In the face of the wholesale destruction of their homeland, young Germans were motivated to destroy American bombers by any means necessary. On April 7, 1945 a volunteer unit called the Sonderkommando ELBE takes to the sky with one goal in mind--use their own aircraft as battering rams to destroy American bombers. Rare interviews with the German pilots who mounted these attacks will offer an unprecedented look into the mindset of these ram-pilots. TVPG VL | CC

The officers of the SS, Hitler's feared paramilitary unit, were the most notorious war criminals of WWII. Some were brought to justice after the war, but many were able to escape from Germany. A massive secret organization known as Odessa was reportedly formed to help them flee and rebuild a new Reich that would again rise to power. MysteryQuest will investigate by following the path of feared Nazis from Germany, to Austria, and Italy. The team will also travel to Paraguay where many of the Nazis reportedly hid while plotting their new rise. TVPG VL | CC

In Burma, 5,000 Japanese troops, trapped in the Pegu Hills, attempt to make a break east towards the Sittang River; but only a small number survives. In the Pacific, the biggest Allied naval re-supply operation thus far begins. On Mindanao in the Philippines, all organized Japanese resistance in the Sarangani Bay area ends and US forces start mopping-up operations. At the Potsdam Conference, US President Truman announces that the atom bomb will be used against the Japanese as soon after August 3 as is possible. In New York, a US B-25 bomber is lost in fog over the city and flies into the Empire State Building--killing 13 people die and injuring 26. And in this episode, we highlight the long career of Winston Churchill, who became Prime Minister of Great Britain on May 10, 1940-- the same day that Germany attacked France and the Low Countries. TVPG VL | CC

North Korea, 1951: They were unknown soldiers fighting unknown battles in a forgotten war. Their covert missions annihilated communist forces. For the first time, the details of this top secret army code named "8240" have been declassified. Four Army Rangers and 20 South Koreans accept a classified mission to destroy rail lines far behind enemy lines. At the very start, the mission goes bad. Brutally cold temperatures and poor planning force them to scrap the mission but not without casualties and a daring helicopter rescue under heavy fire. There are also victories by battalions called The White Tigers known for their ferocious fighting. Their intrepid raid demolished a top Communist fortress. History never fully honored the bravery of these soldiers who paved the way for US special forces today...that is until now. TVPG VL | CC

During the Vietnam War, a daring group of Army Green Berets known as SOG launches highly classified missions into neighboring countries Laos and Cambodia, in an attempt to foil the cross-border activities of the North Vietnamese Army. The "Secret War" as it is known, is fought by SOGs unique blend of elite, highly trained American and indigenous troops who, while grossly outnumbered, brazenly venture into combat. On October 5th, 1968, SOG Spike Team Alabama is deployed into a high threat area of Laos on a reconnaissance mission to silently track a regiment of enemy troops. However, within the first minutes of their operation, Alabama's worst nightmare becomes a reality when they realize they've fallen into a horrible trap set by the North Vietnamese Army. Outnumbered a thousand to one, Spike Team Alabama will fight a staggering battle for their lives, and earn their place amongst the greatest in the history of American military. TVPG VL | CC

Allied naval and air forces target Japanese aircraft factories at Hamamutsu and southern Honshu. In China, mines dropped from Allied planes halt Japanese shipping on the Yangtze River. In Burma, Japanese resistance crumbles as the Allies triumph in the Battle of the Breakthrough. A Japanese submarine sinks the US heavy cruiser Indianapolis in the Philippines. In Germany, the Potsdam Conference draws to a halt. The "Big Three"--the US, Britain, and Soviet Union--agree to limit German industrial growth and transfer certain territories in the country's east to Poland and the Soviet Union. The German industrial war machine is to be broken up and reparations paid to the Allies. Finally, Stalin agrees that the Soviet Union will join in the war against Japan on a date yet to be fixed. We also take a look at the US Douglas A-26 Invader Medium Bomber, and feature the life of Clement Attlee, who took over from Winston Churchill as British prime minister in July 1945. TVPG VL | CC

In this series, we examine the secret aircraft of the Cold War, focusing on the technology and designers of aircraft that were light years ahead of their time. In this hour, we examine stories of the aircraft, missions, and men that played the high-stakes games between the superpowers and learn how vital air reconnaissance was, and still is. Some of the planes we'll study include the Neptune, RB-57D, U-2, RB57F, and SR-71 Blackbird. We'll also examine the cancelled D-21 (for Daughter). A smaller, unmanned version of the Blackbird, it was cancelled after five failed missions. We'll also look at Soviet and Chinese attempts to counteract US spycraft. TVPG VL | CC

An analysis of the awesome aircraft deployed by West and East to gain an edge in the high-stakes game of delivering total nuclear annihilation anywhere. We open with the first of many Soviet propaganda ploys. At a Moscow military air show Western guests are stunned by an overflight of massive Soviet M-4 "Bison" bombers. Though there were truly only 18 aircraft in prototype stage, the ruse of circling the same 18 planes worked. Western military raced to catch up. We review Soviet efforts to build a long-range bomber fleet and recall their successful reverse engineering of the US B-29. We move to the US program to develop long-range, nuclear bombers capable of extended flight for weeks or months and the quest for a perfect long-range bomber. We also look at the impressive bombing accuracy of the B-2 Stealth Bomber during the opening phases of the Iraq War. TVPG VL | CC

We open with Moscow's 1952 revelation that its air defenses and fighter jets were outdated. Stalin's fury over the inability of MiG fighters to catch British reconnaissance aircraft leads to reorganization of air defenses and the MiG 21. Meanwhile, fighter defenses over the US are left to Korean War vintage F-86 Sabre jets. A new jet fighter, the F-103 Thunder Warrior, is developed, but military politics intervene, and it's cancelled. Next, we turn to the defense of long-range bombers whose deep penetration of Soviet air space was crucial. We also recall the story of one of the most remarkable fighters ever devised--the Canadian Avro Arrow--and the reason for its abrupt cancellation. We close with a look at the upcoming F-22, the first totally new fighter design in 20 years. TVPG VL | CC

On November 15, 2004, Sgt. Rafael Peralta died while fighting to secure a key insurgent stronghold in Iraq. Peralta and fellow Marines were ambushed by guerillas who then lobbed a grenade at them. Already seriously wounded, Peralta shielded his companions by covering the explosive device with his body, saving their lives and sacrificing his own. Watch Peralta's extraordinary journey from Tijuana, Mexico to San Diego to the streets of Iraq. Included are interviews with his widowed mother and three siblings in San Diego. TVPG VL | CC

The Battle of the Nile--August 1, 1798. A mighty French fleet under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte is anchored in Aboukir Bay, Egypt. Just hours before sunset, an outnumbered British fleet, commanded by the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson, discovers the French and battle ensues. In the dark of night, the French flagship, L'Orient, one of the most powerful warships in the world, suddenly explodes. She sinks quickly, taking an estimated $20 million in gold and silver to the bottom. How did the mighty battleship sink so quickly that night? And what happened to the lost fortune in gold and silver? Veteran divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler plunge into Aboukir Bay--and discover that history's telling of the L'Orient's demise is wrong. Did Admiral Nelson'spin the events of that day? TVPG VL | CC

You're in the cockpit with some of the fiercest dog fighting ever seen in Vietnam! These pilots fight in a supersonic world, and split second decisions determine life or death. American F4 Phantom pilots Fred Olmsted and Dan Cherry take on the famed MiG-21--the most feared threat in the sky. Steve Ritchie, becomes a dog fighting legend as an Air Force Ace. First-hand accounts, rare archival footage and original shooting will supplement the remarkable computer graphics. TVPG VL | CC

World War Two was truly a global conflict. Allied soldiers fought in all theaters of war, exposing them to an extraordinary diversity of terrain and climate--from the Arctic Circle to desert sands and fetid jungles. An infantryman was engaged in combat for an hour each day on average, but he fought the environment around the clock. The war comes alive through a moving tapestry of letters, diaries, and color film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections. Peter Coyote narrates. TVPG VL | CC

In Japan, 325 planes from the US 5th and 7th Air Forces, based on Okinawa, raid Tarumizi in the south. Fat Boy, the world's first atom bomb, is dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima from a specially modified B-29, named the Enola Gay after the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. Around 80,000 people died in the blast that destroyed 60% of the city. Many more are severely injured; others will die later from radiation sickness. Later this week, a second atom bomb--Fat Man--is dropped on Japan; this time over the city of Nagasaki, a major ship-building port. The US 1st Army begins arriving on Luzon to prepare for the forthcoming invasion of Japan. In Moscow, the Soviet government declares war on Japan for that country's refusal to respond to the surrender demands of the "Big Three" at the recent Potsdam Conference. TVPG VL | CC

Ever imagine what it would be like to participate in the most historic air battles of all time? Imagine no more. This special puts viewers in the cockpit to recreate four famous air battles, using computer graphics, animation, firsthand accounts, and archival footage to make these thrilling and dangerous dogfights all too real. Each segment begins with an introduction to a pilot as we learn of the conflict he is engaged in, the history and technology of the aircraft that he flies, and the mortal enemy he must face. Then comes the moment of contact with the enemy--the fight begins! Experience a computer-generated recreation of the aerial battle as the voice of the pilot plays out this life and death combat. TVPG VL | CC

In Tokyo, the Japanese government at last accepts the inevitable and surrenders to the Allies unconditionally. President Truman, addressing crowds from the portico of the White House, said "this is the day we've been waiting for since Pearl Harbor." The surrender will be formally made to General MacArthur at a later ceremony aboard the US battleship Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay. Emperor Hirohito makes an emotional broadcast to the Japanese nation saying that they had no choice but to surrender. Otherwise the country would have been destroyed by what he described as "a new and most cruel bomb". General MacArthur is appointed Supreme Allied Commander. VJ Day--Victory over Japan--is declared a national holiday. TVPG VL | CC

In this episode we uncover Allied secrets off WWII, like a battleship made of ice, bat bombs, floating tanks, rocket-propelled wheels that would roll through enemy lines, pigeon-guided missiles, and earthquake bombs designed to penetrate the earth and shake structures to pieces. More bizarre stories of extraordinary armaments dreamt up by the some of the time's most inventive minds--weird weapons unlike anything before. And what about the atomic bomb? TVPG VL | CC

The U.S. military has made a major commitment to deploying and developing robots for use on the battlefield--from the highly successful bomb disposal robots, to the unmanned aerial vehicles. We'll preview the latest armed robot, with aim so accurate and deadly that it virtually never misses its target and look at the difficulties of making military vehicles driverless. The use of robots in warfare fits into some of the basic tenets of American fighting: to reduce manpower with material and to kill the enemy either at a distance or with a surrogate soldier. In the future, the Pentagon hopes to have a ratio of 4-6 robots to every human soldier. It will be the human soldiers, not the robots, according to the Department of Defense, who will continue to make decisions of life and death... at least in our lifetime. TVPG VL | CC

The battle for Iwo Jima begins--one of the bloodiest of World War II. During Operation Detachment, fighting becomes a brutal frontal attack of hand-to-hand combat. Both the portable and mechanized flamethrowers as well as LVTs (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) were vital during the intense battles on the volcanic island. Meanwhile in the Philippines, US forces completely surround the center of Manila, as the tempo of the Japanese atrocities increases. Before long, General MacArthur will make an emotional return to Corregidor Island. Follow the action in this series that details, week by week, the last six months of WWII and explores the high and low points of the march to war's end. TVPG VL | CC

In 1943, when the HMS Dasher sank off the coast of Scotland, nearly 500 sailors died. Later that year, during the Allies' Operation Mincemeat, a corpse was floated off the coast of Spain carrying battle plans in a briefcase chained to his wrist. But the corpse was a plant, the plans were faked, and the Germans were totally fooled. What was the true identity of the body, and was it linked to the mysterious sinking of the HMS Dasher? TVPG VL | CC

A cogent look at the massacre of US paratroopers and French civilians on D-Day. When members of the 507th PIR were dropped 20 miles from their objective, the village of Graignes voted to help them. Six days of fighting ensued--followed by severe Nazi retaliation. The heroic collaboration of paratroopers and French civilians delayed the SS and aided one of D-Day's most crucial victories. 40 years later, 507th veterans return to France to honor 11 citizens with the Distinguished Civilian Service Award. TVPG VL | CC

In the face of the wholesale destruction of their homeland, young Germans were motivated to destroy American bombers by any means necessary. On April 7, 1945 a volunteer unit called the Sonderkommando ELBE takes to the sky with one goal in mind--use their own aircraft as battering rams to destroy American bombers. Rare interviews with the German pilots who mounted these attacks will offer an unprecedented look into the mindset of these ram-pilots. TVPG VL | CC

As Soviet tanks roared through Berlin, a few of the world's most hated men cowered in a bunker under the Reich Chancellery. G ring and Himmler fled Berlin, but were caught and later committed suicide. G bbels and his wife killed their five children in the bunker before taking cyanide pills. Hitler and Eva Braun also took the coward's way out. But what about party secretary Martin Bormann and Gestapo Chief Heinrich M ller? Did they survive the hunt for Nazi war criminals? TVPG VL | CC

The Philippines, January 28, 1945. The 6th Ranger Battalion embarks from its base on the most audacious rescue operation ever undertaken--to penetrate 30 miles behind enemy lines and liberate 511 POWs from Cabanatuan, the notorious Japanese POW camp. Join us for the dramatic and action-packed stories of heroes from WWII to the present day. From Delta Force Operators to CIA Field Officers, SWAT teams to bomb squads, SAS Commandos to Navy SEALs, this series recounts the stories of those who distinguish themselves above all others in perilous situations of combat, rescue missions, covert assignments, drug wars, and hostile intelligence operations. TVPG VL | CC

North Korea, 1951: They were unknown soldiers fighting unknown battles in a forgotten war. Their covert missions annihilated communist forces. For the first time, the details of this top secret army code named "8240" have been declassified. Four Army Rangers and 20 South Koreans accept a classified mission to destroy rail lines far behind enemy lines. At the very start, the mission goes bad. Brutally cold temperatures and poor planning force them to scrap the mission but not without casualties and a daring helicopter rescue under heavy fire. There are also victories by battalions called The White Tigers known for their ferocious fighting. Their intrepid raid demolished a top Communist fortress. History never fully honored the bravery of these soldiers who paved the way for US special forces today...that is until now. TVPG VL | CC

They work for the world's largest law firm and many carry guns! Lawyers expert in international rules of war vet each bombing run, missile firing, or raid by the U.S. military. In 1989, lawyers parachuted in with Special Ops in Panama; flew with Army troops to Haiti in 1994; were deployed in the first Gulf War; and were sent to Kosovo, Somalia, and Rwanda. Our 2-hour special reviews the history of Judge Advocate Generals, their role in military law, and growing battlefield influence. TVPG VL | CC

