Schedule Time Slots: Midnight - 4am| 4am - 8am| 8am - Noon| Noon - 4pm| 4pm - 8pm| 8pm - Midnight
| 12 am | 12:30 am | 1 am | 1:30 am | 2 am | 2:30 am | 3 am | 3:30 am | Later | |
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Mon
4/09 |
Shootout: Battle for Baghdad.
Shootout: Battle for Baghdad.
For 21 days in the spring of 2003, two US Army and Marine divisions race north across the Iraqi desert from Kuwait. Their mission: seize the Iraqi capital as quickly as possible. The planners of Operation Iraqi Freedom believe that taking Baghdad in a hurry will be like "cutting off the head of the snake" and will bring a speedy end to the war. But it won't be a cakewalk. A tenacious force of guerrilla fighters throw up roadblocks. They call themselves Saddam Fedayeen--Saddam's Men of Sacrifice. The Fedayeen weapon of choice is the RPG--the rocket-propelled grenade. This nasty piece of handheld artillery can stop the Marines' thin-shelled armored personnel carrier, and it can even put a tank out of commission if it hits it in just the right spot. We'll hear from troops who found themselves on the receiving end of punishing RPG barrages and veterans who recount stories of brutal shootouts on the bloody road to Baghdad. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Deep Sea Detectives: Japanese Sub at Pearl Harbor.
Deep Sea Detectives: Japanese Sub at Pearl Harbor.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a move of unprecedented aggression that shook the U.S. out of its peaceful slumber and into WWII. But for 60 years, veterans of the destroyer USS Ward claimed they sank an enemy submarine outside the harbor more than an hour before the aerial attack began. The wreck was never found, and the story was dismissed. In August 2002, a dive team crossed its path and their find made headlines worldwide. We travel to Pearl Harbor to investigate the midget sub mystery. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dogfights: Kamikaze
Dogfights: Kamikaze
It was a weapon conceived in desperation yet horrifying in its destructive power--young Japanese pilots willing to turn themselves into human bombs to attack the US fleet in the Pacific. Witness the first organized kamikaze attack in history on October 25, 1944. In brutal fashion, a US escort carrier is sunk, and a survivor re-lives the terrifying scene. At the same time, the Japanese unveil an even more sinister suicide weapon: the rocket-powered Okha. A Japanese Okha veteran describes the training and mindset of a suicide pilot, and US Navy veterans onboard ships struck by Ohkas, tell the enormous devastation this "flying torpedo" could unleash. Then, we'll explore another desperation tactic--this one in Germany. In the face of the wholesale destruction of their homeland, young Germans were motivated to destroy American bombers by any means necessary, including using their own aircraft as battering rams. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Tue
4/10 |
Dogfights: 05 - Guadalcanal
Dogfights: 05 - Guadalcanal
August 1942... the Solomon Islands. Heroic, die-hard American pilots of the tiny Cactus Air Force match skills and instincts against top Japanese aces as they battle in the skies above Guadalcanal. Legendary Marine Capt. John Smith and Medal of Honor recipients Jeff De Blanc and Jim Swett pit their tough 4F4 Wildcats against the relentless Japanese Zeros. At stake--the fate of the Pacific War. TVPG VL | CC |
The Color Of War: Victory.
The Color Of War: Victory.
For Allied servicemen, the last year of WWII proved the most difficult. Though victory was nearly assured, some of the roughest battles lay ahead. These men desperately wanted to return to home and loved ones. If they survived, what would the peace bring? WWII comes alive through a moving tapestry of letters, diaries, color film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections. Peter Coyote narrates. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days Of WWII: March 18-24.
The Last Days Of WWII: March 18-24.
Under the command of Generals Montgomery, Bradley, and Devers, Allied forces are poised to make their way across the Rhine and head for Berlin. In the East, German-occupied territories are collapsing under the Red Army. It will be a race of men and egos from the East and West to see who will reach the besieged city of Berlin first. Meanwhile, in occupied Denmark, Mosquito fighter-bombers from the RAF's Number 140 Wing head for the Danish Gestapo headquarters, where many innocent civilians have been killed. In the Pacific, fighting continues and US forces invade the Philippine Island of Panay. Join us for a week by week, detailed look at the last six months of World War II. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Nathanael Greene
Washington's Generals: Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene. Many people don't even recognize his name, but he was considered George Washington's favorite general. Nathanael Greene was an unlikely war hero--he walked with a limp and suffered from asthma. He joined the Rhode Island militia and was promoted from private to general with no stops in between. Once the war broke out, he became a general in the Continental Army and soon emerged as one of Washington's most trusted advisors. His ability to procure supplies at Valley Forge literally saved the army. Congress appointed Greene to head up a third Southern army and his heroic efforts in the South played a critical role in securing American independence. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Wed
4/11 |
USS Bowfin: Pearl Harbor Avenger.
USS Bowfin: Pearl Harbor Avenger.
The submarine USS Bowfin made nine patrol runs during WWII, all packed with hair-raising adventures. In the course of sinking some 175,000 tons of Japanese shipping, the Bowfin faced an increasingly sophisticated Japanese anti-submarine campaign and endured vicious depth bomb and surface attacks. The boat aided guerrillas in the Philippines, hunted in wolfpacks, rescued downed flyers, and scourged the Japanese throughout the war under command of various colorful skippers. The Bowfin has been gorgeously restored and is berthed next to the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor. This is her glorious story. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Lost Evidence: 16 - Operation Market Garden
The Lost Evidence: 16 - Operation Market Garden
September 17th 1944. 20,000 elite troops descend from the skies into Nazi occupied Holland in a massive airborne assault. In this dramatic race against time, an armored relief force has to fight through sixty miles of enemy defenses and reach the British paratroopers at Arnhem bridge before their 48 hour deadline runs out. The British paratroopers, known as "Red Devils", have orders to hold their positions. This fight would become legendary as they refused to surrender after being surrounded by the German Army. For the first time Aerial reconnaissance photographs taken at the time have now been layered over a 3 dimensional map to create a CGI "model" of the battle allowing the viewer to track the fighting, step by step, from the air. Individual stories of courage and heroism can be placed in the exact location where they took place. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days Of WWII: March 25-31.
The Last Days Of WWII: March 25-31.
Allied troops continue Operation Plunder, their thrust across the Rhine into Germany's heartland. Realizing the situation is hopeless, thousands of German troops surrender. The race to Berlin continues, and disagreement over their strategy plagues the Allies. Hitler is now holed up in his Berlin bunker, totally divorced from reality. In the Pacific, fighting finally comes to a head on Iwo Jima. As US Marines close in around them, 200 Japanese soldiers make a last desperate mass suicide--or banzai--charge at the Americans. The attack on Okinawa begins. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Daniel Morgan
Washington's Generals: Daniel Morgan
A one-man army who took center stage in some of the most pivotal battles of the American Revolution, Daniel Morgan was the field commander every general wanted on his front line. George Washington selected Morgan to head up an elite unit of 500 hand picked riflemen, known as Morgan's Rangers. His finest moment came at the Battle of Cowpens, against Lord Cornwallis' elite light troops. He implemented a battle plan that one historian calls "the tactical masterpiece of the Revolutionary War." It was a crucial victory that helped stop the British advance through the South. It was also Daniel Morgan's last battle. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Thu
4/12 |
Tales Of The Gun: Military Firepower.
Tales Of The Gun: Military Firepower.
A 2-hour comprehensive look at some of the 20th century's most influential military firepower, including: the former Soviet Union's Avtomat Kalashnikova (AK-47), America's M-16 assault rifle, and Israel's Uzi submachine gun. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days Of WWII: April 1-7.
The Last Days Of WWII: April 1-7.
General Eisenhower has decided to halt the Allied advance at the Elbe River--just 60 miles west of Berlin. The Russians, therefore, take Berlin. Other forces head towards the south of Germany--to the Bavarian Alps--where they believe the Nazis will make their last stand. As the Allies advance throughout Europe, the initial stage of one of the largest and most devastating assaults in history begins--Operation Iceberg, the Battle for Okinawa, in which 172,000 soldiers and marines find themselves in a fight to the death against fanatical Japanese troops defending the island. Join us for a blow-by-blow, week-by-week look at the final months, days, and hours of World War Two. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Lord Cornwallis
Washington's Generals: Lord Cornwallis
British General Charles, Lord Cornwallis is largely remembered as the man who lost the American colonies. However, during the Revolution, Cornwallis was considered one of Britain's finest field officers. When the American Revolution began he was torn by conflicting emotions. A Member of Parliament, he actually opposed many of the repressive tax policies that helped spark the rebellion. As a military man, he questioned whether Britain could win a war fought so far from home. Cornwallis ultimately surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown. For Lord Cornwallis, it was the first and only battlefield defeat of his military career. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Fri
4/13 |
History Undercover: Piercing The Reich: American Spies Inside Nazi Germany
History Undercover: Piercing The Reich: American Spies Inside Nazi Germany
In one of the most dangerous missions of the war, a group of OSS officers, dressed as a Nazi platoon, infiltrated Germany without help from the underground--their mission, capture Adolf Hitler! Acclaimed author Joseph Persico uncovers the facts behind "Operation Iron Cross". Hosted by Arthur Kent. TVPG VL | CC |
Hitler's End.
Hitler's End.
Legends, lies, and half-truths for a long time have surrounded Hitler's last days in his bunker beneath Berlin's Reich Chancellery. What exactly happened in the days leading up to his suicide on April 30, 1945? Why did the dictator protract the end for so long? Was he still capable of making decisions? A Russian secret service dossier discovered in Moscow sheds new light on events in the bunker. Contemporary witnesses such as Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge, officers Ulrich de Maiziere and Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, together with renowned historians and Hitler researchers Ian Kershaw and Joachim Fest, analyze events in the bunker from April 20 to 30--from Hitler's last birthday to suicide. Many explosive revelations are scrutinized, for example the claim by Hitler's chief pilot Hans Baur that Eva Braun was pregnant at war's end. Utilizing 3-D tours through the bunker, library discoveries, and unknown statements, a shocking picture of Hitler's last days emerges. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Last Days Of WWII: April 8-14.
The Last Days Of WWII: April 8-14.
