Get it on Google Play

265: War at Sea '41 Pt. 3 - Operation Berlin

265: War at Sea '41 Pt. 3 - Operation Berlin

Author: Wesley Livesay July 13, 2026 Duration: 24:32
History of the Second World War
HistoryCultureDocumentarySocietySociety & Culture
In early 1941, the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau set out on Operation Berlin, an attempt to break into the Atlantic and strike at Britain's convoy lifeline. This episode follows Admiral Günther Lütjens as he weighs weather, fuel, British patrols, and strict orders against the promise of a major commerce-raiding success, while also examining how the absence of German carrier aviation limited what the surface fleet could accomplish. When the two battleships finally found convoy HX-106, the presence of the aging battleship Ramillies revealed the central tension of the operation: Germany's most powerful raiders could threaten the Atlantic, but they could not afford the damage that might come from forcing the issue. Credit Episode Image: ⁠https://www.flickr.com/photos/state_library_south_australia/3331881750/in/album-72157623232407924 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podcast Episodes
257: Crete Pt. 2 - May 20th at Maleme [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:21
At dawn on May 20, 1941, the German airborne assault on Crete began — the largest parachute operation in history to that point. This episode covers the opening day of the battle at Maleme, where a combination of German i…
256: Crete Pt. 1 - Preparations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:11
Following the Allied defeat on the Greek mainland, thousands of British, Australian, and New Zealand troops were evacuated to the island of Crete in late April 1941, many arriving without their heavy weapons and with mor…
255: Greece Pt. 7 - The Invasion Ends [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:34
Just ten days after Germany launched Operation Marita, the decision was made to evacuate all British forces from Greece — and this episode covers the chaotic final weeks of the campaign as that decision unfolded. Greek m…
254: Greece Pt. 6 - The Invasion Begins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:09
On April 6th, 1941, Germany launched Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece, with the 12th Army under General List striking primarily through the newly conquered territory of Yugoslavia to outflank the well-prepared Gr…
Listener Questions Pt. 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:05
Spanish Civil War Guerillas, the impact of Yugoslavia's transportation infrastructure, and evaluating British generals across the world wars. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.…
253: Greece Pt. 5 - Cape Matapan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:06
While the land campaign in Greece was grinding forward, the Mediterranean was the scene of an equally consequential struggle at sea. This episode tells the story of the Battle of Cape Matapan, one of the most decisive Br…
252: Greece Pt. 4 - Spring 1941 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:50
As the spring of 1941 approaches, the war in Greece enters a critical new phase. The Italians launch a major offensive in Albania, staking everything on capturing the heavily defended Hill 731, only to suffer over 12,000…
251: Greece Pt. 3 - The Path to Escalation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:54
The Italo-Greek War, which began as a purely regional conflict in October 1940, would transform into a broader European confrontation as both Germany and Britain made the fateful decision to intervene in Greece. For the…
Interview 52: Why Barbarossa Failed with Timothy Manion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:21
For this interview I was joined by Timothy Manion to discuss his upcoming book Why Barbarossa Failed: Germany and Russia in the Second World War which released March 5, 2026. https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-boo…
Listener Questions Pt. 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:00
Because so many questions were sent in for the first Questions episode, I had to make another. If you have First or Second World War Questions send them to historyofthesecondworldwar@outlook.com. Contact advertising@airw…

«12345»