In this series, we examine the secret aircraft of the Cold War, focusing on the technology and designers of aircraft that were light years ahead of their time. In this hour, we examine stories of the aircraft, missions, and men that played the high-stakes games between the superpowers and learn how vital air reconnaissance was, and still is. Some of the planes we'll study include the Neptune, RB-57D, U-2, RB57F, and SR-71 Blackbird. We'll also examine the cancelled D-21 (for Daughter). A smaller, unmanned version of the Blackbird, it was cancelled after five failed missions. We'll also look at Soviet and Chinese attempts to counteract US spycraft. TVPG VL | CC

In a 2-hour unique look at the US Military Academy, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2002, we chronicle how West Point develops leaders who embody the values of duty, honor, and country. Shot over the course of a year, the show begins with R-Day (Reception Day) and ends with the famous hat toss at graduation. We also cover key dramatic chapters in West Point history including the Civil War, the 1976 cheating scandal, and the controversial admittance of women. TVPG VL | CC

On November 15, 2004, Sgt. Rafael Peralta died while fighting to secure a key insurgent stronghold in Iraq. Peralta and fellow Marines were ambushed by guerillas who then lobbed a grenade at them. Already seriously wounded, Peralta shielded his companions by covering the explosive device with his body, saving their lives and sacrificing his own. Watch Peralta's extraordinary journey from Tijuana, Mexico to San Diego to the streets of Iraq. Included are interviews with his widowed mother and three siblings in San Diego. TVPG VL | CC

They were Hitler's most effective and feared weapon--submarines that attacked in coordinated groups, like wolves. These stealthy predators sank thousands of Allied merchant ships, choking Britain in an economic stranglehold and devastating US coastal shipping. Top historians and US and German veterans provide insight into the strategies, tactics, and weapons used in the Battle of the Atlantic. We also hear from eyewitnesses to the 1942 torpedoing of the SS Gulf America off the coast of Florida. TVPG VL | CC

Today's naval submarine is the world's deadliest weapon. Join former Navy fighter pilot and series host Hunter Ellis as he explores the technology that led from the submarine to handheld sonar devices that help tourists catch that "big" fish. We also look at miracle materials, such as carbon-fiber technology, and radar--now being used to help locate people trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. TVPG VL | CC

You're in the cockpit with some of the fiercest dog fighting ever seen in Vietnam! These pilots fight in a supersonic world, and split second decisions determine life or death. American F4 Phantom pilots Fred Olmsted and Dan Cherry take on the famed MiG-21--the most feared threat in the sky. Steve Ritchie, becomes a dog fighting legend as an Air Force Ace. First-hand accounts, rare archival footage and original shooting will supplement the remarkable computer graphics. TVPG VL | CC

They were self-reliant individualists who forged a deadly team, and the initiative of individual submarine captains proved instrumental in the American victory in the Pacific. We'll see how trendsetters like Dudley Morton and Richard O'Kane brought new ideas to submarine warfare, showing that aggressive strategies, like surface running, were the best way to sink the most enemy ships. Sam Dealey, a submarine captain known as "The Destroyer Killer", is also featured. TVPG VL | CC

June 15, 1944. Just over a week after the D-Day invasion of Normandy, on the other side of the world, 70,000 US Marines storm ashore on the Pacific island of Saipan. For the first time in the war, American fighting men stand on Japanese soil. Facing them are 30,000 Japanese soldiers, with massed tanks and artillery, who have sworn to defend the island to the death. We offer extraordinary insight into this climactic battle and follow the men of the invasion force as they fight their way to ultimate victory--in spite of one of the biggest Banzai charges of WWII. TVPG VL | CC

Only a few weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Navy experienced a failure of critical technology--the torpedoes that armed its fleet of submarines were defective. The ensuing debacle ranks as one of the great near disasters of WWII. We'll see how the exigencies of war clashed with entrenched bureaucracies and egos of the naval ordnance establishment. After two years of frustration the submariners prevailed, and with effective weapons, went on to achieve remarkable results. TVPG VL | CC

Between 1939 and `45, the world was locked in a nightmare struggle of unprecedented ferocity. When the smoke from WWII cleared, bizarre stories emerged of extraordinary armaments dreamt up by both sides' most inventive minds--weird weapons unlike anything before. New ways of bringing destruction to the enemy were born of desperation and wild imagination. And in a world gone mad, nothing seemed too strange to try. Axis powers tested a strange range of weapons: a vortex cannon designed to tear wings off aircraft, an assault rifle that could shoot round corners, a death ray that could boil people alive, and most bizarre of all, an army in space. TVPG VL | CC

In this episode we uncover Allied secrets off WWII, like a battleship made of ice, bat bombs, floating tanks, rocket-propelled wheels that would roll through enemy lines, pigeon-guided missiles, and earthquake bombs designed to penetrate the earth and shake structures to pieces. More bizarre stories of extraordinary armaments dreamt up by the some of the time's most inventive minds--weird weapons unlike anything before. And what about the atomic bomb? TVPG VL | CC

In Burma, 5,000 Japanese troops, trapped in the Pegu Hills, attempt to make a break east towards the Sittang River; but only a small number survives. In the Pacific, the biggest Allied naval re-supply operation thus far begins. On Mindanao in the Philippines, all organized Japanese resistance in the Sarangani Bay area ends and US forces start mopping-up operations. At the Potsdam Conference, US President Truman announces that the atom bomb will be used against the Japanese as soon after August 3 as is possible. In New York, a US B-25 bomber is lost in fog over the city and flies into the Empire State Building--killing 13 people die and injuring 26. And in this episode, we highlight the long career of Winston Churchill, who became Prime Minister of Great Britain on May 10, 1940-- the same day that Germany attacked France and the Low Countries. TVPG VL | CC

By the end of the Vietnam War, Air Force losses were huge and victory denied, though many new weapons, including the first smart bombs, were developed. But then Desert Storm unleashes and vindicates high-tech airpower, and stealth technology comes of age. Air war over the Balkans sharpens precision tools, and the shape of the 21st-century Air Force that will dominate the second Gulf War emerges. After a century of courage and innovation, no power on earth can challenge the U.S. Air Force. TVPG VL | CC

In 1943, when the HMS Dasher sank off the coast of Scotland, nearly 500 sailors died. Later that year, during the Allies' Operation Mincemeat, a corpse was floated off the coast of Spain carrying battle plans in a briefcase chained to his wrist. But the corpse was a plant, the plans were faked, and the Germans were totally fooled. What was the true identity of the body, and was it linked to the mysterious sinking of the HMS Dasher? TVPG VL | CC

Allied naval and air forces target Japanese aircraft factories at Hamamutsu and southern Honshu. In China, mines dropped from Allied planes halt Japanese shipping on the Yangtze River. In Burma, Japanese resistance crumbles as the Allies triumph in the Battle of the Breakthrough. A Japanese submarine sinks the US heavy cruiser Indianapolis in the Philippines. In Germany, the Potsdam Conference draws to a halt. The "Big Three"--the US, Britain, and Soviet Union--agree to limit German industrial growth and transfer certain territories in the country's east to Poland and the Soviet Union. The German industrial war machine is to be broken up and reparations paid to the Allies. Finally, Stalin agrees that the Soviet Union will join in the war against Japan on a date yet to be fixed. We also take a look at the US Douglas A-26 Invader Medium Bomber, and feature the life of Clement Attlee, who took over from Winston Churchill as British prime minister in July 1945. TVPG VL | CC