Berlin lies in ruins. Nearly 120,000 people are homeless. FDR's sudden death stuns the world. Tension among the Allies builds as the gulf of distrust between Stalin and Churchill widens. The Ruhr industrial area west of Berlin is now nearly conquered. A Nazi treasure trove of nearly 8,200 bars of gold in addition to suitcases and trunks crammed with precious ornaments and priceless works of art is uncovered. Meanwhile, the penetration of the Gothic Line begins. It's the last and most decisive Allied offensive aimed at clearing Germans out of Italy. In the Pacific, the Army's 96th Division launches an attack on Mount Shuri on Okinawa. Tokyo is hit by more massive bombing raids as US troops continue to forge ahead. These are some of the events viewers witness in this episode of our series that takes a week-by-week look at the final days of WWII. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Marquis de Lafayette
Washington's Generals: Marquis de Lafayette
He was idealistic, passionate and fearless. Heir to one of France's great fortunes, he was a direct descendent of knights who fought in the Crusades and alongside Joan of Arc. Like his father and grandfather, he became an officer in the king's army. Yet, at the age of nineteen, he risked his legacy and his wealth to fight for freedom in the American Revolution. His name was the Marquis de Lafayette and, during the course of the war, he became one of George Washington's most trusted commanders. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sat
4/14 |
LBJ and Vietnam: In the Eye of the Storm
LBJ and Vietnam: In the Eye of the Storm
The Vietnam War brought America to its knees, at the cost of 58,000 American lives. It was a course chartered by Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, but it quickly became known as Lyndon Johnson's war. In a 2-hour intimate and revealing account of the torment and doubt LBJ faced, we hear newly released phone conversations and discussions secretly recorded by Johnson. It's the agonizing story of a leader left to carry on an unwanted conflict in what would become an unwanted legacy. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days of WWII: April 15-21.
The Last Days of WWII: April 15-21.
The Red Army's assault on Berlin begins. Meanwhile, Hitler, sealed away in his bunker, marks his 56th birthday. US General Alexander Patch's 7th Army captures the city of Nuremberg in southern Germany. In the East, the Soviet Government and the Provisional Communist Government of Poland conclude a treaty of mutual assistance. In the Pacific, fierce fighting continues on Okinawa. American soldiers are finding the Japanese to be a savvy and tenacious enemy. Ernie Pyle, one of World War Two's most distinguished and revered correspondents, is fatally wounded on Okinawa. US forces complete the capture of the islands in Manila Bay. Join us for a week-by-week detailed look at the last days of World War Two. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Benedict Arnold
Washington's Generals: Benedict Arnold
He was complex, controversial and his name is synonymous with treason. However, Benedict Arnold was one of the American Revolution's most ardent patriots and courageous generals; renowned for his bold strategies, audacious leadership and superhuman endurance. But at Saratoga, his brash personality and all-or-nothing approach to combat put him at odds with his more cautious commanding general, Horatio Gates. Arnold executed a brilliant charge that led to America's first major victory of the war. Gates was given credit for the victory. The first seeds of his treason had been planted. Before the war was over, Benedict Arnold would ride into battle as a British general. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sun
4/15 |
Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs
Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs
The deadliest weapon on the battlefield is neither bullet nor gun; it's the lone sniper. Journey inside the science and psychology behind the greatest shots in military history, through the scope of the world's most extreme marksmen. Deconstruct the missions, ranging from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan, presented by the men who were there and pulled the trigger. For the first time on American television Canadian sniper Robert Furlong, tells the story of his history-making shot in Afghanistan--striking a Taliban fighter from 1.5 miles away. Ballistics... Tactics... Weaponry... Stalking... This two-hour special examines these critical components in vivid detail, combining interviews with cinematic reenactments, CGI and present day shooting demonstrations to put the viewer squarely inside the crosshairs. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: #80.
Mail Call: #80.
Navy beach masters are known as the traffic cops of the beach and host R. Lee Ermey travels to Coronado Naval Base to find out how they get the job done and checks out their gear, including the new LARC, a floating tow truck used for search and rescue. Next, Lee travels to the Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, California, where military personnel learn how to speak Afghani, Korean, Arabic, and other languages in a flash. In this installment of "GI Jargon", the Gunny explains origins of the word "hooch". And we get a tour of the Gunny's new digs--a state-of-the-art Eureka MPTGS Type 3 tent with internal arch configuration. Then, he takes us back to the end of WWII and the raid at Cabanatuan. Not a lot of people know about it, but this raid by Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas saved the lives of more than 500 POWs in the Philippines. Then, Lee demonstrates the Arisaka rifle, the bolt-action rifle used by the Japanese Imperial Army. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: DOD Firefighter/USMC Martial Arts Training/Little David: #82.
Mail Call: DOD Firefighter/USMC Martial Arts Training/Little David: #82.
Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey, dons the duds of a Department of Defense firefighter at their training facility at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. Highlighted is the DOD's new crash vehicle, a heavy-duty firefighting truck. Back at HQ, the Gunny provides a short history of Napalm--what it is and why we don't use it anymore. Next, Lee travels to Camp Pendleton, California for a demonstration of USMC martial arts training. Then, it's trigger time with the pistol favored by Japanese officers during WWII--the Nambu pistol. And, the Gunny shows some amazing archival footage of a secret US government project called Little David--a remote-controlled weapons platform that never made it out of the prototype stage. And along with Little David, is, of course, the story of Goliath--a WWII German remote-controlled tank bomb. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Hero Ships: USS New Jersey
Hero Ships: USS New Jersey
America's most decorated surviving warship, the USS New Jersey has fought in more battles than any other fighting ship in US naval history. From WWII, to Korea and Vietnam, Lebanon and Syria, the USS New Jersey was on the front lines, lending support in every major engagement. This episode includes the emotionally stirring first reunion in three decades of two shipmates who served together on the USS New Jersey during Vietnam. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Mon
4/09 |
The Rise and Fall of the Spartans: Tides of War.
The Rise and Fall of the Spartans: Tides of War.
In the 5th century BC, all of Greece united against Persia. But after the defeat of the invading Persian army, both Sparta and Athens became rivals, each expanding in strength and influence. While Athens ruled the sea, Sparta's celebrated army was unbeatable on land. When the two Greek giants met on a collision course, the resulting Peloponnesian War spanned 27 years, engulfed all of Greece, and changed the nature of democracy. We explore the devastating effects of the war and demise of Sparta. TVPG VL | CC |
Shootout: Battle for Baghdad.
Shootout: Battle for Baghdad.
For 21 days in the spring of 2003, two US Army and Marine divisions race north across the Iraqi desert from Kuwait. Their mission: seize the Iraqi capital as quickly as possible. The planners of Operation Iraqi Freedom believe that taking Baghdad in a hurry will be like "cutting off the head of the snake" and will bring a speedy end to the war. But it won't be a cakewalk. A tenacious force of guerrilla fighters throw up roadblocks. They call themselves Saddam Fedayeen--Saddam's Men of Sacrifice. The Fedayeen weapon of choice is the RPG--the rocket-propelled grenade. This nasty piece of handheld artillery can stop the Marines' thin-shelled armored personnel carrier, and it can even put a tank out of commission if it hits it in just the right spot. We'll hear from troops who found themselves on the receiving end of punishing RPG barrages and veterans who recount stories of brutal shootouts on the bloody road to Baghdad. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Deep Sea Detectives: Japanese Sub at Pearl Harbor.
Deep Sea Detectives: Japanese Sub at Pearl Harbor.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a move of unprecedented aggression that shook the U.S. out of its peaceful slumber and into WWII. But for 60 years, veterans of the destroyer USS Ward claimed they sank an enemy submarine outside the harbor more than an hour before the aerial attack began. The wreck was never found, and the story was dismissed. In August 2002, a dive team crossed its path and their find made headlines worldwide. We travel to Pearl Harbor to investigate the midget sub mystery. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Tue
4/10 |
Dangerous Missions: Pathfinders
Dangerous Missions: Pathfinders
As the first men of the D-Day invasion force to parachute unsupported into Normandy, the Pathfinders were labeled a "suicide squad". They set up special radar sets and illuminating beacons to lead Allied airborne divisions into their drop zones. We'll examine their role in D-Day, as well as many other pivotal battles of WWII, including North Africa and the Battle of the Bulge. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Tactical To Practical: Non-Lethal Weapons/Wired War/Need for Speed: #12.
Tactical To Practical: Non-Lethal Weapons/Wired War/Need for Speed: #12.
Former Navy fighter pilot and series host Hunter Ellis discovers how non-lethal military equipment developed for peacekeeping duties is now used in civilian settings, including the debilitating audio weapon, Hypersonic Sound. Then, he sees how warfare has entered the wired age with digital technology that provides a clear and continuous picture of the battlefield, and how the Internet began as a military system. And, we profile the fastest military and civilian craft on the land and in the water. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dogfights: 05 - Guadalcanal
Dogfights: 05 - Guadalcanal
August 1942... the Solomon Islands. Heroic, die-hard American pilots of the tiny Cactus Air Force match skills and instincts against top Japanese aces as they battle in the skies above Guadalcanal. Legendary Marine Capt. John Smith and Medal of Honor recipients Jeff De Blanc and Jim Swett pit their tough 4F4 Wildcats against the relentless Japanese Zeros. At stake--the fate of the Pacific War. TVPG VL | CC |
The Color Of War: Victory.
The Color Of War: Victory.
For Allied servicemen, the last year of WWII proved the most difficult. Though victory was nearly assured, some of the roughest battles lay ahead. These men desperately wanted to return to home and loved ones. If they survived, what would the peace bring? WWII comes alive through a moving tapestry of letters, diaries, color film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections. Peter Coyote narrates. TVPG VL | CC |
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Wed
4/11 |
Dangerous Missions: Seabees
Dangerous Missions: Seabees
They are the unsung heroes of the U.S. Navy. With a wrench in one hand and a rifle in the other, they build and fight. For close to 60 years, in war and peace, the Seabees have built the huts, ramps, roads, and runways that allow the Navy to land, the Marines to move, and the Air Force to fly. On the beaches of Normandy, the sands of Iwo Jima, at Inchon and Saigon, Antarctica and Saudi Arabia, the Navy's blue-collar battalion, the Seabees, have made and paved the way to victory. TVPG VL | CC |
Japan's Atomic Bomb.
Japan's Atomic Bomb.
A revealing look at the untold story of Japan's atomic bomb, and how they may have detonated a nuclear device just two days before surrender. Since the end of WWII, conventional wisdom claimed that Imperial Japan was years away from building an atomic weapon--this special shatters this view. Using once secret Japanese wartime documents, we provide evidence that Japan had world-class nuclear physicists, access to uranium ore, and cyclotrons to process it. They devised an innovative way to deliver the bombs using 400-foot long Sen Toku submarines, capable of carrying and launching airplanes. Most startling--just six days after Hiroshima, Japan tested its own atomic device on a small island 20 miles off the Korean coast. The sobering conclusion is that Japan may have been just weeks behind the US in the race for the bomb. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
USS Bowfin: Pearl Harbor Avenger.
USS Bowfin: Pearl Harbor Avenger.
