
in the main trench
368
00:20:08,341 --> 00:20:10,208
leading towards the entrance
of the bunker.
369
00:20:10,210 --> 00:20:14,045
We are actually standing
on the original floorboards now,
370
00:20:14,047 --> 00:20:16,447
which are in a remarkable
good condition.
371
00:20:16,449 --> 00:20:18,883
It's amazing, the condition
of this trench.
372
00:20:18,885 --> 00:20:22,887
I've never seen an original
trench of this depth
373
00:20:22,889 --> 00:20:26,257
ever uncovered on a battlefield,
or ever been in one.
374
00:20:26,259 --> 00:20:30,294
VERDEGEM: Over here, we have two
things which are very special.
375
00:20:30,296 --> 00:20:31,963
On our left side,
376
00:20:31,965 --> 00:20:35,333
we have a board
to put rifle butts in.
377
00:20:35,335 --> 00:20:37,001
So this is a rifle rack?
378
00:20:37,003 --> 00:20:39,003
Yeah, exactly.
379
00:20:39,005 --> 00:20:42,540
It's a rifle rack
which could hold six rifles,
380
00:20:42,542 --> 00:20:45,309
which we think indicates that
381
00:20:45,311 --> 00:20:47,545
this bunker had room
for six soldiers.
382
00:20:51,116 --> 00:20:54,118
REED:
Incredible to see here
383
00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:58,122
these original boards
and the original steps
384
00:20:58,124 --> 00:21:00,758
going down
into this First World War
385
00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,227
dug out with the floorboards
still there.
386
00:21:06,031 --> 00:21:06,998
Incredible.
387
00:21:10,302 --> 00:21:11,802
NARRATOR:
In one of the trenches,
388
00:21:11,804 --> 00:21:14,472
the archaeologists find evidence
that the Germans
389
00:21:14,474 --> 00:21:18,276
were fully expecting to fight
at close quarters.
390
00:21:24,182 --> 00:21:27,451
VERDEGEM:
It looks like hand grenades,
391
00:21:27,453 --> 00:21:29,887
German hand grenades.
392
00:21:29,889 --> 00:21:32,590
We have one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight, nine,
393
00:21:32,592 --> 00:21:36,127
at least ten hand grenades.
394
00:21:36,129 --> 00:21:40,498
NARRATOR: Because the
grenades are still live,
395
00:21:40,500 --> 00:21:43,501
Verdegem calls
the Belgian bomb squad,
396
00:21:43,503 --> 00:21:45,803
who will come
and make them safe.
397
00:21:45,805 --> 00:21:51,175
100 years on, these weapons
are still lethal.
398
00:21:51,177 --> 00:21:55,079
ALEX TURNER: Hand grenades were the
weapon of choice for an infantryman
399
00:21:55,081 --> 00:21:57,114
in the First World War
in the attack,
400
00:21:57,116 --> 00:21:59,350
and here we have
a German stick grenade,
401
00:21:59,352 --> 00:22:01,786
known as a potato masher,
and same nickname in German...
402
00:22:01,788 --> 00:22:03,954
"Kartoffelstampfer."
403
00:22:03,956 --> 00:22:06,891
And it has an explosive charge
on the end of a wooden stick
404
00:22:06,893 --> 00:22:09,226
which allows you more leverage
in the throw
405
00:22:09,228 --> 00:22:11,308
and allows you to lob it
more accurately.
406
00:22:13,131 --> 00:22:16,901
NARRATOR: The stick grenade
was introduced in 1915,
407
00:22:16,903 --> 00:22:21,439
d its simple design lasted
into World War II.
408
00:22:21,441 --> 00:22:25,876
It works by placing a detonator
in an explosive charge
409
00:22:25,878 --> 00:22:28,346
packed within the head.
410
00:22:28,348 --> 00:22:30,581
The detonator
is attached to a cord
411
00:22:30,583 --> 00:22:33,484
which runs through
the hollow base.
412
00:22:33,486 --> 00:22:37,455
Pulling the cord
set a five-second fuse burning.
413
00:22:40,492 --> 00:22:41,826
It has an idiot's guide
on the handle
414
00:22:41,828 --> 00:22:43,961
which tells you how long
the fuse is going to last
415
00:22:43,963 --> 00:22:45,696
once you've initiated it.
416
00:22:45,698 --> 00:22:50,101
You unscrew the base
and a little string emerges,
417
00:22:50,103 --> 00:22:52,203
which when tugged
eof the grenade head thereh e
418
00:22:52,205 --> 00:22:53,938
and gives you
five-and-a-half seconds
419
00:22:53,940 --> 00:22:56,207
to lean back,
take an aimed throw,
420
00:22:56,209 --> 00:22:58,776
and lob it
in the direction of attack.
421
00:22:58,778 --> 00:23:02,613
(explosion)
422
00:23:02,615 --> 00:23:06,917
NARRATOR: But there was one
weapon used at Messines
423
00:23:06,919 --> 00:23:09,120
that more than any other
would come to symbolize
424
00:23:09,122 --> 00:23:12,223
the real horror
of the First World War.
425
00:23:12,225 --> 00:23:15,960
VERDEGEM:
It might be a gas shell.
426
00:23:15,962 --> 00:23:21,966
NARRATOR: In June 1916, the
Germans released phosgene,
427
00:23:21,968 --> 00:23:24,668
a type of poisonous
chlorine gas,
428
00:23:24,670 --> 00:23:28,973
from canisters sited here
above the dig.
429
00:23:30,742 --> 00:23:35,045
Heavier than air, it flowed down
the 500 yards of no-man's land
430
00:23:35,047 --> 00:23:37,081
towards the British trenches
431
00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:40,418
at the bottom
of the Messines Ridge.
432
00:23:40,420 --> 00:23:43,687
Just after midnight,
British sentries observed
433
00:23:43,689 --> 00:23:46,056
the gas clouds
in the bright moonlight.
434
00:23:46,058 --> 00:23:46,738
(rattling)
435
00:23:52,331 --> 00:23:54,799
The noise of the gas rattle
436
00:23:54,801 --> 00:23:58,936
alerted the British troops
that an attack was imminent.
437
00:23:58,938 --> 00:24:00,971
They would have had just minutes
438
00:24:00,973 --> 00:24:03,240
to put on their protective
gas hoods
439
00:24:03,242 --> 00:24:06,977
equipment which would bring
its own set of problems.