Examine the colorful history of the premier flight test center, and America's most important aviation facility for more than 60 years, Edwards Air Force Base in California. Every single aircraft to enter the Air Force's inventory has been put through its paces at Edwards, along with many Navy and Army aircraft as well. With unprecedented access to several forgotten and abandoned facilities on the base, we are guided by Richard Hallion, former chief historian for the US Air Force. Today, Edwards continues to push the envelope. Among the many cutting-edge projects currently being tested is the Airborne Laser, designed to focus a basketball-sized spot of intense heat that could destroy a ballistic missile. TVPG VL | CC

As Soviet tanks roared through Berlin, a few of the world's most hated men cowered in a bunker under the Reich Chancellery. G ring and Himmler fled Berlin, but were caught and later committed suicide. G bbels and his wife killed their five children in the bunker before taking cyanide pills. Hitler and Eva Braun also took the coward's way out. But what about party secretary Martin Bormann and Gestapo Chief Heinrich M ller? Did they survive the hunt for Nazi war criminals? TVPG VL | CC

We open with Moscow's 1952 revelation that its air defenses and fighter jets were outdated. Stalin's fury over the inability of MiG fighters to catch British reconnaissance aircraft leads to reorganization of air defenses and the MiG 21. Meanwhile, fighter defenses over the US are left to Korean War vintage F-86 Sabre jets. A new jet fighter, the F-103 Thunder Warrior, is developed, but military politics intervene, and it's cancelled. Next, we turn to the defense of long-range bombers whose deep penetration of Soviet air space was crucial. We also recall the story of one of the most remarkable fighters ever devised--the Canadian Avro Arrow--and the reason for its abrupt cancellation. We close with a look at the upcoming F-22, the first totally new fighter design in 20 years. TVPG VL | CC

The first Samuel B. Roberts, DE-413, perished in the greatest naval battle ever fought. In October 1944, as part of minimal force protecting jeep carriers in Leyte Gulf, the vessel faced a tremendously superior Japanese fleet. Fighting to the death, the DE-413 was able to fend off much of the Japanese force before sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The name Samuel B. Roberts appeared two more times, including the FFG-58, launched in 1984, participating in Desert Storm, and today is on-call for homeland security. TVPG VL | CC

From 1526 to 1858, the Mughals, a dynasty of nomadic Asian rulers, created a massive and powerful empire covering much of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, passing along an appetite for territory expansion and brutality. But they were also technological innovators and builders of some of the most enduring architecture in South Asia. Through their conquests and achievements, we learn about their military innovations like composite bows, matchlock guns, rocketry, chain mail, and cannons. We explore their feats of archery on horseback and use of elephants as fearsome weapons. And we examine their culture and enduring architecture, including palaces, forts, water systems, gardens, and the Taj Mahal--a tomb that took 22 years to build in honor of the most beloved of the sultan's wives. Join us for a sweeping history of the military ambition, innovative weapons and battle strategies, material excess, architectural wonders, and cultural flowering that shaped modern India. TVPG VL | CC

In Japan, 325 planes from the US 5th and 7th Air Forces, based on Okinawa, raid Tarumizi in the south. Fat Boy, the world's first atom bomb, is dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima from a specially modified B-29, named the Enola Gay after the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. Around 80,000 people died in the blast that destroyed 60% of the city. Many more are severely injured; others will die later from radiation sickness. Later this week, a second atom bomb--Fat Man--is dropped on Japan; this time over the city of Nagasaki, a major ship-building port. The US 1st Army begins arriving on Luzon to prepare for the forthcoming invasion of Japan. In Moscow, the Soviet government declares war on Japan for that country's refusal to respond to the surrender demands of the "Big Three" at the recent Potsdam Conference. TVPG VL | CC

This five-part series investigates Hitler's Wehrmacht, the largest and most deadly military army in the history of Germany. For nearly six years, 18 million men served in its ranks, pledging absolute loyalty to Hitler and reigning terror throughout Europe. When the Wehrmacht attacked Poland on the 1st of September, 1939, the entire continent was shocked by the military clout of an army that only a few years back had consisted of no more than 100,000 troops with neither tanks nor airplanes at their disposal. For the first time, ground combat received massive air support, while armored units formed a "spearhead." TVPG VL | CC

They were Hitler's most effective and feared weapon--submarines that attacked in coordinated groups, like wolves. These stealthy predators sank thousands of Allied merchant ships, choking Britain in an economic stranglehold and devastating US coastal shipping. Top historians and US and German veterans provide insight into the strategies, tactics, and weapons used in the Battle of the Atlantic. We also hear from eyewitnesses to the 1942 torpedoing of the SS Gulf America off the coast of Florida. TVPG VL | CC

In Tokyo, the Japanese government at last accepts the inevitable and surrenders to the Allies unconditionally. President Truman, addressing crowds from the portico of the White House, said "this is the day we've been waiting for since Pearl Harbor." The surrender will be formally made to General MacArthur at a later ceremony aboard the US battleship Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay. Emperor Hirohito makes an emotional broadcast to the Japanese nation saying that they had no choice but to surrender. Otherwise the country would have been destroyed by what he described as "a new and most cruel bomb". General MacArthur is appointed Supreme Allied Commander. VJ Day--Victory over Japan--is declared a national holiday. TVPG VL | CC

Few soldiers questioned the propaganda claim that a preventive strike would pre-empt a Soviet assault on Germany--and yet many of them were stunned when the previously secret plan to attack the Soviet Union eventually became reality on 22 June 1941. The early victories during the first weeks of the campaign appeared to tie in seamlessly with the campaigns against Poland and France--but this was a fatal misconception. In fact, casualties were staggering from the start--on both sides. This five-part series investigates Hitler's Wehrmacht, the largest and most deadly military army in the history of Germany. TVPG VL | CC

They were self-reliant individualists who forged a deadly team, and the initiative of individual submarine captains proved instrumental in the American victory in the Pacific. We'll see how trendsetters like Dudley Morton and Richard O'Kane brought new ideas to submarine warfare, showing that aggressive strategies, like surface running, were the best way to sink the most enemy ships. Sam Dealey, a submarine captain known as "The Destroyer Killer", is also featured. TVPG VL | CC

The battle for Iwo Jima begins--one of the bloodiest of World War II. During Operation Detachment, fighting becomes a brutal frontal attack of hand-to-hand combat. Both the portable and mechanized flamethrowers as well as LVTs (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) were vital during the intense battles on the volcanic island. Meanwhile in the Philippines, US forces completely surround the center of Manila, as the tempo of the Japanese atrocities increases. Before long, General MacArthur will make an emotional return to Corregidor Island. Follow the action in this series that details, week by week, the last six months of WWII and explores the high and low points of the march to war's end. TVPG VL | CC

There is hardly a subject as controversial and as hotly debated in recent years as the crimes of the Wehrmacht. More than 17 million men were part of these armed forces--and they represented a cross-section of society. In almost every German family, there was at least one soldier. The current status of research, however, leaves little doubt about the general conclusion that the list of crimes committed by the Wehrmacht is long. The attack on the Soviet Union that cost the lives of millions and millions of people was a criminal act from day one, unparalleled in modern history. The all-out war and the extent of the war crimes reached an all-time high in the East. First and foremost among them is undoubtedly the murder of Jews, in which the Wehrmacht was also involved in many different locations. TVPG VL | CC

Only a few weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Navy experienced a failure of critical technology--the torpedoes that armed its fleet of submarines were defective. The ensuing debacle ranks as one of the great near disasters of WWII. We'll see how the exigencies of war clashed with entrenched bureaucracies and egos of the naval ordnance establishment. After two years of frustration the submariners prevailed, and with effective weapons, went on to achieve remarkable results. TVPG VL | CC

