Wednesday, February 14, 9-10 p.m.

As France fell to the German armies in May 1940 — in what Winston Churchill famously called a “colossal military disaster” — 400,000 Allied troops were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. Their demise seemed sealed and determined by fate—the catastrophic situation loomed and assumed surrender for Britain. In a last-minute rescue, however, Royal Navy ships and a flotilla of tiny civilian boats evacuated hundreds of thousands of soldiers to safety across the Channel—the legendary “miracle of Dunkirk.” Now, NOVA follows a team of archaeologists and historians as they unearth and examine evidence of the courage, technical ingenuity and brilliant planning that led to the operation’s success. NOVA: Great Escape at Dunkirk will air on Wednesday, February 14 from 9-10 p.m. on PBS.

The operation took its codename, Operation Dynamo, from the dynamo room in the naval headquarters below Dover Castle, and it was there that British Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay planned the miraculous mission. At the time, much of the information surrounding the unfolding events of Dunkirk was withheld from the public due to war-time censorship and an effort to maintain England’s morale.

Now, with access to previously classified files released by the British government, explore and uncover the truth behind the myths of Dunkirk—notably, a bitter claim that the Royal Air Force failed to protect the stranded men from Luftwaffe’s constant bombing of the beaches. Featuring an exclusive excavation of a newly-found Spitfire wreck, NOVA debunks the myth and highlights the essential role of RAF planes and pilots in reversing the desperate stakes that played out in the air above the beleaguered men.

In this feature, discover the traces of ships and planes lost during this disaster-turned-triumph that gave way to giving the people of Britain the “Dunkirk spirit.”

 

Watch the Trailer:

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