The WW2 Podcast

Afleveringen

1. 325 - The Schnee Eifel Battles, 1944-45

   1 november 2026 · 41 min

   Afspelen
   In the winter of 1944, the Schnee Eifel became the scene of some of the fiercest fighting on the German-Belgian border. Lees meer

   American forces had already fought their way through this difficult, wooded terrain once. Then, in December, the Germans launched their Ardennes offensive, catching the Americans by surprise and trapping two regiments of the 106th Infantry Division in the Schnee Eifel.

   The fighting would continue into 1945 as American forces returned to the area and finally pushed the Germans back.

   Today I'm joined by Craig S. Chapman, author of Javelins in the Half-Light: The Schnee Eifel Battles, 1944–45, to look at the three battles fought around the Schnee Eifel, what happened there, and why this relatively remote corner of the battlefield became so important.

   Javelins in the Half-Light is also available on Audible and Spotify.

2. 324 - Poles in Exile

   26 oktober 2026 · 48 min

   Afspelen
   Thousands of Polish soldiers, refugees and civilians came to Britain after the fall of Poland, expecting eventually to return home. But as the war ended, victory brought a very different reality: Poland was now under Soviet domination. Lees meer

   So how did Polish communities in Britain maintain their identity during the war, and what did victory mean for people who could no longer return home?

   To explore this, I'm joined by Juliette Bretan, a researcher, writer and broadcaster specialising in Britain and East-Central Europe.

3. 323 - Hap Arnold and the B-29

   15 oktober 2026 · 44 min

   Afspelen
   When the United States entered the Second World War, American air power was still developing. Four years later, the United States was operating thousands of aircraft, supported by an enormous industrial and technological effort, and had produced the B-29 Superfortress, the most advanced bomber of the war. Lees meer

   At the centre of that transformation was General Henry "Hap" Arnold.

   Arnold had been involved in American military aviation from its earliest days, and during the Second World War he became the driving force behind the expansion of the US Army Air Forces. The B-29 was perhaps his greatest gamble. It was enormously expensive and technologically ambitious, and Arnold was prepared to push American industry to build an aircraft that did not yet exist.

   The result was the Superfortress, a bomber capable of flying farther, higher and carrying a heavier bomb load than anything that had come before it. Ultimately, B-29s would carry the atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

   Today I'm joined by A. J. Baime, author of "Bird Men: The Rise of American Airpower and the Machine That Ended World War II", to look at Hap Arnold, the rise of American air power and the extraordinary story of the B-29 Superfortress.

   Patreon
   patreon.com/ww2podcast

4. 322 - Warsaw: A City at War, 1939–45

   10 oktober 2026 · 58 min

   Afspelen
   Today we're going to Warsaw, a city caught between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and a city whose people endured occupation, persecution, resistance and ultimately almost total destruction. Lees meer

   From the invasion of 1939, through the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, we'll explore what happened to the city and its inhabitants during the Second World War.

   To tell that story, I'm joined by historians Prit Buttar and Lottie Taylor, authors of 'Warsaw: A City at War, 1939–45'.

   Warsaw: A City at War, 1939–45 is also available on Audible and Spotify.

5. 321 - Case Green: The Invasion of Czechoslovakia

   1 oktober 2026 · 51 min

   Afspelen
   In 1938, Europe was once again facing the prospect of a major war. Lees meer

   The immediate crisis centred on Czechoslovakia, a new state created at the end of the First World War. It was a country with a substantial industrial base, a significant arms industry and, importantly, a heavily fortified frontier with Germany.

   Hitler was determined to destroy Czechoslovakia. The German military had drawn up an invasion plan known as Fall Grün, or Case Green. But there was a problem. The German armed forces were not yet ready for the kind of major European war that Hitler seemed to be risking.

   So what exactly was Case Green? How did the Germans intend to defeat Czechoslovakia, how good were the Czech defences, and how did Hitler's ideas differ from those of his own generals?

   And perhaps most importantly, what might actually have happened if Britain and France had refused to compromise and Germany had gone to war?

   Today I'm joined by Robert Forczyk, whose book 'Case Green: The Birth of the Wehrmacht' examines the German plans for the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938.

   Case Green is also available on Audible and Spotify.