In the face of the wholesale destruction of their homeland, young Germans were motivated to destroy American bombers by any means necessary. On April 7, 1945 a volunteer unit called the Sonderkommando ELBE takes to the sky with one goal in mind--use their own aircraft as battering rams to destroy American bombers. Rare interviews with the German pilots who mounted these attacks will offer an unprecedented look into the mindset of these ram-pilots. TVPG VL | CC

The officers of the SS, Hitler's feared paramilitary unit, were the most notorious war criminals of WWII. Some were brought to justice after the war, but many were able to escape from Germany. A massive secret organization known as Odessa was reportedly formed to help them flee and rebuild a new Reich that would again rise to power. MysteryQuest will investigate by following the path of feared Nazis from Germany, to Austria, and Italy. The team will also travel to Paraguay where many of the Nazis reportedly hid while plotting their new rise. TVPG VL | CC

In Burma, 5,000 Japanese troops, trapped in the Pegu Hills, attempt to make a break east towards the Sittang River; but only a small number survives. In the Pacific, the biggest Allied naval re-supply operation thus far begins. On Mindanao in the Philippines, all organized Japanese resistance in the Sarangani Bay area ends and US forces start mopping-up operations. At the Potsdam Conference, US President Truman announces that the atom bomb will be used against the Japanese as soon after August 3 as is possible. In New York, a US B-25 bomber is lost in fog over the city and flies into the Empire State Building--killing 13 people die and injuring 26. And in this episode, we highlight the long career of Winston Churchill, who became Prime Minister of Great Britain on May 10, 1940-- the same day that Germany attacked France and the Low Countries. TVPG VL | CC

North Korea, 1951: They were unknown soldiers fighting unknown battles in a forgotten war. Their covert missions annihilated communist forces. For the first time, the details of this top secret army code named "8240" have been declassified. Four Army Rangers and 20 South Koreans accept a classified mission to destroy rail lines far behind enemy lines. At the very start, the mission goes bad. Brutally cold temperatures and poor planning force them to scrap the mission but not without casualties and a daring helicopter rescue under heavy fire. There are also victories by battalions called The White Tigers known for their ferocious fighting. Their intrepid raid demolished a top Communist fortress. History never fully honored the bravery of these soldiers who paved the way for US special forces today...that is until now. TVPG VL | CC

During the Vietnam War, a daring group of Army Green Berets known as SOG launches highly classified missions into neighboring countries Laos and Cambodia, in an attempt to foil the cross-border activities of the North Vietnamese Army. The "Secret War" as it is known, is fought by SOGs unique blend of elite, highly trained American and indigenous troops who, while grossly outnumbered, brazenly venture into combat. On October 5th, 1968, SOG Spike Team Alabama is deployed into a high threat area of Laos on a reconnaissance mission to silently track a regiment of enemy troops. However, within the first minutes of their operation, Alabama's worst nightmare becomes a reality when they realize they've fallen into a horrible trap set by the North Vietnamese Army. Outnumbered a thousand to one, Spike Team Alabama will fight a staggering battle for their lives, and earn their place amongst the greatest in the history of American military. TVPG VL | CC

Allied naval and air forces target Japanese aircraft factories at Hamamutsu and southern Honshu. In China, mines dropped from Allied planes halt Japanese shipping on the Yangtze River. In Burma, Japanese resistance crumbles as the Allies triumph in the Battle of the Breakthrough. A Japanese submarine sinks the US heavy cruiser Indianapolis in the Philippines. In Germany, the Potsdam Conference draws to a halt. The "Big Three"--the US, Britain, and Soviet Union--agree to limit German industrial growth and transfer certain territories in the country's east to Poland and the Soviet Union. The German industrial war machine is to be broken up and reparations paid to the Allies. Finally, Stalin agrees that the Soviet Union will join in the war against Japan on a date yet to be fixed. We also take a look at the US Douglas A-26 Invader Medium Bomber, and feature the life of Clement Attlee, who took over from Winston Churchill as British prime minister in July 1945. TVPG VL | CC

In this series, we examine the secret aircraft of the Cold War, focusing on the technology and designers of aircraft that were light years ahead of their time. In this hour, we examine stories of the aircraft, missions, and men that played the high-stakes games between the superpowers and learn how vital air reconnaissance was, and still is. Some of the planes we'll study include the Neptune, RB-57D, U-2, RB57F, and SR-71 Blackbird. We'll also examine the cancelled D-21 (for Daughter). A smaller, unmanned version of the Blackbird, it was cancelled after five failed missions. We'll also look at Soviet and Chinese attempts to counteract US spycraft. TVPG VL | CC

An analysis of the awesome aircraft deployed by West and East to gain an edge in the high-stakes game of delivering total nuclear annihilation anywhere. We open with the first of many Soviet propaganda ploys. At a Moscow military air show Western guests are stunned by an overflight of massive Soviet M-4 "Bison" bombers. Though there were truly only 18 aircraft in prototype stage, the ruse of circling the same 18 planes worked. Western military raced to catch up. We review Soviet efforts to build a long-range bomber fleet and recall their successful reverse engineering of the US B-29. We move to the US program to develop long-range, nuclear bombers capable of extended flight for weeks or months and the quest for a perfect long-range bomber. We also look at the impressive bombing accuracy of the B-2 Stealth Bomber during the opening phases of the Iraq War. TVPG VL | CC

We open with Moscow's 1952 revelation that its air defenses and fighter jets were outdated. Stalin's fury over the inability of MiG fighters to catch British reconnaissance aircraft leads to reorganization of air defenses and the MiG 21. Meanwhile, fighter defenses over the US are left to Korean War vintage F-86 Sabre jets. A new jet fighter, the F-103 Thunder Warrior, is developed, but military politics intervene, and it's cancelled. Next, we turn to the defense of long-range bombers whose deep penetration of Soviet air space was crucial. We also recall the story of one of the most remarkable fighters ever devised--the Canadian Avro Arrow--and the reason for its abrupt cancellation. We close with a look at the upcoming F-22, the first totally new fighter design in 20 years. TVPG VL | CC

On November 15, 2004, Sgt. Rafael Peralta died while fighting to secure a key insurgent stronghold in Iraq. Peralta and fellow Marines were ambushed by guerillas who then lobbed a grenade at them. Already seriously wounded, Peralta shielded his companions by covering the explosive device with his body, saving their lives and sacrificing his own. Watch Peralta's extraordinary journey from Tijuana, Mexico to San Diego to the streets of Iraq. Included are interviews with his widowed mother and three siblings in San Diego. TVPG VL | CC

The Battle of the Nile--August 1, 1798. A mighty French fleet under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte is anchored in Aboukir Bay, Egypt. Just hours before sunset, an outnumbered British fleet, commanded by the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson, discovers the French and battle ensues. In the dark of night, the French flagship, L'Orient, one of the most powerful warships in the world, suddenly explodes. She sinks quickly, taking an estimated $20 million in gold and silver to the bottom. How did the mighty battleship sink so quickly that night? And what happened to the lost fortune in gold and silver? Veteran divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler plunge into Aboukir Bay--and discover that history's telling of the L'Orient's demise is wrong. Did Admiral Nelson'spin the events of that day? TVPG VL | CC

You're in the cockpit with some of the fiercest dog fighting ever seen in Vietnam! These pilots fight in a supersonic world, and split second decisions determine life or death. American F4 Phantom pilots Fred Olmsted and Dan Cherry take on the famed MiG-21--the most feared threat in the sky. Steve Ritchie, becomes a dog fighting legend as an Air Force Ace. First-hand accounts, rare archival footage and original shooting will supplement the remarkable computer graphics. TVPG VL | CC