The submarine USS Bowfin made nine patrol runs during WWII, all packed with hair-raising adventures. In the course of sinking some 175,000 tons of Japanese shipping, the Bowfin faced an increasingly sophisticated Japanese anti-submarine campaign and endured vicious depth bomb and surface attacks. The boat aided guerrillas in the Philippines, hunted in wolfpacks, rescued downed flyers, and scourged the Japanese throughout the war under command of various colorful skippers. The Bowfin has been gorgeously restored and is berthed next to the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor. This is her glorious story. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Lost Evidence: 16 - Operation Market Garden
The Lost Evidence: 16 - Operation Market Garden
September 17th 1944. 20,000 elite troops descend from the skies into Nazi occupied Holland in a massive airborne assault. In this dramatic race against time, an armored relief force has to fight through sixty miles of enemy defenses and reach the British paratroopers at Arnhem bridge before their 48 hour deadline runs out. The British paratroopers, known as "Red Devils", have orders to hold their positions. This fight would become legendary as they refused to surrender after being surrounded by the German Army. For the first time Aerial reconnaissance photographs taken at the time have now been layered over a 3 dimensional map to create a CGI "model" of the battle allowing the viewer to track the fighting, step by step, from the air. Individual stories of courage and heroism can be placed in the exact location where they took place. TVPG VL | CC |
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Thu
4/12 |
Dangerous Missions: Forward Air Controllers
Dangerous Missions: Forward Air Controllers
During the Vietnam War, Air Force and Marine pilots flew "low and slow" over jungles in antiquated propeller planes--often unarmed--to direct jet bombers toward target. FACs often became victims of enemy ground fire as they carried out their dangerous missions. Meet some of the brave pilots, including the man who saved BAT-21. TVPG VL | CC |
Heavy Metal: P38: Lightning Strikes!
Heavy Metal: P38: Lightning Strikes!
Designed by visionary aeronautical engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, Lockheed's twin-engined P38 was the most advanced fighter of its day, proving more than a match for the Japanese Zero. This is the dramatic story of the P38's struggle for supremacy in the skies of the Southwest Pacific during WWII. Taking the viewer into the cockpit of this formidable aircraft, we reveal the thoughts of the men who pushed the Japanese back through the Pacific, out of the Philippines, and all the way home to Japan. TVPG VL | CC |
Tales Of The Gun: Military Firepower.
Tales Of The Gun: Military Firepower.
A 2-hour comprehensive look at some of the 20th century's most influential military firepower, including: the former Soviet Union's Avtomat Kalashnikova (AK-47), America's M-16 assault rifle, and Israel's Uzi submachine gun. TVPG VL | CC |
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Fri
4/13 |
Dangerous Missions: U-Boats
Dangerous Missions: U-Boats
They dominated the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the eastern coast of the U.S. They struck against Allied shipping with near impunity, holding England in a stranglehold for the first years of WWII--until sonar was developed. Now the hunters became the hunted. Meet German commanders and crewmen who survived service in "Iron Coffins". TVPG VL | CC |
Declassified: Secrets of World War I.
Declassified: Secrets of World War I.
This is the secret story of'the War to End All Wars and what happened when the first weapons of mass destruction reached the battlefield. We uncover the forgotten story of the secret deals, government mistakes, political intolerance, and America's role in the war. We mine formerly guarded vaults and archives worldwide, reviewing once top-secret footage and declassified materials to search for the facts behind the thrilling stories with which we've become familiar. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
History Undercover: Piercing The Reich: American Spies Inside Nazi Germany
History Undercover: Piercing The Reich: American Spies Inside Nazi Germany
In one of the most dangerous missions of the war, a group of OSS officers, dressed as a Nazi platoon, infiltrated Germany without help from the underground--their mission, capture Adolf Hitler! Acclaimed author Joseph Persico uncovers the facts behind "Operation Iron Cross". Hosted by Arthur Kent. TVPG VL | CC |
Hitler's End.
Hitler's End.
Legends, lies, and half-truths for a long time have surrounded Hitler's last days in his bunker beneath Berlin's Reich Chancellery. What exactly happened in the days leading up to his suicide on April 30, 1945? Why did the dictator protract the end for so long? Was he still capable of making decisions? A Russian secret service dossier discovered in Moscow sheds new light on events in the bunker. Contemporary witnesses such as Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge, officers Ulrich de Maiziere and Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, together with renowned historians and Hitler researchers Ian Kershaw and Joachim Fest, analyze events in the bunker from April 20 to 30--from Hitler's last birthday to suicide. Many explosive revelations are scrutinized, for example the claim by Hitler's chief pilot Hans Baur that Eva Braun was pregnant at war's end. Utilizing 3-D tours through the bunker, library discoveries, and unknown statements, a shocking picture of Hitler's last days emerges. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sat
4/14 |
Dangerous Missions: Tunnel Rats
Dangerous Missions: Tunnel Rats
Here is the heroic story of a daring band of infantry soldiers, the "Tunnel Rats", charged with a daring mission--to search for, find, and destroy a secret subterranean network of enemy tunnels in Vietnam. Armed with only a flashlight, valor, and a .45, they faced a determined foe and overcame lethal odds, uncovering secret enemy arms and intelligence caches. Tragically, many of these volunteers died and others were seriously wounded on this terrifying suicide mission. TVPG VL | CC |
Camera Martyrs of Vietnam
Camera Martyrs of Vietnam
By the end of the Vietnam War, 135 photojournalists had died while picturing a story that was sadder than words could describe. They came from both sides and a dozen countries; they were professionals, amateurs, soldiers, and adventurers with little in common but guts and cameras. Until the astonishing book "Requiem", there was no memorial to these unsung heroes of the lens. We view their work, while moving commentary from their comrades, including David Halberstam, tell how they lived and died. TVPG VL | CC |
LBJ and Vietnam: In the Eye of the Storm
LBJ and Vietnam: In the Eye of the Storm
The Vietnam War brought America to its knees, at the cost of 58,000 American lives. It was a course chartered by Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, but it quickly became known as Lyndon Johnson's war. In a 2-hour intimate and revealing account of the torment and doubt LBJ faced, we hear newly released phone conversations and discussions secretly recorded by Johnson. It's the agonizing story of a leader left to carry on an unwanted conflict in what would become an unwanted legacy. TVPG VL | CC |
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Sun
4/15 |
Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific.
Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific.
It's a story of survival on a desert island--and it helped change the course of WWII! Within hours of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, about 1,600 US marines and civilians found themselves under surprise attack from Japan on a tiny Pacific Island. In a 2-hour special, we take six survivors of the siege of Wake Island back to the scene of their heroic stand. They retrace those horrific days in which they suffered eventual capture, beatings, and imprisonment--yet survived to tell their stories. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs
Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs
The deadliest weapon on the battlefield is neither bullet nor gun; it's the lone sniper. Journey inside the science and psychology behind the greatest shots in military history, through the scope of the world's most extreme marksmen. Deconstruct the missions, ranging from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan, presented by the men who were there and pulled the trigger. For the first time on American television Canadian sniper Robert Furlong, tells the story of his history-making shot in Afghanistan--striking a Taliban fighter from 1.5 miles away. Ballistics... Tactics... Weaponry... Stalking... This two-hour special examines these critical components in vivid detail, combining interviews with cinematic reenactments, CGI and present day shooting demonstrations to put the viewer squarely inside the crosshairs. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Mon
4/09 |
Dogfights: Kamikaze
Dogfights: Kamikaze
It was a weapon conceived in desperation yet horrifying in its destructive power--young Japanese pilots willing to turn themselves into human bombs to attack the US fleet in the Pacific. Witness the first organized kamikaze attack in history on October 25, 1944. In brutal fashion, a US escort carrier is sunk, and a survivor re-lives the terrifying scene. At the same time, the Japanese unveil an even more sinister suicide weapon: the rocket-powered Okha. A Japanese Okha veteran describes the training and mindset of a suicide pilot, and US Navy veterans onboard ships struck by Ohkas, tell the enormous devastation this "flying torpedo" could unleash. Then, we'll explore another desperation tactic--this one in Germany. In the face of the wholesale destruction of their homeland, young Germans were motivated to destroy American bombers by any means necessary, including using their own aircraft as battering rams. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Rise and Fall of the Spartans: Tides of War.
The Rise and Fall of the Spartans: Tides of War.
In the 5th century BC, all of Greece united against Persia. But after the defeat of the invading Persian army, both Sparta and Athens became rivals, each expanding in strength and influence. While Athens ruled the sea, Sparta's celebrated army was unbeatable on land. When the two Greek giants met on a collision course, the resulting Peloponnesian War spanned 27 years, engulfed all of Greece, and changed the nature of democracy. We explore the devastating effects of the war and demise of Sparta. TVPG VL | CC |
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Tue
4/10 |
The Last Days Of WWII: March 18-24.
The Last Days Of WWII: March 18-24.
Under the command of Generals Montgomery, Bradley, and Devers, Allied forces are poised to make their way across the Rhine and head for Berlin. In the East, German-occupied territories are collapsing under the Red Army. It will be a race of men and egos from the East and West to see who will reach the besieged city of Berlin first. Meanwhile, in occupied Denmark, Mosquito fighter-bombers from the RAF's Number 140 Wing head for the Danish Gestapo headquarters, where many innocent civilians have been killed. In the Pacific, fighting continues and US forces invade the Philippine Island of Panay. Join us for a week by week, detailed look at the last six months of World War II. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Nathanael Greene
Washington's Generals: Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene. Many people don't even recognize his name, but he was considered George Washington's favorite general. Nathanael Greene was an unlikely war hero--he walked with a limp and suffered from asthma. He joined the Rhode Island militia and was promoted from private to general with no stops in between. Once the war broke out, he became a general in the Continental Army and soon emerged as one of Washington's most trusted advisors. His ability to procure supplies at Valley Forge literally saved the army. Congress appointed Greene to head up a third Southern army and his heroic efforts in the South played a critical role in securing American independence. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dangerous Missions: Pathfinders
Dangerous Missions: Pathfinders
As the first men of the D-Day invasion force to parachute unsupported into Normandy, the Pathfinders were labeled a "suicide squad". They set up special radar sets and illuminating beacons to lead Allied airborne divisions into their drop zones. We'll examine their role in D-Day, as well as many other pivotal battles of WWII, including North Africa and the Battle of the Bulge. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Tactical To Practical: Non-Lethal Weapons/Wired War/Need for Speed: #12.
Tactical To Practical: Non-Lethal Weapons/Wired War/Need for Speed: #12.
Former Navy fighter pilot and series host Hunter Ellis discovers how non-lethal military equipment developed for peacekeeping duties is now used in civilian settings, including the debilitating audio weapon, Hypersonic Sound. Then, he sees how warfare has entered the wired age with digital technology that provides a clear and continuous picture of the battlefield, and how the Internet began as a military system. And, we profile the fastest military and civilian craft on the land and in the water. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Wed
4/11 |
The Last Days Of WWII: March 25-31.
The Last Days Of WWII: March 25-31.
