Tanksgiving

Through the stories of a group of surviving veterans, examine the history of the first all-black tank unit to see combat: their origins, the racism they faced, and their courageous service in the European Theater.

During World War II, German tanks had thicker armor and better guns. But what the U.S. tanks lacked in firepower and protection, the crews made up for with ingenuity.

On December 16, 1945, in the frozen forests of the Ardennes, a German assault force amassed in secrecy. But the blood-and-guts defense of a small Belgian town called Bastogne embodied the spirit of Allied defiance.

Intended as a secret weapon of the D-Day invasion, 28 out of 30 Duplex Drive modified tanks sunk before reaching store. John Chatterton and French diver Bertrand Sciboz travel to Normandy to find them.

Former Navy fighter pilot Hunter Ellis explores how tanks, satellites, and parachutes have been adapted into common usage in civilian life.

What exactly was the ancient weapon engineered to stop an onslaught of bullets, elephants, and cavalry? Watch as experts and archaeological digs reveal new evidence into this invention.

October 23rd, 1942. British and Allied troops face off against the feared German Afrika Korps. In one of the greatest deceptions of the war, photo recons help to fool the Germans into making a catastrophic mistake.

In the summer of 1943, one of the greatest clashes of WWII took place on the Eastern Front. The Battle of Kursk was vast and intense as German and Russian armies engaged in a cycle of attacks that lasted 50 days.

September 1943 - July 1944: Patton's victories in Sicily are overshadowed by the infamous "slapping incident." He is assigned to command a fictitious army in England as part of a ruse to fool the Germans.

July 1943: Patton is given command of the Seventh Army as the Allies prepare to invade Sicily. Known as Operation Husky, the combined amphibious and airborne assault is the largest invasion of the war to date.

As Patton's men prepare to cross the Rhine into Germany, other American units in Belgium are completely shattered by a German counterattack, kicking off the Battle of the Bulge. Patton is called to the rescue.

Patton and the U.S. Army embark on the road to Germany by invading North Africa in November 1942. Preview the first showdown between U.S. and German forces at Kasserine Pass in February 1943.

With the German Army again in full retreat, Patton and his men are ordered to break through the vaunted Siegfried Line and cross into Germany.

France, August 1944: As American forces tear through western France, Patton's superiors order him to stop before completely trapping an entire German Army.

Patton's blitzkrieg is so successful that his army outruns its own supply lines. He invades Lorraine, hoping to cross into Germany, but delays from fuel shortages have given the Germans time to regroup.

July - September 1943: Frustrated by the slow progress of his British allies, Patton ignores orders to stay by their side and pushes on to capture Palermo.

February - May 1943: After the Germans deliver a stinging defeat to American forces under the command of General Lloyd Fredendall at Kasserine Pass, Eisenhower appoints Patton to take charge of the humiliated Americans.

Patton orders his men to take the heavily fortified city of Metz. The thick forts and castle-like walls that surround the city prove to be more than a match for American armor, and the siege goes on for weeks.