440
00:24:06,979 --> 00:24:08,779
MAN:
It's absolutely terrible.
441
00:24:08,781 --> 00:24:11,081
You can't see...
It mists up almost instantly.
442
00:24:11,083 --> 00:24:14,084
The eye pieces go everywhere,
443
00:24:14,086 --> 00:24:16,921
and as soon as you breathe
the wrong way, it steams up.
444
00:24:16,923 --> 00:24:18,756
It's already hot in here now.
445
00:24:18,758 --> 00:24:20,324
You've lost
all your side vision.
446
00:24:20,326 --> 00:24:23,194
You can't see any more than
what's right in front of you.
447
00:24:23,196 --> 00:24:25,029
You'd be turning to your right,
turning to your left
448
00:24:25,031 --> 00:24:27,151
to try to see
where the enemy is coming from.
449
00:24:29,768 --> 00:24:33,904
NARRATOR: The release of gas
usually preceded a German attack.
450
00:24:33,906 --> 00:24:38,209
So that night, British artillery
laid down a barrage
451
00:24:38,211 --> 00:24:40,611
in order to prevent
any German troops
452
00:24:40,613 --> 00:24:43,514
from reaching their lines.
453
00:24:43,516 --> 00:24:45,416
(artillery fire)
454
00:24:47,652 --> 00:24:49,820
David Whithorn is
a military historian.
455
00:24:49,822 --> 00:24:52,990
What he has just done...
Removed his gas hood...
456
00:24:52,992 --> 00:24:57,561
Is exactly what some of the
British troops did that night,
457
00:24:57,563 --> 00:24:59,530
some 20 minutes
after the gas release,
458
00:24:59,532 --> 00:25:02,466
believing the attack to be over.
459
00:25:02,468 --> 00:25:04,602
Unbeknownst to the British,
460
00:25:04,604 --> 00:25:09,139
the Germans were about to launch
a second wave of poisonous gas,
461
00:25:09,141 --> 00:25:13,444
this time catching
many soldiers unaware.
462
00:25:13,446 --> 00:25:16,747
By the time they got
their gas hoods back on,
463
00:25:16,749 --> 00:25:19,884
for many, it was too late.
464
00:25:19,886 --> 00:25:21,385
The first thing you did,
465
00:25:21,387 --> 00:25:23,053
you could deposit
the contents of your stomach,
466
00:25:23,055 --> 00:25:25,222
vomiting into your gas hood.
467
00:25:25,224 --> 00:25:27,491
So your gas hood would be
half-full of your own vomit,
468
00:25:27,493 --> 00:25:28,826
and maybe the breathing tube
469
00:25:28,828 --> 00:25:30,160
would be blocked
with your own vomit.
470
00:25:30,162 --> 00:25:32,663
It must have been
absolute hell of earth.
471
00:25:32,665 --> 00:25:34,665
Wearing this,
fighting for your breath,
472
00:25:34,667 --> 00:25:37,668
awful smell inside,
fear of the gas,
473
00:25:37,670 --> 00:25:39,870
fear of the Germans coming.
474
00:25:39,872 --> 00:25:43,674
You then seriously consider
ripping this from your head,
475
00:25:43,676 --> 00:25:47,678
and when you did so,
you'd be then obviously faced
476
00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:51,181
with the toxic gases
in their purest form.
477
00:25:51,183 --> 00:25:55,686
Some soldiers fought so much
to get their gas masks off
478
00:25:55,688 --> 00:25:58,055
that they tore
their own throats apart.
479
00:26:03,261 --> 00:26:06,096
Phosgene is not an instant gas.
480
00:26:06,098 --> 00:26:08,365
It can take 24 hours
to come into effect.
481
00:26:08,367 --> 00:26:11,535
It's slow, it's insidious,
it worsens.
482
00:26:11,537 --> 00:26:13,571
You drown on dry land.
483
00:26:13,573 --> 00:26:15,406
You know you are going to die.
484
00:26:15,408 --> 00:26:19,209
A horrible, horrible, painful
and agonizing way to die.
485
00:26:23,882 --> 00:26:28,118
NARRATOR: Of the 500 casualties
of the German gas attack,
486
00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:34,592
many are buried here,
just yards from where they fell.
487
00:26:39,598 --> 00:26:42,733
At the dig site,
Simon Verdegem and the team
488
00:26:42,735 --> 00:26:46,303
have uncovered something
completely unexpected.
489
00:26:46,305 --> 00:26:49,373
Here just below the surface
490
00:26:49,375 --> 00:26:54,044
are the remains not of a trench,
but a tunnel.
491
00:26:54,046 --> 00:26:57,214
VERDEGEM: The tunnel was
completely a surprise for us.
492
00:26:57,216 --> 00:27:00,484
We didn't know about the
existence, wasn't on any map,
493
00:27:00,486 --> 00:27:03,287
neither on any
aerial photographs,
494
00:27:03,289 --> 00:27:08,792
so it was actually kind of luck
that we even found it.
495
00:27:08,794 --> 00:27:12,796
NARRATOR: The tunnel is a
sign that the Allied attempt
496
00:27:12,798 --> 00:27:15,399
to break the impregnable
German defenses at Messines
497
00:27:15,401 --> 00:27:18,369
had moved into a much more
deadly phase.
498
00:27:23,308 --> 00:27:27,177
The team removes the roof
to enter the tunnel
499
00:27:27,179 --> 00:27:29,880
for the first time
since it was abandoned.
500
00:27:58,877 --> 00:28:01,845
VERDEGEM: The tunnel is in
almost perfect condition.
501
00:28:04,082 --> 00:28:11,321
The walls, the roof, the floor
is as it was 100 years ago.
502
00:28:11,323 --> 00:28:14,992
You can even see on some points
the nails sticking out
503
00:28:14,994 --> 00:28:17,194
to put some kind of lights
on there.
504
00:28:20,699 --> 00:28:24,368
It's an amazing feeling to be
able to walk through a tunnel
505
00:28:24,370 --> 00:28:26,470
that had been there
for over 100 years
506
00:28:26,472 --> 00:28:29,173
and probably not been entered
since 1917.
507
00:28:32,744 --> 00:28:38,082
These are the roof parts
from the tunnel behind me.
