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Combat Ships
Combat Ships

Combat Ships

—Some of the greatest warships have gone on to shape the history of the world and have even pushed their crews into unbelievable and incredible acts of bravery. Take a look at the very first submarine which is rumored to have lurked beneath New York harbor during the Revolutionary War, the smaller ships that rescued thousands from Dunkirk, or the destroyer in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Over the years, conflicts and wars have prompted extreme advances to ship designs and now they are faster, stronger, and smarter than ever before.
2 seasonsDocumentary, HistoryTV-PG
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Season 28 of 8 Episodes

  • The story of one of the world's most effective war machines: the Viking longship, seeing how its design evolved from swift war canoe to versatile and feared ship that would change the course of history.

  • Vessels that operate in secret, unseen by their enemies, from secret missions that helped win World War II to modern stealth ships using strange shapes and technology to avoid spying ears and eyes.

  • Bad design, human error and the enemy sent great ships to tragic ends, like Britain's K13 submarine and HMS Hood, Sweden's 17th century Vasa, and Kublai Khan's fleet, sunk by the original kamikaze.

  • The ships that made mighty empires, from the lone wolves that patrolled the high seas for imperial Britain to the USS Laffey's heroic WWII battle against kamikazes at Okinawa.

  • Stories of espionage at sea, including deadly U-boat cat-and-mouse games during WWI, the sinking of the Lusitania, a gun-smuggling private yacht that made history, and liners turned troopships.

  • Revolutionary ship design helped Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake lead England to defeat the Spanish Armada and become a world power.

  • It is considered the largest sea battle in history: the Battle of Leyte Gulf in WWII was three days of ingenious strategy and white-knuckle combat between warships, aircraft and kamikazes.

  • The evolution of amphibious assault vehicles, including the restoration of Britain's last surviving LCT 7074 landing craft, designed to carry six Churchill tanks.

Record to Watch Later

20 episodes will be broadcast over the next two weeks

    Game Changers
    D-Day
    Mutiny
    Stealth
    Smugglers and Pirates
    Heroes of Guadalcanal
    Amphibious Assaults
    World Wars
    Torpedo Boats
    Secrets of the Sea
  • Game Changers

    A look at experimental ships and revolutionary designers that have changed the tide of war through the centuries.
    Upcoming
  • D-Day

    A chronological look at the events of the 1944 D-Day landings, and the vessels that made the invasion possible, with an insight into personal stories and engineering wonders.
    Upcoming
  • Mutiny

    A look at how technological advances over the centuries have transformed maritime warfare.
    Upcoming
  • Stealth

    Vessels that operate in secret, unseen by their enemies, from secret missions that helped win World War II to modern stealth ships using strange shapes and technology to avoid spying ears and eyes.
    Upcoming
  • Smugglers and Pirates

    A look at how maritime task forces and the Coast Guard are keeping commercial vessels and US shores safe from pirates and drug smugglers.
    Upcoming
  • Heroes of Guadalcanal

    A comprehensive look at the naval battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942 and the heroic efforts of U.S. sailors who held off powerful Imperial Navy.
    Upcoming
Combat Ships

More about Combat Ships

Some of the greatest warships have gone on to shape the history of the world and have even pushed their crews into unbelievable and incredible acts of bravery. Take a look at the very first submarine which is rumored to have lurked beneath New York harbor during the Revolutionary War, the smaller ships that rescued thousands from Dunkirk, or the destroyer in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Over the years, conflicts and wars have prompted extreme advances to ship designs and now they are faster, stronger, and smarter than ever before.

Starring

Joseph Balderrama, Kieran O'Brien

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