Battle Stations

Episodes - Battle Stations

• A-10 Tankbuster (2003) A pilot's-eye view of the A-10 low-flying tank-destroying bomber, which also provides close support to ground troops
• The Aircraft Carrier (2002) Although targets of kamikaze assaults, U.S. aircraft carriers did not sink under the barrage.
• Apache - Attack Helicopter Profile of the Apache - a powerful and fearsome helicopter with huge rotor blades and giant night vision sensors that give it the appearance of a large beetle
• B-17 Flying Fortress (2004) Profile of the B-17 Flying Fortress, the aeroplane which brought devastation to Germany as its crews flew the most perilous missions of World War Two. Using archive footage and interviews with veterans, a portrait emerges of one of the greatest pieces of military equipment ever to take to the skies
• B-2 Bomber A look at the B-2 bomber, one of today's most feared items of military hardware, capable of carrying a bomb over 6,000 miles and dropping it accurately on its target
• B-52 Stratofortress (2002) New series. Profile of the B-52 Stratofortress, which has remained at the forefront of modern warfare for more than 50 years, launching the widest range of weapons in the US inventory
• B26 Marauder! (2002) The B26 Marauder - the deadly US bomber nicknamed the 'Widowmaker' when early flights proved difficult - which eventually became a major factor in air supremacy during World War Two
• Black Hawk: Nightstalker (2003) The history of the Black Hawk helicopter, including captured pilot Mike Durant's story of a failed US mission in Somalia in 1993, featuring unique archive film : some never shown before on television : personal interviews and dramatic re-enactments
• Blackbird Stealth! (2002) The Sixties-designed SR-71 Blackbird was the world's first stealth aircraft, built to fly at up to 2,000mph while photographing 100,000 square miles of the earth's surface every hour. Interviews with leading crew members, archive footage and re-enactments help to tell the story of the plane which, despite its alien appearance, has served six presidents and seen action in the desert and throughout the Cold War
• Catalina Flying Boat (2003) Responsible for beginning the hunt that led to the sinking of German battleship the Bismarck and for spotting the Japanese Task Force heading for Midway, the Catalina flying boat, or Cat, was one of the great aircraft designs. War veterans describe how its ability to float made it a versatile and invaluable craft, used for bombing at night, hauling supplies by day or rescuing men from the ocean : feats that earned it great respect both from those who flew it and from those whose lives it saved
• Catalina Patrol! (2002) How the versatile Catalina re-emerged from near-obsolescence during World War Two, hauling supplies, bombing and rescuing troops
• Challenger Tank (2005) The 60-tonne Challenger tank, whose high-tech military hardware makes it difficult for any enemy to escape its range
• Corsair: Pacific Warriors (2002) Colour re-enactments, archive film footage and interviews with veterans reveal how World War Two fighter aircraft the Corsair played a vital role defending the US Navy from Japanese kamikaze planes during the final stages of the Pacific campaign
• D-Day The diverse range of technology used by Allied forces during the D-Day landings, and how their weapons were designed to extinguish the threat of Hitler's army
• D-Day Floating Harbours (2002) Recognising the risk involved in capturing German-held ports in occupied France during World War Two, Winston Churchill introduced giant floating harbours : an innovation which became the Allies' greatest engineering feat and made the D-Day landings possible. This programme chronicles the achievements of those who built the harbours that so successfully beat the odds : and all that the enemy and the elements could throw at them
• Destroyer (2003) The destroyer's role in defeating the Japanese during the fierce battles which raged in the Pacific during World War Two
• Drop Zone (2000) Documentary charting the role of the Dakota in the D-Day landings. Hailed as a major advance in aircraft design, it became the standard Allied troop transport of World War Two and enabled paratroops to drop behind enemy lines to launch the liberation of Europe on June 6, 1944. Supported by archive footage and reconstructions, former pilots and paratroopers recall the mission