508
00:28:38,084 --> 00:28:40,451
Yeah, they're extremely
thick pieces of timber,
509
00:28:40,453 --> 00:28:42,486
incredibly good condition.
510
00:28:42,488 --> 00:28:44,688
Yeah, it's amazing
and it's still heavy
511
00:28:44,690 --> 00:28:46,156
so it didn't dry out
or anything.
512
00:28:46,158 --> 00:28:47,658
Pre-made by the look of it.
513
00:28:47,660 --> 00:28:50,928
All pre-made,
so they all have the same size.
514
00:28:50,930 --> 00:28:55,466
They are all as long
and as wide as the others.
515
00:28:55,468 --> 00:28:57,634
The construction system
that the Germans have used here
516
00:28:57,636 --> 00:29:01,038
to build these tunnels
is to dig underground.
517
00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:02,473
This isn't cut and cover,
518
00:29:02,475 --> 00:29:04,775
they've actually tunneled
underneath the surface...
519
00:29:04,777 --> 00:29:06,477
In this case,
part of the battlefield,
520
00:29:06,479 --> 00:29:09,913
part of the road...
And constructed a tunnel there,
521
00:29:09,915 --> 00:29:11,014
which has then been lined
522
00:29:11,016 --> 00:29:13,984
with these prefabricated
timber sections.
523
00:29:13,986 --> 00:29:17,254
A section to go on the floor,
two uprights, and then a roof
524
00:29:17,256 --> 00:29:19,656
so it can be put in place
very quickly.
525
00:29:19,658 --> 00:29:23,327
NARRATOR: The sophisticated
prefabricated tunnel
526
00:29:23,329 --> 00:29:27,064
is evidence of
a widespread underground war,
527
00:29:27,066 --> 00:29:30,033
which reached its peak here
in Messines in 1917.
528
00:29:33,338 --> 00:29:35,639
It was a type of warfare
the Allies would develop
529
00:29:35,641 --> 00:29:38,976
on a massive scale.
530
00:29:38,978 --> 00:29:40,978
What they were trying to achieve
by going underground
531
00:29:40,980 --> 00:29:42,913
was to blow up the enemy
532
00:29:42,915 --> 00:29:45,035
basically to try and destroy
strong-points.
533
00:29:46,918 --> 00:29:48,185
NARRATOR:
If the Allies were going
534
00:29:48,187 --> 00:29:50,687
to break the deadlock
of trench warfare
535
00:29:50,689 --> 00:29:53,624
they would have to take
the German strong points.
536
00:29:53,626 --> 00:29:56,326
We're just moving up
from the British frontline
537
00:29:56,328 --> 00:30:00,230
in front of the hills
of Messines...
538
00:30:00,232 --> 00:30:01,665
This is the Messines ridge.
539
00:30:01,667 --> 00:30:05,235
And as we rise up this slope,
we can really get the sense
540
00:30:05,237 --> 00:30:08,438
of where the Germans were
sitting at the top of this ridge
541
00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,775
and they would have been looking
down upon the British below
542
00:30:11,777 --> 00:30:14,111
and any of the enemy
that wanted to try and attack
543
00:30:14,113 --> 00:30:16,814
these German trenches would have
to labor up this slope
544
00:30:16,816 --> 00:30:19,483
just as we're trying to labor up
it in a modern car.
545
00:30:19,485 --> 00:30:22,485
NARRATOR: So in January 1916,
the Allies forged a new plan.
546
00:30:25,423 --> 00:30:28,225
If they couldn't get across
no-man's land,
547
00:30:28,227 --> 00:30:30,194
they would go beneath it.
548
00:30:31,930 --> 00:30:34,431
They would dig tunnels
towards key targets
549
00:30:34,433 --> 00:30:37,801
and plant explosives below them.
550
00:30:37,803 --> 00:30:40,838
Then, they would simultaneously
detonate the charges
551
00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,240
right under the Germans.
552
00:30:43,242 --> 00:30:46,543
It was called
"earthquaking the ridge."
553
00:30:46,545 --> 00:30:48,979
DOYLE: The British were in
a really good situation
554
00:30:48,981 --> 00:30:50,681
because they were in
the lower ground
555
00:30:50,683 --> 00:30:52,916
and the Germans were in
the high ground.
556
00:30:52,918 --> 00:30:55,786
That meant that for the British,
all they had to do in effect
557
00:30:55,788 --> 00:30:57,354
was dig in a straight line.
558
00:30:57,356 --> 00:31:01,058
And if they could go in
a shallow tunnel downwards
559
00:31:01,060 --> 00:31:04,928
they could undermine
the Germans.
560
00:31:04,930 --> 00:31:08,498
NARRATOR: The plan called for up
to 49 tunnels dug under the ridge,
561
00:31:08,500 --> 00:31:14,171
ending in 25 mines placed
under the German strongholds.
562
00:31:14,173 --> 00:31:18,675
The British tunnelers...
Called moles...
563
00:31:18,677 --> 00:31:20,644
Included many ex-coal miners.
564
00:31:20,646 --> 00:31:22,813
All were volunteers,
565
00:31:22,815 --> 00:31:24,381
but because they were
specialists
566
00:31:24,383 --> 00:31:27,117
working at
an unusually perilous job,
567
00:31:27,119 --> 00:31:31,622
they were each paid three times
more than an ordinary soldier.
568
00:31:33,524 --> 00:31:35,959
DOYLE: They were using a
technique called clay-kicking.
569
00:31:35,961 --> 00:31:37,895
The man who was doing
the kicking...
570
00:31:37,897 --> 00:31:39,796
That is doing the digging...
571
00:31:39,798 --> 00:31:42,065
Would lie back
on a wooden construction.
572
00:31:42,067 --> 00:31:45,402
He would be starting
at the base of a face
573
00:31:45,404 --> 00:31:47,504
and using a tool called
a grafting tool,
574
00:31:47,506 --> 00:31:51,174
he would sort of work out
a clod of earth, clod of clay,
575
00:31:51,176 --> 00:31:53,543
which would then be taken away.
576
00:31:53,545 --> 00:31:59,016
And the British used it to great
effect here in Messines.
577
00:31:59,018 --> 00:32:01,718
NARRATOR: The tunnelers
experimented with various charges
578
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:05,756
before settling on a new
explosive called ammonal...
