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
5/07 |
Act of Honor
Act of Honor
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 |
Deep Sea Detectives: Disaster of Napoleon's Fleet.
Deep Sea Detectives: Disaster of Napoleon's Fleet.
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 Premiere |
Warrior Empire: The Mughals.
Warrior Empire: The Mughals.
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 Premiere |
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Tue
5/08 |
Dogfights: 09 - Hell Over Hanoi
Dogfights: 09 - Hell Over Hanoi
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 |
The Color Of War: Battleground.
The Color Of War: Battleground.
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 |
The Last Days of WWII: August 5-August 11
The Last Days of WWII: August 5-August 11
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 01 - Attack on Europe
The Wehrmacht: 01 - Attack on Europe
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 Premiere |
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Wed
5/09 |
Dogfights: Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles|
Dogfights: Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles|
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 |
The Last Days of WWII: August 12-18
The Last Days of WWII: August 12-18
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 02 - The Turning Point
The Wehrmacht: 02 - The Turning Point
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 Premiere |
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Thu
5/10 |
Weird Weapons: The Allies.
Weird Weapons: The Allies.
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 |
Robo-Warriors
Robo-Warriors
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 Last Days Of WWII: February 18-24.
The Last Days Of WWII: February 18-24.
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 03 - The Crimes
The Wehrmacht: 03 - The Crimes
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 Premiere |
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Fri
5/11 |
Nazi Guerrillas.
Nazi Guerrillas.
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 Premiere |
Nazi POWs in America.
Nazi POWs in America.
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 |
The Last Days Of WWII: February 25-March 3.
The Last Days Of WWII: February 25-March 3.
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 04 - Resistance
The Wehrmacht: 04 - Resistance
During the war, the Wehrmacht was the only force powerful enough to stand up to the Nazi regime. But the opposition did not form when the dictator was celebrating his greatest military triumphs--the core of the conspiracy only consolidated after the war against the Soviet Union made the true, criminal nature of the campaign apparent. The number of Hitler's opponents grew after the defeat outside of Moscow in 1941/42, and even more so after the disaster of Stalingrad. What tipped the balance for many was the horror of the war crimes behind the front lines--crimes against civilians, mostly Jews. But the resistance within the Wehrmacht was backed by only a handful of men. The officers who eventually tried to kill Hitler and end the war on their own were lonely conspirators, who lacked public support and relied on nothing but their own sense of duty. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sat
5/12 |
Sniper: Deadliest Missions
Sniper: Deadliest Missions
Get an unprecedented look at the most extreme missions of the most extreme job in the world. You have one shot, one scoped sight, one controlled breath, one squeeze of a honed trigger. In a fraction of a second, you will either be a hero who took out an enemy commander, or a lone hunter who has suddenly become the hunted. This special deconstructs and analyzes the most dangerous feats undertaken in the history of military warfare. The legendary snipers who are still alive will share never-before-told stories about their classified missions. What techniques were used by these sharpshooters? What roles did the weather conditions, terrain, weapons systems, and snipers' physiological states play in the success of each operation? Examine the painstaking process perfected by the expert marksmen who live by the credo, "One shot, one kill." TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Last Days of WWII: March 4-10.
The Last Days of WWII: March 4-10.
Join us for a detailed, week by week survey of the last six months of World War II. As we explore the high and low points of the march to war's end, we paint a comprehensive step-by-step account of the crucial decisions and personalities that culminated in Allied victory. In this episode, Operation Lumberjack, the assault into the Rhineland by General Bradley's US 12th Army Group, is in full swing. In Berlin, Hitler announces that all males born in 1929 must be conscripted for military service. To the south, Patton's lead armored division has progressed over 40 miles, taking 5,000 German prisoners. And Allied Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower now must decide where to make his main crossing of the Rhine. In the Pacific, US firestorms torch Japan's capital city. TVPG VL | CC |
The Wehrmacht: 05 - To the Bitter End
The Wehrmacht: 05 - To the Bitter End
Why did millions of combatants sacrifice their lives for a senseless extension of the suffering? What motivated the soldiers to persevere in the face of those massive casualties? Why did experienced commanders who knew better issue orders that sent their subordinates into certain death? What were the answers to the dilemma that the Wehrmacht was facing on all fronts: fight on or retreat? In the light of the most recent research, this final episode tries to find answers by showing a few impressive individual cases and biographies. The result is an up-to-date picture of the Wehrmacht in the final phase of World War II, unclouded by demonizing stereotypes or embellishing myths. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sun
5/13 |
Stealth and Beyond: Air Stealth.
Stealth and Beyond: Air Stealth.
They are the swarthy eagles of the sky, the sleek sharks of the sea, the invisible warriors of the battlefield. Join us for a 3-part look at the stealth aircraft, ships, and soldiers of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. This hour highlights past, present, and future advances in stealth military aircraft. Features footage of the EM F-117 Nighthawk /EM , EM B-2 Spirit Bomber /EM , and the Air Force's newest fighters, the EM F/A-22 Raptor /EM and the EM F-35 Joint Strike Fighter /EM , and talks to test pilots and flight engineers. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Stealth and Beyond: Sea Stealth.
Stealth and Beyond: Sea Stealth.
It's one thing to make a 60-foot-long jet aircraft seem invisible, but quite another to hide a 400-foot-long warship from the prying eyes of an enemy. In this hour, we explore the challenging world of stealth technology at sea and how modern engineering can make our largest warships appear to be tugboats or fishing vessels. Features exclusive footage of some of the most advanced warships in the world, including the EM Sea Shadow /EM , DDX Stealth Cruiser/Destroyer, and Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer, plus a glimpse at the future. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: Civil War Special: #72.
