Would you update 'The World At War' documentary?

Stox 16 wrote:
Do you believe with all the new historical fact now available from the fall of the old U.S.S.R and the freedom of information that it would be fair to up date the documentary?

Stox 16 wrote:
Also do you still believe that this documentary was fair to all the sides who took part?

Stox 16 wrote:
if you could add new series what part of the war do you believe that should be added? and why?

RockOnBrother wrote:

Stox 16 wrote:
Do you believe with all the new historical fact now available from the fall of the old U.S.S.R and the freedom of information that it would be fair to up date the documentary?

I wouldn’t use the term “fair”, as I hold thios series to be perhpas the finest ever to air on the subject of World War II, certainly the most overarching world event of the 2nd and 3rd Millennia. I believe I would a valuable exercise to not so much “update” but expand and enhance this fine historical document. While doing it that, it would be a service to mankind to come to update the media, preserving it in digital form on discs, flash drives, “in the cloud”, and replicating the preservation in such a way that, a long as there is humanity, there is also The World at War.

Stox 16 wrote:
Also do you still believe that this documentary was fair to all the sides who took part?

I agree, I would however like to add the resistance inside Europe in world war two. an area that was very much overlooked bar from the look at Holland.

Absolutely. The World at War exemplifies journalistic integrity and impeccable scholarship.

Stox 16 wrote:
if you could add new series what part of the war do you believe that should be added? and why?

No other events come close to the impact of World War II. A series on the Cold War would be of value. I can’t think of anything else that come close.

RockOnBrother wrote:

Stox 16 wrote:
Do you believe with all the new historical fact now available from the fall of the old U.S.S.R and the freedom of information that it would be fair to up date the documentary?

No other events come close to the impact of World War II....

Though the greatest impact on modern history prior to WWII was undoubtedly the strength and ubiquity of The Royal Navy, which enforced British interests throughout the entire World for about 300 years.

illegal impressment of US sailors from the decks of US ships to feed Britain's wars in the Napoleonic era.

Shirina wrote:

Though the greatest impact on modern history prior to WWII was undoubtedly the strength and ubiquity of The Royal Navy, which enforced British interests throughout the entire World for about 300 years.

Including the illegal impressment of US sailors from the decks of US ships to feed Britain's wars in the Napoleonic era.

astra wrote:

illegal impressment of US sailors from the decks of US ships to feed Britain's wars in the Napoleonic era.

Yeah because those English had killed off or started to transport the Scots they usually depended on for cannon fodder!


Officers in Scottish Regiments had to be English
Scottish Ships and Crewmen were not allowed to work for the Hudson Bay Company and were hired mercenaries in the Peninsular and Orient Company.

RockOnBrother wrote:
No other events come close to the impact of World War II.

oftenwrong wrote:
"No other events"?

oftenwrong wrote:
Though the greatest impact on modern history prior to WWII was undoubtedly the strength and ubiquity of The Royal Navy, which enforced British interests throughout the entire World for about 300 years.

Curious Cdn wrote:The series almost completely ignored the role that my country (Canada) played in the war.

oftenwrong wrote:
America lost the will to continue fighting the Vietnam war because almost every shot fired was recorded and shown nightly on US television.  How much of that has survived until now?

Would you update 'The World At War' documentary?

… I did not know about the multiple Japanese attacks on Australia itself.

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Bombing of Darwin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 was both the first and the largest single attack mounted by a foreign power against Australia. On this day, 242 Japanese aircraft attacked ships in Darwin's harbour and the town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases to contest the invasions of Timor and Java. The town was only lightly defended, and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon the Allied forces at little cost to themselves. The urban areas of Darwin also suffered some damage from the raids, and there were a number of civilian casualties.

This event is often called the "Pearl Harbor of Australia".^[2] Although it was a less significant military target, a greater number of bombs were dropped on Darwin than were used in the attack on Pearl Harbor.^[3][4] The Australian government downplayed the damage from the bombing raids on Darwin believing its publication would represent a psychological blow to the Australian population.[5] The raids were the first and largest of almost 100 air raids against Australia during 1942–43.



The explosion of an oil storage tank and clouds of smoke from other tanks, hit during the first Japanese air raid on Australia's mainland, at Darwin on 19 February 1942. In the foreground is HMAS Deloraine, which escaped damage.


Notes

• 2. Lockwood, Douglas (1992 (reprint)). Australia's Pearl Harbour. Darwin 1942.. Melbourne: Penguin Books. p. xiii and 5. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/10987654321|10987654321]].
  
• 3. Margo Daly (2003). Rough guide to Australia. Rough Guides. p. 616. ISBN 1-84353-090-2.
  
• 4. Frame, Tom. " The Bombing of Darwin ". Quadrant Online. http://www.quadrant.org.au/magazine/issue/2009/5/the-bombing-of-darwin. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  

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witchfinder wrote:The World at War as a documentary and TV series was ground breaking and recognised as a masterpiece which takes its place in the history of television.