579
00:32:05,758 --> 00:32:09,760
A mix of aluminum powder
the fuel for the explosion,
580
00:32:09,762 --> 00:32:11,728
and ammonium nitrate,
581
00:32:11,730 --> 00:32:15,933
the chemical combustion
that powers the blast.
582
00:32:15,935 --> 00:32:20,504
Ammonal was three times
more powerful than gunpowder,
583
00:32:20,506 --> 00:32:22,839
and considerably less volatile.
584
00:32:22,841 --> 00:32:27,377
It could not be set off
by fire or bullets.
585
00:32:27,379 --> 00:32:30,147
Detonators were placed
in some of the boxes,
586
00:32:30,149 --> 00:32:33,116
which were electrically fired
from back in the trenches.
587
00:32:34,619 --> 00:32:36,954
The shockwave
from the initial explosions
588
00:32:36,956 --> 00:32:38,996
would set off
the other ammonal charges.
589
00:32:41,092 --> 00:32:43,994
The drawback with ammonal
590
00:32:43,996 --> 00:32:46,229
was that it degraded
when it was wet,
591
00:32:46,231 --> 00:32:50,367
so the explosive was sealed
in rubberized tins and boxes
592
00:32:50,369 --> 00:32:53,370
before being laid
in vast quantities
593
00:32:53,372 --> 00:32:56,340
at the end of the tunnels.
594
00:33:03,181 --> 00:33:08,585
The farm of Petite Douve is just
500 yards from the dig site.
595
00:33:08,587 --> 00:33:11,621
During the war,
Petite Douve was a stronghold
596
00:33:11,623 --> 00:33:14,024
on the German frontline.
597
00:33:14,026 --> 00:33:17,427
It was also the destination
for one of the British tunnels,
598
00:33:17,429 --> 00:33:23,266
which branched under the farm,
its ends packed with explosives.
599
00:33:23,268 --> 00:33:25,035
Where I'm stood now
is on the old German frontline
600
00:33:25,037 --> 00:33:28,538
on the western extremity of the
Petite Douve strong point.
601
00:33:28,540 --> 00:33:32,876
The British frontline
was 500 meters or so west,
602
00:33:32,878 --> 00:33:34,711
just below those farm buildings,
603
00:33:34,713 --> 00:33:37,180
and that's where the British
started their mine
604
00:33:37,182 --> 00:33:39,282
in and among where those
farm buildings are now
605
00:33:39,284 --> 00:33:42,085
And they would have kicked
and dug underground
606
00:33:42,087 --> 00:33:45,856
pretty much beneath our feet
as we are now, 520 meters
607
00:33:45,858 --> 00:33:47,758
for the principle charge
608
00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,000
just over my left shoulder
under the strong point.
609
00:34:03,674 --> 00:34:06,076
NARRATOR: But here at
Petite Douve in 1916,
610
00:34:06,078 --> 00:34:09,746
the British tunnelers weren't
having it all their own way.
611
00:34:11,315 --> 00:34:14,451
The Germans knew
of the underground plan
612
00:34:14,453 --> 00:34:16,386
and were digging
their own tunnels
613
00:34:16,388 --> 00:34:18,455
in an attempt to kill
the British miners.
614
00:34:18,457 --> 00:34:22,259
JOHAN VANDEWALLE: These are all
pieces of bricks from the farm.
615
00:34:22,261 --> 00:34:25,829
NARRATOR: Johan Vandewalle
is Belgium's leading expert
616
00:34:25,831 --> 00:34:27,531
on the underground war.
617
00:34:27,533 --> 00:34:29,032
Oh, I think this is the place.
618
00:34:29,034 --> 00:34:30,734
So what have we got
here then, Johan?
619
00:34:30,736 --> 00:34:32,035
What's this, is this the shaft?
620
00:34:32,037 --> 00:34:33,437
This is the spot.
621
00:34:33,439 --> 00:34:37,140
Literally here is one of the
German countermining shafts
622
00:34:37,142 --> 00:34:39,109
that goes straight down...
What, 20 meters?
623
00:34:39,111 --> 00:34:40,177
Exactly.
624
00:34:40,179 --> 00:34:42,145
Okay, that's it.
625
00:34:46,784 --> 00:34:48,919
NARRATOR: The team is here
to explore the opening
626
00:34:48,921 --> 00:34:51,455
to the last surviving
German mineshaft
627
00:34:51,457 --> 00:34:53,623
from the Messines battlefield.
628
00:34:53,625 --> 00:34:56,393
So this is the first time
that anyone has really...
629
00:34:56,395 --> 00:34:59,062
Since the war...
Done any work on this,
630
00:34:59,064 --> 00:35:01,465
tried to identify how deep
it is, what was going on.
631
00:35:01,467 --> 00:35:03,366
It's like an exploration
into the past isn't it?
632
00:35:03,368 --> 00:35:05,001
Yeah.
633
00:35:05,003 --> 00:35:09,372
NARRATOR: As the British were
tunneling towards Petite Douve,
634
00:35:09,374 --> 00:35:11,975
the Germans were sinking
vertical shafts
635
00:35:11,977 --> 00:35:13,677
to get beneath
the British tunnels,
636
00:35:13,679 --> 00:35:18,415
where they would lay their own
explosives called camouflets
637
00:35:18,417 --> 00:35:24,121
in an attempt to kill or disrupt
the British working above them.
638
00:35:24,123 --> 00:35:27,824
DOYLE: Petite Douve is an interesting
aspect of the Messines battle
639
00:35:27,826 --> 00:35:32,496
because here we can see the
Germans seeking out the British.
640
00:35:32,498 --> 00:35:33,830
This is a rare survivor.
641
00:35:33,832 --> 00:35:36,867
Really we're not going to get
this chance again.
642
00:35:40,037 --> 00:35:44,441
NARRATOR: The German mine shaft
could be as deep as 25 meters,
643
00:35:44,443 --> 00:35:48,478
but what the team doesn't know
is whether it will be blocked
644
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:52,816
or if the water will be clear
enough to actually see anything.
645
00:35:56,487 --> 00:35:58,421
DOYLE:
It's so tantalizing
646
00:35:58,423 --> 00:36:00,490
just to get things
appearing out of the murk.
