4x01 The Search for the Avro Arrow Test Flight Models
Join “The Sea Hunters” as they dive under the cold waters of Lake Ontario, at the Pickering Test Site, and off the coast of Maryland, at the American C.I.A. Headquarters at Wallop’s Island, and search for exact replicas, reduced in size, of a plane that was the fastest fighter of its day. Launched by Nike Missiles, these models were propelled at supersonic speeds for test purposes and never recovered. Working with the National Aeronautics Museum in Canada, and the Chief Historian for the U.S. Coast Guard in the United States “The Sea Hunters” will dive both sites and search for the last remnants of the fastest plane that was never built and in the process tell a story of espionage, subterfuge and assassination that starts under the cold waters of the Atlantic and Great Lakes and moves to Bermuda, South Africa, Holland and Iraq.
In the early 1950s Canada found herself geographically sandwiched between the world’s two great super powers. Relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were growing more bellicose and, unfortunately for Canada the theatre for any potential acts of war would be Canadian air space.
It was under these tense and uncertain conditions that A.V. Roe Ltd. of Canada began the development of the fastest and most sophisticated fighter aircraft ever developed. No one paid much attention until the first five Arrow fighters appeared on the runway after returning from test flights where they flew at nearly twice the speed of sound. Suddenly the world took notice. The sixth Arrow, with a much larger engine was expected to shatter all international speed records and set the world standard for fighter aircraft.
Then just as this plane was to roll out on the tarmac, the doors at A.V. Roe Ltd. were shut and locked. The entire Arrow work force of 14,000 employees was immediately fired. Many who were in a position to know said that Canada had been muscled out of the industry by the United States. The Canadian Prime Minister, said only that the plane was too expensive and that the project was terminated. All existing Arrows were ordered destroyed along with all plans and parts.
The work on an Air to Air Missile “The Velvet Glove” which was to be wing mounted on the fighter was also terminated and Gerald Bull, the Aero-physicist on the project, moved back to his pet project, ballistic launchers for satellites, or “Super Guns”. His work would take him from Canada to Bermuda to the U.S. to South Africa and finally to Brussels and Iraq. Israel’s “Mossad” would warn him several times not to work with Saddam Hussein, he would later be found at the door of his Brussels apartment with several bullets lodged in the back of his head.
Join “The Sea Hunters” as they dive to find the last artifacts of this twisted tale of intrigue.
In the early 1950s Canada found herself geographically sandwiched between the world’s two great super powers. Relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were growing more bellicose and, unfortunately for Canada the theatre for any potential acts of war would be Canadian air space.
It was under these tense and uncertain conditions that A.V. Roe Ltd. of Canada began the development of the fastest and most sophisticated fighter aircraft ever developed. No one paid much attention until the first five Arrow fighters appeared on the runway after returning from test flights where they flew at nearly twice the speed of sound. Suddenly the world took notice. The sixth Arrow, with a much larger engine was expected to shatter all international speed records and set the world standard for fighter aircraft.
Then just as this plane was to roll out on the tarmac, the doors at A.V. Roe Ltd. were shut and locked. The entire Arrow work force of 14,000 employees was immediately fired. Many who were in a position to know said that Canada had been muscled out of the industry by the United States. The Canadian Prime Minister, said only that the plane was too expensive and that the project was terminated. All existing Arrows were ordered destroyed along with all plans and parts.
The work on an Air to Air Missile “The Velvet Glove” which was to be wing mounted on the fighter was also terminated and Gerald Bull, the Aero-physicist on the project, moved back to his pet project, ballistic launchers for satellites, or “Super Guns”. His work would take him from Canada to Bermuda to the U.S. to South Africa and finally to Brussels and Iraq. Israel’s “Mossad” would warn him several times not to work with Saddam Hussein, he would later be found at the door of his Brussels apartment with several bullets lodged in the back of his head.
Join “The Sea Hunters” as they dive to find the last artifacts of this twisted tale of intrigue.
