On September 15, 1940—Battle of Britain Day—the Luftwaffe launched what would become the climactic daylight assault of their campaign against Britain. In a desperate final effort to enable Operation Sea Lion, the German invasion of Britain, over 500 bombers escorted by hundreds of fighters targeted London's railways and dockyards in two massive raids. Howeve ... Show More
Feb 23
249: Greece Pt. 1 - Plans and Preparations
In October 1940, Mussolini launched an invasion of Greece from Albania, determined to secure Italian expansion in the Balkans before any peace could be negotiated. This episode examines the lead-up to the Italo-Greek War, beginning with Greece under the Metaxas dictatorship and i ... Show More
27m 35s
Feb 16
248: Taranto Pt. 2 - The Attack
On the night of November 11, 1940, the HMS Illustrious launched two waves of Swordfish torpedo bombers against the Italian fleet anchored at Taranto. Despite losing formation in the clouds and facing intense anti-aircraft fire, the British pilots pressed home their attacks agains ... Show More
25m 56s
Mar 2025
Final Flight: The Last Surviving Battle Of Britain Pilot Dies
As a free bonus livestream episode, James Holland and Al Murray discuss the life and times of the last surviving RAF veteran of The Battle Of Britain, John 'Paddy' Hemingway, who sadly passed away this week at 105. It is also a good time to revisit the myths of The Battle Of Brit ... Show More
50m 16s
Sep 2024
197. Battleground '44 - The Battle of Arnhem
This week on Battleground '44, Patrick discusses with Saul the Battle of Arnhem, part of perhaps the most famous Allied airborne operation of the Second World War - Operation Market Garden. Fought in the German-occupied Netherlands from 17 to 26 September 1944, the bridge in Arnh ... Show More
39m 18s
Oct 2024
The Greatest Samurai Battle ⚔️
The Battle of Sekigahara, on 21st October, 1600, was the largest in Japanese feudal history, with over 160,000 troops involved. And stakes were high: the victor, Tokugawa Ieyasu, became the Shōgun of Japan, initiating the Edo period; whilst the leader of the losing Western army, ... Show More
11m 20s