As the Soviet Union reeled from the shock of the German invasion in 1941 it asked for aid from Britain and its allies and the arctic convoys was a key part of the response. Desperate to keep the Soviets in the war and fighting the Nazi war machine Winston Churchill agreed to deliver massive amounts of material aid. Massive naval and merchant fleet operations ... Show More
Jul 3
The Rise & Fall of Sparta
Today, we trace the rise and fall of ancient Greece’s most formidable warrior society - Sparta. This society's militaristic culture and battlefield feats are the stuff of legend - but how much of its story is based on cold, hard fact?Joining us is Dr Andrew Bayliss, a professor o ... Show More
46m 16s
Dec 2022
181 - Britain's Coast at War
During WWII, the whole of Britain’s coastline was involved in the struggle against the Nazis. In 1940-41 invasion was the main threat. Many towns and cities around the coast, such as Plymouth, Portsmouth, Hull and Great Yarmouth, were the targets of devastating air raids. The Eas ... Show More
58m 56s
Oct 2020
WW1 At Sea: The Battle of Jutland (1916)
Although overlooked today, the war at sea was a crucial part of World War I overall. The German use of the Unrestricted Submarine Warfare (in which non-military ships could be blown up by submarines without the latter surfacing, making it impossible for innocent men, women, and c ... Show More
56m 50s
Mar 2023
189 - The Stalingrad Airlift
Stalingrad ranks as one of the most infamous, savage and emotive battles of the 20th century. To supply the trapped and exhausted German Sixth Army, the Luftwaffe mounted an airlift in the winter of 1942/43. The weather conditions faced by the flying crews, mechanics, and soldier ... Show More
57m 49s
Dec 2023
211 - HG-76: Taking the Fight to Hitler's U-boats
The convoy HG-76 sailed from Gibraltar to Britain in December 1941. The Royal Navy commander in charge was 'Johnnie' Walker, an anti-submarine expert who had developed new, aggressive U-boat hunting tactics. Accompanying the escorts was HMS Audacity, the Royal Navy's first escort ... Show More
55m 4s
Feb 2024
Combattre sur mer pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale - Entretien avec Loïc Guermeur
Mes chers camarades, bien le bonjour ! Quand on parle de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, il est généralement question du déroulement général de la guerre, de l’occupation, des principales batailles terrestres… et moins souvent de ce qu’il s’est passé du côté naval. Quelles étaient le ... Show More
1h 50m
Nov 2020
Wartime Weapon Turned Medical Miracle
December 2, 1943. World War II is raging throughout Europe, but in the Allied port city of Bari, Italy, things have remained relatively quiet. The Allies are offloading tanks, guns and other equipment when on this night, the Nazis attack. They bomb the port, killing 2,000 soldier ... Show More
29m 7s