WWII in HD — Season 1
10 episodesFirst aired 15 November 2009
Seventy years in the making. Three thousand hours of colour footage no one knew existed. The first documentary to show World War II from the perspective of both sides in full immersive HD colour. The WWII in HD series uses the diaries of soldiers who fought in the war’s biggest battles to create a personal, introspective and detailed look at life on and off the front lines. Though it was illegal for U.S. soldiers to carry diaries, many hid them away in their packs and recorded their experiences in detail. Now, through the use of these diaries and other source documents, as well as HD colour and on-location shooting around the world, WWII in HD transforms their journey into a tangible piece of history. Culled from rare colour archival footage from an exhaustive worldwide search and converted to HD with meticulous technique, WWII in HD provides a picture of World War II as it has never been seen before.
E1Darkness Falls
8.0Nov 200950m
Darkness falls... and Europe falls under Nazi control. America was unprepared for joining the war and got hit hard with the attack on Pearl Harbor. North Africa and Guadalcanal were the first bloody battlegrounds.
E2Hard Way Back
8.0Nov 200947m
The Allies take on the daunting forces of the Axis, with victory far from certain. Charles Scheffel battles Rommel's forces in Tunisia and Jack Werner faces bitter combat in the northern Pacific.
E3Bloody Resolve
8.0Nov 200944m
The Marines assault Tarawa in one of the bloodiest battles yet waged. MacArthur island-hops and Italy's front lines claim a casualty.
E4Battle Stations
6.0Nov 200945m
The Allies lay plans for the invasion of France; Bert Stiles and the 8th Air Force attempt to clear the skies over Normandy, while the Pacific remains a quagmire. D-Day arrives.
E5Day of Days
6.0Nov 200944m
The Allies are bogged down in Normandy's hedgerows in the aftermath of D-Day, while on Saipan, victory turns to horror.
E6Point of No Return
8.0Nov 200945m
The Allies race toward Germany as American Marines battle for ground on Peleliu and across the bloody Pacific.
E7Striking Distance
8.0Nov 200944m
American forces storm the Philippines while Shelby Westbrook is shot down over Europe. Jack Yusen battles the dangers of the deep when his ship is sunk after a heroic duel.
E8Glory and Guts
8.0Nov 200944m
The Marine assault on Iwo Jima brings horror and glory. Pilot Bert Stiles engages a German fighter with disastrous consequences. Reinforcements arrive in Europe to push the Allies toward victory.
E9Edge of the Abyss
6.0Nov 200943m
The Battle of the Bulge pushes the Allies to the brink, and Rockie Blunt barely survives the fight. Okinawa erupts as the Japanese make their last stand. Hitler is handed a final ultimatum.
E10End Game
6.0Nov 200944m
With the end in sight, Okinawa is a bloody obstacle to victory. The third Reich ends with a single gunshot. America delivers the final blow to Japan and the world celebrates the fall of the Axis.