Discovery Channel - Scorched Earth: Atlantic Convoys (2000)

The weapons and tactics that changed the face of war. Scorched Earth is a series of episodes from World War II, focusing on military conflicts and methods such as amphibious warfare, tanks, airborne warfare and infantry firepower. It is the ultimate documentation of the weapons, warriors, and strategies that shaped the battles of World War II.

1. Atlantic Convoys (2000)
During World War Two, Britain was absolutely reliant on maritime trade for its survival. The protection of its merchant fleet, therefore became an issue of paramount importance. After June 1940 however, German U-Boats began to operate in the Atlantic and appalling losses were inflicted on Allied merchant shipping. Arctic convoys were twice suspended in 1942 as German aircraft and submarines wrought havoc on the waves. The trip to the Russian port of Murmansk soon became known as the death trip because so few ships returned.
Featuring powerful filmed memories of veterans from both sides of the conflict, this is an account of one of World War Two s most pitiless theatres of operations, where men lived in constant fear of the unseen dangers of the deep. The film features 3-D graphics and animation to show the realities of a submarine attack and the mechanics of a ship's defences, with in-depth analysis from Dr Tim Bean of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

2. Carrier Warfare (1997)
It was in the late summer of 1943 that the American Navy launched its operation to drive the Japanese from the central Pacific. The aircraft carrier was to play a crucial role in its success, for not only did the new carriers give the Americans enormous fire-power, but also, the US shipyards were turning them out at a rate of one per month.
This programme tells the dramatic story of the desperate struggle for the Pacific. It features rare archive footage of aircraft carriers in action and examines their function in this vital theatre of war. Carrier Warfare also includes informative 3-D computer graphics.

3. Kriegsmarine - The German Navy of WW2 (1998)
Adolf Hitler had promised his naval commanders that there would be no war in Europe before 1942. Accordingly, plans were laid for the best naval force in the world, but when Hitler precipitated the Second World War in 1939, only a fraction of the necessary ships and submarines were ready. At the outbreak of war Germany did not even possess a single aircraft carrier. The battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz fought famous actions at sea, but the Kriegsmarine was always on the back foot, crippled by superior opponents and strangled by bureaucratic neglect at home.
This documentary features rare footage from the British and German archives of the men and ships of the Kriegsmarine in its brief heyday plus innovative maps and graphics, and new footage of the last resting place of the Tirpitz. It also includes computer animation and military analysis from Dr. Simon Trew and Tim Bean of The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.