Ep 3. Secret A-Bomb Factories
- August 15, 2007
- 43 min
Lost Worlds Season 2 Episode 3: Secret A-Bomb Factories
In this episode of Lost Worlds, the team investigates secret A-bomb factories built during World War II in Germany. The episode starts with a historical overview of the development and deployment of nuclear weapons by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The narrator explains that the team aims to uncover a lesser-known piece of nuclear history - the Nazi quest for nuclear weapons.
The team visits several locations in Germany that were crucial to the Nazi nuclear program during World War II. They begin by exploring the abandoned Riese underground complex in the Owl Mountains. The complex was built by Nazi Germany to serve as a military headquarters in the event of war. During the war, the site was repurposed for the development of nuclear technology. The team examines the massive underground halls and tunnels and discovers evidence of uranium mining and processing.
Next, the team visits the small town of Stadtilm, where a secret research facility was established by Nazi Germany in 1940. The team interviews local historians and researchers who explain how the facility was used to develop nuclear technology, including atomic bombs. The team explores the ruins of the facility, which was destroyed by Allied bombing in 1945. They find evidence of advanced scientific equipment, such as cyclotrons, used for isotope separation.
The team then travels to a remote forest in the Harz Mountains, where they investigate a Nazi uranium mine. The mine was the largest of its kind in Europe during the war, and the team discovers evidence of forced labor and inhumane conditions in the mine. They also find evidence of an underground Nazi production plant where uranium was refined and enriched.
In the final part of the episode, the team visits the abandoned village of Alwernia, where a secret nuclear research facility was built by Nazi Germany in 1943. The team uncovers evidence of advanced nuclear technology, including a heavy water production plant. The narrator explains how the Allies targeted these facilities during the war and how the Nazis were unable to develop a working nuclear weapon before the end of the war.
The episode ends with the team reflecting on the sinister history of these sites and the danger that the world could have faced if the Nazis had succeeded in developing nuclear weapons. They also ponder the ethical questions surrounding the use of nuclear weapons and the need for continued vigilance in preventing their proliferation.
Lost Worlds Season 2 Episode 3: Secret A-Bomb Factories provides a fascinating and chilling insight into a little-known aspect of World War II and the nuclear arms race that followed. Through interviews, historical footage, and exploration of abandoned sites, the team uncovers a network of secret facilities that were instrumental in the Nazi quest for nuclear weapons. The episode raises important questions about the development and use of nuclear technology and serves as a warning to future generations of the dangers of unchecked scientific progress and militarism.