logo
episode-header-image
Sep 10
14m 24s

The Fort: 4. The Break-in

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

The Royal Marines Commandos have launched their ground assault on Jugroom Fort.

A jagged, v-shaped hole has been blasted into its side, and fresh from a nerve-wracking river crossing, the men of Zulu Company surge from their Viking vehicles to take up positions and press home their assault.

This will be the location for "the break-in", the moment of any attack on an enemy encampment when the defences are breached.

5 Troop are the tip of the spear. Commanded by Al Weldon, Rifleman Marine Mike Cleary is "point man" - leading the way.

Speaking for the first time about their experiences, Al and Mike describe the moment the eerie quiet of a seemingly deserted stronghold is shattered.

Overwhelmed by enemy fire, Zulu Company regroup and attempt to marshal their casualties from the "killing ground".

Last to leave, Company Sergeant Major Shep Shepherd describes last-ditch efforts to account for their missing man.

Senior Marine, Lance Corporal Mathew Ford cannot be found. And as the enemy fire continues around them difficult decisions are made to ensure the safety of the rest of the company.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core

Up next
Sep 11
The Fort: 5. The Dirty Dash
<p>Overwhelmed by enemy fire, Zulu Company have marshalled their casualties from the "killing ground" and staged a hurried withdrawal.</p><p>Last to leave, Company Sergeant Major Shep Shepherd describes desperate efforts to account for their missing man.</p><p>Senior Marine, Lanc ... Show More
14m 38s
Sep 14
The Fort: 6. Call Sign: Ugly
<p>For Apache helicopter pilots Tom O'Malley and Ed Macy - the mission has changed. </p><p>Their new objective is to prevent the stricken Lance Corporal Mathew Ford from becoming a prisoner of The Taliban. So they take the fight to them. </p><p>But Tom is growing increasingly fru ... Show More
14m 51s
Sep 15
The Fort: 7. In the Zone
<p>Precariously positioned on the side of two Apache attack helicopters Dave, Chris, Colin and Gary are flying straight into danger. </p><p>Apaches are absolutely not supposed to land in the conflict zone, and as the helicopters take off, more helicopters provide crucial "top co ... Show More
14m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 19
The Cold War
For decades after the Second World War, the Soviet Union and the United States of America were locked in a conflict of ideology that took the planet to the brink of catastrophe. Known as the Cold War, it was an era of paranoia, fear and mutual suspicion, where the contest for sup ... Show More
57m 50s
May 2024
Introducing Shadow War: China and the West
The rise of China is the defining challenge of our times - has the west been slow to wake up? Gordon Corera investigates the rise of China in Shadow War: China and the West. 
2m 55s
Oct 3
Who’s Going To Win The Future? Dan Wang on China’s Engineers vs. America’s Lawyers | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
<p>One great power (China) has a relentless thirst to build that comes with a terrible human cost, while its main rival (America) is a more lawyerly and free society that’s prone to stifling ideas both good and bad. On the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic ... Show More
1h 7m
Oct 17
Starmer ally: Come clean on relations with China after spy row
It’s been a week where the politics of the Middle East and Britain’s relations with China have loomed large over Westminster. For all the backslapping and goodwill of Sharm el-Sheikh, will the ceasefire and exchange of hostages and prisoners in Gaza pave the way for a political s ... Show More
31m 34s
Nov 6
Xi Jinping’s World of Treachery and Sacrifice
<p>Last week’s meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping may have brought a respite in the trade war. But it hardly touched the more fundamental drivers of U.S.-Chinese rivalry, a rivalry that has come to shape more and more dimensions of geopolitics, the global economy, and be ... Show More
56m 45s
Oct 5
88. China vs Google: When Beijing Took on Silicon Valley (Ep 1)
"Like many other well-known organisations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis." This was the striking public statement from Google's chief legal officer in January 2010. What began as a major security incident - a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack ... Show More
41m 52s
Feb 2024
A life in the American century
<p>With the United States’ presidential election just a few months away, the stakes go far beyond domestic politics. The results will decide the future of American foreign policy, at least for the next four years. In the corridors of power in Washington, US policymakers will need ... Show More
37m 6s
Jul 2024
Taiwan’s 100-Year Rise From Japanese Colony to Monopoly Producer of Microchips
When global supply chains were shut down in 2020 and messily rebooted after COVID lockdowns ceased, one island nation emerged as the most important player in getting critical components to factories around the world. That was Taiwan, which produces 90 percent of the world’s advan ... Show More
43m 5s
Apr 2025
History's Secret Heroes: Series 3: Dudley Clarke: The Great Deceiver
In Cairo, an eccentric British army officer draws on magic tricks learned from his grandfather in order to fool the Nazis. Will the enemy fall for his illusions? Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for incredible tales of dece ... Show More
28m 44s
Nov 13
Q&A: Corruption Scandal, AI Surrender Videos, and the International Space Station
Ukraine has been rocked by a major corruption scandal surrounding the country's energy sector, amidst ongoing Russian attacks on electricity infrastructure. An alleged $100m scheme, involving money laundering and kick backs, has led to the resignation of senior ministers and engu ... Show More
28m 47s