647
00:36:05,930 --> 00:36:09,299
Yes, what is that?
648
00:36:09,301 --> 00:36:12,836
NARRATOR:
As the camera descends,
649
00:36:12,838 --> 00:36:14,905
from the gloom emerges
the timber sides
650
00:36:14,907 --> 00:36:17,841
of the German mineshaft.
651
00:36:17,843 --> 00:36:21,144
DOYLE: We're just seeing
the shaft as we go down
652
00:36:21,146 --> 00:36:26,917
and we're getting some idea
of features in the side wall.
653
00:36:26,919 --> 00:36:29,119
It's a real testimony to the men
who built this
654
00:36:29,121 --> 00:36:31,755
that its still here and
it's still in good condition.
655
00:36:31,757 --> 00:36:33,723
Nobody was before here.
656
00:36:33,725 --> 00:36:35,659
So nobody has ever seen
this kind of thing,
657
00:36:35,661 --> 00:36:39,563
this is the first time anybody's
ever seen this since 1917.
658
00:36:39,565 --> 00:36:42,165
This is interesting this is
porcelain for electricity?
659
00:36:42,167 --> 00:36:44,534
MAN:
Yes.
660
00:36:44,536 --> 00:36:46,836
NARRATOR: The mineshaft would
have had electrical lighting,
661
00:36:46,838 --> 00:36:48,872
and pumps to keep the water out.
662
00:36:50,141 --> 00:36:54,277
They also find pipes
used to take fresh air
663
00:36:54,279 --> 00:36:56,780
to the German miners below.
664
00:36:56,782 --> 00:36:58,915
Are we seeing the ladder
there, do you think?
665
00:36:58,917 --> 00:37:02,953
NARRATOR: Attached to the
wall is the steel ladder
666
00:37:02,955 --> 00:37:07,290
used to descend
to the bottom of the shaft.
667
00:37:07,292 --> 00:37:09,626
From there,
tunnels would lead underneath
668
00:37:09,628 --> 00:37:12,596
the British miners close by.
669
00:37:12,598 --> 00:37:14,397
VANDEWALLE:
Can you imagine a ladder?
670
00:37:14,399 --> 00:37:16,366
With your muddy hands pulling
down on a steel ladder.
671
00:37:16,368 --> 00:37:18,935
You couldn't really imagine
descending on that ladder,
672
00:37:18,937 --> 00:37:20,837
could you, down to 20 meters.
673
00:37:20,839 --> 00:37:21,905
Stop, stop, stop.
674
00:37:21,907 --> 00:37:25,041
Is it possible to turn
the camera?
675
00:37:25,043 --> 00:37:27,477
NARRATOR: As they reach
the bottom of the shaft,
676
00:37:27,479 --> 00:37:29,613
Johan thinks he has found
something.
677
00:37:29,615 --> 00:37:33,216
So we are on the west side
now this is the west.
678
00:37:33,218 --> 00:37:36,353
Try to keep this depth,
but just try to..
679
00:37:36,355 --> 00:37:39,235
DOYLE: Gently turning it
around so that we might...
680
00:37:43,361 --> 00:37:47,998
This looks like for me
the gallery to no-man's land.
681
00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:50,560
It is possible
to come a little bit back?
682
00:37:52,136 --> 00:37:57,173
Stop because this is
to no man's land
683
00:37:57,175 --> 00:38:00,477
So this is the direction
towards the British.
684
00:38:00,479 --> 00:38:04,381
NARRATOR: This tantalizing
glimpse into the darkness
685
00:38:04,383 --> 00:38:08,218
reveals the entry of the
German's fighting gallery:
686
00:38:08,220 --> 00:38:11,388
an offensive trench dug to try
and attack the British miners
687
00:38:11,390 --> 00:38:14,357
in this underground war.
688
00:38:17,662 --> 00:38:20,764
The British miners finished
the main tunnel at Petite Douve
689
00:38:20,766 --> 00:38:23,333
in August 1916,
690
00:38:23,335 --> 00:38:26,303
placing 25 tons of ammonal
beneath the farm.
691
00:38:32,209 --> 00:38:34,277
They then set about digging
a branch tunnel
692
00:38:34,279 --> 00:38:38,982
to lay a secondary mine nearby.
693
00:38:38,984 --> 00:38:43,086
But using sensitive
listening equipment,
694
00:38:43,088 --> 00:38:45,889
the British tunnelers picked up
the unmistakable sound
695
00:38:45,891 --> 00:38:51,261
of German voices
only yards away.
696
00:38:51,263 --> 00:38:52,662
TURNER:
The British heard them.
697
00:38:52,664 --> 00:38:55,198
This is a blind form of warfare
digging towards one another
698
00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:57,634
detecting purely by sound.
699
00:38:57,636 --> 00:38:59,869
So the British heard
they had been detected
700
00:38:59,871 --> 00:39:03,807
and blew what's called
a camouflet, a disruption mine,
701
00:39:03,809 --> 00:39:06,009
which was only moderately
successful,
702
00:39:06,011 --> 00:39:08,011
and of course
that provoked a response.
703
00:39:10,014 --> 00:39:14,250
NARRATOR: The Germans responded
with their own explosive charge,
704
00:39:14,252 --> 00:39:16,653
claiming the lives
of at least three tunnelers,
705
00:39:16,655 --> 00:39:20,990
whose bodies still remain
entombed under the farm.
706
00:39:20,992 --> 00:39:23,960
Their names are recorded on the
Ploegsteert Memorial close by.
707
00:39:28,566 --> 00:39:32,435
Of the 25 mines planned by the
British under the Messines Ridge
708
00:39:32,437 --> 00:39:36,172
Petite Douve was the only one
lost to enemy action...
709
00:39:36,174 --> 00:39:39,642
A fact that still
resonates today.
710
00:39:39,644 --> 00:39:42,312
TURNER: The main charge at Petite
Douve, all 50,000 pounds of it,
711
00:39:42,314 --> 00:39:43,980
was never blown,
it was abandoned.
712
00:39:43,982 --> 00:39:46,216
So it's still lying dormant
25 meters below ground
713
00:39:46,218 --> 00:39:47,917
very close to where
we're stood now.
714
00:39:47,919 --> 00:39:53,356
NARRATOR: The unsettling fact is
that beneath this small Belgian farm
715
00:39:53,358 --> 00:39:56,860
is potentially the world's
biggest unexploded bomb.
