Smithsonian HD Network

History's most terrifying air disasters, and the investigations that followed, are revisited and reexamined.

History's most terrifying air disasters, and the investigations that followed, are revisited and reexamined.

A look at the fate of United Airlines Flight 232 which crashed into Sioux City's runway in 1989; it caused a subsequent explosion that left 111 people dead.

The legendary Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, which pitted Napoleon's French ships against a British armada under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson.

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.

Examining some of maritime history's most effective lightning strikes; how the French frigate Nivôse set a trap to lure Somali pirates; how the HMS Illustrious captured a well-defended Mediterranean harbor in WWII; a surprise attack on Tokyo in 1942.

A look at how the art of deception was used by naval forces in the first half of the 20th century; in 1939, the German raider Atlantis is equipped with fake funnels, while its sailors dressed as women pushing prams to fool Allied merchant ships.

Revolutionary ship design helped Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake lead England to defeat the Spanish Armada and become a world power.

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.

Exploring the world's top close air support aircraft, which enter battles at a minute's notice.

The history of the KC-135 Stratotanker, the 60-year-old aerial refueler that keeps fighter jets flying.

The North American F-100 Super Saber, also known as the Hun, becomes a supersonic powerhouse after initial difficulties; it was used primarily in the Vietnam War.

The 35-year history of the UH-60 Black Hawk.

A look at how the C-47 evolved from passenger plane to a transport aircraft and flying hospital in WWII and years later as a gunship in Vietnam.

Stories of fighter aircraft and deadly combat, including dogfights with the P-38 Lightning and Messerschmitts over Nazi Germany, told through rarely seen battle footage and first-hand accounts.

The history of the B-1 Lancer reveals how the Cold War bomber evolved to become one of Americas most effective military aircraft.

A countdown of the most influential and impactful military planes of the Cold War, from America's B-2 to the Soviet's MiG-15.

Germany devastated Allied ships in the Atlantic, thanks to the new wolf pack tactic in 1940.

The Nazi campaign to send U-boats across the Atlantic to the U.S. at the beginning of Operation Drumbeat.

U.S. submarine skippers change the course of the WWII after entering the war and taking the fight to Japanese warships.

A 3-day clash between Nazi U-boats and Allied ships in March of 1943 marks a major turning point in World War II.

In June of 1944, American skipper Sam Dealey leads a rescue mission in Borneo.