Air Wars

The little-known story of the terrible air battles fought in Russia 1941-1945. You will find out why the air force was essential to the defeat of the German army. Initially outclassed and outperformed by the might of the Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front, Soviet equipment and tactics improved immeasurably during the war, thereby helping to negate the potency of the Luftwaffe in the various theatres.

Convoys in the Atlantic were vital to the UK's survival during the war and especially for its ability to keep fighting. On convoys, both merchant ships and the Royal Navy were massacred, as well as aircraft to protect its passage. The role of Allied aircraft in neutralizing Nazi Germany's naval power in the Atlantic--including the destruction of the Bismark and the U-boat menace--is recalled through the use of computer graphics and combat footage.

One of the most controversial campaigns of the entire conflict - the war finally came to Germany in the form of tons of bombs dropped by Allied aircraft. The impact of the relentless Allied bombing raids on German industry, air defense and morale is charted in this review of the clash for control of the skies over Europe. Included: U.S. development of long-range fighters to escort Allied high-level bombers.

The incredible story of the attack planned by Lieutenant Colonel 'Jimmy' Doolittle to Japan as retaliation for the "Day of Infamy" at Pearl Harbor. The April 18, 1942 bombing raid on Tokyo conducted by Lt. Col. James Doolittle's 16 Mitchell B-25s--dubbed "Operation Shangri-la" by FDR--is recalled. It was a major American morale booster in the wake of Allied disasters in the Pacific, although its military significance was minimal.

A look at "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot," an aerial battle over the Western Pacific in which the U.S. shot down more than 300 Japanese aircraft with a 12-1 kill-to-loss ratio. Learn how the US dominated the skies in the Pacific battle, culminating in the taking of the Mariana Islands. The ease with which the Japanese Air Force was decimated led the Americans to call the event "the turkey shoot."

The havoc wreaked by Japan's World War II kamikaze fliers are recalled by witnesses. These suicidal pilots willfully crashed their planes into American ships in a last-ditch effort to repel U.S. forces from their homeland. For the Allies, it was difficult to deal with the threat of an enemy that had death as objective. In this episode, you'll learn more about the history and tactics of kamikazes.