Скачать или смотреть British Scientists' "Absurd" Magnetron Made Radar Small Enough to Win the War

In February 1940, two little-known Birmingham University physicists—John Randall and Harry Boot—built something experts insisted could never work: the cavity magnetron. This strange copper block, drilled with resonant cavities, produced microwave power a hundred times stronger than any technology of its era. What seemed “absurd” at first glance became the breakthrough that finally made compact, airborne radar possible.

This documentary follows the magnetron’s incredible journey—from an improvised university lab to the most closely guarded secret of the war. Smuggled to America in a single metal suitcase during Britain’s darkest hour, the magnetron ignited an Allied scientific partnership that reshaped the conflict. Soon, American factories were producing thousands of units, powering radar in RAF night fighters, Coastal Command patrol aircraft, and the massive air armada that protected the D-Day invasion fleet.

What you’ll discover in this film:

How the magnetron allowed RAF Beaufighters to track and destroy German bombers in total darkness

The way ASV radar turned the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic by detecting U-boats at 12 miles

How magnetron-based radar safeguarded the D-Day landings and ensured Allied air dominance

The surprising postwar legacy of the magnetron—from microwave ovens to satellite communications

From the skies above Britain to the stormy Atlantic and the beaches of Normandy, this is the story of how a simple copper block helped save a nation—and later transformed the modern world. A powerful reminder that world-changing innovation often begins with a few bold minds and a problem no one else can solve.
#wwii #ww2history #britishhistory #battleofbritain #radar #technologyhistory #documentary