4x02 The Search for the Early Submarines
The Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood was founded in 1858 and was known as the “Fenian Brotherhood”. This militantly anti-British group waged a propaganda war in the U.S. for Irish Independence and collected money in a “Skirmishing Fund” intended to support armed activities against British interests. John Holland’s brother James was a member of the “Fenians”, it was through James that the “Fenians” learned of John Holland’s work with submarines. When they approached him he offered to build a submersible warship that could attack and sink British Naval vessels. Holland started his work in1878 and by June of 1881 he had a working 31 ft. submersible that could dive to 50 ft., travel at a surface speed of 9 knots and shoot a dummy warhead from a pneumatic gun to a distance of several hundred yards. His sub was now a formidable new weapon with the potential to inflict heavy damage on the British navy. Concurrent to his work on the “Fenian Ram” Holland was also constructing a 16 ft., 1 ton model with which he intended to perfect his technical designs for submerged navigation. This fully working model submarine embodied all of Holland’s latest and most functional dive and steering mechanisms.
Holland’s steady progress in improving the “Fenian Ram” came to an abrupt halt in November 1883. Segments of the “Brotherhood’s” membership locked in a bitter and divisive struggle over the “Ram’s” potential for actually harming British vessels and over the expenditures being made from the “Skirmish Fund”. Late one night in November, fearing that the “Ram” would be seized in the ongoing legal proceedings, one of the warring factions gained access to Holland’s wharf and stole the “Fenian Ram” and Model #3. They took both vessels in tow but just after passing under the Whitestone Bridge, at the Mouth of the East River, “Model #3 foundered, took on water, snapped her tow line and sunk in 110 ft. of water.
The “Sea Hunters”, working with Dr. Pete Capelloti, Chief Historian, U.S. Coast Guard, gain permission to side scan and dive on the South end of Manhattan Island, between the Whitestone and Throg’s Neck Bridges. They will search for the lost Holland designed “Model #3”. The Sea Hunters will first undertake a side scan sonar survey and then dive and ground truth targets located in the search area. The side scan and dive footage will by turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard and to the newly formed “Office of Homeland Security”. With the New York City skyline in the background "The Sea Hunters" dive team will search for this historic submarine while collecting underwater data which will be used to make New York safer from the threat of terrorist attack.
Holland’s steady progress in improving the “Fenian Ram” came to an abrupt halt in November 1883. Segments of the “Brotherhood’s” membership locked in a bitter and divisive struggle over the “Ram’s” potential for actually harming British vessels and over the expenditures being made from the “Skirmish Fund”. Late one night in November, fearing that the “Ram” would be seized in the ongoing legal proceedings, one of the warring factions gained access to Holland’s wharf and stole the “Fenian Ram” and Model #3. They took both vessels in tow but just after passing under the Whitestone Bridge, at the Mouth of the East River, “Model #3 foundered, took on water, snapped her tow line and sunk in 110 ft. of water.
The “Sea Hunters”, working with Dr. Pete Capelloti, Chief Historian, U.S. Coast Guard, gain permission to side scan and dive on the South end of Manhattan Island, between the Whitestone and Throg’s Neck Bridges. They will search for the lost Holland designed “Model #3”. The Sea Hunters will first undertake a side scan sonar survey and then dive and ground truth targets located in the search area. The side scan and dive footage will by turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard and to the newly formed “Office of Homeland Security”. With the New York City skyline in the background "The Sea Hunters" dive team will search for this historic submarine while collecting underwater data which will be used to make New York safer from the threat of terrorist attack.
4x03 The Wreck of Arturo Prat's 'Esmeralda'
When the Japanese Imperial Navy wanted an example of proper action for officers under fire in a naval engagement they chose the Chilean naval vessel “Esmeralda” and her captain, Arturo Prat, as the model to be studied by all officers graduating from the Japanese Naval Academy.
