8.2/106 votesLoading...#1 - Courageous Captains
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 3/26/2023
Larry Chambers makes a risky decision during the Vietnam War. Ernest Evans faces a formidable Japanese fleet during WWII, and enslaved steamship pilot, Robert Smalls, stages a daring escape.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.1/1012 votesLoading...#2 - The Vessels That Saved D-Day
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 8/31/2017
In 1944, the fate of Europe depended on an Allied plan to land over 150,000 troops in just 24 hours on the beaches of Normandy. They would arrive on a remarkable armada of vessels, some experimental, some simply dangerous. Join us as we examine the D-Day invasion from the sea, tracing the critical naval operation that transported the troops to shore. We explore the technology behind the diverse and ingenious ships that bravely crossed the English Channel and present firsthand accounts from those who were part of the historic invasion.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.1/108 votesLoading...#3 - Stealth
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 5/25/2020
Over the past century, combat ships have been operating in secret, unseen by the enemy. Today, the military uses groundbreaking, radar-reflecting technology to evade detection, but well before then, the U.S. Navy has employed stealth tactics to pull off crucial operations that helped win wars. Join us as we take a look at World War II operations involving the small and fast PT boat and the legendary submarine HMS Seraph. Then see how the 1985 prototype Sea Shadow paved the way for the stealth ships of today.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.0/1010 votesLoading...#4 - The First Metal Warships
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 2/26/2017
In the 1850s, warships moved from metal engines to metal armor. It was the beginning of a groundbreaking era that changed ship design forever. Join us as we examine the rapid evolution of the ironclad ship, from the most fearsome naval weapon ever built, Britain's HMS Warrior, to the Civil War showdown between the Monitor and the Virginia to the rise of the dreadnought. Through archival photos, in-depth interviews, and visits to the surviving ships, journey to the experimental years that transformed naval combat and defined a new world order.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/1010 votesLoading...#5 - Submarines War Beneath the Waves
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 6/27/2017
It began with a barrel-shaped submersible that patrolled New York Harbor during the American Revolutionary War. Since then, the submarine has evolved into a vital weapon of war. Dive in as we track its history, from the 1775 Turtle to the 1879 Resurgam to the mighty German U-boats and nuclear subs of today. Rare archival footage, visits to surviving decommissioned subs, and interviews with crewmembers help explain how these machines became such a powerful symbol of naval supremacy.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/107 votesLoading...#6 - The Smallest Ships of War
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 4/9/2017
For centuries, small vessels have made immense contributions in times of war, thanks to the expertise, bravery, and sheer willpower of their designers and crews. Witness David and Goliath stories involving the tiny combat vessels that took on massive battleships and deadly subs. From the short-lived but legendary USS Philadelphia to the gunboat M33, see how ships of war don't have to be large to make history.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/1010 votesLoading...#7 - Mighty Wooden Warships
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 4/23/2017
Voyage back to the age when wooden warships were the ultimate fighting machines. From the Mary Rose, one of the first great combat ships, to the HMS Victory, which tattered Napoleon's plans of invading Britain in 1805, celebrate history's brave commanders and crews who rode these wooden wonders into battle. Witness how technological advancements in Europe and America led to longer, faster, and more heavily armed vessels.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/1010 votesLoading...#8 - Warships of the World Wars
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 6/20/2017
At the start of the 20th century, the battleship was the key naval vessel, escorting convoys and overpowering the enemy. But over the course of two world wars, technology raced ahead, drastically changing their role from flagships of the fleet to floating artillery vessels. Revisit some of the mighty battleship's greatest triumphs and tragedies and witness tales of heroic acts and daring missions, from the Battle of Jutland to the sinking of the HMS Royal Oak to the D-Day invasion.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/109 votesLoading...#9 - Torpedo Boats at War
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 7/19/2017
In the late 1800s, the invention of the self-propelled torpedo incited a revolution in ship design. Navies needed new vessels to fire them and to defend against them. Enter torpedo boats--fast, lightweight ships that would play a big role in both World Wars. Examine some of these sophisticated speedsters, from the German S-boats, which turned one D-Day rehearsal into a very real battle, the MTB 102, the smallest vessel to ever serve as a Royal Navy flagship, and the PT 109, which made a hero of a young JFK.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/108 votesLoading...#10 - Cold War Warriors
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 4/2/2017
The Cold War was an era of espionage, treachery, and the flexing of military muscle. Over four decades, the naval capabilities of East and West threatened assured mutual destruction, which helped maintain a tense but stable peace between the superpowers. Witness stories of remarkable humanity and bravery as we examine the period's most fearsome warships and subs and their operations in Cuba, Vietnam, and Soviet waters.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.8/106 votesLoading...#11 - Doomed Vessels
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 6/1/2020
Throughout the ages, combat ships were built to be fast and deadly, combining clever design, raw firepower and human heroism to carve out glory in battle. But some vessels, let down by bad design or bad luck, would go on to become bywords for failure: from the 16th-century Swedish warship that sank on its maiden voyage, to the Royal Navy's HMS Hood--a WWI cruiser with so little armor, she was easily dispatched by Germany's legendary Bismarck. It's a sobering account of the greatest tragedies in naval history.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.7/107 votesLoading...#12 - Rescue Ships
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 3/26/2017
