World War II: Witness to War
World War II: Witness to War
World War II: Witness to War
World War II: Witness to War
More from this Show
First-person accounts describe the perilous situation in which hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers found themselves struggling to escape Dunkirk under a barrage of enemy fire.
02:28
World War II: Witness to War
Chaos and Carnage on the Beach at Dunkirk
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As ground forces including the Home Guard were being assembled to counter a German invasion on British soil the Royal Air Force bore the responsibility win the immediate battle in the skies over the English Channel and the United Kingdom.
01:46
World War II: Witness to War
British Ground and Air Forces Prepare for a German Invasion
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Unlike in the First World War the Allies, with the British in particular, had to account for a much larger area of the sea to cover and protect from Axis threats.
02:18
World War II: Witness to War
Nazi Gains on Land Mean Freedom of the Seas
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Members of the US Pacific fleet recount their surprise when first seeing Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor as they initiated their attack.
02:01
World War II: Witness to War
Witnesses Are Surprised By Japanese Aircraft Flying Over Pearl Harbor
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With it's superior long range and superior performance the P-51 Mustang aided in the Allies' efforts to strike Nazi targets throughout Germany.
01:33
World War II: Witness to War
The Introduction of the P-51 Mustang to Bombing Raids
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Members of the US Pacific fleet recount their surprise when first seeing Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor as they initiated their attack.
02:01
World War II: Witness to War
Witnesses Are Surprised By Japanese Aircraft Flying Over Pearl Harbor
i
With it's superior long range and superior performance the P-51 Mustang aided in the Allies' efforts to strike Nazi targets throughout Germany.
01:33
World War II: Witness to War
The Introduction of the P-51 Mustang to Bombing Raids
i
Host Geoff Edgers meets a private collector who shows him some amazing artifacts that came off the German submarine U-505, which was captured by the Americans at the end of WWII, including a trophy pistol that has been missing for 75 years.
03:54
Secrets of the Arsenal
Seizing and Stashing a Sinking U-Boat Captain's Pistol
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Geoff takes a visit to the NSA National Cryptologic Museum to study a revolutionary new idea from the Civil War that changed battlefield tactics forever.
02:35
Secrets of the Arsenal
Flag Messengers
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At the National Museum of the Marine Corps Geoff discovers an award given to a small group of heroes who filmed a crack Marine fighting crew amidst a bloody Pacific battle. The award was an Oscar for footage shot at Tarawa.
02:53
Secrets of the Arsenal
The Oscar Won By the Marine Corps
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The West Point Museum stores a dangerous weapon sent to Europe during the Cold War meant to stop an invasion from the Soviets with an extremely powerful punch - the Davy Crockett recoilless rifle-delivered nuclear bomb.
02:30
Secrets of the Arsenal
The World's Smallest Nuke
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Geoff visits the National Museum of the United States Air Force and is presented with mission-specific goggles that were issued to the airmen aboard the Bockscar for the atomic bombing of Japan.
02:52
Secrets of the Arsenal
Goggles Used While Dropping the Bomb Over Nagasaki
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Geoff meets with former helicopter pilot Lt. Col. Hugh Mills (Ret.), who was shot down 16 times over Vietnam during the course of his three tours of flying as a low level scout during the Vietnam War.
02:47
Secrets of the Arsenal
Vietnam Helo Pilot and His Lucky Charm
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Veterans and footage from the invasion of Normandy provide the details as to just how treacherous the initial landings and fierce the German defenses were their with underwater mines, 88-milimeter artillery rounds and machine gun emplacements.
02:47
D-Day to Victory
Unimaginable Noise and the Hellish Defense in the Waters of Normandy
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Private Hal Baumgarten and his fellow GIs are victims of a deadly German ambush as they advance inland from the beach at Normandy. As he is about to be evacuated a sniper hits him, then gets "exterminated" by an unexpected friend.
03:12
D-Day to Victory
Saved By an Unexpected Friend in a Ditch in Normandy
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A formidable German defense in Caen forces the Allies to unleash a massive aerial bombardment on the key city, with both the enemy and allies forced to seek cover.
03:42
D-Day to Victory
Massive Allied Bombing of Caen Hits Both Friend and Foe
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As Lance Cpl. Stan Matulis is moving house to house clearing out the Germans in the Falaise pocket during the Battle of Normandy he and his comrades take a break in a home. After passing a window a couple of times he is shot in the neck by a sniper.
03:33
D-Day to Victory
Surviving a German Sniper's Bullet
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As the Germans were withdrawing from Normandy and Belgium many regrouped in Holland and attacked the Allies, inflicting many casualties. As the body count grew so did the letters that had to be written to family members of the deceased.
03:14
D-Day to Victory
A Battalion of Germans Came Down the Road and Attacked My Bridge
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Besides the cold and lack of supplies and onrushing German forces soldiers of the 101st Airborne had to contend with the fear of the unknown, and fear of letting your fellow soldier down during the harsh Siege of Bastogne.
02:39
D-Day to Victory
The 101st is Surrounded and Cut Off in Bastogne
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Airman Leonard recounts the chaos and cruelty of nighttime bombing raids over Berlin in a Lancaster and how he and his crew had to crash-land their disabled aircraft on one particular sortie.
03:43
D-Day to Victory
Bombing Berlin in a Sea of Flak
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Tales originating from a shiphand's diary from the early 18th century describe where a cache of booty, including the fabled Treasure of Lima, has been buried on Cocos Island, and a German adventurer is intent on finding it.
03:53
Myth Hunters
Finding the Right Place to Bury Pirate Booty
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