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1807 Gas Warfare in WW1 Mar 08, 2015

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Gas was one of the most feared weapons of world war one. Proportionally though, there were few casualties from gas throughout the war. The British kept accurate figures from 1916, of those casualties only 3% were fatal and 70% would be back on the front line in weeks. Gas was the "bogeyman", it was not a bullet to be dodged or something you could hide from. Initially protection was rudimentary from a cotton pad covered in urine to a chemically infused bag to place over your head with plastic eye slits. Dur: 25mins File:.mp3

1806 The Siege of Yorktown Feb 22, 2015

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On October 17, 1781, four years to the day when British General John Burgoyne surrendered his army to American forces at Saratoga, New York, Lord Charles Cornwallis requested terms of surrender from General George Washington. Two days later, the British marched between lines of French and American soldiers to the tune of "The World Turn'd Upside Down." Upon hearing the news, British Prime Minister Lord North, "reeled, threw out his arms, exclaiming wildly, as he paced up and down…'Oh, God! It's all over!'" Dur: 44mins File: .mp3

War, trade and adventure: struggles of the Ionian Greeks Feb 13, 2015

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In this episode we look at Ancient Warfare Magazine VIII.2 "War, trade and adventure: struggles of the Ionian Greeks". Angus is joined by Josho Brouwers, Murray Dahm, Lindsay Powell, Mark McCaffery and Cezary Kucewicz.

"The ancient Greeks originally divided themselves into four major tribes, namely the Dorians, Aeolians, Achaeans, and Ionians. Each of these tribes also spoke a distinct dialect (Doric, Aeolic, Ionic), apart from the Achaeans, who used a form of Doric. The Athenians believed themselves to be the original Ionians and spoke a variant dialect called Attic. The focus of this issue is on the Ionian Greeks. Outside of Attica, Ionians lived on the island of Euboea, on the Cyclades, and in colonies settled in the central part of the west coast of Asia Minor, as well as on the islands off its coast, such as Chios and Samos."

1805 Marcus Agrippa Feb 08, 2015

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In elegant bronze capitals, the name 'M. AGRIPPA' graces one of the most famous and iconic buildings to survive from antiquity, the domed Pantheon in Rome. He was one of Ancient Rome's most remarkable sons, and the best friend and general of Caesar Augustus. Yet the extraordinary story of his rise from obscurity to be the second most important man in the Roman World is known to remarkably few. Dur: 37mins File: .mp3

1804 Operation Foxley: The Assassination of Hitler Jan 25, 2015

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On the 23rd July 1998, the Public Records Office published a number of files, that had previously been held in secret, in respect of activities planned and undertaken by the Special Operations Executive, or SOE, in Western Europe during the Second World War. Dur: 24mins File: .mp3

Deserters, defectors, traitors Jan 23, 2015

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Angus Wallace (from the History Network) is joined by Josho Brouwers, Lindsay Powell, Mark McCaffery and Murray Dahm to look at Ancient Warfare Magazine Volume 8, Issue 1. Deserters, defectors, traitors: Betrayal in the ancient world.

"The ancient world had its fair share of brave and courageous men, who stayed the course despite profound adversity or who seemed to laugh in the face of death. However, our sources also include accounts of people who – out of fear, for personal gain, or some combination of these and other factors – decided to betray their friends, their country, or their principles."

1803 Napoleonic Cavalry Jan 11, 2015

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The musket might have revolutionised the battlefield, allowing relatively unskilled levees to become truly dominant. But up until the machine guns of the first world war stopped the cavalry in their tracks, the mounted horseman had a vital role to play in any conflict. Dur: 28mins File: .mp3

1802 The Battle of Ramilles Dec 28, 2014

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Marlborough, following his victory at Blenheim in August of 1704, attempted to exploit the situation even further by campaigning in the Moselle Valley. Due to the lack of political will of his Dutch Allies together with a shortage of supplies and the autumn rains fast approaching, Marlborough ordered his forces into winter quarters. Dur: 23mins File: .mp3

1801 Caen, 1944 Dec 14, 2014

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The bombing of and the battle for Caen was just part of the overall bombing of and battle for normandy. The bombing of Normandy devastated and flattened many Normandy towns and cities and resulted in thousands of ‘friendly civilian cadualties’. U.S. General Omar Bradley remarked after the war that "We went into France almost totally untrained in air-ground cooperation." Dur: 19mins File: .mp3

1710 Hobart's Funnies - Funnies Nov 07, 2014

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In March of 1943 the 79th Armoured Division was due to be disbanded. A manpower shortage called for the bulk of the force to be redeployed, to make up shortfalls in other units. But the disastrous raid on Dieppe the previous year had proved that any invasion of mainland Europe would need to be supported by Armour, and this would need to be modified for an amphibious assault. So it was that Alan Brooke (Chief of the Imperial General Staff), had his "happy brainwave" and asked Major General Percy Hobart if he would oversee the conversion of the unit to a Specialised armoured unit, concentrating on developing vehicles that could overcome the German Defences. The strange vehicles that were developed and operated became known as "Hobart’s Funnies". Dur: 19mins File: .mp3

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