Allied troops continue Operation Plunder, their thrust across the Rhine into Germany's heartland. Realizing the situation is hopeless, thousands of German troops surrender. The race to Berlin continues, and disagreement over their strategy plagues the Allies. Hitler is now holed up in his Berlin bunker, totally divorced from reality. In the Pacific, fighting finally comes to a head on Iwo Jima. As US Marines close in around them, 200 Japanese soldiers make a last desperate mass suicide--or banzai--charge at the Americans. The attack on Okinawa begins. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Daniel Morgan
Washington's Generals: Daniel Morgan
A one-man army who took center stage in some of the most pivotal battles of the American Revolution, Daniel Morgan was the field commander every general wanted on his front line. George Washington selected Morgan to head up an elite unit of 500 hand picked riflemen, known as Morgan's Rangers. His finest moment came at the Battle of Cowpens, against Lord Cornwallis' elite light troops. He implemented a battle plan that one historian calls "the tactical masterpiece of the Revolutionary War." It was a crucial victory that helped stop the British advance through the South. It was also Daniel Morgan's last battle. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dangerous Missions: Seabees
Dangerous Missions: Seabees
They are the unsung heroes of the U.S. Navy. With a wrench in one hand and a rifle in the other, they build and fight. For close to 60 years, in war and peace, the Seabees have built the huts, ramps, roads, and runways that allow the Navy to land, the Marines to move, and the Air Force to fly. On the beaches of Normandy, the sands of Iwo Jima, at Inchon and Saigon, Antarctica and Saudi Arabia, the Navy's blue-collar battalion, the Seabees, have made and paved the way to victory. TVPG VL | CC |
Japan's Atomic Bomb.
Japan's Atomic Bomb.
A revealing look at the untold story of Japan's atomic bomb, and how they may have detonated a nuclear device just two days before surrender. Since the end of WWII, conventional wisdom claimed that Imperial Japan was years away from building an atomic weapon--this special shatters this view. Using once secret Japanese wartime documents, we provide evidence that Japan had world-class nuclear physicists, access to uranium ore, and cyclotrons to process it. They devised an innovative way to deliver the bombs using 400-foot long Sen Toku submarines, capable of carrying and launching airplanes. Most startling--just six days after Hiroshima, Japan tested its own atomic device on a small island 20 miles off the Korean coast. The sobering conclusion is that Japan may have been just weeks behind the US in the race for the bomb. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Thu
4/12 |
The Last Days Of WWII: April 1-7.
The Last Days Of WWII: April 1-7.
General Eisenhower has decided to halt the Allied advance at the Elbe River--just 60 miles west of Berlin. The Russians, therefore, take Berlin. Other forces head towards the south of Germany--to the Bavarian Alps--where they believe the Nazis will make their last stand. As the Allies advance throughout Europe, the initial stage of one of the largest and most devastating assaults in history begins--Operation Iceberg, the Battle for Okinawa, in which 172,000 soldiers and marines find themselves in a fight to the death against fanatical Japanese troops defending the island. Join us for a blow-by-blow, week-by-week look at the final months, days, and hours of World War Two. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Lord Cornwallis
Washington's Generals: Lord Cornwallis
British General Charles, Lord Cornwallis is largely remembered as the man who lost the American colonies. However, during the Revolution, Cornwallis was considered one of Britain's finest field officers. When the American Revolution began he was torn by conflicting emotions. A Member of Parliament, he actually opposed many of the repressive tax policies that helped spark the rebellion. As a military man, he questioned whether Britain could win a war fought so far from home. Cornwallis ultimately surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown. For Lord Cornwallis, it was the first and only battlefield defeat of his military career. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dangerous Missions: Forward Air Controllers
Dangerous Missions: Forward Air Controllers
During the Vietnam War, Air Force and Marine pilots flew "low and slow" over jungles in antiquated propeller planes--often unarmed--to direct jet bombers toward target. FACs often became victims of enemy ground fire as they carried out their dangerous missions. Meet some of the brave pilots, including the man who saved BAT-21. TVPG VL | CC |
Heavy Metal: P38: Lightning Strikes!
Heavy Metal: P38: Lightning Strikes!
Designed by visionary aeronautical engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, Lockheed's twin-engined P38 was the most advanced fighter of its day, proving more than a match for the Japanese Zero. This is the dramatic story of the P38's struggle for supremacy in the skies of the Southwest Pacific during WWII. Taking the viewer into the cockpit of this formidable aircraft, we reveal the thoughts of the men who pushed the Japanese back through the Pacific, out of the Philippines, and all the way home to Japan. TVPG VL | CC |
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Fri
4/13 |
The Last Days Of WWII: April 8-14.
The Last Days Of WWII: April 8-14.
Berlin lies in ruins. Nearly 120,000 people are homeless. FDR's sudden death stuns the world. Tension among the Allies builds as the gulf of distrust between Stalin and Churchill widens. The Ruhr industrial area west of Berlin is now nearly conquered. A Nazi treasure trove of nearly 8,200 bars of gold in addition to suitcases and trunks crammed with precious ornaments and priceless works of art is uncovered. Meanwhile, the penetration of the Gothic Line begins. It's the last and most decisive Allied offensive aimed at clearing Germans out of Italy. In the Pacific, the Army's 96th Division launches an attack on Mount Shuri on Okinawa. Tokyo is hit by more massive bombing raids as US troops continue to forge ahead. These are some of the events viewers witness in this episode of our series that takes a week-by-week look at the final days of WWII. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Marquis de Lafayette
Washington's Generals: Marquis de Lafayette
He was idealistic, passionate and fearless. Heir to one of France's great fortunes, he was a direct descendent of knights who fought in the Crusades and alongside Joan of Arc. Like his father and grandfather, he became an officer in the king's army. Yet, at the age of nineteen, he risked his legacy and his wealth to fight for freedom in the American Revolution. His name was the Marquis de Lafayette and, during the course of the war, he became one of George Washington's most trusted commanders. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dangerous Missions: U-Boats
Dangerous Missions: U-Boats
They dominated the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the eastern coast of the U.S. They struck against Allied shipping with near impunity, holding England in a stranglehold for the first years of WWII--until sonar was developed. Now the hunters became the hunted. Meet German commanders and crewmen who survived service in "Iron Coffins". TVPG VL | CC |
Declassified: Secrets of World War I.
Declassified: Secrets of World War I.
This is the secret story of'the War to End All Wars and what happened when the first weapons of mass destruction reached the battlefield. We uncover the forgotten story of the secret deals, government mistakes, political intolerance, and America's role in the war. We mine formerly guarded vaults and archives worldwide, reviewing once top-secret footage and declassified materials to search for the facts behind the thrilling stories with which we've become familiar. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sat
4/14 |
The Last Days of WWII: April 15-21.
The Last Days of WWII: April 15-21.
The Red Army's assault on Berlin begins. Meanwhile, Hitler, sealed away in his bunker, marks his 56th birthday. US General Alexander Patch's 7th Army captures the city of Nuremberg in southern Germany. In the East, the Soviet Government and the Provisional Communist Government of Poland conclude a treaty of mutual assistance. In the Pacific, fierce fighting continues on Okinawa. American soldiers are finding the Japanese to be a savvy and tenacious enemy. Ernie Pyle, one of World War Two's most distinguished and revered correspondents, is fatally wounded on Okinawa. US forces complete the capture of the islands in Manila Bay. Join us for a week-by-week detailed look at the last days of World War Two. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Benedict Arnold
Washington's Generals: Benedict Arnold
He was complex, controversial and his name is synonymous with treason. However, Benedict Arnold was one of the American Revolution's most ardent patriots and courageous generals; renowned for his bold strategies, audacious leadership and superhuman endurance. But at Saratoga, his brash personality and all-or-nothing approach to combat put him at odds with his more cautious commanding general, Horatio Gates. Arnold executed a brilliant charge that led to America's first major victory of the war. Gates was given credit for the victory. The first seeds of his treason had been planted. Before the war was over, Benedict Arnold would ride into battle as a British general. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dangerous Missions: Tunnel Rats
Dangerous Missions: Tunnel Rats
Here is the heroic story of a daring band of infantry soldiers, the "Tunnel Rats", charged with a daring mission--to search for, find, and destroy a secret subterranean network of enemy tunnels in Vietnam. Armed with only a flashlight, valor, and a .45, they faced a determined foe and overcame lethal odds, uncovering secret enemy arms and intelligence caches. Tragically, many of these volunteers died and others were seriously wounded on this terrifying suicide mission. TVPG VL | CC |
Camera Martyrs of Vietnam
Camera Martyrs of Vietnam
By the end of the Vietnam War, 135 photojournalists had died while picturing a story that was sadder than words could describe. They came from both sides and a dozen countries; they were professionals, amateurs, soldiers, and adventurers with little in common but guts and cameras. Until the astonishing book "Requiem", there was no memorial to these unsung heroes of the lens. We view their work, while moving commentary from their comrades, including David Halberstam, tell how they lived and died. TVPG VL | CC |
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Sun
4/15 |
Mail Call: #80.
Mail Call: #80.
Navy beach masters are known as the traffic cops of the beach and host R. Lee Ermey travels to Coronado Naval Base to find out how they get the job done and checks out their gear, including the new LARC, a floating tow truck used for search and rescue. Next, Lee travels to the Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, California, where military personnel learn how to speak Afghani, Korean, Arabic, and other languages in a flash. In this installment of "GI Jargon", the Gunny explains origins of the word "hooch". And we get a tour of the Gunny's new digs--a state-of-the-art Eureka MPTGS Type 3 tent with internal arch configuration. Then, he takes us back to the end of WWII and the raid at Cabanatuan. Not a lot of people know about it, but this raid by Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas saved the lives of more than 500 POWs in the Philippines. Then, Lee demonstrates the Arisaka rifle, the bolt-action rifle used by the Japanese Imperial Army. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: DOD Firefighter/USMC Martial Arts Training/Little David: #82.
Mail Call: DOD Firefighter/USMC Martial Arts Training/Little David: #82.
Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey, dons the duds of a Department of Defense firefighter at their training facility at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. Highlighted is the DOD's new crash vehicle, a heavy-duty firefighting truck. Back at HQ, the Gunny provides a short history of Napalm--what it is and why we don't use it anymore. Next, Lee travels to Camp Pendleton, California for a demonstration of USMC martial arts training. Then, it's trigger time with the pistol favored by Japanese officers during WWII--the Nambu pistol. And, the Gunny shows some amazing archival footage of a secret US government project called Little David--a remote-controlled weapons platform that never made it out of the prototype stage. And along with Little David, is, of course, the story of Goliath--a WWII German remote-controlled tank bomb. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Hero Ships: USS New Jersey
Hero Ships: USS New Jersey
America's most decorated surviving warship, the USS New Jersey has fought in more battles than any other fighting ship in US naval history. From WWII, to Korea and Vietnam, Lebanon and Syria, the USS New Jersey was on the front lines, lending support in every major engagement. This episode includes the emotionally stirring first reunion in three decades of two shipmates who served together on the USS New Jersey during Vietnam. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific.
Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific.
It's a story of survival on a desert island--and it helped change the course of WWII! Within hours of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, about 1,600 US marines and civilians found themselves under surprise attack from Japan on a tiny Pacific Island. In a 2-hour special, we take six survivors of the siege of Wake Island back to the scene of their heroic stand. They retrace those horrific days in which they suffered eventual capture, beatings, and imprisonment--yet survived to tell their stories. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Mon
4/09 |
Shootout: Battle for Baghdad.
Shootout: Battle for Baghdad.