6. 320 - Patton Reconsidered

   15 september 2026 · 1 uur 14 min

   Afspelen
   In this episode, we're going to look at one of the most recognisable American generals of the Second World War: George S. Patton. Lees meer

   Patton has become almost a character in his own right. The aggressive general with the famous speeches, the polished boots and the determination to keep his tanks moving. His reputation as one of America's great battlefield commanders has only grown since his death.

   But how much of that reputation is actually deserved? Was Patton really the military genius his reputation suggests, or a talented but flawed commander whose legend has outgrown his achievements?

   To help me answer that question, I'm joined by James Ellman, author of Patton Reconsidered.

   patreon.com/ww2podcast

7. 319 - The Alexandra Hospital Massacre: The Fall of Singapore

   7 september 2026 · 1 uur 5 min

   Afspelen
   In February 1942, as Japanese forces closed in on Singapore, Alexandra Hospital found itself caught in the final days of the British defence of the island. Lees meer

   The hospital was still treating wounded soldiers and civilians when Japanese troops entered the grounds. What followed was a massacre in which patients, medical staff and others were killed, despite the hospital being clearly marked with the Red Cross.

   The events at Alexandra were among the most shocking episodes during the fall of Singapore, yet they remain relatively little known.

   In this episode, I'm joined by Stuart Lloyd, author of A Bleeding Slaughterhouse, to tell the story of what happened at Alexandra Hospital, the events that led up to the massacre, and what happened afterwards as the survivors and investigators sought to establish who was responsible.

   patreon.com/ww2podcast

8. 318 - Transport Pilots of WWII

   1 september 2026 · 37 min

   Afspelen
   The C-47 Dakota, or Skytrain as it was known in American service, was one of the most important aircraft of the Second World War. It carried paratroopers into battle, towed gliders packed with men and equipment, flew vital supplies to surrounded troops, and crossed some of the most inhospitable terrain on Earth. Yet the crews who flew these missions are often overshadowed by the fighter aces and bomber crews. Lees meer

   Their job demanded a different kind of courage. Flying unarmed, often at low level and in tight formation, they were expected to stay on course, arrive on time and, even under heavy fire, resist the instinct to take evasive action. Whether over Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne or the Himalayas, they played a vital role in Allied victory.

   Joining me today is Scott McGaugh, author of 'Into the Firestorm: The Allied Heroes Who Flew World War II's Most Daring Missions', to tell the story of the transport pilots who flew these extraordinary missions.

   You can also find Into the Firestorm on Audible and Spotify.

   patreon.com/ww2podcast

9. 317 - Generalship on the Eastern Front

   24 augustus 2026 · 52 min

   Afspelen
   The war on the Eastern Front was fought on a scale unlike anything the world had ever seen. Stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea, it consumed millions of soldiers, saw entire armies destroyed, and ultimately decided the fate of Nazi Germany. Lees meer

   When we tell the story of this campaign, we often focus on a handful of famous names: Zhukov, Manstein, Guderian, Model. But were they really the men directing the war throughout its four brutal years? Behind these household names stood dozens of army and army group commanders whose decisions shaped the course of the fighting, yet whose contributions have largely been overlooked.

   In this episode, I'm joined by Robert Forczyk, author of Generalship on the Eastern Front, 1941–45: A Study in Command. Together we'll explore what made an effective commander on the Eastern Front, compare the German and Soviet approaches to leadership, and shine a light on some of the remarkable generals who have slipped from popular history.

   Generalship on the Eastern Front is also available on Audible and Spotify.

   patreon.com/ww2podcast

10. 316 - The Tank

    15 augustus 2026 · 37 min

    Afspelen
    The tank first appeared on the battlefields of the First World War as an experimental weapon designed to break the deadlock of trench warfare. Within a generation, it had become the defining weapon of modern land warfare, playing a central role in campaigns across Europe, North Africa and beyond. Lees meer

    In this episode, I'm joined by Hamish de Bretton Gordon, former tank commander and author of Tank Command: How the Tank Changed the Face of Battle. We explore how the tank evolved from the lumbering machines of 1916 into the formidable armoured vehicles that dominated the Second World War, and how the lessons of those early decades shaped the development of the Chieftain and the tanks that followed.

    patreon.com/ww2podcast

Alle 328 afleveringen →