Operation Crossbow
Synopsis
The heroic tales of World War II are legendary, but Operation Crossbow is a little known story that deserves to join the hall of fame: how the Allies used 3D photos to thwart the Nazis' weapons of mass destruction before they could obliterate Britain. This film brings together the heroic Spitfire pilots who took the photographs and the brilliant minds of RAF Medmenham that made sense of the jigsaw of clues hidden in the photos. Hitler was pumping a fortune into his new-fangled V weapons in the hope they could win him the war. But Medmenham had a secret weapon of its own, a simple stereoscope which brought to life every contour of the enemy landscape in perfect 3D. The devil was truly in the detail and, together with extraordinary personal testimonies, the film uses modern computer graphics on the original wartime photographs to show just how the photo interpreters were able to uncover Hitler's nastiest secrets.
Top Cast
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Samantha Bond
Narrator (voice)
Dino A. Brugioni
Himself - Senior CIA Analyst, Ret.
Elizabeth Hick
Herself - Photographic Interpreter, RAF Medmenham
Col. Robert S. Ehlers
Himself - US Air Force Intelligence, Ret.
Jimmy Taylor
Himself - Reconnaissance Pilot
Allan Williams
Himself - Researcher. Edinburgh University
Wing Commander Mike Mockford
Himself - Photo Interpreter
Major Chris Halsall
Himself - Intelligence Corps, Ret.
John S. Blyth
Himself - Reconnaissance Pilot
Geoffrey Stone
Himself - Photographic Interpreter, RAF Medmenham
Col. Roy M. Stanley
Himself - US Air Force Intelligence, Ret.
Christian Muhldorfer-Vogt
Himself - Peenemünde Museum
John Bell
Himself - Bomb Aimer
Eugene Black
Himself - Mittelbau-Dora Inmate
Margaret Hurley
Herself - Photographic Interpreter, RAF Medmenham
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Tim Dunn
- Original Score
- John Leo Dutton
- Original Title
- Operation Crossbow
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 59m
- Production Studios
- BBC
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Tim Dunn
John Leo Dutton
Neville Kidd
Ross Bradley
Tim Dunn, Eamon Hardy
Department Leadership Roster
Jan Walker
Production Design
Ross Bradley
Editor
Neville Kidd
Director of Photography
Tim Dunn
Producer
John Leo Dutton
Original Music Composer
Tim Dunn
Director
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Operation Crossbow.
Featured In Curated Collections
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War: World War II
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Frequently Asked Questions About Operation Crossbow
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Operation Crossbow about?
The heroic tales of World War II are legendary, but Operation Crossbow is a little known story that deserves to join the hall of fame: how the Allies used 3D photos to thwart the Nazis' weapons of mass destruction before they could obliterate Britain. This film brings together the heroic Spitfire pilots who took the photographs and the brilliant minds of RAF Medmenham that made sense of the jigsaw of clues hidden in the photos. Hitler was pumping a fortune into his new-fangled V weapons in the hope they could win him the war. But Medmenham had a secret weapon of its own, a simple stereoscope which brought to life every contour of the enemy landscape in perfect 3D. The devil was truly in the detail and, together with extraordinary personal testimonies, the film uses modern computer graphics on the original wartime photographs to show just how the photo interpreters were able to uncover Hitler's nastiest secrets.
Who directed Operation Crossbow?
Operation Crossbow was directed by Tim Dunn.
Who stars in Operation Crossbow?
The principal cast of Operation Crossbow includes Samantha Bond, Dino A. Brugioni, Elizabeth Hick, Col. Robert S. Ehlers, Jimmy Taylor.
When was Operation Crossbow released and how long is it?
Operation Crossbow was released in 2011 with a total runtime of 59m.
Who composed the musical score for Operation Crossbow?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Operation Crossbow was composed by John Leo Dutton.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Operation Crossbow?
Operation Crossbow holds official age classifications: GB: G.