NOVA 45x4 - Great Escape at Dunkirk

As France fell to the German armies in May 1940, 400,000Allied troops were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. Theirannihilation seemed certain—a disaster that could have led toBritain's surrender. But then, in a last-minute rescue, RoyalNavy ships and a flotilla of tiny civilian boats evacuatedhundreds of thousands of soldiers to safety across theChannel—the legendary "miracle of Dunkirk." Now, NOVAfollows a team of archaeologists and historians as they recoverfresh evidence of the courage, technical ingenuity, andbrilliant planning that led to the operation's success. Withaccess to previously classified files recently released by theBritish government, they uncover the truth behind the myths ofDunkirk—notably, a claim that the Royal Air Force failed toprotect the stranded men from the Luftwaffe's constant bombingof the beaches. Featuring an exclusive excavation of anewly-found Spitfire wreck, NOVA debunks the myth andhighlights the essential role of RAF planes and pilots inreversing the desperate stakes that played out in the air abovethe beleaguered men.