716
00:40:00,898 --> 00:40:03,433
Earthquaking the Messines Ridge
with mines
717
00:40:03,435 --> 00:40:08,304
was part of a much more
ambitious plan.
718
00:40:08,306 --> 00:40:10,573
British high command believed
that the key to unlocking
719
00:40:10,575 --> 00:40:13,877
the Western Front
lay here in Flanders.
720
00:40:13,879 --> 00:40:17,213
Breaking through the line
at Messines
721
00:40:17,215 --> 00:40:19,449
would be the first part
of an operation,
722
00:40:19,451 --> 00:40:22,419
which they hoped would lead
to the defeat of Germany.
723
00:40:24,488 --> 00:40:26,289
In his preparation
for the battle,
724
00:40:26,291 --> 00:40:28,758
the British general
Sir Herbert Plumer
725
00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:30,727
was leaving nothing to chance.
726
00:40:32,797 --> 00:40:35,298
TURNER: He pulled in
2,250 artillery pieces,
727
00:40:35,300 --> 00:40:37,534
which for a seven-day
bombardment
728
00:40:37,536 --> 00:40:40,670
consumed three-and-a-half
million shells.
729
00:40:40,672 --> 00:40:42,472
You had 31,000 people...
730
00:40:42,474 --> 00:40:44,207
That's a third
of the modern British army...
731
00:40:44,209 --> 00:40:47,043
Employed solely
on road building duties.
732
00:40:47,045 --> 00:40:51,915
NARRATOR: 9,500 motor
vehicles were amassed.
733
00:40:51,917 --> 00:40:56,686
173 miles of railway were laid.
734
00:40:56,688 --> 00:41:00,123
Plumer would have more aircraft
over Messines
735
00:41:00,125 --> 00:41:03,092
than the Germans had
over the entire Western Front.
736
00:41:06,564 --> 00:41:11,234
And the days of horses
leading the attack were over.
737
00:41:13,370 --> 00:41:17,140
Tanks had been first used
in the autumn of 1916
738
00:41:17,142 --> 00:41:19,042
with limited success.
739
00:41:19,044 --> 00:41:20,543
(loud explosion)
740
00:41:20,545 --> 00:41:24,314
Early versions had been slow,
unreliable, and unbearably hot
741
00:41:24,316 --> 00:41:27,083
for the crew who operated them.
742
00:41:27,085 --> 00:41:29,752
For the impending battle
of Messines,
743
00:41:29,754 --> 00:41:33,723
Plumer took delivery of 72 of
the latest model: The Mark IV.
744
00:41:37,027 --> 00:41:40,930
CHURCHILL: This was the one that the
tank drivers had been waiting for.
745
00:41:40,932 --> 00:41:42,432
There were bits of it
they really liked.
746
00:41:42,434 --> 00:41:44,434
I think they liked that
they'd moved the fuel tank
747
00:41:44,436 --> 00:41:46,069
away from the drivers,
748
00:41:46,071 --> 00:41:49,272
which obviously if you're
under shellfire is beneficial.
749
00:41:50,975 --> 00:41:52,442
They've taken those stabilizers
off the back.
750
00:41:52,444 --> 00:41:54,344
These little wheels
on the back of the tank,
751
00:41:54,346 --> 00:41:55,778
which were supposed
to help steer it,
752
00:41:55,780 --> 00:41:59,082
but really they were just
getting caught in everything.
753
00:41:59,084 --> 00:42:02,151
NARRATOR: Although impervious
to small arms fire,
754
00:42:02,153 --> 00:42:04,087
they were vulnerable
to artillery
755
00:42:04,089 --> 00:42:07,290
and were prone to catching fire.
756
00:42:07,292 --> 00:42:10,260
And there were
other shortcomings.
757
00:42:10,262 --> 00:42:12,195
They were hoping that when
the Mark IV came out,
758
00:42:12,197 --> 00:42:15,098
it would just be one driver
required to driver it.
759
00:42:15,100 --> 00:42:16,399
But actually it was four.
760
00:42:16,401 --> 00:42:18,835
And it was done through this
sort of insane system
761
00:42:18,837 --> 00:42:22,038
of banging on the engine casing
and hand signals
762
00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:23,373
to try and steer the thing.
763
00:42:23,375 --> 00:42:26,242
And it took four men to get it
across a battlefield.
764
00:42:26,244 --> 00:42:28,344
NARRATOR: The Mark IV was
a heavily armored vehicle
765
00:42:28,346 --> 00:42:31,214
designed to plough through
766
00:42:31,216 --> 00:42:33,216
the previously impenetrable
belts of barbed wire
767
00:42:33,218 --> 00:42:35,919
while protecting the infantry
following closely behind.
768
00:42:41,125 --> 00:42:43,359
While rudimentary,
the tank offered a way
769
00:42:43,361 --> 00:42:46,229
of punching through
the German defenses.
770
00:42:51,635 --> 00:42:55,371
Below the town,
the dig offers a grim memento
771
00:42:55,373 --> 00:42:58,107
of the bitter fighting to come:
772
00:42:58,109 --> 00:43:02,078
the helmet of a German soldier,
773
00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:06,049
and nearby, an ammunition box
774
00:43:06,051 --> 00:43:08,885
containing the belt of
a British Vickers machine gun.
775
00:43:12,056 --> 00:43:14,324
The Vickers gun
was built on the success
776
00:43:14,326 --> 00:43:15,925
of the earlier Maxim gun.
777
00:43:18,295 --> 00:43:20,096
As well as being lighter,
778
00:43:20,098 --> 00:43:22,465
it featured
a new muzzle booster,
779
00:43:22,467 --> 00:43:26,169
a cup at the end of the barrel.
780
00:43:26,171 --> 00:43:29,038
This captured some of the
exploding gas from each shot
781
00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:31,908
and pushed the sliding barrel
backwards,
782
00:43:31,910 --> 00:43:35,345
adding to the energy of the
recoil that powered the gun,
783
00:43:35,347 --> 00:43:38,314
making it less likely
to malfunction.
784
00:43:41,185 --> 00:43:42,752
But it was the big guns...