World War Two was truly a global conflict. Allied soldiers fought in all theaters of war, exposing them to an extraordinary diversity of terrain and climate--from the Arctic Circle to desert sands and fetid jungles. An infantryman was engaged in combat for an hour each day on average, but he fought the environment around the clock. The war comes alive through a moving tapestry of letters, diaries, and color film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections. Peter Coyote narrates. TVPG VL | CC

In Japan, 325 planes from the US 5th and 7th Air Forces, based on Okinawa, raid Tarumizi in the south. Fat Boy, the world's first atom bomb, is dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima from a specially modified B-29, named the Enola Gay after the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. Around 80,000 people died in the blast that destroyed 60% of the city. Many more are severely injured; others will die later from radiation sickness. Later this week, a second atom bomb--Fat Man--is dropped on Japan; this time over the city of Nagasaki, a major ship-building port. The US 1st Army begins arriving on Luzon to prepare for the forthcoming invasion of Japan. In Moscow, the Soviet government declares war on Japan for that country's refusal to respond to the surrender demands of the "Big Three" at the recent Potsdam Conference. TVPG VL | CC

Ever imagine what it would be like to participate in the most historic air battles of all time? Imagine no more. This special puts viewers in the cockpit to recreate four famous air battles, using computer graphics, animation, firsthand accounts, and archival footage to make these thrilling and dangerous dogfights all too real. Each segment begins with an introduction to a pilot as we learn of the conflict he is engaged in, the history and technology of the aircraft that he flies, and the mortal enemy he must face. Then comes the moment of contact with the enemy--the fight begins! Experience a computer-generated recreation of the aerial battle as the voice of the pilot plays out this life and death combat. TVPG VL | CC

In Tokyo, the Japanese government at last accepts the inevitable and surrenders to the Allies unconditionally. President Truman, addressing crowds from the portico of the White House, said "this is the day we've been waiting for since Pearl Harbor." The surrender will be formally made to General MacArthur at a later ceremony aboard the US battleship Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay. Emperor Hirohito makes an emotional broadcast to the Japanese nation saying that they had no choice but to surrender. Otherwise the country would have been destroyed by what he described as "a new and most cruel bomb". General MacArthur is appointed Supreme Allied Commander. VJ Day--Victory over Japan--is declared a national holiday. TVPG VL | CC

In this episode we uncover Allied secrets off WWII, like a battleship made of ice, bat bombs, floating tanks, rocket-propelled wheels that would roll through enemy lines, pigeon-guided missiles, and earthquake bombs designed to penetrate the earth and shake structures to pieces. More bizarre stories of extraordinary armaments dreamt up by the some of the time's most inventive minds--weird weapons unlike anything before. And what about the atomic bomb? TVPG VL | CC

The U.S. military has made a major commitment to deploying and developing robots for use on the battlefield--from the highly successful bomb disposal robots, to the unmanned aerial vehicles. We'll preview the latest armed robot, with aim so accurate and deadly that it virtually never misses its target and look at the difficulties of making military vehicles driverless. The use of robots in warfare fits into some of the basic tenets of American fighting: to reduce manpower with material and to kill the enemy either at a distance or with a surrogate soldier. In the future, the Pentagon hopes to have a ratio of 4-6 robots to every human soldier. It will be the human soldiers, not the robots, according to the Department of Defense, who will continue to make decisions of life and death... at least in our lifetime. TVPG VL | CC

The battle for Iwo Jima begins--one of the bloodiest of World War II. During Operation Detachment, fighting becomes a brutal frontal attack of hand-to-hand combat. Both the portable and mechanized flamethrowers as well as LVTs (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) were vital during the intense battles on the volcanic island. Meanwhile in the Philippines, US forces completely surround the center of Manila, as the tempo of the Japanese atrocities increases. Before long, General MacArthur will make an emotional return to Corregidor Island. Follow the action in this series that details, week by week, the last six months of WWII and explores the high and low points of the march to war's end. TVPG VL | CC

In 1943, when the HMS Dasher sank off the coast of Scotland, nearly 500 sailors died. Later that year, during the Allies' Operation Mincemeat, a corpse was floated off the coast of Spain carrying battle plans in a briefcase chained to his wrist. But the corpse was a plant, the plans were faked, and the Germans were totally fooled. What was the true identity of the body, and was it linked to the mysterious sinking of the HMS Dasher? TVPG VL | CC

A cogent look at the massacre of US paratroopers and French civilians on D-Day. When members of the 507th PIR were dropped 20 miles from their objective, the village of Graignes voted to help them. Six days of fighting ensued--followed by severe Nazi retaliation. The heroic collaboration of paratroopers and French civilians delayed the SS and aided one of D-Day's most crucial victories. 40 years later, 507th veterans return to France to honor 11 citizens with the Distinguished Civilian Service Award. TVPG VL | CC

As Soviet tanks roared through Berlin, a few of the world's most hated men cowered in a bunker under the Reich Chancellery. G ring and Himmler fled Berlin, but were caught and later committed suicide. G bbels and his wife killed their five children in the bunker before taking cyanide pills. Hitler and Eva Braun also took the coward's way out. But what about party secretary Martin Bormann and Gestapo Chief Heinrich M ller? Did they survive the hunt for Nazi war criminals? TVPG VL | CC

As Soviet tanks roared through Berlin, a few of the world's most hated men cowered in a bunker under the Reich Chancellery. G ring and Himmler fled Berlin, but were caught and later committed suicide. G bbels and his wife killed their five children in the bunker before taking cyanide pills. Hitler and Eva Braun also took the coward's way out. But what about party secretary Martin Bormann and Gestapo Chief Heinrich M ller? Did they survive the hunt for Nazi war criminals? TVPG VL | CC

The Philippines, January 28, 1945. The 6th Ranger Battalion embarks from its base on the most audacious rescue operation ever undertaken--to penetrate 30 miles behind enemy lines and liberate 511 POWs from Cabanatuan, the notorious Japanese POW camp. Join us for the dramatic and action-packed stories of heroes from WWII to the present day. From Delta Force Operators to CIA Field Officers, SWAT teams to bomb squads, SAS Commandos to Navy SEALs, this series recounts the stories of those who distinguish themselves above all others in perilous situations of combat, rescue missions, covert assignments, drug wars, and hostile intelligence operations. TVPG VL | CC

They work for the world's largest law firm and many carry guns! Lawyers expert in international rules of war vet each bombing run, missile firing, or raid by the U.S. military. In 1989, lawyers parachuted in with Special Ops in Panama; flew with Army troops to Haiti in 1994; were deployed in the first Gulf War; and were sent to Kosovo, Somalia, and Rwanda. Our 2-hour special reviews the history of Judge Advocate Generals, their role in military law, and growing battlefield influence. TVPG VL | CC

In a 2-hour unique look at the US Military Academy, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2002, we chronicle how West Point develops leaders who embody the values of duty, honor, and country. Shot over the course of a year, the show begins with R-Day (Reception Day) and ends with the famous hat toss at graduation. We also cover key dramatic chapters in West Point history including the Civil War, the 1976 cheating scandal, and the controversial admittance of women. TVPG VL | CC

They were Hitler's most effective and feared weapon--submarines that attacked in coordinated groups, like wolves. These stealthy predators sank thousands of Allied merchant ships, choking Britain in an economic stranglehold and devastating US coastal shipping. Top historians and US and German veterans provide insight into the strategies, tactics, and weapons used in the Battle of the Atlantic. We also hear from eyewitnesses to the 1942 torpedoing of the SS Gulf America off the coast of Florida. TVPG VL | CC

