Victory at Sea

Using Japanese footage, we see the planning, execution, and ultimately the celebration of the Asian country's attack on Pearl Harbor. There's also an explanation provided for the attack and some peaceful moments depicted among the U.S. sailors before the fateful events unfold. And out of this wreckage, the bloodied U.S. Navy fleet rises up to fight another day.

With war now declared on the U.S. front, naval forces throughout the states have banded together to bring convoys of supplies across the Atlantic Ocean to our Allies in England. German U-Boats come through and manage to destroy some of ships along the way. Still, Americans are resilient...

Japan is ascendant as it successfully invades Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. But the Americans draw first blood, first on the Coral Sea, and ultimately on Midway as they manage to bomb four of Japan's aircraft carriers--the same ones that participated in Pearl Harbor--making the imperial fleet retreat and giving the U.S. an incredible early victory in the pacific...

World War II comes to the Mediterranean Sea as Italian, French and British naval forces flex their muscle. British forces have the enviable position of guarding the sea as they escort convoys from Gibraltar to Malta. Still, they have their relaxing moments, especially the daily mealtimes: Morning cocoa, breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper. Meanwhile, the German Luftwaffe never fails to besiege the island of Malta, but they remain steadfastly determined to keep fighting and tough it out. Their heroism is rewarded when King George VI pays a later visit to the island, reviving their spirits.

After training in Australia and New Zealand, the U.S. Marines land on Guadalcanal. The U.S. Navy suffers defeat after defeat at the hands of the Japanese Navy around the island--in an area called Ironbottom Sound. Essential information is conveyed about how some deaths are caused not just by battle but also by malaria that comes from the long stays in the Guadalcanal rain forests. The number of people dying on both sides is especially emphasized here, a remarkable example of endurance. Meanwhile, to the tune of Richard Rodgers' most famous march from the series, America's men and materiel are mobilized against the ultimate struggle that is World War II.

The Japanese Navy is ascendant in its conquests, of which its linchpin is the main base at Rabaul in the New Britain Islands. This Victory at Sea episode refers to the US strategy of surrounding and strangling the Japanese base in the fall of 1943 through set piece invasions of its surrounding islands (Bouganville, Rendova). Praise should be given to the Seabees, which made the airfields operational in a short time, and observation planes and radar, which helped the U.S. Navy stop cold Japanese reinforcements and counterattacks.

Mussolini calls the Mediterranean "mare nostrum"--our sea. And seeks to exploit it to the full. British and Greek military forces, however, defeat the Italians, forcing the Germans to bring in the Afrika Korps. But it is in the heroic sea battles to take over the Mediterranean that is the crux. At issue is who controls the Suez Canal in Egypt. Eventually, the Allies triumph, and proceeded to destroy the Germans in the desert.

The Soviet Union demand a "second front" as their country struggles under the might of the Nazis. The wish is granted as Roosevelt and Churchill in Casablanca agree on the first invasion at North Africa against General Rommel's forces via Operation Torch, while the Allies also neutralize many of the axis' Mediterranean supply bases. Eventually, the Germans fight back, but to no avail.

The South Atlantic becomes a front in the overall Battle of the Atlantic, from the pursuit of the Graf Spee to the battle between HMS Devonshire and the German raider Atlantis. The Allies, meanwhile, nurture their ties to South America and gained a vital base in Ascension Island. Despite deep rooted Nazi sympathy, the South American nations rallied to the Allies' cause, securing vital bases, forces, and resources.

This episode of Victory at Sea explores the battles between the Allies and Germans over the Arctic Circle, and the convoys battling past Nazi-occupied Norway to Russia. Meanwhile, Japan unsuccessfully invades Alaska, and the U.S. Navy again is called to guard this vital area amidst the toughest climate and vast vistas.