• 'Duck (2003) The World War Two D-Day landings would have failed if American ingenuity hadn't transformed a General Motors two-and-a-half-tonne truck into the DUKW amphibious vehicle - nicknamed Duck - in 1942. Using archive film, interviews and reconstructions, this programme goes on board the craft and reveals the secrets of the machine that, although the slowest and least lovely of vessels put to sea, proved vital on the beaches of Normandy thanks to its ability to go almost anywhere
• F-117 Nighthawk Stealth (2004) New series featuring fighting machines, beginning with the F-117 Nighthawk Stealth, which was originally seen as an unworkable concept, but went on to become the most feared jet of the new millennium. Able to penetrate the most heavily defended airspace undetected, it was designed in 1977 by Lockheed's covert development arm, and first used in Panama in 1989
• F-15 Eagle (2003) Examination of the F-15 Eagle, widely considered to be the ultimate fighter-plane due to its power and manoeuverability, proving its worth during Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom by flying thousands of successful missions to clear Saddam Hussein's forces from the skies. Includes interviews with Israeli and US pilots and cockpit re-enactments
• F-18 Hornet (2003) The versatile F-18 Hornet, which can transform itself from a bomber to an attack fighter at the flick of a switch - but was initially rejected by the US military
• F-22 Raptor (2005) An analysis of the F/A-22 Raptor, a fighter plane hailed as the most technologically advanced aircraft of modern times and the deadliest superjet ever to take to the skies
• F117A Nighthawk (2003) The F117A Nighthawk is the first operational aircraft to fully incorporated radar-evading technology.
• F86 Sabre (2003) America's F-86 Sabre fighter jet, the first with swept-wing design, which took part in airborne dogfights with Russia's MiG-15s during the Korean War
• Heavy Metal of D-Day A look at the incredible fighting machines employed during World War Two by the Allied Forces during the D-Day landings : from boats to tanks to guns to ammo
• Hitler's Vengeance Weapons (2001) Documentary chronicling Hitler's desperate bid to turn the course of the war by unleashing V-1 and V-2 rockets against the Allies. Archive footage and re-enactments illustrate the desperate attempts to seek and destroy the devastating weapons, and further insight is provided by interviews with those who worked alongside the creator of the V-2 project, Wernher von Braun
• HMS Belfast: Steel Fortress (2002) The illustrious career of HMS Belfast. Commissioned in 1938, the vessel was a state-of-the-art cruiser and one of the jewels in the Navy's fleet, playing a part in the sinking of the German warship Scharnhorst during the epic Battle of North Cape
• HMS Victory (2005) An examination of Nelson's legendary flagship HMS Victory, launched in 1765 and decommissioned in 1812
• Huey Helicopter: Air Armada (2002) The story of the versatile Huey helicopter, which proved a vital lifeline during the Vietnam War because of its ability to deliver food, ammunition and fire support. With the help of archive film and modern re-enactments, veterans describe flying the Huey, and discuss how it changed the face of aviation and the way modern wars are fought
• Lancaster Bomber: Target Germany (2001) Colour archive film reveals the role of the Lancaster bomber in World War Two. Designed by Roy Chadwick, the plane was the most successful Allied attack aircraft in Europe, capable of carrying twice the payload of its counterparts. However, its devastating impact on Germany came with a price : nearly half of all crews were lost in action
• Liberty Convoy (2001) Life on board World War Two Liberty ships : great supply boats assembled in vast numbers in American dockyards and sent to sea to bring vital aid to the Allies. This documentary uses archive film and dramatic re-enactments to recreate the horrors risked by brave crewmen pursued across the Atlantic by Hitler's U-Boat 'Wolf Packs', desperate to prevent the shipments getting through
• M1 Abrams Supertank! (2003) The M1 supertank, which was built by the US to balance the Soviet Union's armoured supremacy, and performed with deadly accuracy during Operation Desert Storm
• Messerschmitt 262: Race for the Jet (2001) Documentary combining archive footage and colour re-enactments to chronicle the desperate race between the Nazis and Allies to create the first jet-powered plane and win the battle for aerial supremacy during World War Two. While Britain's leading engineer Frank Whittle had to struggle against official indifference, Germany's Hans von Ohain had the full backing of his country's war machine : support which eventually helped him build the fearsome Messerschmitt 262. Last in series