For 21 days in the spring of 2003, two US Army and Marine divisions race north across the Iraqi desert from Kuwait. Their mission: seize the Iraqi capital as quickly as possible. The planners of Operation Iraqi Freedom believe that taking Baghdad in a hurry will be like "cutting off the head of the snake" and will bring a speedy end to the war. But it won't be a cakewalk. A tenacious force of guerrilla fighters throw up roadblocks. They call themselves Saddam Fedayeen--Saddam's Men of Sacrifice. The Fedayeen weapon of choice is the RPG--the rocket-propelled grenade. This nasty piece of handheld artillery can stop the Marines' thin-shelled armored personnel carrier, and it can even put a tank out of commission if it hits it in just the right spot. We'll hear from troops who found themselves on the receiving end of punishing RPG barrages and veterans who recount stories of brutal shootouts on the bloody road to Baghdad. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Deep Sea Detectives: Japanese Sub at Pearl Harbor.
Deep Sea Detectives: Japanese Sub at Pearl Harbor.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a move of unprecedented aggression that shook the U.S. out of its peaceful slumber and into WWII. But for 60 years, veterans of the destroyer USS Ward claimed they sank an enemy submarine outside the harbor more than an hour before the aerial attack began. The wreck was never found, and the story was dismissed. In August 2002, a dive team crossed its path and their find made headlines worldwide. We travel to Pearl Harbor to investigate the midget sub mystery. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dogfights: Kamikaze
Dogfights: Kamikaze
It was a weapon conceived in desperation yet horrifying in its destructive power--young Japanese pilots willing to turn themselves into human bombs to attack the US fleet in the Pacific. Witness the first organized kamikaze attack in history on October 25, 1944. In brutal fashion, a US escort carrier is sunk, and a survivor re-lives the terrifying scene. At the same time, the Japanese unveil an even more sinister suicide weapon: the rocket-powered Okha. A Japanese Okha veteran describes the training and mindset of a suicide pilot, and US Navy veterans onboard ships struck by Ohkas, tell the enormous devastation this "flying torpedo" could unleash. Then, we'll explore another desperation tactic--this one in Germany. In the face of the wholesale destruction of their homeland, young Germans were motivated to destroy American bombers by any means necessary, including using their own aircraft as battering rams. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Tue
4/10 |
Dogfights: 05 - Guadalcanal
Dogfights: 05 - Guadalcanal
August 1942... the Solomon Islands. Heroic, die-hard American pilots of the tiny Cactus Air Force match skills and instincts against top Japanese aces as they battle in the skies above Guadalcanal. Legendary Marine Capt. John Smith and Medal of Honor recipients Jeff De Blanc and Jim Swett pit their tough 4F4 Wildcats against the relentless Japanese Zeros. At stake--the fate of the Pacific War. TVPG VL | CC |
The Color Of War: Victory.
The Color Of War: Victory.
For Allied servicemen, the last year of WWII proved the most difficult. Though victory was nearly assured, some of the roughest battles lay ahead. These men desperately wanted to return to home and loved ones. If they survived, what would the peace bring? WWII comes alive through a moving tapestry of letters, diaries, color film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections. Peter Coyote narrates. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days Of WWII: March 18-24.
The Last Days Of WWII: March 18-24.
Under the command of Generals Montgomery, Bradley, and Devers, Allied forces are poised to make their way across the Rhine and head for Berlin. In the East, German-occupied territories are collapsing under the Red Army. It will be a race of men and egos from the East and West to see who will reach the besieged city of Berlin first. Meanwhile, in occupied Denmark, Mosquito fighter-bombers from the RAF's Number 140 Wing head for the Danish Gestapo headquarters, where many innocent civilians have been killed. In the Pacific, fighting continues and US forces invade the Philippine Island of Panay. Join us for a week by week, detailed look at the last six months of World War II. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Nathanael Greene
Washington's Generals: Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene. Many people don't even recognize his name, but he was considered George Washington's favorite general. Nathanael Greene was an unlikely war hero--he walked with a limp and suffered from asthma. He joined the Rhode Island militia and was promoted from private to general with no stops in between. Once the war broke out, he became a general in the Continental Army and soon emerged as one of Washington's most trusted advisors. His ability to procure supplies at Valley Forge literally saved the army. Congress appointed Greene to head up a third Southern army and his heroic efforts in the South played a critical role in securing American independence. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Wed
4/11 |
USS Bowfin: Pearl Harbor Avenger.
USS Bowfin: Pearl Harbor Avenger.
The submarine USS Bowfin made nine patrol runs during WWII, all packed with hair-raising adventures. In the course of sinking some 175,000 tons of Japanese shipping, the Bowfin faced an increasingly sophisticated Japanese anti-submarine campaign and endured vicious depth bomb and surface attacks. The boat aided guerrillas in the Philippines, hunted in wolfpacks, rescued downed flyers, and scourged the Japanese throughout the war under command of various colorful skippers. The Bowfin has been gorgeously restored and is berthed next to the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor. This is her glorious story. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Lost Evidence: 16 - Operation Market Garden
The Lost Evidence: 16 - Operation Market Garden
September 17th 1944. 20,000 elite troops descend from the skies into Nazi occupied Holland in a massive airborne assault. In this dramatic race against time, an armored relief force has to fight through sixty miles of enemy defenses and reach the British paratroopers at Arnhem bridge before their 48 hour deadline runs out. The British paratroopers, known as "Red Devils", have orders to hold their positions. This fight would become legendary as they refused to surrender after being surrounded by the German Army. For the first time Aerial reconnaissance photographs taken at the time have now been layered over a 3 dimensional map to create a CGI "model" of the battle allowing the viewer to track the fighting, step by step, from the air. Individual stories of courage and heroism can be placed in the exact location where they took place. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days Of WWII: March 25-31.
The Last Days Of WWII: March 25-31.
Allied troops continue Operation Plunder, their thrust across the Rhine into Germany's heartland. Realizing the situation is hopeless, thousands of German troops surrender. The race to Berlin continues, and disagreement over their strategy plagues the Allies. Hitler is now holed up in his Berlin bunker, totally divorced from reality. In the Pacific, fighting finally comes to a head on Iwo Jima. As US Marines close in around them, 200 Japanese soldiers make a last desperate mass suicide--or banzai--charge at the Americans. The attack on Okinawa begins. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Daniel Morgan
Washington's Generals: Daniel Morgan
A one-man army who took center stage in some of the most pivotal battles of the American Revolution, Daniel Morgan was the field commander every general wanted on his front line. George Washington selected Morgan to head up an elite unit of 500 hand picked riflemen, known as Morgan's Rangers. His finest moment came at the Battle of Cowpens, against Lord Cornwallis' elite light troops. He implemented a battle plan that one historian calls "the tactical masterpiece of the Revolutionary War." It was a crucial victory that helped stop the British advance through the South. It was also Daniel Morgan's last battle. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Thu
4/12 |
Tales Of The Gun: Military Firepower.
Tales Of The Gun: Military Firepower.
A 2-hour comprehensive look at some of the 20th century's most influential military firepower, including: the former Soviet Union's Avtomat Kalashnikova (AK-47), America's M-16 assault rifle, and Israel's Uzi submachine gun. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days Of WWII: April 1-7.
The Last Days Of WWII: April 1-7.
General Eisenhower has decided to halt the Allied advance at the Elbe River--just 60 miles west of Berlin. The Russians, therefore, take Berlin. Other forces head towards the south of Germany--to the Bavarian Alps--where they believe the Nazis will make their last stand. As the Allies advance throughout Europe, the initial stage of one of the largest and most devastating assaults in history begins--Operation Iceberg, the Battle for Okinawa, in which 172,000 soldiers and marines find themselves in a fight to the death against fanatical Japanese troops defending the island. Join us for a blow-by-blow, week-by-week look at the final months, days, and hours of World War Two. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Lord Cornwallis
Washington's Generals: Lord Cornwallis
British General Charles, Lord Cornwallis is largely remembered as the man who lost the American colonies. However, during the Revolution, Cornwallis was considered one of Britain's finest field officers. When the American Revolution began he was torn by conflicting emotions. A Member of Parliament, he actually opposed many of the repressive tax policies that helped spark the rebellion. As a military man, he questioned whether Britain could win a war fought so far from home. Cornwallis ultimately surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown. For Lord Cornwallis, it was the first and only battlefield defeat of his military career. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Fri
4/13 |
History Undercover: Piercing The Reich: American Spies Inside Nazi Germany
History Undercover: Piercing The Reich: American Spies Inside Nazi Germany
In one of the most dangerous missions of the war, a group of OSS officers, dressed as a Nazi platoon, infiltrated Germany without help from the underground--their mission, capture Adolf Hitler! Acclaimed author Joseph Persico uncovers the facts behind "Operation Iron Cross". Hosted by Arthur Kent. TVPG VL | CC |
Hitler's End.
Hitler's End.
Legends, lies, and half-truths for a long time have surrounded Hitler's last days in his bunker beneath Berlin's Reich Chancellery. What exactly happened in the days leading up to his suicide on April 30, 1945? Why did the dictator protract the end for so long? Was he still capable of making decisions? A Russian secret service dossier discovered in Moscow sheds new light on events in the bunker. Contemporary witnesses such as Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge, officers Ulrich de Maiziere and Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, together with renowned historians and Hitler researchers Ian Kershaw and Joachim Fest, analyze events in the bunker from April 20 to 30--from Hitler's last birthday to suicide. Many explosive revelations are scrutinized, for example the claim by Hitler's chief pilot Hans Baur that Eva Braun was pregnant at war's end. Utilizing 3-D tours through the bunker, library discoveries, and unknown statements, a shocking picture of Hitler's last days emerges. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Last Days Of WWII: April 8-14.
The Last Days Of WWII: April 8-14.
Berlin lies in ruins. Nearly 120,000 people are homeless. FDR's sudden death stuns the world. Tension among the Allies builds as the gulf of distrust between Stalin and Churchill widens. The Ruhr industrial area west of Berlin is now nearly conquered. A Nazi treasure trove of nearly 8,200 bars of gold in addition to suitcases and trunks crammed with precious ornaments and priceless works of art is uncovered. Meanwhile, the penetration of the Gothic Line begins. It's the last and most decisive Allied offensive aimed at clearing Germans out of Italy. In the Pacific, the Army's 96th Division launches an attack on Mount Shuri on Okinawa. Tokyo is hit by more massive bombing raids as US troops continue to forge ahead. These are some of the events viewers witness in this episode of our series that takes a week-by-week look at the final days of WWII. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Marquis de Lafayette
Washington's Generals: Marquis de Lafayette
He was idealistic, passionate and fearless. Heir to one of France's great fortunes, he was a direct descendent of knights who fought in the Crusades and alongside Joan of Arc. Like his father and grandfather, he became an officer in the king's army. Yet, at the age of nineteen, he risked his legacy and his wealth to fight for freedom in the American Revolution. His name was the Marquis de Lafayette and, during the course of the war, he became one of George Washington's most trusted commanders. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sat
4/14 |
LBJ and Vietnam: In the Eye of the Storm
LBJ and Vietnam: In the Eye of the Storm
The Vietnam War brought America to its knees, at the cost of 58,000 American lives. It was a course chartered by Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, but it quickly became known as Lyndon Johnson's war. In a 2-hour intimate and revealing account of the torment and doubt LBJ faced, we hear newly released phone conversations and discussions secretly recorded by Johnson. It's the agonizing story of a leader left to carry on an unwanted conflict in what would become an unwanted legacy. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days of WWII: April 15-21.
The Last Days of WWII: April 15-21.
The Red Army's assault on Berlin begins. Meanwhile, Hitler, sealed away in his bunker, marks his 56th birthday. US General Alexander Patch's 7th Army captures the city of Nuremberg in southern Germany. In the East, the Soviet Government and the Provisional Communist Government of Poland conclude a treaty of mutual assistance. In the Pacific, fierce fighting continues on Okinawa. American soldiers are finding the Japanese to be a savvy and tenacious enemy. Ernie Pyle, one of World War Two's most distinguished and revered correspondents, is fatally wounded on Okinawa. US forces complete the capture of the islands in Manila Bay. Join us for a week-by-week detailed look at the last days of World War Two. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Benedict Arnold
Washington's Generals: Benedict Arnold
He was complex, controversial and his name is synonymous with treason. However, Benedict Arnold was one of the American Revolution's most ardent patriots and courageous generals; renowned for his bold strategies, audacious leadership and superhuman endurance. But at Saratoga, his brash personality and all-or-nothing approach to combat put him at odds with his more cautious commanding general, Horatio Gates. Arnold executed a brilliant charge that led to America's first major victory of the war. Gates was given credit for the victory. The first seeds of his treason had been planted. Before the war was over, Benedict Arnold would ride into battle as a British general. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sun
4/15 |
Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs
Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs
The deadliest weapon on the battlefield is neither bullet nor gun; it's the lone sniper. Journey inside the science and psychology behind the greatest shots in military history, through the scope of the world's most extreme marksmen. Deconstruct the missions, ranging from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan, presented by the men who were there and pulled the trigger. For the first time on American television Canadian sniper Robert Furlong, tells the story of his history-making shot in Afghanistan--striking a Taliban fighter from 1.5 miles away. Ballistics... Tactics... Weaponry... Stalking... This two-hour special examines these critical components in vivid detail, combining interviews with cinematic reenactments, CGI and present day shooting demonstrations to put the viewer squarely inside the crosshairs. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: #80.
Mail Call: #80.
Navy beach masters are known as the traffic cops of the beach and host R. Lee Ermey travels to Coronado Naval Base to find out how they get the job done and checks out their gear, including the new LARC, a floating tow truck used for search and rescue. Next, Lee travels to the Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, California, where military personnel learn how to speak Afghani, Korean, Arabic, and other languages in a flash. In this installment of "GI Jargon", the Gunny explains origins of the word "hooch". And we get a tour of the Gunny's new digs--a state-of-the-art Eureka MPTGS Type 3 tent with internal arch configuration. Then, he takes us back to the end of WWII and the raid at Cabanatuan. Not a lot of people know about it, but this raid by Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas saved the lives of more than 500 POWs in the Philippines. Then, Lee demonstrates the Arisaka rifle, the bolt-action rifle used by the Japanese Imperial Army. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: DOD Firefighter/USMC Martial Arts Training/Little David: #82.
Mail Call: DOD Firefighter/USMC Martial Arts Training/Little David: #82.
Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey, dons the duds of a Department of Defense firefighter at their training facility at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. Highlighted is the DOD's new crash vehicle, a heavy-duty firefighting truck. Back at HQ, the Gunny provides a short history of Napalm--what it is and why we don't use it anymore. Next, Lee travels to Camp Pendleton, California for a demonstration of USMC martial arts training. Then, it's trigger time with the pistol favored by Japanese officers during WWII--the Nambu pistol. And, the Gunny shows some amazing archival footage of a secret US government project called Little David--a remote-controlled weapons platform that never made it out of the prototype stage. And along with Little David, is, of course, the story of Goliath--a WWII German remote-controlled tank bomb. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Hero Ships: USS New Jersey
Hero Ships: USS New Jersey
America's most decorated surviving warship, the USS New Jersey has fought in more battles than any other fighting ship in US naval history. From WWII, to Korea and Vietnam, Lebanon and Syria, the USS New Jersey was on the front lines, lending support in every major engagement. This episode includes the emotionally stirring first reunion in three decades of two shipmates who served together on the USS New Jersey during Vietnam. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Mon
4/09 |
The Rise and Fall of the Spartans: Tides of War.
The Rise and Fall of the Spartans: Tides of War.
In the 5th century BC, all of Greece united against Persia. But after the defeat of the invading Persian army, both Sparta and Athens became rivals, each expanding in strength and influence. While Athens ruled the sea, Sparta's celebrated army was unbeatable on land. When the two Greek giants met on a collision course, the resulting Peloponnesian War spanned 27 years, engulfed all of Greece, and changed the nature of democracy. We explore the devastating effects of the war and demise of Sparta. TVPG VL | CC |
Dangerous Missions: Pathfinders
Dangerous Missions: Pathfinders
As the first men of the D-Day invasion force to parachute unsupported into Normandy, the Pathfinders were labeled a "suicide squad". They set up special radar sets and illuminating beacons to lead Allied airborne divisions into their drop zones. We'll examine their role in D-Day, as well as many other pivotal battles of WWII, including North Africa and the Battle of the Bulge. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Tactical To Practical: Non-Lethal Weapons/Wired War/Need for Speed: #12.
Tactical To Practical: Non-Lethal Weapons/Wired War/Need for Speed: #12.
Former Navy fighter pilot and series host Hunter Ellis discovers how non-lethal military equipment developed for peacekeeping duties is now used in civilian settings, including the debilitating audio weapon, Hypersonic Sound. Then, he sees how warfare has entered the wired age with digital technology that provides a clear and continuous picture of the battlefield, and how the Internet began as a military system. And, we profile the fastest military and civilian craft on the land and in the water. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Tue
4/10 |
Dangerous Missions: Pathfinders
Dangerous Missions: Pathfinders
As the first men of the D-Day invasion force to parachute unsupported into Normandy, the Pathfinders were labeled a "suicide squad". They set up special radar sets and illuminating beacons to lead Allied airborne divisions into their drop zones. We'll examine their role in D-Day, as well as many other pivotal battles of WWII, including North Africa and the Battle of the Bulge. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Tactical To Practical: Non-Lethal Weapons/Wired War/Need for Speed: #12.
Tactical To Practical: Non-Lethal Weapons/Wired War/Need for Speed: #12.
Former Navy fighter pilot and series host Hunter Ellis discovers how non-lethal military equipment developed for peacekeeping duties is now used in civilian settings, including the debilitating audio weapon, Hypersonic Sound. Then, he sees how warfare has entered the wired age with digital technology that provides a clear and continuous picture of the battlefield, and how the Internet began as a military system. And, we profile the fastest military and civilian craft on the land and in the water. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dangerous Missions: Seabees
Dangerous Missions: Seabees
They are the unsung heroes of the U.S. Navy. With a wrench in one hand and a rifle in the other, they build and fight. For close to 60 years, in war and peace, the Seabees have built the huts, ramps, roads, and runways that allow the Navy to land, the Marines to move, and the Air Force to fly. On the beaches of Normandy, the sands of Iwo Jima, at Inchon and Saigon, Antarctica and Saudi Arabia, the Navy's blue-collar battalion, the Seabees, have made and paved the way to victory. TVPG VL | CC |
Japan's Atomic Bomb.
Japan's Atomic Bomb.
A revealing look at the untold story of Japan's atomic bomb, and how they may have detonated a nuclear device just two days before surrender. Since the end of WWII, conventional wisdom claimed that Imperial Japan was years away from building an atomic weapon--this special shatters this view. Using once secret Japanese wartime documents, we provide evidence that Japan had world-class nuclear physicists, access to uranium ore, and cyclotrons to process it. They devised an innovative way to deliver the bombs using 400-foot long Sen Toku submarines, capable of carrying and launching airplanes. Most startling--just six days after Hiroshima, Japan tested its own atomic device on a small island 20 miles off the Korean coast. The sobering conclusion is that Japan may have been just weeks behind the US in the race for the bomb. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Wed
4/11 |
Dangerous Missions: Seabees
Dangerous Missions: Seabees
They are the unsung heroes of the U.S. Navy. With a wrench in one hand and a rifle in the other, they build and fight. For close to 60 years, in war and peace, the Seabees have built the huts, ramps, roads, and runways that allow the Navy to land, the Marines to move, and the Air Force to fly. On the beaches of Normandy, the sands of Iwo Jima, at Inchon and Saigon, Antarctica and Saudi Arabia, the Navy's blue-collar battalion, the Seabees, have made and paved the way to victory. TVPG VL | CC |
Japan's Atomic Bomb.
Japan's Atomic Bomb.
A revealing look at the untold story of Japan's atomic bomb, and how they may have detonated a nuclear device just two days before surrender. Since the end of WWII, conventional wisdom claimed that Imperial Japan was years away from building an atomic weapon--this special shatters this view. Using once secret Japanese wartime documents, we provide evidence that Japan had world-class nuclear physicists, access to uranium ore, and cyclotrons to process it. They devised an innovative way to deliver the bombs using 400-foot long Sen Toku submarines, capable of carrying and launching airplanes. Most startling--just six days after Hiroshima, Japan tested its own atomic device on a small island 20 miles off the Korean coast. The sobering conclusion is that Japan may have been just weeks behind the US in the race for the bomb. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dangerous Missions: Forward Air Controllers
Dangerous Missions: Forward Air Controllers
During the Vietnam War, Air Force and Marine pilots flew "low and slow" over jungles in antiquated propeller planes--often unarmed--to direct jet bombers toward target. FACs often became victims of enemy ground fire as they carried out their dangerous missions. Meet some of the brave pilots, including the man who saved BAT-21. TVPG VL | CC |
Heavy Metal: P38: Lightning Strikes!
Heavy Metal: P38: Lightning Strikes!
Designed by visionary aeronautical engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, Lockheed's twin-engined P38 was the most advanced fighter of its day, proving more than a match for the Japanese Zero. This is the dramatic story of the P38's struggle for supremacy in the skies of the Southwest Pacific during WWII. Taking the viewer into the cockpit of this formidable aircraft, we reveal the thoughts of the men who pushed the Japanese back through the Pacific, out of the Philippines, and all the way home to Japan. TVPG VL | CC |
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Thu
4/12 |
Dangerous Missions: Forward Air Controllers
Dangerous Missions: Forward Air Controllers
During the Vietnam War, Air Force and Marine pilots flew "low and slow" over jungles in antiquated propeller planes--often unarmed--to direct jet bombers toward target. FACs often became victims of enemy ground fire as they carried out their dangerous missions. Meet some of the brave pilots, including the man who saved BAT-21. TVPG VL | CC |
Heavy Metal: P38: Lightning Strikes!
