TV Schedule for Smithsonian Channel USA HD

Combat Ships River Raiders

A look at riverine warfare from the Civil War to Vietnam and small but powerful combat ships.

Combat Ships Explosion!

Recounting some of maritime warfare's explosions, from world wars and Vietnam to the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll.

Combat Ships Viking Longships

The story of one of the world's most effective war machines: the Viking longship, seeing how its design evolved from swift war canoe to versatile and feared ship that would change the course of history.

Combat Ships Stealth

Vessels that operate in secret, unseen by their enemies, from secret missions that helped win World War II to modern stealth ships using strange shapes and technology to avoid spying ears and eyes.

Combat Ships Wooden Warships

A look at the most famous wooden warships over the course of 500 years.

Combat Ships Destroyers and Cruisers

The ships that made mighty empires, from the lone wolves that patrolled the high seas for imperial Britain to the USS Laffey's heroic WWII battle against kamikazes at Okinawa.

Combat Ships Amphibious Assaults

The evolution of amphibious assault vehicles, including the restoration of Britain's last surviving LCT 7074 landing craft, designed to carry six Churchill tanks.

Combat Ships Rescue Ships

A look at some of the rescue ships of the past 200 years of wartime and the brave men and women who risked their lives to save others.

Combat Ships Game Changers

A look at experimental ships and revolutionary designers that have changed the tide of war through the centuries.

Combat Ships Mutiny

A look at how technological advances over the centuries have transformed maritime warfare.

The Pacific War in Color An Ocean Apart

A look at life in the Pacific before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, presented through home movies and combat footage.

The Pacific War in Color Shockwaves

Months after the Pearl Harbor attack, shock waves reverberate in every corner of the Pacific; Americans deploy to stem the enemy's advance; after culture clashes, Allied forces later bond over efforts to thwart Japan's move to control New Guinea.

The Pacific War in Color Island Hopping

In 1943, the United States engages in a new series of island-hopping invasions; the first stop is the Tarawa Atoll, where troops embark upon the largest amphibious invasion ever staged in the Pacific to fight one of the costliest battles of the war.

The Pacific War in Color The Enemy Underground

By the summer of 1944, the United States is gaining the upper hand in the Pacific War with better training, troop numbers and supply lines; it aims for the heart of Japan's inner defense ring, engaging in a naval battle for Saipan in the Marianas.

The Pacific War in Color Striking Distance

Allied forces move to take the valuable islands of Tinian and Guam that threaten American air operations; meanwhile, Gen. Curtis LeMay is tasked with planning and executing a fire bombing campaign against Japan.

The Pacific War in Color Fire From the Sky

Allies slug it out on the island of Peleliu in a campaign to pave the way for Gen. MacArthur's return to the Philippines; footage shows troops enduring the muddy muck in the Philippines; Japan unveils a devastating new tactic, the kamikaze.

The Pacific War in Color No Surrender

By the spring of 1945, the United States begins to take back the Philippines; on Borneo, the Australians invade Labuan; when the United States invades Okinawa, Japan makes a strong stand and launches the biggest kamikaze attacks of the war.

The Pacific War in Color From the Ashes

President Harry Truman decides to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Emperor Hirohito surrenders, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrives to oversee the country's occupation; mortal enemies must now become partners in Japan's rebirth.

Air Warriors OV-10 Bronco

The Vietnam-era OV-10 Bronco is pulled out of retirement to join the fight against ISIS.

Air Warriors MiG

The history of the Russian MiG, American air power's fiercest rival for more than 50 years.

Air Warriors Messerschmitt BF 109

Considered the deadliest fighter of WWII, Germany's Me-109s were feared by Allied bombers and fighters alike; 109s fought Spitfires in the Battle of Britain and alongside Rommel in North Africa.

F6F Hellcat

The naval fighter designed to counter the Japanese Zero turns the tide of the war in the Pacific.

Air Warriors F-14 Tomcat

The true story of the F-14 Tomcat, the military aircraft made famous in "Top Gun"; how it served as the US Navy's top carrier fighter for a generation.

Air Warriors Tornado

An inside look at the Panavia Tornado's evolution from a Cold War low-level bomber to a high-level fighter-interceptor.