This episode of Dangerous Missions chronicles the daring Fallschirmjäger assault in 1940, on the Belgian fortified bunker complex known as "Eben-Emael." Eben-Emael was constructed by Belgium between 1932 and 1935. The purpose of constructing this massive fort was to protect a weak point in the Meuse valley near the Maastricht area. Artillery and weaponry contained inside the fort consisted of; two 120mm guns, 16 75mm guns, 14 60mm anti-tank guns, 5 60mm anti-aircraft guns and 11 machine gun positions The main task of Eben-Emael was to defend or destroy 3 important bridges near-by. Seventeen bunkers, manned by 1200-1500 troops was its main defense. Eben Emael was protected by 60 meter walls. Underneath Eben Emael was an impressive living area of; hospitals, kitchens, independent water source and 5.5 km of tunnels, linking bunkers .Most military experts considered Eben Emael impregnable. The task of taking this fortress rested with Sturmabteilung (Storm Detachment) Koch of the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division (German 1st Parachute Division) Led by the vicious Otto Skorzeny. The plan was for 85 men to land in gliders on the roof on Eben Emael and knockout its bunkers and guns. Three other platoons were tasked in taking the 3 key bridges. The Germans developed a new Hohlladung charge (hollow charge) which would penetrate thick bunkers and copulas. Flamethrowers and other demolition equipment were also deployed. Junker Ju-52 transport aircraft would delver the silent glider craft to their objectives. On May 10, 1940 at approximately 0410 hours 9 gliders, 2 of the original 11 had mechanical difficulties, landed on Eben Emael's roof. The defenders were completely taken by surprise. The assault force, down to 70 men, rushed out of their gliders, regrouped and began locating their assigned targets. Within 20-25 minutes most of the fortresses offensive strength was rendered useless. Up to this point the German forces were lead by Lt. Delica. The commanding officer Lt
This episode of " Dangerous Missions of World War II " details the attack on the Italian port of Taranto, by offshore British aircraft carriers. Operation "Judgment "was an all British plan to attack the Italian port of Taranto, by aging swordfish torpedo planes. The Italian Regia Marina's (Italian Royal Navy) main port rested on the arch of the boot of the Italian mainland. Defended by a capable anti-aircraft defense, Taranto lacked any early warning radar. On November 12th 1940, 21 swordfish Bi-planes, launched from the HMS Illustrious, attacked the main Regia Marina battleships moored in the Port of Taranto. For the loss of just two swordfish, the Royal Navy damaged 3 Italian battleships. The remaining Regia Marina escaped to the Port of Naples. This small raid shifted the balance of power in the Mediterranean to the British. The raid on Taranto had far reaching effects around the world. The Japanese Navy (IJN) was deeply impressed by this small, but effective raid. The Taranto raid was the impetuous for the later plan to attack Pearl Harbor. The IJN in the Pearl Harbor attack sunk or damaged 8 American battleships with 384 aircraft.
Shortly after Italy entered World War 2 in June 1940, General Wavell, the British commander in the Middle East accepted the idea of a small elite reconnaissance force to be known as the Long-Range Desert Group. When this was joined by the Special Air Service as a specialist raiding force, the British acquired one of the most formidable teams of desert warriors ever known.
March 27th, 1942, British Commandos raid the German-occupied port of St Nazaire, France. their target, a dry dock - the only one on the Atlantic coastline big enough to accommodate the German battleship Tirpitz. The Tirpitz posed a major threat to the convoys that formed the vital supply line between America and Britain. If the dock was destroyed, the Germans would be less likely to send her out into the Atlantic Ocean. The Royal Navy planned to ram an old destroyer packed with tons of explosives into the dry dock, which would be detonated after the raiders were safely withdrawn. At 0134, HMS Campbeltown was successfully rammed into the dock gate. But the raiders suffered heavy casualties as they stormed ashore. Of the 611 Commandos and sailors on the raid, 384 were captured, killed or in hiding. As dawn broke, the Campbeltown still had not exploded. It appeared that the delayed action fuses had failed, and that the gallantry of the raiders had been in vain. But well after the battle had finished there was an enormous explosion - the Campbeltown bombs had detonated, and the St Nazaire dock was put out of action for the rest of the war.
By 1942, the British were aware that vital raw materials were getting to Germany via the occupied French port of Bordeaux. This was too far up the Gironde River for a conventional raid, so an attack using canoes was mounted, and four ships were sunk. Although only two of the ten "Cockleshell Heroes" survived, the raid led to the same method being used against Japanese-held Singapore.