Heavy Metal: P38: Lightning Strikes!
Designed by visionary aeronautical engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, Lockheed's twin-engined P38 was the most advanced fighter of its day, proving more than a match for the Japanese Zero. This is the dramatic story of the P38's struggle for supremacy in the skies of the Southwest Pacific during WWII. Taking the viewer into the cockpit of this formidable aircraft, we reveal the thoughts of the men who pushed the Japanese back through the Pacific, out of the Philippines, and all the way home to Japan. TVPG VL | CC |
Dangerous Missions: U-Boats
Dangerous Missions: U-Boats
They dominated the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the eastern coast of the U.S. They struck against Allied shipping with near impunity, holding England in a stranglehold for the first years of WWII--until sonar was developed. Now the hunters became the hunted. Meet German commanders and crewmen who survived service in "Iron Coffins". TVPG VL | CC |
Declassified: Secrets of World War I.
Declassified: Secrets of World War I.
This is the secret story of'the War to End All Wars and what happened when the first weapons of mass destruction reached the battlefield. We uncover the forgotten story of the secret deals, government mistakes, political intolerance, and America's role in the war. We mine formerly guarded vaults and archives worldwide, reviewing once top-secret footage and declassified materials to search for the facts behind the thrilling stories with which we've become familiar. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Fri
4/13 |
Dangerous Missions: U-Boats
Dangerous Missions: U-Boats
They dominated the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the eastern coast of the U.S. They struck against Allied shipping with near impunity, holding England in a stranglehold for the first years of WWII--until sonar was developed. Now the hunters became the hunted. Meet German commanders and crewmen who survived service in "Iron Coffins". TVPG VL | CC |
Declassified: Secrets of World War I.
Declassified: Secrets of World War I.
This is the secret story of'the War to End All Wars and what happened when the first weapons of mass destruction reached the battlefield. We uncover the forgotten story of the secret deals, government mistakes, political intolerance, and America's role in the war. We mine formerly guarded vaults and archives worldwide, reviewing once top-secret footage and declassified materials to search for the facts behind the thrilling stories with which we've become familiar. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Dangerous Missions: Tunnel Rats
Dangerous Missions: Tunnel Rats
Here is the heroic story of a daring band of infantry soldiers, the "Tunnel Rats", charged with a daring mission--to search for, find, and destroy a secret subterranean network of enemy tunnels in Vietnam. Armed with only a flashlight, valor, and a .45, they faced a determined foe and overcame lethal odds, uncovering secret enemy arms and intelligence caches. Tragically, many of these volunteers died and others were seriously wounded on this terrifying suicide mission. TVPG VL | CC |
Camera Martyrs of Vietnam
Camera Martyrs of Vietnam
By the end of the Vietnam War, 135 photojournalists had died while picturing a story that was sadder than words could describe. They came from both sides and a dozen countries; they were professionals, amateurs, soldiers, and adventurers with little in common but guts and cameras. Until the astonishing book "Requiem", there was no memorial to these unsung heroes of the lens. We view their work, while moving commentary from their comrades, including David Halberstam, tell how they lived and died. TVPG VL | CC |
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Sat
4/14 |
Dangerous Missions: Tunnel Rats
Dangerous Missions: Tunnel Rats
Here is the heroic story of a daring band of infantry soldiers, the "Tunnel Rats", charged with a daring mission--to search for, find, and destroy a secret subterranean network of enemy tunnels in Vietnam. Armed with only a flashlight, valor, and a .45, they faced a determined foe and overcame lethal odds, uncovering secret enemy arms and intelligence caches. Tragically, many of these volunteers died and others were seriously wounded on this terrifying suicide mission. TVPG VL | CC |
Camera Martyrs of Vietnam
Camera Martyrs of Vietnam
By the end of the Vietnam War, 135 photojournalists had died while picturing a story that was sadder than words could describe. They came from both sides and a dozen countries; they were professionals, amateurs, soldiers, and adventurers with little in common but guts and cameras. Until the astonishing book "Requiem", there was no memorial to these unsung heroes of the lens. We view their work, while moving commentary from their comrades, including David Halberstam, tell how they lived and died. TVPG VL | CC |
Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific.
Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific.
It's a story of survival on a desert island--and it helped change the course of WWII! Within hours of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, about 1,600 US marines and civilians found themselves under surprise attack from Japan on a tiny Pacific Island. In a 2-hour special, we take six survivors of the siege of Wake Island back to the scene of their heroic stand. They retrace those horrific days in which they suffered eventual capture, beatings, and imprisonment--yet survived to tell their stories. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sun
4/15 |
Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific.
Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific.
It's a story of survival on a desert island--and it helped change the course of WWII! Within hours of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, about 1,600 US marines and civilians found themselves under surprise attack from Japan on a tiny Pacific Island. In a 2-hour special, we take six survivors of the siege of Wake Island back to the scene of their heroic stand. They retrace those horrific days in which they suffered eventual capture, beatings, and imprisonment--yet survived to tell their stories. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
X Day--The Invasion of Japan.
X Day--The Invasion of Japan.
By spring of 1942, Japan controlled the western Pacific, the Philippines, and large parts of Indochina. America and her allies knew that final victory could only be achieved by unconditional surrender and that would involve occupation of the Japanese homeland. This is the story Operation Downfall, the plan to invade and occupy Japan that would dwarf the D-Day landings in Europe. According to the plan, on X-Day--November 1, `45--General MacArthur would lead an invasion force onto the beaches of Kyushu, the southern most of the Japanese Islands. Y-Day would follow six months later when the largest beach landing in military history would take Tokyo. Politicians and military strategists knew that Japanese resistance would be ferocious. Plans for the invasion continued throughout `45 until President Truman made the decision to drop the atom bomb. We trace the invasion plans from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima and analyze why Truman chose the bomb over Operation Downfall. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Mon
4/09 |
Dogfights: 05 - Guadalcanal
Dogfights: 05 - Guadalcanal
August 1942... the Solomon Islands. Heroic, die-hard American pilots of the tiny Cactus Air Force match skills and instincts against top Japanese aces as they battle in the skies above Guadalcanal. Legendary Marine Capt. John Smith and Medal of Honor recipients Jeff De Blanc and Jim Swett pit their tough 4F4 Wildcats against the relentless Japanese Zeros. At stake--the fate of the Pacific War. TVPG VL | CC |
The Color Of War: Victory.
The Color Of War: Victory.
For Allied servicemen, the last year of WWII proved the most difficult. Though victory was nearly assured, some of the roughest battles lay ahead. These men desperately wanted to return to home and loved ones. If they survived, what would the peace bring? WWII comes alive through a moving tapestry of letters, diaries, color film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections. Peter Coyote narrates. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days Of WWII: March 18-24.
The Last Days Of WWII: March 18-24.
Under the command of Generals Montgomery, Bradley, and Devers, Allied forces are poised to make their way across the Rhine and head for Berlin. In the East, German-occupied territories are collapsing under the Red Army. It will be a race of men and egos from the East and West to see who will reach the besieged city of Berlin first. Meanwhile, in occupied Denmark, Mosquito fighter-bombers from the RAF's Number 140 Wing head for the Danish Gestapo headquarters, where many innocent civilians have been killed. In the Pacific, fighting continues and US forces invade the Philippine Island of Panay. Join us for a week by week, detailed look at the last six months of World War II. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Nathanael Greene
Washington's Generals: Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene. Many people don't even recognize his name, but he was considered George Washington's favorite general. Nathanael Greene was an unlikely war hero--he walked with a limp and suffered from asthma. He joined the Rhode Island militia and was promoted from private to general with no stops in between. Once the war broke out, he became a general in the Continental Army and soon emerged as one of Washington's most trusted advisors. His ability to procure supplies at Valley Forge literally saved the army. Congress appointed Greene to head up a third Southern army and his heroic efforts in the South played a critical role in securing American independence. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Tue
4/10 |
USS Bowfin: Pearl Harbor Avenger.
USS Bowfin: Pearl Harbor Avenger.
The submarine USS Bowfin made nine patrol runs during WWII, all packed with hair-raising adventures. In the course of sinking some 175,000 tons of Japanese shipping, the Bowfin faced an increasingly sophisticated Japanese anti-submarine campaign and endured vicious depth bomb and surface attacks. The boat aided guerrillas in the Philippines, hunted in wolfpacks, rescued downed flyers, and scourged the Japanese throughout the war under command of various colorful skippers. The Bowfin has been gorgeously restored and is berthed next to the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor. This is her glorious story. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Lost Evidence: 16 - Operation Market Garden
The Lost Evidence: 16 - Operation Market Garden
September 17th 1944. 20,000 elite troops descend from the skies into Nazi occupied Holland in a massive airborne assault. In this dramatic race against time, an armored relief force has to fight through sixty miles of enemy defenses and reach the British paratroopers at Arnhem bridge before their 48 hour deadline runs out. The British paratroopers, known as "Red Devils", have orders to hold their positions. This fight would become legendary as they refused to surrender after being surrounded by the German Army. For the first time Aerial reconnaissance photographs taken at the time have now been layered over a 3 dimensional map to create a CGI "model" of the battle allowing the viewer to track the fighting, step by step, from the air. Individual stories of courage and heroism can be placed in the exact location where they took place. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days Of WWII: March 25-31.
The Last Days Of WWII: March 25-31.
Allied troops continue Operation Plunder, their thrust across the Rhine into Germany's heartland. Realizing the situation is hopeless, thousands of German troops surrender. The race to Berlin continues, and disagreement over their strategy plagues the Allies. Hitler is now holed up in his Berlin bunker, totally divorced from reality. In the Pacific, fighting finally comes to a head on Iwo Jima. As US Marines close in around them, 200 Japanese soldiers make a last desperate mass suicide--or banzai--charge at the Americans. The attack on Okinawa begins. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Daniel Morgan
Washington's Generals: Daniel Morgan
A one-man army who took center stage in some of the most pivotal battles of the American Revolution, Daniel Morgan was the field commander every general wanted on his front line. George Washington selected Morgan to head up an elite unit of 500 hand picked riflemen, known as Morgan's Rangers. His finest moment came at the Battle of Cowpens, against Lord Cornwallis' elite light troops. He implemented a battle plan that one historian calls "the tactical masterpiece of the Revolutionary War." It was a crucial victory that helped stop the British advance through the South. It was also Daniel Morgan's last battle. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Wed
4/11 |
Tales Of The Gun: Military Firepower.
Tales Of The Gun: Military Firepower.
A 2-hour comprehensive look at some of the 20th century's most influential military firepower, including: the former Soviet Union's Avtomat Kalashnikova (AK-47), America's M-16 assault rifle, and Israel's Uzi submachine gun. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days Of WWII: April 1-7.
The Last Days Of WWII: April 1-7.
