The WW2 Podcast

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313 - 1942: Hitler's Gamble for Victory Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

1942 was a year of extraordinary contrasts for Nazi Germany.

As the year began, Hitler's armies appeared unstoppable. German forces dominated much of Europe, Rommel was advancing across North Africa, and a new offensive in the Soviet Union promised the prospect of victory in the East.

Yet by the end of the year, Germany's fortunes had changed dramatically. Defeat at El Alamein and the encirclement of the Sixth Army at Stalingrad marked major setbacks. What had seemed a year of opportunity had become a year of crisis.

How did this transformation occur? What was Hitler hoping to achieve in 1942? And to what extent did the events of that year shape the remainder of the conflict?

Joining me to discuss this is Richard Hargreaves, author of 1942: Hitler's Gamble for Victory, which is also available on Audible and Spotify.

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312- Normandy 1944: Operation Martlet Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

In June 1944, as the Allied armies fought to break out from the Normandy beachhead, attention turned to a series of heavily defended German positions west of Caen. Among them was Rauray Spur, a vital piece of high ground that overlooked much of the surrounding countryside and offered the Germans an excellent observation point.

Before the launch of Operation Epsom, the British needed to secure this area and protect their exposed flank. The result was Operation Martlet, a hard-fought battle that has often been overshadowed by the larger operations that followed, but was crucial to the wider campaign in Normandy.

In this episode, I am joined by John Delaney, co-host of WW2 Road Trips on YouTube and Content Lead and Senior Curator at the Imperial War Museum.

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311 - Patton, 1945 Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we turn our attention to the final months of the war in Europe and one of the Allied armies' most famous and controversial commanders, General George S. Patton.

At the start of 1945, Patton's Third Army was fighting on Germany's western frontier in the aftermath of the Battle of the Bulge. Having played a crucial role in relieving the besieged town of Bastogne, Patton now faced the challenge of maintaining the Allied advance through difficult winter conditions as the Western Allies prepared for the final offensive into the heart of the Third Reich.

Joining me is Kevin Hymel to discuss Patton during these decisive months of the war. Kevin is the author of Patton's War: An American General's Combat Leadership, the concluding volume of his acclaimed three part biography of Patton. Drawing on Patton's wartime diaries, personal correspondence, and extensive archival research, the book offers fresh insights into the general's leadership, character, and conduct of operations during the closing stages of the conflict.

Kevin is also the co host of the excellent podcast World War 2 Live alongside historian John McManus, which is well worth a listen for anyone interested in the Second World War.

Together, we explore Patton's role in the Allied advance into Germany, his relationship with senior commanders, the challenges faced by Third Army, and how his actions in 1945 shaped both his wartime reputation and enduring legacy.

310 - Great Escapism at Stalag Luft III Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

When we think of Allied prisoners of war in German camps, we often picture barbed wire, watchtowers, tunnels, and the constant urge to escape. Stalag Luft III is remembered above all for the Great Escape, one of the most famous prison breaks of the Second World War.

But captivity was not only a story of tunnels and wire.

Inside the camp, prisoners built theatres, staged plays, organised concerts, and, for a few hours, transformed the camp into something very different. In a world of boredom, uncertainty, and confinement, performance offered laughter, purpose, and a reminder of life beyond the fences.

In this episode, I explore that remarkable story with David McCormack, author of 'The Great Escapism: The Theatrical Entertainers of Stalag Luft III'.

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309 - SOE Special Duties Flights Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

When people think about the secret war in occupied Europe, they often picture agents, resistance fighters, and acts of sabotage carried out behind enemy lines. But those networks depended on a hidden air bridge that carried agents and supplies into occupied territory and brought people back out again.

Flying alone at night, Special Duties pilots crossed occupied Europe guided only by moonlight and improvised navigation. Their missions demanded extraordinary skill and nerve as they landed in isolated fields, avoided German night fighters and flak, and battled some of the worst flying conditions imaginable.

For this episode, I'm joined by Paul Smiddy, author of Moonlight Crusaders: Special Duties Pilots over Occupied Europe. Drawing on first-hand accounts and extensive research, Paul explores the story of these under-recognised pilots, the aircraft they flew, and the vital role they played in supporting resistance movements and Allied intelligence operations across occupied Europe."

You can also find Moonlight Crusaders on Audible and Spotify.

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308 - Mers El-Kébir: The British Attack on the French Navy Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

In the summer of 1940, Britain stood alone. France had fallen, invasion seemed possible, and Winston Churchill faced a grave question: what should be done about the powerful French fleet?

Fearing it might fall under German control, Britain launched Operation Catapult. At Mers el Kébir on 3 July 1940, the Royal Navy opened fire on its former ally, killing nearly 1,300 French sailors in one of the war's most painful and controversial decisions.

For this episode, I am joined by Edward Abel Smith, author of 'A Hateful Decision', which tells the full story of this dramatic moment through new research and eyewitness accounts.

307 - Percy Herbert: From POW to Hollywood May 24, 2026

Show notes

Before he became a familiar face on screen, appearing in over 70 films like 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', 'The Cockleshell Heroes', 'The Guns of Navarone' and 'The Wild Geese', Percy Herbert survived one of the most brutal chapters of the Second World War.

Captured during the fall of Singapore in 1942, he endured life as a prisoner of war, facing starvation, violence, and witnessing events like the Alexandra Hospital massacre. Those experiences would stay with him and later shape the performances that made his name.

His story is told in his autobiography, Time Will Pass Johnny, a remarkable account that traces his journey from the camps of the Far East to a long and successful acting career.

To talk about her father's life, I'm joined by Katrina Wood.

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306 - The Battle for Berlin May 15, 2026

Show notes

The final battle for Berlin in 1945 was not just the end of the war in Europe, it was the violent collapse of Nazi Germany, and the moment the shape of post-war Europe was decided.

As the Red Army advanced from the River Oder, they faced one last major obstacle in the Seelow Heights. What followed was a brutal and costly assault that opened the road to Berlin, and then a savage fight through the city itself, street by street, building by building, until the German capital finally fell.

To guide us through these final days, I'm joined once more by Prit Buttar, one of the leading historians of the Eastern Front, and author 'Berlin: Endgame 1945'.

You can also find Berlin on Audible and Spotify.

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305 - A Boy Soldier in Hitler's Army May 06, 2026

Show notes

In the final months of the Second World War, as the Third Reich collapsed in on itself, boys were sent to the front to hold back the Red Army. Among them was fourteen-year-old Willi Langbein.

He had grown up under Nazism, saluting Hitler at school, joining the Jungvolk at ten, and the Hitler Youth soon after. By March 1945, he was fighting Soviet tanks at close range on the Eastern Front. He was wounded, decorated, and survived the war, though many of the boys he fought alongside did not.

In this episode, I am joined by his daughter, Heidi Langbein Allen, to talk about her father's war and the long shadow it cast over his life. Heidi is the author of Save the Last Bullet: Memoir of a Boy Soldier in Hitler's Army.

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304 - Eisenhower and Churchill May 01, 2026

Show notes

The partnership between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Winston Churchill was one of the defining relationships of the Second World War. At the heart of the Anglo American alliance, they worked closely to plan major operations, manage coalition warfare, and steer the Allies towards victory.

In this episode, I am joined by Jonathan W. Jordan to explore how that relationship worked in practice, shaped by the pressures of global conflict and the demands of leadership at the highest level.

The conversation also looks at how their connection continued beyond the war, as both men navigated the uncertain early years of the Cold War, drawing on insights from Jonathan's book Ike and Winston.

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