Combat Ships

Over the centuries, many battles at sea were decided by breakthrough ships, "game changers" that turned the tide of war and made history. In this episode, we take a look at these revolutionary vessels, from the War of 1812 hero, the USS Constitution, to the small and speedy CMB-4 to the mass-produced Liberty cargo ships. We also celebrate the groundbreaking engineers behind the game changers, including Raye Montague, who smashed gender and racial barriers and revolutionized the way U.S. Navy ships were designed.

It was a battle that lasted only five hours but established the Royal Navy's supremacy for over a century. The Battle of Trafalgar pit Britain against France and Spain in a deadly conflict, featuring legendary leaders Napoleon Bonaparte and Horatio Nelson as well as the greatest warships of their era: the HMS Victory and the Santísima Trinidad. We present a blow-by-blow account of the conflict, from the innovative tactics to the events that unfolded when the guns began firing to the tragic climax that cemented Admiral Nelson's legacy.

The Battle of Incheon during the Korean War was one of the riskiest amphibious assaults in history, taking place 110 miles behind enemy lines in one of the world's most treacherous harbors. Leading the charge was America's most famous general, Douglas MacArthur, who ordered a multi-national fleet of over 260 vessels into battle, including the legendary USS Missouri, plus LSTs, the unsung heroes of D-Day. Rare combat footage and eyewitness accounts from U.S. veterans and female journalist Marguerite Higgins bring this pivotal battle to life.

The Persian Gulf has been the stage for some of the biggest naval engagements in recent history, and since 1987, the U.S. military and its warships have been in the middle of the action, facing missiles, mines, and terrorist attacks. In this episode, we follow some of the major operations that have taken place in this small body of water-from Earnest Will to Praying Mantis to Desert Storm-and examine the combat vessels from both sides, including the Mark III, the IRIS Sabalan, and the USS Missouri on its final mission.

For as long as there have been naval battles, there have been combat ships that have gone down, courtesy of enemy fire, mines, and sometimes the unforgiving ocean itself. Some sinkings, however, are more mysterious or remarkable than others. In this episode we follow high-tech investigations as they uncover what sunk a World War I cruiser, a World War II submarine, a British destroyer from the Falklands War, and more. We also examine the heroism shown by crews in the face of disaster, captured through firsthand veteran accounts.

From the broadside cannons of 16th century warships to the state-of-the-art thermonuclear warheads aboard Cold War subs to the electromagnetic rail guns of the future, the naval arms race continues to evolve at a rapid pace. We explore the development of maritime weaponry through history and how escalating conflicts have driven technological advancements, transforming the way sea battles are fought. We also look to the future and showcase some of naval weaponry's most recent innovations.

In naval combat, speed is a vital factor, often giving small ships and boats an advantage over their bigger, more powerful rivals. Buckle up as we examine maritime warfare's fast and furious vessels of the last 150 years, from the steam-turbine-powered Turbinia and the HMS Caroline to the torpedo boats and MGBs that terrorized the mightiest warships of the First and Second World Wars. Then witness the fastest ship the U.S. Navy ever had in its fleet-the hydrofoil-and discover why it was abandoned in the 1990s.

Naval warfare often conjures up images of massive battleships duking it out on the open seas. But over the centuries, some of the U.S. Navy's most crucial conflicts were fought inland, on rivers both home and abroad. In this episode, we examine the cut-throat world of river warfare and the combat ships that have raided, rescued, patrolled, and protected these waterways in times of war, including Harriet Tubman's successful gunboat mission to liberate enslaved people in South Carolina and the high-speed PBRs of Vietnam.