Mail Call: Civil War Special: #72.
Host R. Lee Ermey, dressed in the uniform of a Civil War Marine Corps sergeant, dedicates the entire half-hour to the Civil War, answering a slew of email questions about the guns and gear used in the War between the States. First, the Gunny performs live-fire demonstrations with four different weapons: the Union's Springfield rifle, the Confederacy's Enfield rifle, the 1842 Springfield muzzleloader, which was the last smoothbore musket used by the US military, and last but not least, a powerful cannon. Next, Lee shows viewers cavalry gear, including weapons, tack, and personal gear. In particular, we get a look at the rare 9-shot pistol called "Le Mat"--it also fired a shotgun shell for a lethal blast. Then, the Gunny cooks up some salt port and hardtack, the Civil War version of an MRE. Finally, he dons the fancy pants and embroidered vest of the regiment known as the Zouaves and takes part in their bang-up bayonet training. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: NORAD: #67.
Mail Call: NORAD: #67.
Host R. Lee Ermey hits the road to give us an inside look at one of the most secure and super-secret facilities in the world--NORAD. Lee gets through tight security to enter Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, America's eye in the sky where everything that flies is monitored 24/7. During a tour of the Battle Management Center, an incident of concern puts the center on alert and we see how NORAD operates under pressure. We also tour the Missile Command Center and find out what keeps the 800 military personnel inside on their toes. And Brigadier General Jim Hunter unlocks the door for Lee to the most secret part of Cheyenne Mountain--the Command Center, or what a lot of people call the War Room. We see how the men and women who work here monitor planes, missiles, and even space junk to make sure North America stays safe. The General and Lee talk about how NORAD's mission has changed since September 11th and we get a sneak peak at the new command center. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Hero Ships: USS Yorktown
Hero Ships: USS Yorktown
Two hero ships bearing the same great name; the original, CV-5, was a martyred hero of the war's two turning-point battles, the Coral Sea and Midway. Her successor, CV-10 went on to avenge her destroyed namesake through all the rest of WW II in every significant assault on the Japanese-held island fortresses. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Mon
5/07 |
The Long Gray Line: The Spirit of West Point.
The Long Gray Line: The Spirit of West Point.
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 |
Act of Honor
Act of Honor
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 |
Deep Sea Detectives: Disaster of Napoleon's Fleet.
Deep Sea Detectives: Disaster of Napoleon's Fleet.
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 Premiere |
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Tue
5/08 |
The Silent Service: Wolfpack: U-Boats of WWII.
The Silent Service: Wolfpack: U-Boats of WWII.
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 |
Tactical To Practical: 03 - Submarines/Miracle Materials/Radar
Tactical To Practical: 03 - Submarines/Miracle Materials/Radar
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 Premiere |
Dogfights: 09 - Hell Over Hanoi
Dogfights: 09 - Hell Over Hanoi
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 |
The Color Of War: Battleground.
The Color Of War: Battleground.
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 |
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Wed
5/09 |
The Silent Service: The Captains of WWII
The Silent Service: The Captains of WWII
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 |
Pacific: The Lost Evidence: Saipan.
Pacific: The Lost Evidence: Saipan.
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 Premiere |
Dogfights: Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles|
Dogfights: Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles|
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 |
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Thu
5/10 |
Silent Service: The Torpedoes of WWII.
Silent Service: The Torpedoes of WWII.
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 |
Weird Weapons: The Axis.
Weird Weapons: The Axis.
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 |
Weird Weapons: The Allies.
Weird Weapons: The Allies.
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 |
Robo-Warriors
Robo-Warriors
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 |
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Fri
5/11 |
The Silent Service: Attack Plans of WWII.
The Silent Service: Attack Plans of WWII.
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 |
History's Mysteries: Nazi Ghost Train.
History's Mysteries: Nazi Ghost Train.
In 1944 in Brussels, the Gestapo loaded 1,500 prisoners on a train bound for Germany and almost certain death. Among them were Allied invaders and Resistance workers. But the Resistance foiled Nazi plans and prevented the train's departure. We talk to survivors and former Resistance members at a 1999 Comet Line Reunion in Brussels. TVPG VL | CC |
Nazi Guerrillas.
Nazi Guerrillas.
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 Premiere |
Nazi POWs in America.
Nazi POWs in America.
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 |
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Sat
5/12 |
The Silent Service: Submarines of the Atlantic
The Silent Service: Submarines of the Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean was the testing ground in the evolution of the submarine from nautical oddity to lethal killing machine. Trace the technical development of submarines and what makes today's most sophisticated submarines function. TVPG VL | CC |
Shootout: Return to Fallujah
Shootout: Return to Fallujah
The Battle for Fallujah was the ultimate battle zone. We take you back to expose the anatomy of the warriors and high tech weapons. Armored columns of U.S. Marines and Infantrymen push through the city to terminate insurgents armed with an arsenal of weaponry, including AK-47s, machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, are planted everywhere. We'll get an up close look at the harrowing and heroic shootouts and we will see the extraordinary weaponry used to take down the enemy combatants including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the M16 and M249 SAW, the Abrams M1A1 Tank, and man portable satchel charges. TVPG VL | CC |
Sniper: Deadliest Missions
Sniper: Deadliest Missions
Get an unprecedented look at the most extreme missions of the most extreme job in the world. You have one shot, one scoped sight, one controlled breath, one squeeze of a honed trigger. In a fraction of a second, you will either be a hero who took out an enemy commander, or a lone hunter who has suddenly become the hunted. This special deconstructs and analyzes the most dangerous feats undertaken in the history of military warfare. The legendary snipers who are still alive will share never-before-told stories about their classified missions. What techniques were used by these sharpshooters? What roles did the weather conditions, terrain, weapons systems, and snipers' physiological states play in the success of each operation? Examine the painstaking process perfected by the expert marksmen who live by the credo, "One shot, one kill." TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sun
5/13 |
Fort Knox: Secrets Revealed
Fort Knox: Secrets Revealed
The U.S. Bullion Depository, better known as Fort Knox, is home of the United States Army and one of the world's most top secret fortresses. Hidden deep inside the vault is an estimated $73 billion dollars in gold. Almost all information about it is classified. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, rare photos and rarely seen films, we will construct a picture of what the building might look like. Hear testimony of those journalists and congressmen who were among the select few invited inside in 1974. Discover the history and secrets behind the Army's tank warfare and the classified military technologies it will use to fight the wars of the future. TVPG VL | CC |
Stealth and Beyond: Air Stealth.
Stealth and Beyond: Air Stealth.
They are the swarthy eagles of the sky, the sleek sharks of the sea, the invisible warriors of the battlefield. Join us for a 3-part look at the stealth aircraft, ships, and soldiers of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. This hour highlights past, present, and future advances in stealth military aircraft. Features footage of the EM F-117 Nighthawk /EM , EM B-2 Spirit Bomber /EM , and the Air Force's newest fighters, the EM F/A-22 Raptor /EM and the EM F-35 Joint Strike Fighter /EM , and talks to test pilots and flight engineers. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Stealth and Beyond: Sea Stealth.
Stealth and Beyond: Sea Stealth.
It's one thing to make a 60-foot-long jet aircraft seem invisible, but quite another to hide a 400-foot-long warship from the prying eyes of an enemy. In this hour, we explore the challenging world of stealth technology at sea and how modern engineering can make our largest warships appear to be tugboats or fishing vessels. Features exclusive footage of some of the most advanced warships in the world, including the EM Sea Shadow /EM , DDX Stealth Cruiser/Destroyer, and Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer, plus a glimpse at the future. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Mon
5/07 |
Warrior Empire: The Mughals.
Warrior Empire: The Mughals.
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 Premiere |
The Long Gray Line: The Spirit of West Point.
The Long Gray Line: The Spirit of West Point.
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 |
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Tue
5/08 |
The Last Days of WWII: August 5-August 11
The Last Days of WWII: August 5-August 11
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 01 - Attack on Europe
The Wehrmacht: 01 - Attack on Europe
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 Premiere |
The Silent Service: Wolfpack: U-Boats of WWII.
The Silent Service: Wolfpack: U-Boats of WWII.
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 |
Tactical To Practical: 03 - Submarines/Miracle Materials/Radar
Tactical To Practical: 03 - Submarines/Miracle Materials/Radar
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 Premiere |
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Wed
5/09 |
The Last Days of WWII: August 12-18
The Last Days of WWII: August 12-18
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 02 - The Turning Point
The Wehrmacht: 02 - The Turning Point
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 Premiere |
The Silent Service: The Captains of WWII
The Silent Service: The Captains of WWII
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 |
Pacific: The Lost Evidence: Saipan.
Pacific: The Lost Evidence: Saipan.
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 Premiere |
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Thu
5/10 |
The Last Days Of WWII: February 18-24.
The Last Days Of WWII: February 18-24.
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 03 - The Crimes
The Wehrmacht: 03 - The Crimes
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 Premiere |
Silent Service: The Torpedoes of WWII.
Silent Service: The Torpedoes of WWII.
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 |
Weird Weapons: The Axis.
Weird Weapons: The Axis.
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 |
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Fri
5/11 |
The Last Days Of WWII: February 25-March 3.
The Last Days Of WWII: February 25-March 3.
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 04 - Resistance
The Wehrmacht: 04 - Resistance
During the war, the Wehrmacht was the only force powerful enough to stand up to the Nazi regime. But the opposition did not form when the dictator was celebrating his greatest military triumphs--the core of the conspiracy only consolidated after the war against the Soviet Union made the true, criminal nature of the campaign apparent. The number of Hitler's opponents grew after the defeat outside of Moscow in 1941/42, and even more so after the disaster of Stalingrad. What tipped the balance for many was the horror of the war crimes behind the front lines--crimes against civilians, mostly Jews. But the resistance within the Wehrmacht was backed by only a handful of men. The officers who eventually tried to kill Hitler and end the war on their own were lonely conspirators, who lacked public support and relied on nothing but their own sense of duty. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Silent Service: Attack Plans of WWII.
The Silent Service: Attack Plans of WWII.
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 |
History's Mysteries: Nazi Ghost Train.
History's Mysteries: Nazi Ghost Train.
In 1944 in Brussels, the Gestapo loaded 1,500 prisoners on a train bound for Germany and almost certain death. Among them were Allied invaders and Resistance workers. But the Resistance foiled Nazi plans and prevented the train's departure. We talk to survivors and former Resistance members at a 1999 Comet Line Reunion in Brussels. TVPG VL | CC |
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Sat
5/12 |
The Last Days of WWII: March 4-10.
The Last Days of WWII: March 4-10.
Join us for a detailed, week by week survey of the last six months of World War II. As we explore the high and low points of the march to war's end, we paint a comprehensive step-by-step account of the crucial decisions and personalities that culminated in Allied victory. In this episode, Operation Lumberjack, the assault into the Rhineland by General Bradley's US 12th Army Group, is in full swing. In Berlin, Hitler announces that all males born in 1929 must be conscripted for military service. To the south, Patton's lead armored division has progressed over 40 miles, taking 5,000 German prisoners. And Allied Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower now must decide where to make his main crossing of the Rhine. In the Pacific, US firestorms torch Japan's capital city. TVPG VL | CC |
The Wehrmacht: 05 - To the Bitter End
The Wehrmacht: 05 - To the Bitter End
Why did millions of combatants sacrifice their lives for a senseless extension of the suffering? What motivated the soldiers to persevere in the face of those massive casualties? Why did experienced commanders who knew better issue orders that sent their subordinates into certain death? What were the answers to the dilemma that the Wehrmacht was facing on all fronts: fight on or retreat? In the light of the most recent research, this final episode tries to find answers by showing a few impressive individual cases and biographies. The result is an up-to-date picture of the Wehrmacht in the final phase of World War II, unclouded by demonizing stereotypes or embellishing myths. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Silent Service: Submarines of the Atlantic
The Silent Service: Submarines of the Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean was the testing ground in the evolution of the submarine from nautical oddity to lethal killing machine. Trace the technical development of submarines and what makes today's most sophisticated submarines function. TVPG VL | CC |
Shootout: Return to Fallujah
Shootout: Return to Fallujah
The Battle for Fallujah was the ultimate battle zone. We take you back to expose the anatomy of the warriors and high tech weapons. Armored columns of U.S. Marines and Infantrymen push through the city to terminate insurgents armed with an arsenal of weaponry, including AK-47s, machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, are planted everywhere. We'll get an up close look at the harrowing and heroic shootouts and we will see the extraordinary weaponry used to take down the enemy combatants including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the M16 and M249 SAW, the Abrams M1A1 Tank, and man portable satchel charges. TVPG VL | CC |
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Sun
5/13 |
Mail Call: Civil War Special: #72.
Mail Call: Civil War Special: #72.
Host R. Lee Ermey, dressed in the uniform of a Civil War Marine Corps sergeant, dedicates the entire half-hour to the Civil War, answering a slew of email questions about the guns and gear used in the War between the States. First, the Gunny performs live-fire demonstrations with four different weapons: the Union's Springfield rifle, the Confederacy's Enfield rifle, the 1842 Springfield muzzleloader, which was the last smoothbore musket used by the US military, and last but not least, a powerful cannon. Next, Lee shows viewers cavalry gear, including weapons, tack, and personal gear. In particular, we get a look at the rare 9-shot pistol called "Le Mat"--it also fired a shotgun shell for a lethal blast. Then, the Gunny cooks up some salt port and hardtack, the Civil War version of an MRE. Finally, he dons the fancy pants and embroidered vest of the regiment known as the Zouaves and takes part in their bang-up bayonet training. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: NORAD: #67.
Mail Call: NORAD: #67.
Host R. Lee Ermey hits the road to give us an inside look at one of the most secure and super-secret facilities in the world--NORAD. Lee gets through tight security to enter Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, America's eye in the sky where everything that flies is monitored 24/7. During a tour of the Battle Management Center, an incident of concern puts the center on alert and we see how NORAD operates under pressure. We also tour the Missile Command Center and find out what keeps the 800 military personnel inside on their toes. And Brigadier General Jim Hunter unlocks the door for Lee to the most secret part of Cheyenne Mountain--the Command Center, or what a lot of people call the War Room. We see how the men and women who work here monitor planes, missiles, and even space junk to make sure North America stays safe. The General and Lee talk about how NORAD's mission has changed since September 11th and we get a sneak peak at the new command center. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Hero Ships: USS Yorktown
Hero Ships: USS Yorktown
Two hero ships bearing the same great name; the original, CV-5, was a martyred hero of the war's two turning-point battles, the Coral Sea and Midway. Her successor, CV-10 went on to avenge her destroyed namesake through all the rest of WW II in every significant assault on the Japanese-held island fortresses. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Fort Knox: Secrets Revealed
Fort Knox: Secrets Revealed
The U.S. Bullion Depository, better known as Fort Knox, is home of the United States Army and one of the world's most top secret fortresses. Hidden deep inside the vault is an estimated $73 billion dollars in gold. Almost all information about it is classified. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, rare photos and rarely seen films, we will construct a picture of what the building might look like. Hear testimony of those journalists and congressmen who were among the select few invited inside in 1974. Discover the history and secrets behind the Army's tank warfare and the classified military technologies it will use to fight the wars of the future. TVPG VL | CC |
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Mon
5/07 |
Act of Honor
Act of Honor
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 |
Deep Sea Detectives: Disaster of Napoleon's Fleet.
Deep Sea Detectives: Disaster of Napoleon's Fleet.
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 Premiere |
Warrior Empire: The Mughals.
Warrior Empire: The Mughals.
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 Premiere |
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Tue
5/08 |
Dogfights: 09 - Hell Over Hanoi
Dogfights: 09 - Hell Over Hanoi
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 |
The Color Of War: Battleground.
The Color Of War: Battleground.
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 |
The Last Days of WWII: August 5-August 11
The Last Days of WWII: August 5-August 11
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 01 - Attack on Europe
The Wehrmacht: 01 - Attack on Europe
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 Premiere |
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Wed
5/09 |
Dogfights: Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles|
Dogfights: Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles|
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 |
The Last Days of WWII: August 12-18
The Last Days of WWII: August 12-18
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 02 - The Turning Point
The Wehrmacht: 02 - The Turning Point
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 Premiere |
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Thu
5/10 |
Weird Weapons: The Allies.
