Narrow Escapes of World War II - Season 1

The Chindits were British Special Forces that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign of World War II. Major General Orde Wingate formed and led them to implement his newly developed guerrilla warfare tactic of long-range penetration. The Chindits operated deep behind Japanese lines in the jungles of north Burma and fought for months at a time totally relying on airdrops for supplies.

A gripping account of the most daring raids of WWII: a British squadron of low-flying Mosquito bombers freed French Resistance fighters from Amiens Prison. Operation Jericho occurred on February 18, 1944.

America's astonishing first air raid on the Japanese archipelago, led by Colonel 'Jimmy' Doolittle. The offensive took place in retaliation for the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.

The 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, a depleted unit of black soldiers, were surrounded and down to their last rounds. They risked everything to tenaciously fight off the Nazis at Bastogne and help win the Battle of the Bulge.

This is the dramatic story of how the Germans captured Crete and how Major General Robert "Lucky" Laycock led his ill-equipped troops in a desperate rearguard action against crack German mountain troops.

Thousands of German troops narrowly evade the surrounding Soviet Red Army. German General Erich Von Manstein devised one of the most brilliant escapes in military history. Military Schools still study his miraculous plan, which became the basis for NATO's defense.

In 1944, 1,500 outnumbered British troops amazingly held Japanese forces at the key Burmese town of Kohima. 

Outnumbered British troops amazingly held Japanese forces at the key Burmese town of Kohima.

The defense of Tobruk by Australian General Leslie Morshead.

Operation Hannibal is the evacuation of two million East Prussians by the German Navy in early 1945.

Dudley Mason plays a vital role in securing the island of Malta.

Leon Degrelle and a motley crew of Finns, Estonians and fellow Belgians held off the three million-strong Russian army, enabling 56,000 men to escape.