General Eisenhower has decided to halt the Allied advance at the Elbe River--just 60 miles west of Berlin. The Russians, therefore, take Berlin. Other forces head towards the south of Germany--to the Bavarian Alps--where they believe the Nazis will make their last stand. As the Allies advance throughout Europe, the initial stage of one of the largest and most devastating assaults in history begins--Operation Iceberg, the Battle for Okinawa, in which 172,000 soldiers and marines find themselves in a fight to the death against fanatical Japanese troops defending the island. Join us for a blow-by-blow, week-by-week look at the final months, days, and hours of World War Two. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Lord Cornwallis
Washington's Generals: Lord Cornwallis
British General Charles, Lord Cornwallis is largely remembered as the man who lost the American colonies. However, during the Revolution, Cornwallis was considered one of Britain's finest field officers. When the American Revolution began he was torn by conflicting emotions. A Member of Parliament, he actually opposed many of the repressive tax policies that helped spark the rebellion. As a military man, he questioned whether Britain could win a war fought so far from home. Cornwallis ultimately surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown. For Lord Cornwallis, it was the first and only battlefield defeat of his military career. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Thu
4/12 |
History Undercover: Piercing The Reich: American Spies Inside Nazi Germany
History Undercover: Piercing The Reich: American Spies Inside Nazi Germany
In one of the most dangerous missions of the war, a group of OSS officers, dressed as a Nazi platoon, infiltrated Germany without help from the underground--their mission, capture Adolf Hitler! Acclaimed author Joseph Persico uncovers the facts behind "Operation Iron Cross". Hosted by Arthur Kent. TVPG VL | CC |
Hitler's End.
Hitler's End.
Legends, lies, and half-truths for a long time have surrounded Hitler's last days in his bunker beneath Berlin's Reich Chancellery. What exactly happened in the days leading up to his suicide on April 30, 1945? Why did the dictator protract the end for so long? Was he still capable of making decisions? A Russian secret service dossier discovered in Moscow sheds new light on events in the bunker. Contemporary witnesses such as Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge, officers Ulrich de Maiziere and Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, together with renowned historians and Hitler researchers Ian Kershaw and Joachim Fest, analyze events in the bunker from April 20 to 30--from Hitler's last birthday to suicide. Many explosive revelations are scrutinized, for example the claim by Hitler's chief pilot Hans Baur that Eva Braun was pregnant at war's end. Utilizing 3-D tours through the bunker, library discoveries, and unknown statements, a shocking picture of Hitler's last days emerges. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Last Days Of WWII: April 8-14.
The Last Days Of WWII: April 8-14.
Berlin lies in ruins. Nearly 120,000 people are homeless. FDR's sudden death stuns the world. Tension among the Allies builds as the gulf of distrust between Stalin and Churchill widens. The Ruhr industrial area west of Berlin is now nearly conquered. A Nazi treasure trove of nearly 8,200 bars of gold in addition to suitcases and trunks crammed with precious ornaments and priceless works of art is uncovered. Meanwhile, the penetration of the Gothic Line begins. It's the last and most decisive Allied offensive aimed at clearing Germans out of Italy. In the Pacific, the Army's 96th Division launches an attack on Mount Shuri on Okinawa. Tokyo is hit by more massive bombing raids as US troops continue to forge ahead. These are some of the events viewers witness in this episode of our series that takes a week-by-week look at the final days of WWII. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Marquis de Lafayette
Washington's Generals: Marquis de Lafayette
He was idealistic, passionate and fearless. Heir to one of France's great fortunes, he was a direct descendent of knights who fought in the Crusades and alongside Joan of Arc. Like his father and grandfather, he became an officer in the king's army. Yet, at the age of nineteen, he risked his legacy and his wealth to fight for freedom in the American Revolution. His name was the Marquis de Lafayette and, during the course of the war, he became one of George Washington's most trusted commanders. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Fri
4/13 |
LBJ and Vietnam: In the Eye of the Storm
LBJ and Vietnam: In the Eye of the Storm
The Vietnam War brought America to its knees, at the cost of 58,000 American lives. It was a course chartered by Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, but it quickly became known as Lyndon Johnson's war. In a 2-hour intimate and revealing account of the torment and doubt LBJ faced, we hear newly released phone conversations and discussions secretly recorded by Johnson. It's the agonizing story of a leader left to carry on an unwanted conflict in what would become an unwanted legacy. TVPG VL | CC |
The Last Days of WWII: April 15-21.
The Last Days of WWII: April 15-21.
The Red Army's assault on Berlin begins. Meanwhile, Hitler, sealed away in his bunker, marks his 56th birthday. US General Alexander Patch's 7th Army captures the city of Nuremberg in southern Germany. In the East, the Soviet Government and the Provisional Communist Government of Poland conclude a treaty of mutual assistance. In the Pacific, fierce fighting continues on Okinawa. American soldiers are finding the Japanese to be a savvy and tenacious enemy. Ernie Pyle, one of World War Two's most distinguished and revered correspondents, is fatally wounded on Okinawa. US forces complete the capture of the islands in Manila Bay. Join us for a week-by-week detailed look at the last days of World War Two. TVPG VL | CC |
Washington's Generals: Benedict Arnold
Washington's Generals: Benedict Arnold
He was complex, controversial and his name is synonymous with treason. However, Benedict Arnold was one of the American Revolution's most ardent patriots and courageous generals; renowned for his bold strategies, audacious leadership and superhuman endurance. But at Saratoga, his brash personality and all-or-nothing approach to combat put him at odds with his more cautious commanding general, Horatio Gates. Arnold executed a brilliant charge that led to America's first major victory of the war. Gates was given credit for the victory. The first seeds of his treason had been planted. Before the war was over, Benedict Arnold would ride into battle as a British general. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sat
4/14 |
Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs
Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs
The deadliest weapon on the battlefield is neither bullet nor gun; it's the lone sniper. Journey inside the science and psychology behind the greatest shots in military history, through the scope of the world's most extreme marksmen. Deconstruct the missions, ranging from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan, presented by the men who were there and pulled the trigger. For the first time on American television Canadian sniper Robert Furlong, tells the story of his history-making shot in Afghanistan--striking a Taliban fighter from 1.5 miles away. Ballistics... Tactics... Weaponry... Stalking... This two-hour special examines these critical components in vivid detail, combining interviews with cinematic reenactments, CGI and present day shooting demonstrations to put the viewer squarely inside the crosshairs. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: #80.
Mail Call: #80.
Navy beach masters are known as the traffic cops of the beach and host R. Lee Ermey travels to Coronado Naval Base to find out how they get the job done and checks out their gear, including the new LARC, a floating tow truck used for search and rescue. Next, Lee travels to the Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, California, where military personnel learn how to speak Afghani, Korean, Arabic, and other languages in a flash. In this installment of "GI Jargon", the Gunny explains origins of the word "hooch". And we get a tour of the Gunny's new digs--a state-of-the-art Eureka MPTGS Type 3 tent with internal arch configuration. Then, he takes us back to the end of WWII and the raid at Cabanatuan. Not a lot of people know about it, but this raid by Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas saved the lives of more than 500 POWs in the Philippines. Then, Lee demonstrates the Arisaka rifle, the bolt-action rifle used by the Japanese Imperial Army. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: DOD Firefighter/USMC Martial Arts Training/Little David: #82.
Mail Call: DOD Firefighter/USMC Martial Arts Training/Little David: #82.
Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey, dons the duds of a Department of Defense firefighter at their training facility at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. Highlighted is the DOD's new crash vehicle, a heavy-duty firefighting truck. Back at HQ, the Gunny provides a short history of Napalm--what it is and why we don't use it anymore. Next, Lee travels to Camp Pendleton, California for a demonstration of USMC martial arts training. Then, it's trigger time with the pistol favored by Japanese officers during WWII--the Nambu pistol. And, the Gunny shows some amazing archival footage of a secret US government project called Little David--a remote-controlled weapons platform that never made it out of the prototype stage. And along with Little David, is, of course, the story of Goliath--a WWII German remote-controlled tank bomb. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Hero Ships: USS New Jersey
Hero Ships: USS New Jersey
America's most decorated surviving warship, the USS New Jersey has fought in more battles than any other fighting ship in US naval history. From WWII, to Korea and Vietnam, Lebanon and Syria, the USS New Jersey was on the front lines, lending support in every major engagement. This episode includes the emotionally stirring first reunion in three decades of two shipmates who served together on the USS New Jersey during Vietnam. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sun
4/15 |
Shootout: Iwo Jima: Fight to the Death.
Shootout: Iwo Jima: Fight to the Death.
The Battle of Iwo Jima is best known for the famous flag-raising photograph taken on Mt. Suribachi, but there's an untold story behind the picture. Just before the photo was snapped, there was a bloody shootout on the mountain crest. This is just one of the true stories told by veterans of one of the Pacific's bloodiest battlefields, where 70,000 US Marines fought 21,000 entrenched Japanese over eight square miles of death. Follow the men of the 5th Pioneer Battalion as they fight off a savage, last-ditch suicide attack in the waning days of the battle. TVPG VL | CC |
Deep Sea Detectives: Death by Human Torpedo
Deep Sea Detectives: Death by Human Torpedo
During WWII's final stages, the U.S. established what it believed was safe anchorage in a Western Pacific lagoon called Ulithi Atoll. But on the morning of November 20, 1944, an explosive attack by one of Japan's new secret weapons sent a refueling ship, the USS Mississinewa, to the bottom of the lagoon along with 53 sailors. By 2001, nearly every major U.S. WWII shipwreck had been found except for the Mississinewa. This is the story of the efforts to locate the last mystery shipwreck of WWII. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Conquerors: General Howe: Conqueror of New York.
The Conquerors: General Howe: Conqueror of New York.
As the American Revolution unfolded, English King George III sought to put down the rebellious colonies by sending one of his most talented and respected generals to fight and conquer the insurrectionists--General William Howe. Arriving in June 1776, Howe amassed his forces and then, in August, soundly defeated General George Washington at the Battle of Long Island in a brilliant tactical display. The victory provided England with the most strategically critical position in America--New York City. By controlling New York, Howe held the center of American finance, the largest port in the colonies, and the vital commercial gateway to the interior--the Hudson River. We'll see how Howe's success in New York served to strengthen the English cause and prolong the war. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Conquerors: Andrew Jackson: Conqueror of Florida.
The Conquerors: Andrew Jackson: Conqueror of Florida.
We don't often think of US Presidents as conquerors, but the title fits Andrew Jackson. In 1817, President James Monroe ordered then-General Jackson to stop Seminole attacks in Georgia. Instructed not to violate Spanish-controlled Florida unless in hot pursuit, Jackson invaded anyway, overthrew the governor, seized the military post St. Marks, and executed two British citizens for inciting the Seminole. Along the way, he seized runaway slaves and destroyed the so-called "Negro Fort". Jackson's actions caused an international incident, and while some called for his head, demanding that he be removed from his post and brought to trial, Monroe backed him. Within two years, Spain ceded Florida to the US--and Jackson's conquest was complete. Join us for a balanced look at both sides of the conflict as we use location shooting and state-of-the-art animation to support our storytelling. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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