Weird Weapons: The Allies.
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 |
Robo-Warriors
Robo-Warriors
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 Last Days Of WWII: February 18-24.
The Last Days Of WWII: February 18-24.
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 03 - The Crimes
The Wehrmacht: 03 - The Crimes
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 Premiere |
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Fri
5/11 |
Nazi Guerrillas.
Nazi Guerrillas.
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 Premiere |
Nazi POWs in America.
Nazi POWs in America.
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 |
The Last Days Of WWII: February 25-March 3.
The Last Days Of WWII: February 25-March 3.
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 04 - Resistance
The Wehrmacht: 04 - Resistance
During the war, the Wehrmacht was the only force powerful enough to stand up to the Nazi regime. But the opposition did not form when the dictator was celebrating his greatest military triumphs--the core of the conspiracy only consolidated after the war against the Soviet Union made the true, criminal nature of the campaign apparent. The number of Hitler's opponents grew after the defeat outside of Moscow in 1941/42, and even more so after the disaster of Stalingrad. What tipped the balance for many was the horror of the war crimes behind the front lines--crimes against civilians, mostly Jews. But the resistance within the Wehrmacht was backed by only a handful of men. The officers who eventually tried to kill Hitler and end the war on their own were lonely conspirators, who lacked public support and relied on nothing but their own sense of duty. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sat
5/12 |
Sniper: Deadliest Missions
Sniper: Deadliest Missions
Get an unprecedented look at the most extreme missions of the most extreme job in the world. You have one shot, one scoped sight, one controlled breath, one squeeze of a honed trigger. In a fraction of a second, you will either be a hero who took out an enemy commander, or a lone hunter who has suddenly become the hunted. This special deconstructs and analyzes the most dangerous feats undertaken in the history of military warfare. The legendary snipers who are still alive will share never-before-told stories about their classified missions. What techniques were used by these sharpshooters? What roles did the weather conditions, terrain, weapons systems, and snipers' physiological states play in the success of each operation? Examine the painstaking process perfected by the expert marksmen who live by the credo, "One shot, one kill." TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Last Days of WWII: March 4-10.
The Last Days of WWII: March 4-10.
Join us for a detailed, week by week survey of the last six months of World War II. As we explore the high and low points of the march to war's end, we paint a comprehensive step-by-step account of the crucial decisions and personalities that culminated in Allied victory. In this episode, Operation Lumberjack, the assault into the Rhineland by General Bradley's US 12th Army Group, is in full swing. In Berlin, Hitler announces that all males born in 1929 must be conscripted for military service. To the south, Patton's lead armored division has progressed over 40 miles, taking 5,000 German prisoners. And Allied Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower now must decide where to make his main crossing of the Rhine. In the Pacific, US firestorms torch Japan's capital city. TVPG VL | CC |
The Wehrmacht: 05 - To the Bitter End
The Wehrmacht: 05 - To the Bitter End
Why did millions of combatants sacrifice their lives for a senseless extension of the suffering? What motivated the soldiers to persevere in the face of those massive casualties? Why did experienced commanders who knew better issue orders that sent their subordinates into certain death? What were the answers to the dilemma that the Wehrmacht was facing on all fronts: fight on or retreat? In the light of the most recent research, this final episode tries to find answers by showing a few impressive individual cases and biographies. The result is an up-to-date picture of the Wehrmacht in the final phase of World War II, unclouded by demonizing stereotypes or embellishing myths. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sun
5/13 |
Stealth and Beyond: Air Stealth.
Stealth and Beyond: Air Stealth.
They are the swarthy eagles of the sky, the sleek sharks of the sea, the invisible warriors of the battlefield. Join us for a 3-part look at the stealth aircraft, ships, and soldiers of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. This hour highlights past, present, and future advances in stealth military aircraft. Features footage of the EM F-117 Nighthawk /EM , EM B-2 Spirit Bomber /EM , and the Air Force's newest fighters, the EM F/A-22 Raptor /EM and the EM F-35 Joint Strike Fighter /EM , and talks to test pilots and flight engineers. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Stealth and Beyond: Sea Stealth.
Stealth and Beyond: Sea Stealth.
It's one thing to make a 60-foot-long jet aircraft seem invisible, but quite another to hide a 400-foot-long warship from the prying eyes of an enemy. In this hour, we explore the challenging world of stealth technology at sea and how modern engineering can make our largest warships appear to be tugboats or fishing vessels. Features exclusive footage of some of the most advanced warships in the world, including the EM Sea Shadow /EM , DDX Stealth Cruiser/Destroyer, and Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer, plus a glimpse at the future. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: Civil War Special: #72.
Mail Call: Civil War Special: #72.
Host R. Lee Ermey, dressed in the uniform of a Civil War Marine Corps sergeant, dedicates the entire half-hour to the Civil War, answering a slew of email questions about the guns and gear used in the War between the States. First, the Gunny performs live-fire demonstrations with four different weapons: the Union's Springfield rifle, the Confederacy's Enfield rifle, the 1842 Springfield muzzleloader, which was the last smoothbore musket used by the US military, and last but not least, a powerful cannon. Next, Lee shows viewers cavalry gear, including weapons, tack, and personal gear. In particular, we get a look at the rare 9-shot pistol called "Le Mat"--it also fired a shotgun shell for a lethal blast. Then, the Gunny cooks up some salt port and hardtack, the Civil War version of an MRE. Finally, he dons the fancy pants and embroidered vest of the regiment known as the Zouaves and takes part in their bang-up bayonet training. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: NORAD: #67.
