1939年12月13日，二戰史上第一場重要海戰在柏拉特河上打響了。這是一場海上戰略家的生死對決，一場爾虞我詐的外交博弈。交戰背後的驚天騙局使兩位軍官命運迥然。親歷此戰的人將為我們解密這場不以成敗論輸贏的戰爭。

柏拉特河海戰不但是盟軍在二戰中第一次重大的海上勝利，也是二戰中的第一件媒體大事件。此役中，英德雙方的指揮官都是出色的海軍戰略家。在被德軍視為國寶的新式襲擊艦與三艘英軍的巡洋艦遭遇後，一場由英軍策劃的瞞天過海的騙局上演了。此役讓這兩位指揮官走上了截然相反的命運道路。一位如英雄一般榮歸故里，一位則身負罵名，飲彈自盡。然而，在種種的輿論背後，只有親身經歷了那場戰役的人才知道，誰取得了真正的勝利。

    One of the most potent symbols of Nazi sea power, the Graf Spee wreaked havoc with allied merchant shipping in the opening months of World War II. By December she had become Churchill"s number one target. The battle that ensued between the two naval stalwarts, Commodore Henry Harwood and Captain Hans Langsdorff, finally saw the Graf Spee out manoeuvred by her British counterpart not only on the seas but also through military intelligence. A "cloak and dagger" attack was waged as British Intelligence leaked information claiming a large fleet was steaming to the River Plate to lie in wait for the Graf Spee. The "official" British account said that Langsdorff scuttled his ship rather than face certain defeat. But a re-examination of the official records and the captain"s war diaries, points to Langsdorff knowing the British were trying to trick him. But if this is true, why did he scuttle his ship? This program brings new understanding to this unsolved mystery.