| National Geographic - Lost Subs National Geographic's compulsively watchable Lost Subs: Disaster at Sea presents a gripping look at real-life submarine disasters. Four different undersea disasters are examined, from the first tiny problem to the final, tense rescue efforts. A blend of computer animation, contemporary news footage, and stock footage keeps the action moving and gives the viewer an effortless sense of the mechanics involved. In addition to the real-life drama, Lost Subs has a true geek's appreciation for the incredible technology of a sub--at one point a sailor shows that the sonar is sensitive enough to pick up the sound of shrimp feeding. |
U-Boat War This is a set of 3 documentaries covering the U-boat's impact in WWII, from beginning to end. It is well-written, and supplemented with interviews with American, British, and German survivors (and also historians) as well as a good amount of archival footage. It is really interesting to hear the story from those who were there -- including a number of German U-boat commanders. The breadth of coverage is good, including both German and Allied tactics (and how these tactics changed during the war), as well as technical advances on both sides. Coverage also includes developments in the Allies' ability to read the German naval code. |
| WWII / Cold War U.S. Navy Submarine Film Originally produced by the U.S. Navy, the eight films featured on the four VCDs in this set were used to train recruits and submarine crews about the Silent Service. Some of these films have only recently been declassified. Due to the age of these films and their rarity, image quality and sound can vary. All four volumes are in VCD, or Video CD, format. Each runs 24-40 minutes each. VCDs are similar to DVDs, and can be played on most Windows™ and Macintosh™ computers, and on many DVD players (see your player's instruction manual). Some operating systems may require you to download public domain software to enable playback. |
Submarine: Steel Boats - Iron Men This is the only program where the US Navy allowed a film crew to go down with a sub to see what really happens below the waves. As a result, the film presents a never before seen look inside a state of the art nuclear-powered sub on patrol. It shows, in extraordinary detail, the daily ordinary and extraordinary lives of submariners. You will see and hear things that you have never seen before. Steel Boats also shows the training, family life, off-time activities, etc. Viewers visit a "wet trainer" at Sub School to see what these submariners endure when they climb inside one of these remarkable ships. Who are these men, who live confined in a steel tube deep in the ocean for months at a time, surrounded by a hostile environment, in constant danger? |
| This History Channel production provides an in-depth look at the Japanese attack on the American Pacific fleet in Pearl Harbor on the fateful day of December 7, 1941. The documentary begins by providing a background to the eventual conflict in the Pacific, noting how Japan had been waging a war of conquest in China since the early 1930s. As a power struggle with the U.S. loomed on the horizon, the Japanese built a formidable navy marked by an innovative utilization of carrier-based aircraft. Special attention is given to Admiral Yamamoto, who had studied at Harvard and admired America but vigorously planned the assault on America's naval might. The attack on the morning of December 7 is explained tactically, and films shot at Pearl Harbor during the Sunday morning air raid, | War Zone: WWII off North Carolina's Outer Banks |
| Captain John Vick, USN Submarine Captain (Retired). "This film captured the essence of submarining: the people, their heritage, training, dedication, fierce competitiveness, immense personal and professional pride." |
This kid's-eye tour of the largest ship in the U.S. Navy invites the viewer into a small airplane on land, takes them on a brief flight, through a landing on the U.S.S. Nimitz and through takeoff again. Along the way, there's a tour of the ship--the largest afloat on earth--from hospital to barbershop to library. Viewers get to watch future pilots go through water-survival training, parachute-landing practice, and escape from a dunker--a cage that simulates a helicopter crashed into the water. Much of the 40-minute tour is ideal for kids, such as the fact that the naval personnel wear different-colored shirts that identify their jobs--yellow shirts direct the planes, purple shirts refuel, etc. |
Civil War Naval Resources
Civil War Ships and Battles
Battle of the Monitor
U.S. Army Timeline
U.S. Navy Seals
Young Reader Selections
Civil War Summary