Mail Call: NORAD: #67.
Host R. Lee Ermey hits the road to give us an inside look at one of the most secure and super-secret facilities in the world--NORAD. Lee gets through tight security to enter Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, America's eye in the sky where everything that flies is monitored 24/7. During a tour of the Battle Management Center, an incident of concern puts the center on alert and we see how NORAD operates under pressure. We also tour the Missile Command Center and find out what keeps the 800 military personnel inside on their toes. And Brigadier General Jim Hunter unlocks the door for Lee to the most secret part of Cheyenne Mountain--the Command Center, or what a lot of people call the War Room. We see how the men and women who work here monitor planes, missiles, and even space junk to make sure North America stays safe. The General and Lee talk about how NORAD's mission has changed since September 11th and we get a sneak peak at the new command center. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Hero Ships: USS Yorktown
Hero Ships: USS Yorktown
Two hero ships bearing the same great name; the original, CV-5, was a martyred hero of the war's two turning-point battles, the Coral Sea and Midway. Her successor, CV-10 went on to avenge her destroyed namesake through all the rest of WW II in every significant assault on the Japanese-held island fortresses. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Mon
5/07 |
The Long Gray Line: The Spirit of West Point.
The Long Gray Line: The Spirit of West Point.
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 |
The Silent Service: Wolfpack: U-Boats of WWII.
The Silent Service: Wolfpack: U-Boats of WWII.
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 |
Tactical To Practical: 03 - Submarines/Miracle Materials/Radar
Tactical To Practical: 03 - Submarines/Miracle Materials/Radar
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 Premiere |
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Tue
5/08 |
The Silent Service: Wolfpack: U-Boats of WWII.
The Silent Service: Wolfpack: U-Boats of WWII.
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 |
Tactical To Practical: 03 - Submarines/Miracle Materials/Radar
Tactical To Practical: 03 - Submarines/Miracle Materials/Radar
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 Premiere |
The Silent Service: The Captains of WWII
The Silent Service: The Captains of WWII
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 |
Pacific: The Lost Evidence: Saipan.
Pacific: The Lost Evidence: Saipan.
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 Premiere |
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Wed
5/09 |
The Silent Service: The Captains of WWII
The Silent Service: The Captains of WWII
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 |
Pacific: The Lost Evidence: Saipan.
Pacific: The Lost Evidence: Saipan.
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 Premiere |
Silent Service: The Torpedoes of WWII.
Silent Service: The Torpedoes of WWII.
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 |
Weird Weapons: The Axis.
Weird Weapons: The Axis.
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 |
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Thu
5/10 |
Silent Service: The Torpedoes of WWII.
Silent Service: The Torpedoes of WWII.
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 |
Weird Weapons: The Axis.
Weird Weapons: The Axis.
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 |
The Silent Service: Attack Plans of WWII.
The Silent Service: Attack Plans of WWII.
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 |
History's Mysteries: Nazi Ghost Train.
History's Mysteries: Nazi Ghost Train.
In 1944 in Brussels, the Gestapo loaded 1,500 prisoners on a train bound for Germany and almost certain death. Among them were Allied invaders and Resistance workers. But the Resistance foiled Nazi plans and prevented the train's departure. We talk to survivors and former Resistance members at a 1999 Comet Line Reunion in Brussels. TVPG VL | CC |
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Fri
5/11 |
The Silent Service: Attack Plans of WWII.
The Silent Service: Attack Plans of WWII.
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 |
History's Mysteries: Nazi Ghost Train.
History's Mysteries: Nazi Ghost Train.
In 1944 in Brussels, the Gestapo loaded 1,500 prisoners on a train bound for Germany and almost certain death. Among them were Allied invaders and Resistance workers. But the Resistance foiled Nazi plans and prevented the train's departure. We talk to survivors and former Resistance members at a 1999 Comet Line Reunion in Brussels. TVPG VL | CC |
The Silent Service: Submarines of the Atlantic
The Silent Service: Submarines of the Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean was the testing ground in the evolution of the submarine from nautical oddity to lethal killing machine. Trace the technical development of submarines and what makes today's most sophisticated submarines function. TVPG VL | CC |
Shootout: Return to Fallujah
Shootout: Return to Fallujah
The Battle for Fallujah was the ultimate battle zone. We take you back to expose the anatomy of the warriors and high tech weapons. Armored columns of U.S. Marines and Infantrymen push through the city to terminate insurgents armed with an arsenal of weaponry, including AK-47s, machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, are planted everywhere. We'll get an up close look at the harrowing and heroic shootouts and we will see the extraordinary weaponry used to take down the enemy combatants including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the M16 and M249 SAW, the Abrams M1A1 Tank, and man portable satchel charges. TVPG VL | CC |
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Sat
5/12 |
The Silent Service: Submarines of the Atlantic
The Silent Service: Submarines of the Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean was the testing ground in the evolution of the submarine from nautical oddity to lethal killing machine. Trace the technical development of submarines and what makes today's most sophisticated submarines function. TVPG VL | CC |
Shootout: Return to Fallujah
Shootout: Return to Fallujah
The Battle for Fallujah was the ultimate battle zone. We take you back to expose the anatomy of the warriors and high tech weapons. Armored columns of U.S. Marines and Infantrymen push through the city to terminate insurgents armed with an arsenal of weaponry, including AK-47s, machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, are planted everywhere. We'll get an up close look at the harrowing and heroic shootouts and we will see the extraordinary weaponry used to take down the enemy combatants including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the M16 and M249 SAW, the Abrams M1A1 Tank, and man portable satchel charges. TVPG VL | CC |
Fort Knox: Secrets Revealed
Fort Knox: Secrets Revealed
The U.S. Bullion Depository, better known as Fort Knox, is home of the United States Army and one of the world's most top secret fortresses. Hidden deep inside the vault is an estimated $73 billion dollars in gold. Almost all information about it is classified. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, rare photos and rarely seen films, we will construct a picture of what the building might look like. Hear testimony of those journalists and congressmen who were among the select few invited inside in 1974. Discover the history and secrets behind the Army's tank warfare and the classified military technologies it will use to fight the wars of the future. TVPG VL | CC |
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Sun
5/13 |
Fort Knox: Secrets Revealed
Fort Knox: Secrets Revealed
The U.S. Bullion Depository, better known as Fort Knox, is home of the United States Army and one of the world's most top secret fortresses. Hidden deep inside the vault is an estimated $73 billion dollars in gold. Almost all information about it is classified. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, rare photos and rarely seen films, we will construct a picture of what the building might look like. Hear testimony of those journalists and congressmen who were among the select few invited inside in 1974. Discover the history and secrets behind the Army's tank warfare and the classified military technologies it will use to fight the wars of the future. TVPG VL | CC |
No Surrender: German and Japanese Kamikazes.
