Sea Power

A World in Flames

In the second episode we witness the demise of the Imperial German fleet – and the rise of Japan as a major power. Against the backdrop of the deadliest war the world has ever seen, we learn how submarines and aircraft carriers change naval tactics forever. The First World War had barely ended when a new one was announced, one also fought on the oceans. WWII features aircraft carriers, battle cruisers, destroyers, submarines. Naval battles play out on surface, underwater and in the air. The era of battleships ended. Aircraft carriers became the new symbols of power on the seas. U-boats come up against Allied destroyers in the Atlantic, who are armed with hedgehogs and depth charges. Nations staked their futures in naval battles. Warships played a role in the outbreak of the Second World War. The end of the war was ultimately sealed on board a warship.