Episode chronicling the daring raid by 617 Squadron against the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams on the Ruhr River on May 17, 1943. Weapons inventor Barnes Wallis developed a 4 200 kg (9,250 lb) spherical bomb filled 3 000 kg (6,600 lb) of Torpex explosive. Torpex was a compound explosive comprising of; 42% RDX. 40% TNT and 18% Aluminum powder. Torpex was one of the most powerful of the military explosives then available, and was poured warm into the mine casings before setting, not unlike a heavy wax. Torpex was a perfect material for the "Upkeep" bomb. Torpex generated a much higher shock-wave effect to topple a dam's wall. After developing this ordinance, Wallis had the laborious task of creating a practical delivery system. Working close with 617 Squadron Commander Guy Gibson, Wallis and 617 Squadron developed ingenious ways to overcome problems in; attacking dams, at night and at near suicidal low altitudes. Operation "Chastise" was launched on May 17th, 1943 by 617 Squadron. Nineteen Lancasters were to attack in 3 formations. Formation 1 attacked the Möhne Dam. After several attacks, including Cmdr. Guy Gibson, the dam's walls were breached. Formation 2 attacked the Eder Dam. The Eder dam's wall was breached. The most difficult of the dams to breach would be the Sorpe Dam. After several attacks the dam wall held. Eight planes, with 53 air crewman were killed. Approximately 1,294 people on the ground were killed. The effect on German war production was minimal. The Ruhr was operating at 100%, after 5 weeks. Food production was seriously affected by the raid.
For the Germans, the giant battleship Tirpitz was the "Queen of the North" - a constant threat to the vital Allied convoys to Russia. For Churchill, she was "the Beast" - and one which must be destroyed at all cost. For more than three years RAF bombers, Fleet Air Arm dive bombers, and Royal Navy Chariots and X-craft mounted raids until Tirpitz was finally eliminated.
As dawn broke on August 19th, 1942, Canadian troops launched a major raid on the German-held French port of Dieppe. What was later described as a "reconnaissance in force", proved a disaster - the Canadians were pinned down on the beach under savage fire. The only thing that could be said in favour of this tragic fiasco was that lessons were learned which saved many lives on D-Day.
In early 1943, the British Army sent a large raiding force deep into the jungles of Japanese-occupied Burma to attack supply convoys and sabotage railways. Known as the Chindits, these raiders were led by Orde Wingate, one of the most dynamic and unconventional leaders of World War 2, and showed that Allied forces could take on and beat the Japanese in jungle combat.
The Zeebrugge Raid, which took place on April 23, 1918, was an attempt by the British Royal Navy to neutralize the key Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. The port was used by the German Navy as a base for their U-boats and light shipping, which was a serious threat to Allied shipping, especially in the English Channel. The raid was formally approved by the British Admiralty in February 1918 and launched two months later consisting of seventy five volunteer ships and two hundred soldiers. The raid began with a diversionary attack against the mile-long Zeebrugge mole. The attack was led by the old cruiser, HMS Vindictive, with two Mersey ferries, Daffodil and Iris II. The three ships were accompanied by two old submarines, which were filled with explosives to blow up the viaduct connecting the mole to the shore.
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked the nation for volunteers for a “secret and dangerous mission.” Three thousand young men volunteered. Just 200 of the Army rangers came home.They were known as “Merrill’s Marauders,” named after their commander. The troops marched on foot through 1,000 miles of Burmese jungle to disrupt Japanese supply lines.
He's the deadliest weapon on the battlefield, but his next shot could be his last. Outnumbered - Outgunned - Behind enemy lines - What happens when the tables are turned and the hunter becomes the hunted? This is SNIPER: DEADLIEST MISSIONS. From the treacherous jungles of Vietnam and the bloody war zones of Iraq, to danger high in the skies of the Alaskan wilderness, this two-hour special puts you behind the scope with the men who pulled the trigger on some of the deadliest missions in military and law enforcement history. Gripping firsthand accounts, 3-D graphics and jaw-dropping shooting demonstrations take you inside the shadowy world of top snipers and the missions that made them living legends. Outmanned and out-gunned - will the next shot be their last?
Made up of combat footage, a bit of reenactment, and interviews with participants, this is a documentary of the first three Allied units to land in France on the morning of 6 June, 1944, D Day.
Early in World War II, the Marine Raiders were formed and divided into two outfits, one battalion under Evans Carlson and one under Merrit Evers. The latter raised itself above even the Marine Corps standards in adherence to regulation. Carlson, on the other hand, during a separation from the Marine Corps, had visited China and seen how Mao Dz Dung treated his troops. Carlson adopted the methods of the communists (the word never appears) and had his men and officers undergo the same training and live in the same areas. Carlson also held what amounted to military group therapy sessions in which anyone could ask questions or make proposals.
This is a brief but surprisingly candid description of the formation of a Special Service Force in the U.S. Army in 1942, made up jointly of Americans and Canadians. They underwent intense training at a camp near Helena, Montana, the object being to ready them for combat in difficult terrain like mountains. After many wash out, the men who were left underwent a brief course in parachute jumping -- two weeks instead of the usual four months.
Jackie Kennedy was often described as wearing a "pillbox hat." And one of the several participants that provide personal stories about the Iwo Jim landings was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for taking out a row of pillboxes with his flame thrower. I only mention this because the word "pillbox" seems to have faded from our common lexicon. Iwo Jima -- World War Two in general -- appears to be disappearing into the black hole of history. Polls show an increasing number of high school students don't know much about our history. A substantial number believe that the USA and Germany fought the Russians in World War II. They didn't know which "side" Japan fought on.
