Combat Ships - Season 3

Over the centuries, many battles at sea were decided by breakthrough ships, "game changers" that turned the tide of war and made maritime history. This episode looks at these revolutionary vessels, from the War of 1812 hero, the USS Constitution, to the small and speedy CMB-4 to the mass-produced Liberty cargo ships. We also celebrate the groundbreaking designers and engineers behind the game changers, including Raye Montague, who smashed gender and racial barriers and revolutionized how U.S. Navy designs ships.

The Battle of Trafalgar pit the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies in October 1805 in the Atlantic Ocean. The naval engagement lasted only five hours but established the Royal Navy's supremacy for over a century. The deadly conflict featured legendary leaders Napoleon Bonaparte and Horatio Nelson along with the greatest warships of their era: the HMS Victory and the Santísima Trinidad. We present a blow-by-blow account of the conflict, from the innovative tactics to the events that unfolded when the guns began firing to the tragic climax that cemented Admiral Nelson's legacy.

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.

The Persian Gulf has been the stage for some of the biggest naval deployments in recent history, and since 1987, the U.S. military and its warships have been in the middle of the action, facing missiles, mines, and terrorist attacks. In this episode, we follow some of the major operations that have taken place in this small body of water—from Earnest Will to Praying Mantis to Desert Storm—and examine the combat vessels from both sides, including the Mark III Patrol Boat, the IRIS Sabalan with the USS Samuel B. Roberts, the USS Missouri on its final mission, and USS Cole hit by a suicide bomber.

New high-tech investigations uncover what sunk a World War I cruiser, a World War II submarine, a British destroyer from the Falklands War, and more.

A look at how navy weapons have evolved over the centuries, from cannons to gun turrets to nuclear missiles and beyond.

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.

A look at riverine warfare from the Civil War to Vietnam and small but powerful combat ships that led important "brown water navy" missions.