They were unlikely allies, bound together on the principle of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." But despite fighting on opposite sides of the globe and the ideological divide that separated them, Germany and Japan cooperated extensively throughout World War II. Using government documents, the recollections of soldiers and commentary from leading historians, SAMURAI AND THE SWASTIKA tells the long-overlooked story of the strategic alliance between the Axis powers.
"Samurai and the Swastika" is the untold story of Japanese and German military and technical cooperation in World War II. From 1939-1945, Germany and Japan forged an unlikely strategic alliance that included logistical support from both sides and a range of technical cooperation. German U-boats that patrolled the Indian Ocean used Japanese-occupied Singapore as a key fueling and supply depot. In exchange, Germany supplied Japan's air force with sophisticated jet and rocket technology. Together, Germany and Japan launched "Operation Orient", a key element in Hitler's plan for world domination.
The Axis allies also jointly supported major anti-British uprisings in India and gave aid and military supplies to Bose Chandras, a dissident Indian general, and his guerrilla army. The Axis allies felt that the key to the success of "Operation Orient" lay in the capture of this unstable British colony. Following on from their exploits in India, in perhaps the boldest scheme of all, Germany and Japan conspired to destroy the Panama Canal and cut off America's Pacific War from its crucial Atlantic supply operations. Here, sophisticated computer animations show how Japan planned to destroy the Panama Canal so that the Americans had almost no access to the Pacific Ocean. If successful, this would have posed a major blow to the allied forces and could have forever changed the shape of the war.
With the use of vivid computer animations to depict various plans of attack, exhilarating archival footage and expert opinion, documentary provides a superb insight into an alliance that has long been shrouded in mystery. Samurai And The Swastika shows unique images from the beginning of the alliance to the end of the war.

Written & Directed by George Kerevan ; LaMancha Productions for HISTORY / A&E Television Networks