My grievance with the series, and with all the popular versions of the Second World War is how the role of some nations are played down, over-looked and even worse, completely forgotten and virtualy omitted from the TRUE story of what realy happened.

In particular, take the case of the largest volunteer army of the Second World War, the army of India, which numbered 2.5 million men in 1945.
The men of the Indian army served in Italy, Greece, North Africa, the Middle East, East Africa, Iraq, Burma, Hong Kong, Singapore and of course in India itself.

During the war there were over 4000 awards for gallantry issued to Indian soldiers including 31 Victoria Crosses, the highest decoration for bravery, self sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the Commonwealth and former Empire.

In fictional and semi-fictional portrayals of the war in the far east, there is often no mention of the Indian Army, or of Indian prisoners or forced labourers on the Burma railway for example.

betty.noire wrote:

witchfinder wrote:The World at War as a documentary and TV series was ground breaking and recognised as a masterpiece which takes its place in the history of television.

My grievance with the series, and with all the popular versions of the Second World War is how the role of some nations are played down, over-looked and even worse, completely forgotten and virtualy omitted from the TRUE story of what realy happened.

In particular, take the case of the largest volunteer army of the Second World War, the army of India, which numbered 2.5 million men in 1945.
The men of the Indian army served in Italy, Greece, North Africa, the Middle East, East Africa, Iraq, Burma, Hong Kong, Singapore and of course in India itself.

During the war there were over 4000 awards for gallantry issued to Indian soldiers including 31 Victoria Crosses, the highest decoration for bravery, self sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the Commonwealth and former Empire.

In fictional and semi-fictional portrayals of the war in the far east, there is often no mention of the Indian Army, or of Indian prisoners or forced labourers on the Burma railway for example.

The Indian involvement was mentioned in the "World at War", but only in one sentence about the Far East. There are certain nations contributions that are understated, Poland, Canada, India are prime examples. I think an update is needed since many facts have come to life since then, ENIGMA for example

I think a up-date would indeed be very interesting now with a deeper look at all the nations you have stated and the role of resistance groups with places like Russia and Poland. as this was almost a 2nd front from 1940. So it would help to get a better understanding of how this effected the out come of WW2

Military history of Australia during World War II
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Australia entered World War II shortly after the invasion of Poland, declaring war on Germany on 3 September 1939. By the end of the war, almost a million Australians had served in the armed forces, whose military units fought primarily in the European theatre, North African campaign, and the South West Pacific theatre. In addition, Australia came under direct attack for the first time in its history; its casualties from enemy action during the war were 27,073 killed and 23,477 wounded.^[1]

In effect, Australia fought two wars between 1939 and 1945^[2] – one against Germany and Italy as part of the British Commonwealth's war effort and the other against Japan in alliance with the United States and Britain. While most Australian forces were withdrawn from the Mediterranean following the outbreak of war in the Pacific, they continued to take part in large numbers in the air offensive against Germany. From 1942 until early 1944, Australian forces played a key role in the Pacific War, making up the majority of Allied strength throughout much of the fighting there. The military was largely relegated to subsidiary fronts from mid-1944, but continued offensive operations against the Japanese until the war ended.

World War II contributed to major changes in the nation's economy, military and foreign policy. The war accelerated the process of industrialisation, led to the development of a larger peacetime military and began the process with which Australia shifted the focus of its foreign policy from Britain to the United States. The effects of the war also fostered the development of a more diverse and cosmopolitan Australian society.

Between World War I and World War II, Australia suffered greatly from the Great Depression. This limited Australian defence expenditure and led to a decline in the size and effectiveness of the armed forces during the late 1920s and early 1930s. In the years leading up to the war, Australia followed Britain's policy towards Nazi Germany, supporting… its guarantee of Polish independence.^[3]

Australia entered the war against Germany on 3 September 1939, shortly after Britain declared war when its ultimatum for Germany to withdraw from Poland expired.^[4] Unlike Canada and South Africa there was no legislative debate. The government of Australia believed that, as Prime Minister Robert Menzies said, "Britain is at war therefore Australia is at war", and asked London to notify Germany that Australia was an associate of the United Kingdom.^[5] Australia's support of war was primarily made on the grounds that its interests were inextricably linked to those of Britain, and that a British defeat would destroy the system of imperial defence which Australia relied upon for security against Japan. This position received almost universal public support, though there was little enthusiasm for war.^[6]

At the time war was declared, the Australian armed forces were less prepared than at the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was the best prepared of the three services, but was small and equipped with only two heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, two sloops, five obsolete destroyers and a number of small and auxiliary warships.^[7] The Australian Army comprised a small permanent cadre of 3,000 men and 80,000 part-time militiamen who had volunteered for training with the Citizen Military Forces (CMF). The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was the weakest of the services, and few of its 246 aircraft were modern.^[8] While the Government began a large military expansion and transferred some RAAF aircrew and units to British control upon the outbreak of war, it was unwilling to immediately dispatch an expeditionary force overseas due to the threat posed by Japanese intervention.^[9]

