The History of WWII Podcast

Adm. Yamamoto wants to occupy the Midway Islands, but first needs to confuse his opponent Adm. Chester Nimitz with a diversionary attack on the Aleutian Islands. The attack on Midway does not go according to plan, but neither does the defense of Dutch Harbor, Attu or Kiska. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shot Down covers the events leading up to and after the crew of the B 17 Susan Ruth is shot down over the French/Belgium border on February 8, 1944. Of the ten man crew, some died, some ended up in prison camps, and some evaded capture. As for Pilot Howard Snyder, find out how he evaded capture from the Gestapo for 7 long months.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the carrier USS Enterprise is late for its return to Pearl Harbor, Adm. Bull Halsey sends on ahead Scouting and Bombing squadron 6. The 18 Douglas Dauntless SBDs are about to fly into the tragedy that is the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Also Lt. Gen. Walter Short, in overall command, realizes the unthinkable has happened. And Chaplin Lt. Howell M. Forgy of the USS New Orleans is about to utter...

Dr. Jonathan Fennell discusses the importance of morale in his latest book: Fighting the People’s War: The British and Commonwealth Armies and The Second World War https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Peoples-War-British-Commonwealth-ebook/dp/B07MHXD6D2/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548475894&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Dr.+Jonathan+Fennell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Japanese bombs and bullets begin to destroy American equipment and lives, the mostly young men are about to find out what they're made of. This episode focuses on the American's response at Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station, the Marines' Mooring Mast Field at Ewa and Bellows Field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a crossover from The Cold War Podcast that I co-host with Cameron Reilly. With us is historian Andrew Roberts as we discuss his new book, Churchill-Walking with Destiny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back with us is Flint Whitlock as we discuss his book Depths of Courage:American Submariners at War with Japan, 1941-1945. With America's surface fleet and air arm crippled after Pearl Harbor, the few subs in the Pacific were tasked with keeping the Japanese Navy at bay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laszlo Montgomery of The China History Podcast joins me to discuss Claire Chennault and the Flying Tigers. Just after the devastation of Pearl Harbor, the AVG are the only Americans taking the fight to the Japanese Empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please checkout The Parcast Network's latest hit: Assassinations. One death can change the world. Assassinations recounts history’s most dramatic deaths.  Through little-known facts, “what-ifs?” and examining the assassin's motives, they explore how one murder can alter the course of history. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/assassinations/id1441176049?mt=2  Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

With the Allies being held up in southern Italy by The Gustav Line, near the end of 1943, Gen. Mark Clark decides to do an end run. The force of British and American troops, led by Gen. John Lucas, will land just south of Rome. However, the Allies have few facts to go on and will be caught off guard by the number of troops Field Marshal Albert Kesselring will throw at the tiny beach head at Anzio....

The 2nd Air Wave comes at Pearl Harbor to finish what the First Wave started. Yet, their target selection will be poor. Meanwhile, the Americans are as ready as they can be and as such, the invaders will suffer more than double the losses from the first attack. Still, the battleships Nevada and Pennsylvania will be heavily targeted. Pictured are the Cassin, Downes and in the rear, the flag ship Pe...

While the official government story has always been that no Allied POWs were held in German concentration camps, 168 Allied airmen were beaten, experimented on, and otherwise mistreated in Buchenwald, where the famous rocket scientist Wernher von Braun obtained slave labor for his V-2 factory, the Mittelwerk. Here is the story of one of those airmen, Frederic Martini. Learn more about your ad choi...

This episode covers the first attack wave of Japanese aircraft, from the Japanese point of view. Battleship Row is hit, but Fuchida's plan is far from perfect. Then came the high level bombers, which inflicted damage on every battleship, sinking 3 of them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first air wave of attacking Japanese warplanes reaches Oahu, on their way to Pearl Harbor. But before they reach Battleship Row, several civilian planes offer the excited pilots a chance to score their first kills. The locals and US Military personnel on the ground can't believe their eyes. They assume, it's the most life like war game ever put on by the Army and Navy Brass. Learn more about y...

Writer Robin Hutton talks about her latest book which tells of the animals who contributed to the Allied effort of WWII. There's Chips, who served as a sentry dog for the Roosevelt-Churchill conference; Ding, a paradog whose plane was hit by enemy fire on D-Day, ended up in a tree, and once on the ground still saved lives. G.I. Joe, who flew 20 miles in 20 minutes and stopped the planes on the tar...

In the predawn darkness, the Japanese Strike Force has prepared to launch its first wave of bombers and fighters. Meanwhile, the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor sleeps. However, a strange looking submarine is spotted and fired upon near the entrance to Pearl, by the USS Ward. Word of this gets back to Adm. Husband Kimmel, who then has to decide how to react. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...

Writer Mary Jo McConahay comes on the show to discuss her latest book, The Tango War: The Struggle for the Hearts, Minds and Riches of Latin America during WWII. We discuss Latin America's involvement in WWII, which includes Mexican Oil, Brazilian Rubber, The Smoking Cobras and Mickey Mouse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 7, 1941, Ambassador Nomura and Special Envoy Kurusu are about to give Secretary of State Hull and FDR Japan's response to the Hull Note. But really, it's a declaration of war. That is, until the Japanese Military changes the wording. All of America will find out about the attack on Pearl Harbor before the Japanese representatives do. Pictured is Nomura, Hull and Kurusu. Learn more abou...

Multiple Japanese Assault Fleets are on the move, but with so much incoming information, President Roosevelt and his cabinet do not pick up on the threat to Pearl Harbor. Besides, the military men advising FDR still can not imagine the smaller nation starting an all out war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attacked on 30 July 1945,  the heavy cruiser was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58, and sank in 12 minutes. However, the two authors seek nothing short than to tell the entire story and return the USS indianpolis to its rightful place as the proud and courageous flagship of the US 5th Fleet during WWII.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emperor Hirohito reluctantly gives his approval for the attack on Pearl Harbor. As Tojo said, "With war, if you don't try it, you can't know how it will turn out." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Through MAGIC, the US's ability to read Japan's diplomatic messages, FDR learns of a final deadline and a coming Japanese attack. Pictured are Ambassador Nomura and special representative Kurusu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tokyo and Washington seem to be making progress in their peace talks. And yet, the Japanese 1st Air Fleet departs for its attack on Pearl Harbor.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prince Konoye's government collapses as Gen. Tojo demands war with the U.S. Emperor Hirohito then orders Tojo to form his own government, hoping this will cause the Japanese Army to be more cautious. Meanwhile the alerts sent to Pearl Harbor by Washington remain vague.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Vinogradova comes back to the show to discuss her latest book, Defending the Motherland: The Soviet Women Who Fought Hiter's Aces. This episode's sponsor: parcast.com/gone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices