War Factories - Season 3
Season 3
Episodes
Rolls-Royce
The Spitfire, the Hurricane, the Lancaster and Wellington Bombers, the P51 Mustang – all iconic aircraft which arguably won the Battle of Britain - were all powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.
In a time of war, factories need to mass produce. Rolls-Royce, with its slow and careful production methods, could not keep up with demand despite running factories in Derby, Crewe and Glasgow, and was compelled to license the Merlin engine to the Packard Motor Company in Detroit.
Enterprise: The Rise of the Aircraft Carrier
The story of the rise of the aircraft carrier and how it changed the tactics of sea warfare.
Skoda: The Factory That Fought Back
Back in the 1930s, Skoda's Czech factory was one of the biggest arms producers in Europe and became the cover for espionage, sabotage and the liberation of Jews from all over Europe.
Porsche
This episode tells the story of how car designer Ferdinand Porsche became one of the most influential engineers in all Nazi Germany, and by inventing the slowest war machines in the world, created the blueprint for the muscle cars that would make his name.
Opel - The Trucks of Blitzkrieg
For the Germans, the truck became the secret weapon that changed warfare. From the mountain passes of the Ardennes, across the deserts of Libya and the vast wilderness of Russia, the humble truck enabled the German Army to conduct its lightning war with the speed and efficiency it required. And the key machine in Blitzkrieg was the GM Opel Blitz. This episode tells the story of the Blitz and the American-owned war factories that would produce them, putting business before country.
The Story of the Machine Gun
This episode looks at the invention and evolution of the machine gun, and how the weapon that changed the art of war was adopted and adapted by war factories around the world. The Maxim Gun was developed by a British-based American inventor called Hiram Maxim and was the first fully automatic machine-gun. The only problem was that it weighed a whopping 136 lbs. British company Vickers acquired Maxim's company and moved on the design.
Recently Updated Shows
Fire Country
In Fire Country, seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence, young convict Bode Donovan joins a firefighting program that returns him to his small Northern California hometown, where he and other inmates work alongside elite firefighters to extinguish massive blazes across the region.
Elsbeth
Elsbeth follows Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD. After leaving her successful legal career in Chicago to tackle a new investigative role in New York City, Elsbeth finds herself jockeying with the toast of the NYPD, Captain C.W. Wagner, a charismatic and revered leader. Working alongside Elsbeth is Officer Kaya Blanke, a stoic and ethical officer who quickly develops an appreciation for Elsbeth's insightful and offbeat ways.
The Rookie
The Rookie is inspired by a true story. John Nolan is the oldest rookie in the LAPD. At an age where most are at the peak of their career, Nolan cast aside his comfortable, small town life and moved to L.A. to pursue his dream of being a cop. Now, surrounded by rookies twenty years his junior, Nolan must navigate the dangerous, humorous and unpredictable world of a "young" cop, determined to make his second shot at life count.
Slow Horses
Slow Horses follows the story of a group of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 called Slough House after the big mistakes they've made that resulted in the end of their mainstream careers.
This quick-witted spy drama follows a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.