On 10 October 1939, a Short Sunderland of No. 10 Squadron, based in England for re-equipment, became the first Australian and the first Commonwealth air force unit to go into action when it undertook a mission to Tunisia.^[11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Australia_during_World_War_II

Operation Teardrop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Operation Teardrop was a United States Navy operation of World War II conducted during April and May 1945 to sink German U-boats approaching the United States East Coast that were believed to be armed with V-1 flying bombs. Germany had threatened in propaganda to attack New York with V-1 and V-2 missiles. After the war the Allies determined that the submarines had not been carrying such missiles.

Operation Teardrop was planned during late 1944 in response to intelligence reports which indicated that Germany was preparing a force of missile-armed submarines. Two large U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare task forces were set up. The plan was executed in April 1945 after several Type IX submarines put to sea from Norway bound for North America. While severe weather conditions in the North Atlantic Ocean greatly reduced the effectiveness of the four U.S. Navy escort carriers involved, long patrol lines of destroyer escorts detected and engaged most of the German submarines. Aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force supported this effort. Five of the nine boats were destroyed. Most of the crew of one submarine were captured, and prisoners who might have known of missile plans were abusively interrogated. One destroyer escort was sunk, with the loss of most of her crew. The surviving U-boats surrendered as the war ended shortly afterwards

Allied perception of the threat

In late 1944, the Allies received intelligence reports which suggested that the German Navy was planning to use V-1 flying bombs launched from submarines to attack cities on the east coast of the United States. In September of that year, Oscar Mantel, a spy captured by the U.S. Navy when the submarine transporting him to Maine was sunk, told his Federal Bureau of Investigation interrogators that several missile-equipped U-boats were being readied. Further rumors of missile-armed submarines emerged later that year, including one from Sweden passed on by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. The British Admiralty discounted these reports, and assessed that while V-1s could be potentially mounted on Type IX submarines, the Germans were unlikely to devote scarce resources to such a project.^[2]

In early December 1944, the spies William Curtis Colepaugh and Erich Gimpel, who had been captured in New York City after being landed by U-1230 in Maine, told their interrogators that Germany was preparing a group of rocket-equipped submarines. Despite this, the Department of War, which was dominated by the Army, advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 11 December that the threat of missile attack was so low that it did not justify the diversion of resources from other tasks. This assessment was not supported by the U.S. Navy.^[3]

In response to the perceived threat, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet prepared a plan to defend the east coast from attacks by aerial raiders and missiles. This plan was originally code-named 'Operation Bumblebee', and later renamed 'Operation Teardrop'. Completed on 6 January 1945, the plan involved U.S. Navy anti-submarine forces as well as United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and Army units, which were responsible for shooting down attacking aircraft and missiles. The centerpiece of the plan was the formation of two large naval task forces to operate in the mid-Atlantic as a barrier against submarines approaching the east coast. These task forces were formed from several existing escort carrier groups, and used Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland, as their forward operating base. As well as guarding against missile attacks, these large forces were tasked with countering the new and high-performance Type XXI submarines if they began operating in the central Atlantic. The Atlantic Fleet's commander, Vice Admiral Jonas H. Ingram, gave a press conference on 8 January in which he warned there was a threat of missile attack and announced that a large force had been assembled to counter seaborne missile launchers.^[5]

German capabilities

In January 1945, German Minister of Armaments and War Production Albert Speer made a propaganda broadcast in which he claimed that V-1 and V-2s "would fall on New York by February 1, 1945", increasing the U.S. Government's concern over the threat of attack.^[6] However, the Germans had no ability to fire missiles from their submarines, as both attempts to develop submarine-launched rockets ended in failure. In June 1942, U-511 was used to trial small and short-ranged artillery rockets which could be fired while submerged. Development of this system ended in early 1943, as it was found to decrease the U-boats' seaworthiness.^[7] The German military also began the development of a U-boat-towed launch canister for the V-2 ballistic missile in November 1944. Once complete, these canisters were to be towed to a position off the U.S. east coast and be used to attack New York. Vulkan Docks in Stettin was contracted to build a prototype in March or April 1945 but little work took place before Germany's final collapse. It is unlikely that the system would have been successful if it had been completed.^[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Teardrop

Stox 16 wrote:Originally broadcast in 1973 and narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier, The World of War has been seen as the most definitive history documentary of all time. Do you believe with all the new historical fact now available from the fall of the old U.S.S.R and the freedom of information that it would be fair to up date the documentary?

Also do you still believe that this documentary was fair to all the sides who took part? if you could add new series what part of the war do you believe that should be added? and why?

oftenwrong wrote:History is only written (or re-written) by the victors.