Corsica's Nazi Treasure

**Corsica's Nazi Treasure** is the 20th episode in Season 3 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Josh Gates hunts for the hidden treasure of Erwin Rommel, a Nazi general who plundered the wealth of North Africa as his tank corps fled the continent; never-explored underground lakes and undersea relics of World War II.

## Historical Context

"When it comes to war, not all great military strategists fought on the right side of history, and few of them were as brilliant, as daring, or as wrong as the Naxi general Erwin Rommel. As Hilter's top commander, Rommel leads a tank force through France and Belgium before sweeping across North Africa like a sand storm, earning the nickname "the Desert Fox." But when he cleared out of Africa in 1943, legend tells that Rommel took more than just his tanks. An S.S. unit travelling behind Rommel reportedly seizes whatever valuables they can grab - gold, as well as jewellery and art worth tens of millions today, Witnesses say the treasure was put on a boat and snuck onto the occupied island of Corsica, but where it was hidden remains a mystery."

~ Josh Gates

## Summary

Josh goes to Bonifacio, Corsica and meets Marianne Bolzinger, a diver and explorer, and she shows him a sealed grotto where the treasure maybe. They are able to access it by a well that goes down over 200 feet. In the grotto, they dive and find an old bottle, a metal fuel canister, wooden planks, and an old wood box. They find a large chamber but are unable to access it at the time of the dive.

Josh visits Blaustein, Germany, Rommel's hometown and goes to Villa Lindenhof, once his home and now a museum about his life and career. Josh meets Karlo Hafner, historian and curator, who references him to Tony Calloni in Bastia. Tony knew a man by the name of Peter Fleig, who knew Rommel, and Fleig had searched for the treasure using Tony's family boat. Tony shows Josh where the treasure may be located.

The next day, Josh meets Stephen Le Gallais, a wreck expert, and they go out to dive in the spot Tony has pointed out to them. Underwater they find a World War II-era American aeroplane. They also find multiple wrecks lying in the same area. In the wreckage, they find a Nazi coin and will continue to explore there and along the coast in the future,

## Final Words

"The search for Rommel's treasure has been a trip through one of history's darkest chapters, but there has been surprising light - in the wonder of Bonifacio's underground lakes and the discovery of their unexplored chambers and in the making of new friends along with some healthy competition and in the revelation of historic wrecks and the discovery of artefacts that may prove this legend is no mere folk tale. Erwin Rommel may have been one of the 20th century's most cunning tacticians, but the Desert Fox was eventually outwitted and soon, his fabled treasure may finally surrender, as well."

~ Josh Gates

## Notes & Trivia

* *This is where you can put notes and trivia, anything that is interesting or strange can be included here*

## Quotes

* "... which translated means "two steam horses." But don't let the name fool you. This bad boy actually has 18 horsepower so ... pretty speedy."
* "Shifting in a Citroen is - it's more of an interpretive art than a hard science, I would say."
* "Wow! That is like nitroglycerin."
* "Right about now my quads are begging for the King Aragon escalator."

## References

1. ↑ https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullrights/2017/3/4/TEXU314H\_Rommels-Treasure\_256364\_934367.1478718.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491594004150.jpeg