They were Hitler's most effective and feared weapon--submarines that attacked in coordinated groups, like wolves. These stealthy predators sank thousands of Allied merchant ships, choking Britain in an economic stranglehold and devastating US coastal shipping. Top historians and US and German veterans provide insight into the strategies, tactics, and weapons used in the Battle of the Atlantic. We also hear from eyewitnesses to the 1942 torpedoing of the SS Gulf America off the coast of Florida. TVPG VL | CC

Today's naval submarine is the world's deadliest weapon. Join former Navy fighter pilot and series host Hunter Ellis as he explores the technology that led from the submarine to handheld sonar devices that help tourists catch that "big" fish. We also look at miracle materials, such as carbon-fiber technology, and radar--now being used to help locate people trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. TVPG VL | CC

They were self-reliant individualists who forged a deadly team, and the initiative of individual submarine captains proved instrumental in the American victory in the Pacific. We'll see how trendsetters like Dudley Morton and Richard O'Kane brought new ideas to submarine warfare, showing that aggressive strategies, like surface running, were the best way to sink the most enemy ships. Sam Dealey, a submarine captain known as "The Destroyer Killer", is also featured. TVPG VL | CC

They were self-reliant individualists who forged a deadly team, and the initiative of individual submarine captains proved instrumental in the American victory in the Pacific. We'll see how trendsetters like Dudley Morton and Richard O'Kane brought new ideas to submarine warfare, showing that aggressive strategies, like surface running, were the best way to sink the most enemy ships. Sam Dealey, a submarine captain known as "The Destroyer Killer", is also featured. TVPG VL | CC

June 15, 1944. Just over a week after the D-Day invasion of Normandy, on the other side of the world, 70,000 US Marines storm ashore on the Pacific island of Saipan. For the first time in the war, American fighting men stand on Japanese soil. Facing them are 30,000 Japanese soldiers, with massed tanks and artillery, who have sworn to defend the island to the death. We offer extraordinary insight into this climactic battle and follow the men of the invasion force as they fight their way to ultimate victory--in spite of one of the biggest Banzai charges of WWII. TVPG VL | CC

Only a few weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Navy experienced a failure of critical technology--the torpedoes that armed its fleet of submarines were defective. The ensuing debacle ranks as one of the great near disasters of WWII. We'll see how the exigencies of war clashed with entrenched bureaucracies and egos of the naval ordnance establishment. After two years of frustration the submariners prevailed, and with effective weapons, went on to achieve remarkable results. TVPG VL | CC

Only a few weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Navy experienced a failure of critical technology--the torpedoes that armed its fleet of submarines were defective. The ensuing debacle ranks as one of the great near disasters of WWII. We'll see how the exigencies of war clashed with entrenched bureaucracies and egos of the naval ordnance establishment. After two years of frustration the submariners prevailed, and with effective weapons, went on to achieve remarkable results. TVPG VL | CC

Between 1939 and `45, the world was locked in a nightmare struggle of unprecedented ferocity. When the smoke from WWII cleared, bizarre stories emerged of extraordinary armaments dreamt up by both sides' most inventive minds--weird weapons unlike anything before. New ways of bringing destruction to the enemy were born of desperation and wild imagination. And in a world gone mad, nothing seemed too strange to try. Axis powers tested a strange range of weapons: a vortex cannon designed to tear wings off aircraft, an assault rifle that could shoot round corners, a death ray that could boil people alive, and most bizarre of all, an army in space. TVPG VL | CC

Examines the evolution of the strategy and tactics used by US submarines in the war against Japan. Conceived as scouts for the surface fleet, the fleet of boats of the "silent service" found their true calling as heirs to the commerce-raiders of the American Revolution and Civil War. By embracing the once-condemned practice of "unrestricted submarine warfare", these stealthy predators of the deep virtually swept the Pacific of Japanese maritime shipping. TVPG VL | CC

North Korea, 1951: They were unknown soldiers fighting unknown battles in a forgotten war. Their covert missions annihilated communist forces. For the first time, the details of this top secret army code named "8240" have been declassified. Four Army Rangers and 20 South Koreans accept a classified mission to destroy rail lines far behind enemy lines. At the very start, the mission goes bad. Brutally cold temperatures and poor planning force them to scrap the mission but not without casualties and a daring helicopter rescue under heavy fire. There are also victories by battalions called The White Tigers known for their ferocious fighting. Their intrepid raid demolished a top Communist fortress. History never fully honored the bravery of these soldiers who paved the way for US special forces today...that is until now. TVPG VL | CC

During the Vietnam War, a daring group of Army Green Berets known as SOG launches highly classified missions into neighboring countries Laos and Cambodia, in an attempt to foil the cross-border activities of the North Vietnamese Army. The "Secret War" as it is known, is fought by SOGs unique blend of elite, highly trained American and indigenous troops who, while grossly outnumbered, brazenly venture into combat. On October 5th, 1968, SOG Spike Team Alabama is deployed into a high threat area of Laos on a reconnaissance mission to silently track a regiment of enemy troops. However, within the first minutes of their operation, Alabama's worst nightmare becomes a reality when they realize they've fallen into a horrible trap set by the North Vietnamese Army. Outnumbered a thousand to one, Spike Team Alabama will fight a staggering battle for their lives, and earn their place amongst the greatest in the history of American military. TVPG VL | CC

Allied naval and air forces target Japanese aircraft factories at Hamamutsu and southern Honshu. In China, mines dropped from Allied planes halt Japanese shipping on the Yangtze River. In Burma, Japanese resistance crumbles as the Allies triumph in the Battle of the Breakthrough. A Japanese submarine sinks the US heavy cruiser Indianapolis in the Philippines. In Germany, the Potsdam Conference draws to a halt. The "Big Three"--the US, Britain, and Soviet Union--agree to limit German industrial growth and transfer certain territories in the country's east to Poland and the Soviet Union. The German industrial war machine is to be broken up and reparations paid to the Allies. Finally, Stalin agrees that the Soviet Union will join in the war against Japan on a date yet to be fixed. We also take a look at the US Douglas A-26 Invader Medium Bomber, and feature the life of Clement Attlee, who took over from Winston Churchill as British prime minister in July 1945. TVPG VL | CC

In this series, we examine the secret aircraft of the Cold War, focusing on the technology and designers of aircraft that were light years ahead of their time. In this hour, we examine stories of the aircraft, missions, and men that played the high-stakes games between the superpowers and learn how vital air reconnaissance was, and still is. Some of the planes we'll study include the Neptune, RB-57D, U-2, RB57F, and SR-71 Blackbird. We'll also examine the cancelled D-21 (for Daughter). A smaller, unmanned version of the Blackbird, it was cancelled after five failed missions. We'll also look at Soviet and Chinese attempts to counteract US spycraft. TVPG VL | CC

An analysis of the awesome aircraft deployed by West and East to gain an edge in the high-stakes game of delivering total nuclear annihilation anywhere. We open with the first of many Soviet propaganda ploys. At a Moscow military air show Western guests are stunned by an overflight of massive Soviet M-4 "Bison" bombers. Though there were truly only 18 aircraft in prototype stage, the ruse of circling the same 18 planes worked. Western military raced to catch up. We review Soviet efforts to build a long-range bomber fleet and recall their successful reverse engineering of the US B-29. We move to the US program to develop long-range, nuclear bombers capable of extended flight for weeks or months and the quest for a perfect long-range bomber. We also look at the impressive bombing accuracy of the B-2 Stealth Bomber during the opening phases of the Iraq War. TVPG VL | CC

We open with Moscow's 1952 revelation that its air defenses and fighter jets were outdated. Stalin's fury over the inability of MiG fighters to catch British reconnaissance aircraft leads to reorganization of air defenses and the MiG 21. Meanwhile, fighter defenses over the US are left to Korean War vintage F-86 Sabre jets. A new jet fighter, the F-103 Thunder Warrior, is developed, but military politics intervene, and it's cancelled. Next, we turn to the defense of long-range bombers whose deep penetration of Soviet air space was crucial. We also recall the story of one of the most remarkable fighters ever devised--the Canadian Avro Arrow--and the reason for its abrupt cancellation. We close with a look at the upcoming F-22, the first totally new fighter design in 20 years. TVPG VL | CC

On November 15, 2004, Sgt. Rafael Peralta died while fighting to secure a key insurgent stronghold in Iraq. Peralta and fellow Marines were ambushed by guerillas who then lobbed a grenade at them. Already seriously wounded, Peralta shielded his companions by covering the explosive device with his body, saving their lives and sacrificing his own. Watch Peralta's extraordinary journey from Tijuana, Mexico to San Diego to the streets of Iraq. Included are interviews with his widowed mother and three siblings in San Diego. TVPG VL | CC

The Battle of the Nile--August 1, 1798. A mighty French fleet under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte is anchored in Aboukir Bay, Egypt. Just hours before sunset, an outnumbered British fleet, commanded by the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson, discovers the French and battle ensues. In the dark of night, the French flagship, L'Orient, one of the most powerful warships in the world, suddenly explodes. She sinks quickly, taking an estimated $20 million in gold and silver to the bottom. How did the mighty battleship sink so quickly that night? And what happened to the lost fortune in gold and silver? Veteran divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler plunge into Aboukir Bay--and discover that history's telling of the L'Orient's demise is wrong. Did Admiral Nelson'spin the events of that day? TVPG VL | CC

You're in the cockpit with some of the fiercest dog fighting ever seen in Vietnam! These pilots fight in a supersonic world, and split second decisions determine life or death. American F4 Phantom pilots Fred Olmsted and Dan Cherry take on the famed MiG-21--the most feared threat in the sky. Steve Ritchie, becomes a dog fighting legend as an Air Force Ace. First-hand accounts, rare archival footage and original shooting will supplement the remarkable computer graphics. TVPG VL | CC

World War Two was truly a global conflict. Allied soldiers fought in all theaters of war, exposing them to an extraordinary diversity of terrain and climate--from the Arctic Circle to desert sands and fetid jungles. An infantryman was engaged in combat for an hour each day on average, but he fought the environment around the clock. The war comes alive through a moving tapestry of letters, diaries, and color film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections. Peter Coyote narrates. TVPG VL | CC

In Japan, 325 planes from the US 5th and 7th Air Forces, based on Okinawa, raid Tarumizi in the south. Fat Boy, the world's first atom bomb, is dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima from a specially modified B-29, named the Enola Gay after the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. Around 80,000 people died in the blast that destroyed 60% of the city. Many more are severely injured; others will die later from radiation sickness. Later this week, a second atom bomb--Fat Man--is dropped on Japan; this time over the city of Nagasaki, a major ship-building port. The US 1st Army begins arriving on Luzon to prepare for the forthcoming invasion of Japan. In Moscow, the Soviet government declares war on Japan for that country's refusal to respond to the surrender demands of the "Big Three" at the recent Potsdam Conference. TVPG VL | CC

Ever imagine what it would be like to participate in the most historic air battles of all time? Imagine no more. This special puts viewers in the cockpit to recreate four famous air battles, using computer graphics, animation, firsthand accounts, and archival footage to make these thrilling and dangerous dogfights all too real. Each segment begins with an introduction to a pilot as we learn of the conflict he is engaged in, the history and technology of the aircraft that he flies, and the mortal enemy he must face. Then comes the moment of contact with the enemy--the fight begins! Experience a computer-generated recreation of the aerial battle as the voice of the pilot plays out this life and death combat. TVPG VL | CC

In Tokyo, the Japanese government at last accepts the inevitable and surrenders to the Allies unconditionally. President Truman, addressing crowds from the portico of the White House, said "this is the day we've been waiting for since Pearl Harbor." The surrender will be formally made to General MacArthur at a later ceremony aboard the US battleship Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay. Emperor Hirohito makes an emotional broadcast to the Japanese nation saying that they had no choice but to surrender. Otherwise the country would have been destroyed by what he described as "a new and most cruel bomb". General MacArthur is appointed Supreme Allied Commander. VJ Day--Victory over Japan--is declared a national holiday. TVPG VL | CC

In this episode we uncover Allied secrets off WWII, like a battleship made of ice, bat bombs, floating tanks, rocket-propelled wheels that would roll through enemy lines, pigeon-guided missiles, and earthquake bombs designed to penetrate the earth and shake structures to pieces. More bizarre stories of extraordinary armaments dreamt up by the some of the time's most inventive minds--weird weapons unlike anything before. And what about the atomic bomb? TVPG VL | CC

The U.S. military has made a major commitment to deploying and developing robots for use on the battlefield--from the highly successful bomb disposal robots, to the unmanned aerial vehicles. We'll preview the latest armed robot, with aim so accurate and deadly that it virtually never misses its target and look at the difficulties of making military vehicles driverless. The use of robots in warfare fits into some of the basic tenets of American fighting: to reduce manpower with material and to kill the enemy either at a distance or with a surrogate soldier. In the future, the Pentagon hopes to have a ratio of 4-6 robots to every human soldier. It will be the human soldiers, not the robots, according to the Department of Defense, who will continue to make decisions of life and death... at least in our lifetime. TVPG VL | CC

The battle for Iwo Jima begins--one of the bloodiest of World War II. During Operation Detachment, fighting becomes a brutal frontal attack of hand-to-hand combat. Both the portable and mechanized flamethrowers as well as LVTs (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) were vital during the intense battles on the volcanic island. Meanwhile in the Philippines, US forces completely surround the center of Manila, as the tempo of the Japanese atrocities increases. Before long, General MacArthur will make an emotional return to Corregidor Island. Follow the action in this series that details, week by week, the last six months of WWII and explores the high and low points of the march to war's end. TVPG VL | CC

After the end of WWII, Allied forces faced guerrilla bombings and attacks in occupied Germany--Nazi loyalists tried to derail reconstruction by sabotage and killing collaborators, while Werewolves, an underground organization of die-hard SS officers, boasted of rebirth of the Party. Find out if their bark was worse than their bite in this dogged investigation into how Werewolves terrorized military and civilian targets, and the Allied attempt to purge Germany's past at denazification tribunals. TVPG VL | CC

Why are Luftwaffe belt buckles and Nazi uniform buttons being discovered today in the dirt of Texas? Buried with them is the story of America's secret Nazi prison camps. German soldiers captured right off the battlefield were shipped to America. Not just a few, but hundreds of thousands flooded in--until there were over 400,000 Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe prisoners in the U.S. We'll meet former Nazi POWs and learn of the resentment many Americans had for Hitler's army imprisoned inside the heartland. TVPG VL | CC

In this episode of our series that details, week by week, the last six months of WWII, American daytime bombing and British night raids have devastated Berlin. In the Battle for the Rhineland, an estimated 8.5 million people are on the move in Germany. The backbone of the Luftwaffe, Germany's once mighty Air Force, has been broken. Hitler is now visibly shaken. On the Eastern Front, Allied leaders--British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US President Franklin Roosevelt, and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin meet at Yalta, in the Russian Crimea. They agree that Germany will be conquered by summer, and begin to divide up post-war Europe. TVPG VL | CC