No Surrender: German and Japanese Kamikazes.
This 2-hour special recounts the desperate measures taken by Axis forces to stave off defeat in WWII and the mythical origins of the Japanese kamikaze and their Nazi counterparts. Many in leadership were opposed to suicide tactics--the driving forces were often young junior officers who had grown up in a culture of militarism and extreme nationalism. As well as assessing the contribution of myth and propaganda, we reveal the more human stories behind those caught up in the kamikaze phenomenon. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Mon
5/07 |
Dogfights: 09 - Hell Over Hanoi
Dogfights: 09 - Hell Over Hanoi
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 |
The Color Of War: Battleground.
The Color Of War: Battleground.
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 |
The Last Days of WWII: August 5-August 11
The Last Days of WWII: August 5-August 11
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 01 - Attack on Europe
The Wehrmacht: 01 - Attack on Europe
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 Premiere |
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Tue
5/08 |
Dogfights: Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles|
Dogfights: Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles|
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 |
The Last Days of WWII: August 12-18
The Last Days of WWII: August 12-18
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 02 - The Turning Point
The Wehrmacht: 02 - The Turning Point
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 Premiere |
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Wed
5/09 |
Weird Weapons: The Allies.
Weird Weapons: The Allies.
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 |
Robo-Warriors
Robo-Warriors
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 Last Days Of WWII: February 18-24.
The Last Days Of WWII: February 18-24.
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 03 - The Crimes
The Wehrmacht: 03 - The Crimes
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 Premiere |
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Thu
5/10 |
Nazi Guerrillas.
Nazi Guerrillas.
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 Premiere |
Nazi POWs in America.
Nazi POWs in America.
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 |
The Last Days Of WWII: February 25-March 3.
The Last Days Of WWII: February 25-March 3.
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 |
The Wehrmacht: 04 - Resistance
The Wehrmacht: 04 - Resistance
During the war, the Wehrmacht was the only force powerful enough to stand up to the Nazi regime. But the opposition did not form when the dictator was celebrating his greatest military triumphs--the core of the conspiracy only consolidated after the war against the Soviet Union made the true, criminal nature of the campaign apparent. The number of Hitler's opponents grew after the defeat outside of Moscow in 1941/42, and even more so after the disaster of Stalingrad. What tipped the balance for many was the horror of the war crimes behind the front lines--crimes against civilians, mostly Jews. But the resistance within the Wehrmacht was backed by only a handful of men. The officers who eventually tried to kill Hitler and end the war on their own were lonely conspirators, who lacked public support and relied on nothing but their own sense of duty. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Fri
5/11 |
Sniper: Deadliest Missions
Sniper: Deadliest Missions
Get an unprecedented look at the most extreme missions of the most extreme job in the world. You have one shot, one scoped sight, one controlled breath, one squeeze of a honed trigger. In a fraction of a second, you will either be a hero who took out an enemy commander, or a lone hunter who has suddenly become the hunted. This special deconstructs and analyzes the most dangerous feats undertaken in the history of military warfare. The legendary snipers who are still alive will share never-before-told stories about their classified missions. What techniques were used by these sharpshooters? What roles did the weather conditions, terrain, weapons systems, and snipers' physiological states play in the success of each operation? Examine the painstaking process perfected by the expert marksmen who live by the credo, "One shot, one kill." TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
The Last Days of WWII: March 4-10.
The Last Days of WWII: March 4-10.
Join us for a detailed, week by week survey of the last six months of World War II. As we explore the high and low points of the march to war's end, we paint a comprehensive step-by-step account of the crucial decisions and personalities that culminated in Allied victory. In this episode, Operation Lumberjack, the assault into the Rhineland by General Bradley's US 12th Army Group, is in full swing. In Berlin, Hitler announces that all males born in 1929 must be conscripted for military service. To the south, Patton's lead armored division has progressed over 40 miles, taking 5,000 German prisoners. And Allied Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower now must decide where to make his main crossing of the Rhine. In the Pacific, US firestorms torch Japan's capital city. TVPG VL | CC |
The Wehrmacht: 05 - To the Bitter End
The Wehrmacht: 05 - To the Bitter End
Why did millions of combatants sacrifice their lives for a senseless extension of the suffering? What motivated the soldiers to persevere in the face of those massive casualties? Why did experienced commanders who knew better issue orders that sent their subordinates into certain death? What were the answers to the dilemma that the Wehrmacht was facing on all fronts: fight on or retreat? In the light of the most recent research, this final episode tries to find answers by showing a few impressive individual cases and biographies. The result is an up-to-date picture of the Wehrmacht in the final phase of World War II, unclouded by demonizing stereotypes or embellishing myths. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sat
5/12 |
Stealth and Beyond: Air Stealth.