• MiG 15: Russian Stealth (2002) Soviet film archives and colour re-enactments chart the history of the MiG-15 jet which became one of the most feared weapons of the 20th century after its speed, lightning manoeuveability and intense firepower outclassed everything in the sky during the Korean War of the 1950s - until it finally met its match against the US F-86 Sabre jets
• Mosquito Attack! (2006) The story of the Mosquito, the multi-purpose twin-engined aircraft that helped the Allies control the skies in the later stages of World War Two
• Mulberry Harbours (2001) How Churchill's famous memo requesting 'piers for use on beaches' led to the greatest wartime engineering feat, which culminated in the 1944 invasion of Europe
• P-51 Mustang! (2001) Documentary revealing the success story of the P-51 Mustang. Dubbed the Cadillac of the skies, this high-speed fighter plane was developed to provide crucial support for bomber squadrons during World War Two, which were suffering huge losses over Nazi Europe. Using archive film and interviews with veteran pilots, the programme recreates the terrifying reality of the aerial dogfights which took place over war-torn Berlin
• P38 Lockheed Lightning (2003) Archive film, colour re-enactments and unique interviews with former pilots tell the story of the P-38 fighter - the aircraft which ruled the skies over the South Pacific during World War Two thanks to its ability to fly at 400mph while carrying a devastating bomb load and firing from four on-board machine guns and a 20mm cannon
• Pacific Carriers (2002) When the Pacific fleet was destroyed at Pearl Harbour, the American navy desperately searched for a machine capable of countering any Japanese attack. They came up with aircraft carriers : floating cities over 800ft long from which hundreds of fighter bombers could be launched into battle at a time, and strong enough to resist attack from kamikaze pilots. Using archive footage and re-enactments, this programme tells the story of how the US designed, built and manned these awesome fighting vessel…
• Patton and the Sherman Tank (2000) Gen. Patton and his Sherman tanks assist in the breakout at Normandy.
• PT Boat Insight into World War Two's heavily armed fighting boats - patrol torpedo vessels. Featuring archive film and interviews with those who manned the craft
• Radar (2001) Invented by Robert Watson Watt, radar was crucial to the Allies' victory during World War Two, becoming their single most important tool. Using detailed re-enactments and interviews, this documentary charts the development of radar from its early incarnation as a possible death ray to its finest hour : saving the country from devastating bombardment at the Battle of Britain
• Rhine Crossing (2000) The American DUKW amphibious truck carries troops across the Rhine in World War II.
• Russia's Victory (2002) No synopsis available
• Sherman Assault (2000) The inside story of the American M4 Sherman tank's role in the Normandy breakthrough. Although inferior in firepower and armour to its German rival, the huge number of Shermans overwhelmed the Nazi war machine. Supported by archive footage and reconstructions, British and American veterans recount the terrifying reality of operating the tank in battle
• Spitfire Squadron (2000) The inside story of the role of revolutionary fighter plane the Spitfire, with archive film, colour re-enactments and a first-hand account from Battle of Britain pilot Bob Doe
• T-34: Russian Victory (2001) The development and role of the mighty Soviet T-34 tank, which was deployed along the Eastern Front during World War Two to smash through enemy lines on a path straight to Berlin. The devastating power of the metal behemoths is brought to life through archive footage, re-enactments and interviews with Russian tank veterans
• Tiger Attack! (2001) Recollections of Hitler's formidable Tiger tank, designed to crush the Allies and ensure Nazi victory
• US Carriers in the Pacific The dangerous role played by US carriers during World War Two, feeding the Allied war machine with troops, artillery and vital supplies

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  History Channel Presents: Battle Stations - Radar

  • Format: NTSC
  • Region: R1
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