TV Schedule for Smithsonian Channel USA

Combat Ships The Battle of Leyte Gulf

It is considered the largest sea battle in history: the Battle of Leyte Gulf in WWII was three days of ingenious strategy and white-knuckle combat between warships, aircraft and kamikazes.

Combat Ships The Battle of Incheon

A portrayal of a crucial September 1950 military operation that helped the UN and ROK gain the upper hand over North Korea in the Korean War.

Combat Ships Lightning Strikes

Examining some of maritime history's most effective lightning strikes; how the French frigate Nivôse set a trap to lure Somali pirates; how the HMS Illustrious captured a well-defended Mediterranean harbor in WWII; a surprise attack on Tokyo in 1942.

Combat Ships Secrets and Lies

A look at how the art of deception was used by naval forces in the first half of the 20th century; in 1939, the German raider Atlantis is equipped with fake funnels, while its sailors dressed as women pushing prams to fool Allied merchant ships.

Combat Ships Galleons and Privateers

Revolutionary ship design helped Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake lead England to defeat the Spanish Armada and become a world power.

Combat Ships The Fast and Furious

A look at Naval warfare's fastest combat ships and how the advantage of speed determined the outcome of some of the great seas battles of the last 150 years.

Combat Ships Doomed Vessels

Bad design, human error and the enemy sent great ships to tragic ends, like Britain's K13 submarine and HMS Hood, Sweden's 17th century Vasa, and Kublai Khan's fleet, sunk by the original kamikaze.

Combat Ships Metal War Ships

The evolution from wooden ships to metal ones in the second half of the 19th century is examined.

Combat Ships War Beneath the Waves

The 200-year evolution of the submarine in wartime is examined, told by the designers and engineers behind the machines.

Combat Ships Cold War Warriors

An up-close look at the naval carriers, destroyers, and nuclear submarines of the Cold War.

Combat Ships Torpedo Boats

From tests in the River Thames, to the German's deadly U-boat attacks in World War II, this episode explores the silent threat of submarines.

Combat Ships Hidden Figures

Stories of historic Black struggle for equality in maritime combat; an enslaved powder boy who served during the French and Indian War; a Civil War gunner; the first African American to command a vessel with a fully integrated crew: Hugh Mulzac.

Air Warriors Mosquito

A look at the British multi-role fighter aircraft; the de Havilland Mosquito was used in the Second World War as a bomber, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft.

Air Warriors KC-135 Stratotanker

The history of the KC-135 Stratotanker, the 60-year-old aerial refueler that keeps fighter jets flying.

Air Warriors Osprey

The Marine Corps' V-22 Osprey.

Air Warriors F-15

The F-15 Eagle's conquests in Iraq, Yugoslavia and even space.

Air Warriors P-38 Lightning

Innovative engineering allows the P-38 Lightning to fly faster and climb higher than any other WWII warplane; a twin-propeller fighter with heavy armaments packed into its nose, the P-38 becomes one of America's premiere combat planes during the war.

Air Warriors Apache

The AH-64 Apache, one of the most heavily fortified and well-armed helicopters ever built.

Air Warriors F-18

Exploring the history of the F-18 and how the U.S. Navy's dual-role aircraft has dominated both the air and the battlefields for over three decades.

Air Warriors Harrier

The inside story of the Harrier, the world's most famous short takeoff and vertical landing fighter jet.

Air Warriors B-1 Lancer

The history of the B-1 Lancer reveals how the Cold War bomber evolved to become one of Americas most effective military aircraft.

Air Warriors Top Ten Cold War

A countdown of the most influential and impactful military planes of the Cold War, from America's B-2 to the Soviet's MiG-15.

Air Warriors F-86 Sabre

The inside story of the F-86 Sabre, one of America's first fighter jets, and its epic battles against the Soviet MiG jet during the Korean War and beyond.

Air Warriors Top Ten 21st Century

A look at the top U.S. military aircraft in America's modern arsenal, including the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, the hybrid V-22 Osprey, and more.