785
00:43:42,754 --> 00:43:44,988
(loud explosion)
786
00:43:44,990 --> 00:43:47,357
heavy artillery that began
General Plumer's battle
787
00:43:47,359 --> 00:43:49,926
to take the German bunkers
and strong points
788
00:43:49,928 --> 00:43:53,496
on the Messines Ridge
in the summer of 1917.
789
00:43:56,266 --> 00:44:00,236
On the evening of June 6,
Allied soldiers assembled
790
00:44:00,238 --> 00:44:05,008
on the low ground
beneath the ridge.
791
00:44:05,010 --> 00:44:08,177
The mines containing over
a million pounds of explosives
792
00:44:08,179 --> 00:44:10,339
were now ready
under the German strong points.
793
00:44:13,150 --> 00:44:15,885
Still fearful that the Germans
might discover them,
794
00:44:15,887 --> 00:44:19,355
the tunnelers prepared for their
simultaneous detonation
795
00:44:19,357 --> 00:44:21,624
in the final few hours.
796
00:44:28,132 --> 00:44:31,267
TURNER: The troops moved
into position, in darkness
797
00:44:31,269 --> 00:44:34,237
quietly as possible into
taped positions in the open.
798
00:44:36,940 --> 00:44:39,842
They were told to lie
in the open and wait.
799
00:44:39,844 --> 00:44:41,310
And waiting like that
is a nightmare,
800
00:44:41,312 --> 00:44:43,379
it's interminable.
801
00:44:43,381 --> 00:44:45,381
Troops just want
the attack to happen.
802
00:44:47,384 --> 00:44:50,953
And they lay down in the open
on their tapes waiting to go
803
00:44:50,955 --> 00:44:54,057
resting, head on the forearms
with the helmet,
804
00:44:54,059 --> 00:44:56,693
dozing, and imprisoned really
by their thoughts.
805
00:44:59,863 --> 00:45:02,965
NARRATOR:
The moon came out at midnight,
806
00:45:02,967 --> 00:45:05,301
and it was said that in
Wytschaete Wood near Messines,
807
00:45:05,303 --> 00:45:08,404
nightingales could be heard
singing.
808
00:45:08,406 --> 00:45:10,373
(birds chirping)
809
00:45:13,277 --> 00:45:15,545
The tunnelers checked
their watches
810
00:45:15,547 --> 00:45:17,513
and the leads to the explosives.
811
00:45:19,917 --> 00:45:22,351
At ten past 3:00 that morning,
812
00:45:22,353 --> 00:45:24,921
19 mines
under the Messines Ridge
813
00:45:24,923 --> 00:45:27,223
were simultaneously detonated.
814
00:45:27,891 --> 00:45:30,860
(loud explosion)
815
00:45:40,137 --> 00:45:42,205
TURNER: The troops would have
been presented by the blast
816
00:45:42,207 --> 00:45:43,573
where I'm standing now,
817
00:45:43,575 --> 00:45:45,842
which was the height
of St Paul's Cathedral
818
00:45:45,844 --> 00:45:49,011
rearing right up above them...
These huge tongues of flame
819
00:45:49,013 --> 00:45:51,814
and incredible clods of earth
820
00:45:51,816 --> 00:45:54,450
the size of carts,
huge lumps, raining down.
821
00:45:54,452 --> 00:45:56,619
The commanding officers
and the company commanders
822
00:45:56,621 --> 00:45:59,088
would have said, "Right lads,
we're off, let's go.
823
00:45:59,090 --> 00:46:00,556
Get up everybody, get up."
824
00:46:00,558 --> 00:46:02,258
And they would have
advanced up the hill,
825
00:46:02,260 --> 00:46:04,227
marching into this inferno.
826
00:46:06,196 --> 00:46:07,597
The Germans on the ridge...
827
00:46:07,599 --> 00:46:09,332
If they haven't been
obliterated by this blast...
828
00:46:09,334 --> 00:46:10,967
They rush into position.
829
00:46:10,969 --> 00:46:13,202
As soon as they get into
their fighting positions,
830
00:46:13,204 --> 00:46:16,839
they're just... just raining of
shells coming down.
831
00:46:16,841 --> 00:46:20,409
They talk about the fact that
they were "virtually deafened,
832
00:46:20,411 --> 00:46:22,178
useless,
indifferent to their fate,"
833
00:46:22,180 --> 00:46:24,147
one German officer describes it.
834
00:46:28,385 --> 00:46:30,820
NARRATOR: Detonating the
mines on the Messines Ridge
835
00:46:30,822 --> 00:46:35,091
created the biggest explosion
the world had ever seen.
836
00:46:36,393 --> 00:46:39,729
Some estimates say
10,000 German soldiers
837
00:46:39,731 --> 00:46:41,697
were killed in the blasts.
838
00:46:44,935 --> 00:46:48,204
From the moment
the mines detonated,
839
00:46:48,206 --> 00:46:51,407
it would take New Zealand troops
just over an hour
840
00:46:51,409 --> 00:46:54,443
to reach the outskirts
of Messines.
841
00:46:54,445 --> 00:46:55,845
By the end of the day,
842
00:46:55,847 --> 00:46:58,714
the Allies had achieved
all their objectives.
843
00:47:04,855 --> 00:47:06,923
General Plumer was delighted
844
00:47:06,925 --> 00:47:10,493
with how low the casualties had
been in the initial offensive,
845
00:47:10,495 --> 00:47:15,431
although by the end of the
battle seven days later,
846
00:47:15,433 --> 00:47:20,636
24,000 Allied soldiers had been
killed, wounded or were missing.
847
00:47:23,807 --> 00:47:26,209
The German casualty figure
was as much as a third higher.
848
00:47:30,214 --> 00:47:32,782
But after nearly three years
at Messines,
849
00:47:32,784 --> 00:47:38,387
Plumer had broken the deadlock
of trench warfare.
850
00:47:38,389 --> 00:47:40,790
DOYLE: The Battle of Messines
has got to be considered
851
00:47:40,792 --> 00:47:43,159
as one of the most
successful battles
852
00:47:43,161 --> 00:47:45,695
the British army ever fought.
853
00:47:45,697 --> 00:47:49,165
The combination of the mine
warfare, the artillery assault,
854
00:47:49,167 --> 00:47:52,001
and the infantry assault
makes this battle unique
855
00:47:52,003 --> 00:47:55,071
and makes it...