Mike Fletcher and “The Sea Hunters” team are invited back to Chile in order to assist German government archaeologists in the retrieval of artifacts from the German light cruiser “Dresden” which was lost during WWI off Robinson Crusoe Island in Chilean waters. During the trip the team is invited, by the Chilean Embassy, to dive and film the wreck site of Chile’s most famous naval vessel “Esmeralda”. After leaving Robinson Crusoe Island, the team, along with Chilean navy divers, travel over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) North to the site of the Battle of Iquique to search for the final resting place of “Esmeralda”. The first dive shows that the wreckage presents a vivid illustration of the horror of that battle. The broken hull of “Esmeralda,” her cannons lying quiet on the ocean floor and the skeletal remains of many of her brave crew all tell a graphic tale of the of the horror of battle and the cost of war.
Mike Fletcher and “The Sea Hunters” team are invited back to Chile in order to assist German government archaeologists in the retrieval of artifacts from the German light cruiser “Dresden” which was lost during WWI off Robinson Crusoe Island in Chilean waters. During the trip the team is invited, by the Chilean Embassy, to dive and film the wreck site of Chile’s most famous naval vessel “Esmeralda”. After leaving Robinson Crusoe Island, the team, along with Chilean navy divers, travel over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) North to the site of the Battle of Iquique to search for the final resting place of “Esmeralda”. The first dive shows that the wreckage presents a vivid illustration of the horror of that battle. The broken hull of “Esmeralda,” her cannons lying quiet on the ocean floor and the skeletal remains of many of her brave crew all tell a graphic tale of the of the horror of battle and the cost of war.
4x04 The Search for 'Tonquin'
Indian raids, suicide, mass murder, a New York City multi-millionaire and the competition between the British and Americans for control of the Pacific Northwest all make the “Tonquin” story one of “The Sea Hunters” best.
The American fur trader and New York real estate tycoon, John Jacob Astor was the major competition for British fur traders in the Pacific North West. His activities toward the end of the 18th century and American expansionism above the 49th parallel was a grave concern for the British. Astor’s ever widening activities from his new trading station were closely watched.
In the Spring of 2003 an anchor was found near the rugged B.C. coastal town of Tofino. Fluked, with a wooden shaft, its finder, Rod Palm, thought it might be related to “Tonquin”. John Jacob Astor’s fur trading vessel. When he raised it he was amazed to find over 100 blue-glass beads of the type used by early fur traders adhering to the rust of the anchor. After to talking with local natives, Palm was convinced that he had found the “Tonquin” and announced the find with great fanfare to the world. The Government of British Columbia, not convinced of Palm’s claim called on “The Sea Hunters” and Archaeologist James Delgado to assess the site and carry out a survey.
Join “The Sea Hunters” as they explore this site. Using the research vessel from the University of British Columbia, “The Sea Hunters” will search the waters of Templar channel near Tofino and with side scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler and dredging equipment make a careful survey of the site. These dives will tell for certain whether this notorious vessel has indeed been found. If it is “Tonquin” it will be the earliest wreck ever located on North America’s West coast. Comparative dives will also take place on other early fur trade vessels in the Columbia River and in English Bay. This is a great “Sea Hunters” detective story solving a mystery concerning one of the most controversial wrecks in North American history.
The American fur trader and New York real estate tycoon, John Jacob Astor was the major competition for British fur traders in the Pacific North West. His activities toward the end of the 18th century and American expansionism above the 49th parallel was a grave concern for the British. Astor’s ever widening activities from his new trading station were closely watched.
In the Spring of 2003 an anchor was found near the rugged B.C. coastal town of Tofino. Fluked, with a wooden shaft, its finder, Rod Palm, thought it might be related to “Tonquin”. John Jacob Astor’s fur trading vessel. When he raised it he was amazed to find over 100 blue-glass beads of the type used by early fur traders adhering to the rust of the anchor. After to talking with local natives, Palm was convinced that he had found the “Tonquin” and announced the find with great fanfare to the world. The Government of British Columbia, not convinced of Palm’s claim called on “The Sea Hunters” and Archaeologist James Delgado to assess the site and carry out a survey.
