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  • The 100-Foot Depth Trapped a German U-Boat

    The 100-Foot Depth Trapped a German U-Boat
    2026/10/30
    A German U-boat commander believes the American coast is undefended, but a new radar system means a destroyer can see in the dark.

    The 100-Foot Depth Trapped a German U-Boat

    This episode explores the events surrounding the U-85, a German submarine operating off the American East Coast in 1942. It delves into the strategic miscalculations and technological advancements that set the stage for a dramatic encounter.

    Date: April 14, 1942
    Location: Off Bodie Island, North Carolina
    German Submarine: U-85
    American Destroyer: USS Roper
    German Commander: Oberleutnant Eberhard Greger

    - Forty-six German sailors departed Saint-Nazaire on March 21, 1942, aboard U-85, a Type VIIB submarine.
    - The American East Coast was known as "Torpedo Alley" by German sailors due to the lack of defenses during Operation Drumbeat.
    - U-85, commanded by 26-year-old Oberleutnant Eberhard Greger, was a modern warship but lacked radar.
    - The USS Roper, a Wickes-class destroyer, was one of only seven ships in the Fifth Naval District equipped with new surface-search radar.
    - The water off Bodie Island was 100 feet deep, a critical depth that prevented U-85 from performing standard evasion tactics.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    15 分
  • The IFF Codes Lied and Junkers Broke Formation - Did They Escape?

    The IFF Codes Lied and Junkers Broke Formation - Did They Escape?
    2026/10/29
    A Mediterranean convoy relies on IFF signals to identify threats, but enemy aircraft are transmitting Allied codes. With a new weapon closing in, can they tell friend from foe?

    The IFF Codes Lied and Junkers Broke Formation - Did They Escape?

    This episode details the events of November 6, 1943, when convoy KMF-25 Alpha encountered a new form of aerial attack in the Mediterranean. It explores how a sophisticated weapon and a compromised identification system converged to create a catastrophic situation for the Allied forces.

    Event: Sinking of HMT Rohna
    Date: November 6, 1943
    Location: North of Cap Bougaroûn, Mediterranean Sea
    Convoy: KMF-25 Alpha
    Weapon: Henschel Hs 293 glide-bomb

    - On November 6, 1943, convoy KMF-25 Alpha, consisting of 26 troopships and merchant vessels and 15 warships, was en route to Alexandria, Egypt.
    - Allied IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) devices were designed to send coded return pulses from friendly aircraft when interrogated by radar.
    - HMS Haydon and USS Laub detected aircraft transmitting Allied IFF signals to the north of the convoy earlier in the day.
    - USS Beatty's Commander William Outerson detected aircraft astern, also showing Allied IFF, but his lookouts identified a Junkers 88 silhouette.
    - The Henschel Hs 293 glide-bomb, a radio-controlled weapon steered by an operator, had previously sunk HMS Egret on August 27, 1943.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    17 分
  • The frozen ground trapped eleven soldiers - did relief reach them?

    The frozen ground trapped eleven soldiers - did relief reach them?
    2026/10/28
    Eleven Black American soldiers find refuge in a Belgian hamlet during the Battle of the Bulge, but divided loyalties in the village put their lives at risk.

    The frozen ground trapped eleven soldiers - did relief reach them?

    This episode explores the harrowing experience of eleven soldiers from a segregated unit during World War II's Battle of the Bulge. It delves into the circumstances that led them to a small Belgian hamlet and the complex loyalties within the village that shaped their fate.

    Person: Eleven soldiers from the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion
    Date: December 17, 1944
    Location: Wereth, Belgium
    Event: Battle of the Bulge
    Status: Prisoners of War

    - The 333rd Field Artillery Battalion was a segregated unit of Black enlisted men under white officers, reactivated in 1942.
    - By October 1944, the battalion was positioned in the Ardennes, near Schönberg and St. Vith in eastern Belgium.
    - On December 16, 1944, the German offensive began, causing the 333rd's position to collapse rapidly.
    - Eleven men became separated from their unit amidst the chaos and brutal weather, moving west towards Wereth.
    - A farmer in Wereth, Mathias Langer, offered shelter to the exhausted soldiers, despite the village's divided loyalties.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    16 分
  • The sergeant who stayed pushed through five machine‑gun nests and bought time

    The sergeant who stayed pushed through five machine‑gun nests and bought time
    2026/10/27
    A sergeant defies a direct withdrawal order, moving alone toward ten Japanese machine-gun positions in New Guinea. Can one man's refusal turn the tide of a brutal jungle war?

    The sergeant who stayed pushed through five machine‑gun nests and bought time

    This episode explores the ten-day battle for Sattelberg, a critical Lutheran mission in New Guinea, and the extraordinary decision of one sergeant that defied orders and changed the course of the conflict. It examines why this particular hill was so fiercely contested and how conventional tactics failed.

    Person: Sergeant Tom Derrick
    Date: November 1943
    Location: Sattelberg, New Guinea
    Conflict: World War II
    Japanese Commander: Colonel Sadahiko Sadahiko

    - The Lutheran mission at Sattelberg, 900 meters above sea level, offered a strategic view of the Australian supply line.
    - Japanese forces under Colonel Sadahiko Sadahiko had fortified Sattelberg with five strongpoints and dug-in machine guns.
    - Australian Brigadier David Whitehead's 26th Brigade began the assault on November 15, supported by Matilda infantry tanks.
    - The Japanese 80th Infantry Regiment was on quarter rations and could not be resupplied, but was ordered to inflict maximum casualties.
    - Japanese Type 92 heavy machine guns, known as "Woodpeckers," were positioned to target infantry supporting the tanks on the narrow mountain tracks.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    16 分
  • The surf that beached a fleet and devoured their time

    The surf that beached a fleet and devoured their time
    2026/10/26
    An Allied amphibious assault on Nassau Bay is underway when a massive surf wrecks the landing craft, leaving troops stranded and their supply mission in peril.