In my opinion anyway...
856
00:47:55,073 --> 00:47:57,907
The most successful
of the British army's activity
857
00:47:57,909 --> 00:47:59,075
on the Western Front.
858
00:48:05,415 --> 00:48:09,118
NARRATOR: In Flanders,
nearly a century later,
859
00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:13,022
the craters from the detonated
mines are still clearly visible.
860
00:48:16,093 --> 00:48:19,562
They stand as a reminder
of General Plumer's bold plan
861
00:48:19,564 --> 00:48:23,466
to drive the Germans
from the Messines Ridge.
862
00:48:23,468 --> 00:48:26,636
TURNER:
It was a stellar achievement
863
00:48:26,638 --> 00:48:29,038
to breach such an
impregnable objective,
864
00:48:29,040 --> 00:48:31,574
but it was unrepeatable,
865
00:48:31,576 --> 00:48:33,709
and its planners never envisaged
that it would
866
00:48:33,711 --> 00:48:37,847
bounce straight into some kind
of incredible breakthrough...
867
00:48:37,849 --> 00:48:39,415
Troops flooding across
the Northern plains
868
00:48:39,417 --> 00:48:40,850
and on to Berlin.
869
00:48:40,852 --> 00:48:44,921
NARRATOR: In fact, the Allies
advanced barely ten miles
870
00:48:44,923 --> 00:48:46,756
into German territory
before faltering.
871
00:48:46,758 --> 00:48:50,059
The three-and-a-half million
shells fired
872
00:48:50,061 --> 00:48:51,994
during the Messines offensive
873
00:48:51,996 --> 00:48:54,530
had not only destroyed
enemy trenches,
874
00:48:54,532 --> 00:48:57,166
but had churned up
the ground ahead,
875
00:48:57,168 --> 00:48:59,568
making it all but impassable.
876
00:48:59,570 --> 00:49:04,173
Now one of the grimmest
campais of the war,
877
00:49:04,175 --> 00:49:05,574
Passchendaele,
878
00:49:05,576 --> 00:49:08,744
would claim over half a million
casualties in a sea of mud.
879
00:49:08,746 --> 00:49:14,483
The long awaited breakthrough
had failed to materialize.
880
00:49:18,922 --> 00:49:22,558
Messines may have fallen,
but it would take another year
881
00:49:22,560 --> 00:49:26,595
of bitter fighting
before the war was over
882
00:49:26,597 --> 00:49:28,197
and the armistice signed.
883
00:49:37,774 --> 00:49:40,676
CHURCHILL: When we look at World
War I, we spend a lot of time
884
00:49:40,678 --> 00:49:42,979
concentrating on the people
that died in the war
885
00:49:42,981 --> 00:49:45,348
and we don't often think
of the people they left behind.
886
00:49:45,350 --> 00:49:48,384
One story that's really touched
me is the story of two friends
887
00:49:48,386 --> 00:49:51,821
named Robert Irvine
and John Corrie
888
00:49:51,823 --> 00:49:53,789
from a small town
in Dumfriesshire
889
00:49:53,791 --> 00:49:55,791
who served together
throughout the war.
890
00:49:58,628 --> 00:50:01,630
John was actually killed near
here in the Battle of Messines.
891
00:50:04,534 --> 00:50:06,402
After the battle,
a New Zealand soldier
892
00:50:06,404 --> 00:50:08,371
was walking back
across the battlefield,
893
00:50:08,373 --> 00:50:11,774
and he actually found a diary
lying on the ground.
894
00:50:11,776 --> 00:50:13,943
And when he opened it up
and went through it,
895
00:50:13,945 --> 00:50:16,245
he saw that there were
a number of letters, and photos,
896
00:50:16,247 --> 00:50:17,913
and personal mementos
897
00:50:17,915 --> 00:50:20,016
and he saw it belonged
to John Corrie,
898
00:50:20,018 --> 00:50:22,351
and he thought it would be
the right thing to do
899
00:50:22,353 --> 00:50:26,355
if he sent it back to Lizzie,
John's sweetheart.
900
00:50:26,357 --> 00:50:28,691
Lizzie came to Belgium
after the First World War
901
00:50:28,693 --> 00:50:31,660
to visit John's grave.
902
00:50:36,033 --> 00:50:38,034
She never married,
and when she eventually died
903
00:50:38,036 --> 00:50:40,569
aged nearly 100 in 1991,
904
00:50:40,571 --> 00:50:43,472
she was buried with a photograph
of him in her hand.
905
00:50:58,488 --> 00:51:00,623
NARRATOR: Although the
Germans had been driven out
906
00:51:00,625 --> 00:51:03,125
of their trenches at Messines,
907
00:51:03,127 --> 00:51:05,728
it would take
the arrival of American troops
908
00:51:05,730 --> 00:51:08,497
joining the Allies
to finally bring Germany
909
00:51:08,499 --> 00:51:12,668
to its knees and end the war.
910
00:51:18,875 --> 00:51:21,777
The archaeological dig
has unlocked
911
00:51:21,779 --> 00:51:24,099
a hundred-year-old time capsule
of the First World War.
912
00:51:25,482 --> 00:51:29,618
The horses and trenchehe
913
00:51:29,620 --> 00:51:32,555
the bombs and the bullets,
914
00:51:32,557 --> 00:51:34,623
and the underground tunnels
915
00:51:34,625 --> 00:51:37,960
snaking beneath the killing
fields of Flanders
916
00:51:37,962 --> 00:51:43,499
all tell of a war
of huge technological change.
917
00:51:43,501 --> 00:51:45,334
(explosion)
918
00:51:45,336 --> 00:51:47,336
But above all,
the dig is a timely reminder
919
00:51:47,338 --> 00:51:49,738
of the human sacrifice
920
00:51:49,740 --> 00:51:52,475
that more than anything else
has come to symbolize
921
00:51:52,477 --> 00:51:55,311
the horrors
of the First World War.
922
00:52:03,820 --> 00:52:05,754
They're dazzling, priceless,
923
00:52:21,104 --> 00:52:24,106
This NOVA program
is available on DVD.
924
00:52:24,108 --> 00:52:29,478
To order, visit shopPBS.org,
or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.
925
00:52:29,480 --> 00:52:31,680
NOVA is also available
for download on iTunes.