Stealth and Beyond: Air Stealth.
They are the swarthy eagles of the sky, the sleek sharks of the sea, the invisible warriors of the battlefield. Join us for a 3-part look at the stealth aircraft, ships, and soldiers of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. This hour highlights past, present, and future advances in stealth military aircraft. Features footage of the EM F-117 Nighthawk /EM , EM B-2 Spirit Bomber /EM , and the Air Force's newest fighters, the EM F/A-22 Raptor /EM and the EM F-35 Joint Strike Fighter /EM , and talks to test pilots and flight engineers. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Stealth and Beyond: Sea Stealth.
Stealth and Beyond: Sea Stealth.
It's one thing to make a 60-foot-long jet aircraft seem invisible, but quite another to hide a 400-foot-long warship from the prying eyes of an enemy. In this hour, we explore the challenging world of stealth technology at sea and how modern engineering can make our largest warships appear to be tugboats or fishing vessels. Features exclusive footage of some of the most advanced warships in the world, including the EM Sea Shadow /EM , DDX Stealth Cruiser/Destroyer, and Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer, plus a glimpse at the future. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: Civil War Special: #72.
Mail Call: Civil War Special: #72.
Host R. Lee Ermey, dressed in the uniform of a Civil War Marine Corps sergeant, dedicates the entire half-hour to the Civil War, answering a slew of email questions about the guns and gear used in the War between the States. First, the Gunny performs live-fire demonstrations with four different weapons: the Union's Springfield rifle, the Confederacy's Enfield rifle, the 1842 Springfield muzzleloader, which was the last smoothbore musket used by the US military, and last but not least, a powerful cannon. Next, Lee shows viewers cavalry gear, including weapons, tack, and personal gear. In particular, we get a look at the rare 9-shot pistol called "Le Mat"--it also fired a shotgun shell for a lethal blast. Then, the Gunny cooks up some salt port and hardtack, the Civil War version of an MRE. Finally, he dons the fancy pants and embroidered vest of the regiment known as the Zouaves and takes part in their bang-up bayonet training. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Mail Call: NORAD: #67.
Mail Call: NORAD: #67.
Host R. Lee Ermey hits the road to give us an inside look at one of the most secure and super-secret facilities in the world--NORAD. Lee gets through tight security to enter Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, America's eye in the sky where everything that flies is monitored 24/7. During a tour of the Battle Management Center, an incident of concern puts the center on alert and we see how NORAD operates under pressure. We also tour the Missile Command Center and find out what keeps the 800 military personnel inside on their toes. And Brigadier General Jim Hunter unlocks the door for Lee to the most secret part of Cheyenne Mountain--the Command Center, or what a lot of people call the War Room. We see how the men and women who work here monitor planes, missiles, and even space junk to make sure North America stays safe. The General and Lee talk about how NORAD's mission has changed since September 11th and we get a sneak peak at the new command center. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
Hero Ships: USS Yorktown
Hero Ships: USS Yorktown
Two hero ships bearing the same great name; the original, CV-5, was a martyred hero of the war's two turning-point battles, the Coral Sea and Midway. Her successor, CV-10 went on to avenge her destroyed namesake through all the rest of WW II in every significant assault on the Japanese-held island fortresses. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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Sun
5/13 |
Modern Marvels: Combat Training.
Modern Marvels: Combat Training.
Sign up at the ultimate survival school, where soldiers learn to kill or be killed, and learn how 21st-century warriors are training today for the battlefields of tomorrow. We follow combat training throughout history, reviewing survival skills and psychological tools--from ancient Rome to World Wars One and Two--and learn how modern training is enhanced by advanced technology and computer simulation. TVPG VL | CC |
Deep Sea Detectives: The Lost Tanks of D-Day.
Deep Sea Detectives: The Lost Tanks of D-Day.
WWII's D-Day Invasion would be history's largest seaborne assault--over 4,000 ships carrying 170,000 troops. A secret weapon was to lead the way: the Duplex Drive (DD) Tank--Shermans modified to "swim" to shore. Scheduled to hit the beach before foot soldiers, without them the infantry would be sitting ducks. And that's what happened at Omaha Beach--28 out of 30 DD Tanks sank before reaching shore. John Chatterton travels to Normandy and joins French diver Bertrand Sciboz in search of sunken tanks. TVPG VL | CC |
The Russian Navy
The Russian Navy
In the late 1600's, Tsar Peter the Great created a modern Russian navy virtually from scratch. Traditions grew through Russian Naval victories over the Swedes in 1721 and over the Turks in 1788--with the assistance of America's naval hero, John Paul Jones. In the 1960's and 70's, the forceful and innovative leadership of Admiral Sergi Gorshkov created a fleet that threatened the United States and nearly tipped the balance of power in the Cold War. Shot on location, with access to archival footage, we will explore the history of Russia's extraordinary warships and submarines, its remarkable leaders, and the tragic defeats and stunning victories that shaped the Russian Navy. TVPG VL | CC Premiere |
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