    The surf that beached a fleet and devoured their time

    This episode details the Allied operation to establish a supply beachhead at Nassau Bay in New Guinea, an ambitious plan that immediately faced unforeseen natural obstacles. It explores the intricate planning and the immediate chaos that threatened to derail the entire mission.

    Event: Nassau Bay amphibious assault
    Date: June 30, 1943
    Location: Nassau Bay, New Guinea
    Commanders: Colonel Archibald R. MacKechnie, Commander Morton C. Mumma
    Japanese Commander: Major Tsunendo Takamura

    - Australian infantry units at Mubo and Bobdubi relied on fragile air supply routes over mountains.
    - Commander Morton C. Mumma proposed seizing Nassau Bay to create an overland supply route and support future operations.
    - Colonel Archibald R. MacKechnie was assigned to lead the ground component of the operation.
    - Guide lights were placed on offshore islands and the landing beach to aid navigation in darkness.
    - The Japanese garrison at Nassau Bay, led by Major Tsunendo Takamura, was small and oriented its defenses towards the Huon Gulf, not Nassau Bay itself.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    15 分
  • A burning plane's black line raced the clock over Thailand

    A burning plane's black line raced the clock over Thailand
    2026/10/25
    A burning American fighter carves a black line over northern Thailand. Outnumbered and outmatched, can Thai pilots defend their homeland?

    A burning plane's black line raced the clock over Thailand

    This episode recounts the desperate air combat over Lampang, Thailand, in 1944, when obsolete Thai biplanes faced superior American aircraft. What drove these pilots to climb into the sky against impossible odds?

    Date: November 11, 1944
    Location: Lampang, Northern Thailand
    Combatants: Royal Siamese Air Force, United States Army Air Forces
    Aircraft: Nakajima KI-27b, P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning
    Event: Air Battle over Lampang

    - Japan invaded Thailand in December 1941, leading to an alliance that turned Thai airfields into Japanese operating bases.
    - Lampang Airfield, established in 1923, became a key Japanese facility monitored by Allied planners.
    - The Allied mission on November 11, 1944, was a reconnaissance strike targeting a Japanese railway line.
    - Earlier Thai interception attempts by Hawk III biplanes failed due to their inability to reach the American aircraft's altitude.
    - Three Thai KI-27b fighters, led by Squadron Leader Chalermkiat Watanangura, scrambled against sixteen American planes despite being severely outmatched in speed and numbers.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    19 分
  • Bradley's order halted Argentan and left a fifteen‑mile exit open

    Bradley's order halted Argentan and left a fifteen‑mile exit open
    2026/10/24
    Supreme Allied commander Omar Bradley halts an armoured drive at Argentan - did they close the pocket in time?

    Bradley's order halted Argentan and left a fifteen‑mile exit open

    In this episode, we follow the days in August 1944 when Allied advances converged on the Falaise Pocket and a single halt order froze momentum. What led Bradley to stop the Fifteenth Corps at Argentan, and what were the consequences of leaving that corridor open?

    Person: Dwight Eisenhower
    Person: Omar Bradley
    Event: Operation Lüttich
    Date: 13 August 1944
    Location: Argentan

    - Eisenhower walked across the Falaise battlefield, stepping through a killing ground of men, horses and machines.
    - Hitler ordered Operation Lüttich in early August 1944, a large armoured counter‑attack toward Mortain despite commanders' warnings.
    - Ultra intercepts let Allied commanders read German orders, so the Mortain attack was anticipated and contained within 24 hours.
    - Patton's Third Army drove rapidly south and east, then swung north while Canadian forces under Guy Simonds pushed south from Falaise.
    - On 13 August Omar Bradley ordered the Fifteenth Corps to halt at Argentan with the gap to Canadian forces remaining about fifteen miles wide.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    18 分
  • Men, 1 Order: D-Day's Impossible Assault

    Men, 1 Order: D-Day's Impossible Assault
    2026/10/23
    On D-Day, a dozen paratroopers are ordered to silence German howitzers firing on Utah Beach. If they fail, thousands of men will be trapped.

    Men, 1 Order: D-Day's Impossible Assault

    This episode recounts the story of a small unit tasked with a critical mission on D-Day. It explores the discrepancy between official records and the actual events of an assault that became a textbook example of small-unit tactics.

    Event: D-Day
    Date: June 6, 1944
    Location: Utah Beach, Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy
    Unit: Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
    Commander: First Lieutenant Richard Winters

    - A folded map found in a captured German position on D-Day marked every artillery piece and machine gun on that section of the Cotentin Peninsula.
    - Four German howitzers at Brécourt Manor were firing on the causeway exits from Utah Beach, threatening to trap the Fourth Infantry Division.
    - First Lieutenant Richard Winters, with twelve men, received a single sentence of orders: "The artillery fire was coming from that direction. Take care of it."
    - The German positions included a machine-gun nest covering the approach, capable of firing twelve hundred rounds per minute.
    - Winters used the German-built connecting trenches, designed for resupply and troop movement, as a protected route for his men to advance.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    16 分