In the past two centuries of combat, ships have played a major role in rescuing thousands of people--some injured, some in need of transport, and others fleeing for their lives. Board some of history's most remarkable rescue ships, from the USS Constellation, which hunted down illegal slave ships to the most unlikely rescue ship of World War II, a tiny workboat that saved hundreds of Danish Jews from Nazi terror.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.3/107 votesLoading...#13 - The Battle of Leyte Gulf
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 6/29/2020
It was a microcosm of naval warfare, involving battleships, carriers, destroyers, submarines, kamikazes, and fighter jets, all embroiled in an epic, three-day battle that marked the beginning of the end to the Pacific War. This is an inside look at the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the thousands of vessels involved, including the largest, most powerful battleships ever built: Japan's Musashi and Yamato. We detail the brilliant strategies, heroic acts, stunning decisions, and mighty machines that made this the biggest sea conflict in history.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.1/108 votesLoading...#14 - Secrets and Lies
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 4/16/2017
Explore the dark side of naval warfare--a world of deception, double-dealing, and disguised vessels--throughout the first half of the 20th century. See how Britain's Royal Navy attempted to fool German U-boats through the technique of "dazzle painting," then look at the ingeniously designed Gizmo, an American spy vessel that never made it beyond American waters.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.9/108 votesLoading...#15 - Viking Longships
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 5/18/2020
Over the centuries, longships evolved from swift war canoes to become the preeminent fighting machines of the age. For over 200 years, Vikings depended on these vessels to carry them across the ocean to trade and to plunder. With names such as Surf Dragon and Great Serpent, these ships became part of Viking culture and took on almost magical properties. But what was the secret behind their power? We examine the story of longships and those who built them, a people who were often violent and bloody...but also expert craftsmen.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#16 - Destroyers and Cruisers
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 6/8/2020
Destroyers and cruisers are the quintessential combat ships, each featuring speed and firepower while carrying out unique roles within a navy. We highlight the similarities and differences of these two warships and share stories of some of the most influential vessels and battles, from the lone-wolf cruiser, HMS Gannet, which became a powerful symbol of the Victorian anti-slavery campaign to the legendary USS Laffey, the World War II destroyer that stared down the largest kamikaze attack in history.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#17 - Secrets of the Sea
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 6/15/2020
From the capture of U-505 to the sinking of the Lusitania; from the war games of Gilbert Roberts that man behind the fabled 'Operation Raspberry," which nullified the threat of German U-boats, to the highly cinematic deception at the heart of the Pentagon's capture of a sunken Soviet nuclear sub. Covert missions and secret strategies have been at the heart of naval engagement since the very beginning, often helping pick the winners. Join us on a revealing and highly classified look.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#18 - Galleons and Privateers
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 6/22/2020
In the 16th century, the Spanish Armada were the reigning maritime superpower, with mighty galleons at their disposal. The English, on the other hand, were the upstarts, opportunistic pirates with inferior ships. Led by buccaneering figures such as Francis Drake and John Hawkins, English ships technology began to catch up, leading to the revolutionary "race-built galleons." In 1588, both sides would meet in battle for the right to be declared rulers of the waves.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#19 - Amphibious Assaults
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 7/6/2020
Amphibious vessels: specialized landing craft built to go where no other combat ship can reach and able to deliver tanks, jeeps, soldiers, and supplies to the front lines. We detail some of the greatest ships in the history of amphibious warfare, from the LCT, which dropped the huge Allied fighting force onto the beaches of Normandy in 1944, to the Swift boats that patrolled Vietnam's shores. We also chart the evolution of combat hovercraft, and how the PACVs of the '60s grew to become a mainstay for the U.S. Navy's Assault Craft Units.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#20 - Game Changers
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 2/27/2022
A look at the game-changers of maritime combat-revolutionary ships and the groundbreaking designers behind them
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#21 - The Battle of Trafalgar
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 3/6/2022
The vessels employed in the Battle of Trafalgar, a naval engagement contested in October 1805 in the Atlantic Ocean between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#22 - The Battle of Inchon
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 3/13/2022
The Battle of Inchon, an amphibious invasion and conflict within the Korean War, which resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations Command. It was one of the the riskiest amphibious assaults in history, in one of the world's most treacherous harbors.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#23 - Gulf War Warriors
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 3/20/2022
The ships involved in the biggest naval deployments in recent history - Persian Gulf, Iran-Iraq War and Desert Storm.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#24 - Sunk
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 3/27/2022
Stories of naval ships that sank below the waves, from veterans who survived during the Falklands War to a hi-tech mission to solve a Second World War mystery.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votesLoading...#25 - Top Guns
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 4/3/2022
A look at naval armaments through history, from cannon armed sailing ships to cutting-edge weapon technology destined for the next generation of combat ships
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Combat Ships
Every episode of Combat Ships ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Combat Ships!
The very first submarine, which legend claims lurked beneath New York Harbor during the American Revolutionary War. The small ships that rescued thousands from Dunkirk....
Genre:Documentary
Network:Smithsonian Channel
Best Episodes Summary
"Courageous Captains" is the best rated episode of "Combat Ships". It scored 8.2/10 based on 6 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 3/26/2023. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Vessels That Saved D-Day".