Category: WW2 Podcast
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Tank Warfare in Burma
When we think of the fighting in the Far East between Britain, her allies, and the Japanese, we often picture thick jungles, impossibly steep hills, and dense terrain. This has led to the common perception of it being an infantryman’s war. However, armour played a crucial and often overlooked role in this theatre of war.…
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The Middle East Commandos
I recently attended the We Have Ways Fest, where I ran into Séan Scullion, a friend of the podcast. You might remember him from episode 135, where we discussed Spaniards in the British army. His book, “Churchill’s Spaniards,” is about to be released. At this year’s We Have Ways Fest, Sean was scheduled to speak about the British…
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Truman and the Decision to Drop the Bomb
It was only as Harry S. Truman was sworn in as the 33rd president of the United States that he was told of the Manhattan Project. In this episode, we embark on a journey through one of the most controversial and consequential decisions in modern history: Truman’s choice to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and…
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Hearts of Steel: One sailor’s Journey with the Royal Navy
In this episode of the WW2 podcast, we’ll explore the Royal Navy from 1918 to the end of the Second World War and one man’s career. Not an officer, but a regular sailor: Herbert Leeder, who chalk up 27 years of service. Following the career of one sailor is an interesting way to view the…
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The Australians and New Zealanders at Greece & Crete
In March 1941, 40,000 Australian and New Zealand troops were rushed to Greece in a desperate attempt to support the Greeks against the looming threat of a German attack. Although the operation was ultimately doomed to fail, the Aussies and Kiwis managed to hold up the German advance long enough to evacuate thousands to Crete,…
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US Battle Tanks
In this episode, Angus discusses the development of US tanks from the end of the First World War through to the end of the Second World War. H is joined by renowned historian and author Stephen J. Zaloga, who has penned numerous works on military technology and history, and his latest book is ‘US Battle…
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U-505: Codename Nemo
Just two days before D-Day, Captain Gallery’s US antisubmarine Task Group 22.3 managed to force the German U-boat U-505 to the surface. In a bold move, a boarding party secured the submarine before it could be scuttled, capturing an Enigma machine and the current Kriegsmarine code books. This remarkable operation earned Lieutenant Albert David the…
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D-Day Legacy
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Angus attended a special event at the Green Howards Museum. They started at the regimental war memorial in Richmond (Yorkshire) at 6.30 a.m., which was when the Green Howards landed on Gold Beach. The day was packed with discussion about the regiment and their role on D-Day. It closed…
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D-Day Landing Craft
More than 132,000 Allied troops landed on the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944. Through their efforts, the tide of the war turned for the final time to favour the Allies. But how did the Allied army get to the shores of Normandy? The contribution of Landing Craft to D-Day is often overlooked. Andrew Whitmarsh…
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D-Day: Sword Beach
6th June 1944 saw the largest seaborne assault in human history: D-Day. While much has been written about the operation as a whole, little detailed attention has been paid to the battle for Sword Beach itself, the easternmost of the amphibious attack areas. For this episode, I am joined by Stephen Fisher. Stephen is a…