Join “The Sea Hunters” as they explore this site. Using the research vessel from the University of British Columbia, “The Sea Hunters” will search the waters of Templar channel near Tofino and with side scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler and dredging equipment make a careful survey of the site. These dives will tell for certain whether this notorious vessel has indeed been found. If it is “Tonquin” it will be the earliest wreck ever located on North America’s West coast. Comparative dives will also take place on other early fur trade vessels in the Columbia River and in English Bay. This is a great “Sea Hunters” detective story solving a mystery concerning one of the most controversial wrecks in North American history.
4x05 Still on Patrol: The Search for Hitler's U-boat 215
In July of 1942 the German U-Boat 215, Commanded by Kptlt. Frtiz Hoekner, was on the secret mission to North America. U-215 was a very rare class of u-boat, a type VIID. In total there was only 6 of this type of vessel built. The uniqueness of this design was in the addition of a thirty-two foot compartment between the control room and the galley that housed five vertical mine tubes. Each tube held five SMA (magnetic influence) mines. The addition of these mine tubes allowed the U-Boat Command to assign dual purpose missions to these boats, that of mining enemy harbors and anchorages and the traditional attack role of torpedoing enemy shipping. Kptlt. Hoekner’s secret mission was to mine the entrance of Boston Harbor and create havoc as convoys started their long journey across the Atlantic. He would never accomplish this task. The torpedo he sent into the hull of the Liberty Ship USS “Alexander Macomb” would seal his fate and the fate of his crew long before he reached his destination.
The “Alexander Macomb” was built in Baltimore, Maryland. She was launched on May 6th, 1942. On July 3rd of that year, she was lagging behind her convoy in dense fog. She was six miles back when U-215 fired her torpedoes. Thirty men of her sixty-man crew were killed or wounded in the blast. She sank minutes after the secondary explosions in her cargo hold opened her hull to the waters of the cold North Atlantic.
Minutes after the torpedoes hit the “Macomb,” the convoy escort vessel “Le Tiger” took up the chase for the U-boat. Using ASDEC (a primitive form of sonar) they located the sub as she ran for deeper water. Dropping depth charges at close intervals the “Le Tiger” first slowed her target, then the pings from the ASDEC indicated the target had come to a complete stop on the bottom. Oil and debris on the surface indicated a kill. The “Le Tiger” then went to the aid of the “Macomb” survivors.
Using targets provided by fishermen and multi-beam charting done by the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, the “Sea Hunters” will search for and dive these wrecks, confirming the kill of the U-215, and telling the story of the loss of the “Macomb” and the Nazi plans to mine Boston Harbor.
The “Alexander Macomb” was built in Baltimore, Maryland. She was launched on May 6th, 1942. On July 3rd of that year, she was lagging behind her convoy in dense fog. She was six miles back when U-215 fired her torpedoes. Thirty men of her sixty-man crew were killed or wounded in the blast. She sank minutes after the secondary explosions in her cargo hold opened her hull to the waters of the cold North Atlantic.
Minutes after the torpedoes hit the “Macomb,” the convoy escort vessel “Le Tiger” took up the chase for the U-boat. Using ASDEC (a primitive form of sonar) they located the sub as she ran for deeper water. Dropping depth charges at close intervals the “Le Tiger” first slowed her target, then the pings from the ASDEC indicated the target had come to a complete stop on the bottom. Oil and debris on the surface indicated a kill. The “Le Tiger” then went to the aid of the “Macomb” survivors.
Using targets provided by fishermen and multi-beam charting done by the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, the “Sea Hunters” will search for and dive these wrecks, confirming the kill of the U-215, and telling the story of the loss of the “Macomb” and the Nazi plans to mine Boston Harbor.
4x06 The Search for Bonhomme Richard
Join “The Sea Hunters” as they search the cold waters of the North Sea for the United States Navy’s most famous vessel, Captain John Paul Jones’ “Bonhomme Richard”. Using the latest in side scan sonar and magnetometer search equipment and working from tide charts and drift patterns developed by Dr. Clive Cussler, “The Sea Hunters” will search the North Sea for America’s most famous shipwreck.
In August of 1779 the “Bonhomme Richard” and a small accompanying fleet were ready to sail from France. They carried instructions to attack British shipping and to divert attention from the Franc-Spanish Invasion that was to attack on the South coast of England. Jones sailed West of Ireland, over the top of Scotland and Southward into the North Sea. He was sailing along the East coast of England when he encountered a British fleet accompanied by the 50 cannon British war ship “Serapis”. “Serapis” had the advantage in both size and fire power and as the battle played out it was clear that the “Bonhomme Richard” was taking a horrible beating. Captain Pearson of the “Serapis” called over “do you surrender” and to this Jones gave his famous reply, “I have not yet begun to fight”. As the “Serapis” and “Bonhomme Richard” passed close to fire broadsides the bow sprint of the “Serapis” became tangled in the rigging of the “Richard”. Jones’ men raced aboard the “Serapis” and after hours of bloody hand to hand combat “Serapis” was taken. Jones and his crew did all they could to keep “Bonhomme Richard” afloat after the battle but to no avail. She was too badly damaged and she sank just hours after the first major naval victory of the U.S. Navy in their war for independence.
In August of 1779 the “Bonhomme Richard” and a small accompanying fleet were ready to sail from France. They carried instructions to attack British shipping and to divert attention from the Franc-Spanish Invasion that was to attack on the South coast of England. Jones sailed West of Ireland, over the top of Scotland and Southward into the North Sea. He was sailing along the East coast of England when he encountered a British fleet accompanied by the 50 cannon British war ship “Serapis”. “Serapis” had the advantage in both size and fire power and as the battle played out it was clear that the “Bonhomme Richard” was taking a horrible beating. Captain Pearson of the “Serapis” called over “do you surrender” and to this Jones gave his famous reply, “I have not yet begun to fight”. As the “Serapis” and “Bonhomme Richard” passed close to fire broadsides the bow sprint of the “Serapis” became tangled in the rigging of the “Richard”. Jones’ men raced aboard the “Serapis” and after hours of bloody hand to hand combat “Serapis” was taken. Jones and his crew did all they could to keep “Bonhomme Richard” afloat after the battle but to no avail. She was too badly damaged and she sank just hours after the first major naval victory of the U.S. Navy in their war for independence.
4x07 Operation Overlord: The Search of Juno Beach
Join “The Sea Hunters” as they dive the beaches of Normandy and search for artifacts of the largest and most famous maritime invasion of all time. Just outside the active surf areas of Juno, Utah and Omaha beaches rest the visual remnants of “Operation Overlord”; the action which turned the tide in WWII and marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany in Europe.
The U.S. Navy’s Historical Center has begun a side scan sonar review of the Allied ordinance that remained in place off Omaha and Utah beaches. They have collected a massive library of images.
In the summer of 2004 “The Sea Hunters” and a team from the Canadian Navy will arrive in Normandy to start a similar survey on Juno Beach. Dr. Robert Nieland of the U.S. Naval Historical Center will work as a consultant to the Canadian team. The combined group will carry out a side scan survey of Juno followed by an underwater video survey of sites at Juno, Utah and Omaha carried out by Mike and Warren Fletcher, the Sea Hunters’ team Archaeologist James Delgado and Canadian navy divers. This unique survey and exciting set of dives will capture images from that fateful June morning which will transport our viewers back in time and allow us to segue to our large selection of relevant historic footage and interviewees.
The U.S. Navy’s Historical Center has begun a side scan sonar review of the Allied ordinance that remained in place off Omaha and Utah beaches. They have collected a massive library of images.
In the summer of 2004 “The Sea Hunters” and a team from the Canadian Navy will arrive in Normandy to start a similar survey on Juno Beach. Dr. Robert Nieland of the U.S. Naval Historical Center will work as a consultant to the Canadian team. The combined group will carry out a side scan survey of Juno followed by an underwater video survey of sites at Juno, Utah and Omaha carried out by Mike and Warren Fletcher, the Sea Hunters’ team Archaeologist James Delgado and Canadian navy divers. This unique survey and exciting set of dives will capture images from that fateful June morning which will transport our viewers back in time and allow us to segue to our large selection of relevant historic footage and interviewees.
