Good Military equipment documentaries?

[T89 Callan]

I really love the engineering aspects of 20th century military equipment and enjoy documentaries about them but not having Sky for channels like Discovery Wings and Nat' Geo' I struggle to get decent informative and engineering based programmes.

Can somebody recomend me some good documentaries that I could search for online and places I may find them? I have searched but it tends to be hit and miss on quality.

I'd be particularly interested in programmes about the JU-87 (Stuka), Mil-24 (Hind), T34 Tank, Panzerkampfwagen IV, AK47 development and anything a bit interesting like the chequered past of the SA80 etc etc.

[dr_gn]

T89 Callan said:

I really love the engineering aspects of 20th century military equipment and enjoy documentaries about them but not having Sky for channels like Discovery Wings and Nat' Geo' I struggle to get decent informative and engineering based programmes.

Can somebody recomend me some good documentaries that I could search for online and places I may find them? I have searched but it tends to be hit and miss on quality.

I'd be particularly interested in programmes about the JU-87 (Stuka), Mil-24 (Hind), T34 Tank, Panzerkampfwagen IV, AK47 development and anything a bit interesting like the chequered past of the SA80 etc etc.

Could start here:

http://www.sonicbomb.com/

Take your pick from the top left of the page.

Cheers,

[Dunk76]

The fundamental issue with documentaries is that it's simply impossible to fit all the useful and interesting information into an hour's slot, especially on something with the service longevity of the Pz.IV, or the political wrangling and chequered operational use of the T34.

If you really want to find stuff out, books are the way to go.

[Eric Mc]

True - books and websites are far more informative. Whilst TV documentaries are good for a general introduction to a subject, they tend to skim over the detail and some are downright misleading.

Specialist DVDs are usually better as they are produced with the enthusiast in mind.

[Dunk76]

However, to temper that, all media on any given subject tends to propogate auras and myths, and it's often very difficult to find an impartial view on the subject; either the author is working off collated second-hand information, which themselves are subjective, or the author has had some sort of first hand experience, which again is subjective.

I'll give you an example; Rob Griffin wrote an excellent book on the Chieftain Tank, covering it's entire life from development to semi retirement as an AVRE. Griffin served in Chieftains for his entire army career, understood well the various strengths and weaknesses of the tank, and has conducted considerable research into the political wranglings which so stunted it in it's early life.

Generally, this book is regarded as the definitive tome on the Chieftain by military history types. However, I've read several reviews from people who served on Chieftains which cast doubt on it's accuracy in some areas, suggesting he glossed over some of the less savoury problems.

All this on a vehicle which has only just passed into retirement, has most of it's life heavily documented, has plenty of living former servicemen, and never really saw action in any meaningful context. So you can imagine the conflicting stuff you'll find for something like the T-34.

Which leads me neatly into another little area which I'm sure Eric will be inclined to also agree with me; taking the above into account, it's very easy to end up accumulating vast amounts of information on one particular subject in an effort to draw your own, informed, conclusion.

So clear a big space on your bookshelf.

Edited by Dunk76 on Thursday 16th July 09:00

[Eric Mc]

I know what you meen. You should see all the books I've collected or read on the De Havilland Mosquiito.

[williamp]

Dunk76 said:

Which leads me neatly into another little area which I'm sure Eric will be inclined to also agree with me; taking the above into account, it's very easy to end up accumulating vast amounts of information on one particular subject in an effort to draw your own, informed, conclusion.

Edited by Dunk76 on Thursday 16th July 09:00

Very true. In Aston land, for example there is a myth that the "V8" had their cars in the front, because when they made the vantage Zagato in 1985 "they moved the battery into the boot". In fact its always been there, but this small inaccuracy has been repeated in so many books its unbelievable.

Getting a big book collection, and questionning conflicting information is the only way to truly know your subject.

[Overhaulin]

You could use Sky Player for the History Channel etc

[T89 Callan]

Overhaulin said:

You could use Sky Player for the History Channel etc

Don't you have to have a Sky subscription or pay?

To all the above, SonicBomb seems good, I'm not after every little bit of data accurate to the Nth degree, I just like finding out about the engineering/design and also active service aspects and thought somebody might know the names of a few documentary series I could look for on't'internet? I watched a few 'Wings of the Red Star' which was decent.

I have a few books but.... I prefer a good documentary.

[Eric Mc]

T89 Callan said:

Overhaulin said:

You could use Sky Player for the History Channel etc

Don't you have to have a Sky subscription or pay?

To all the above, SonicBomb seems good, I'm not after every little bit of data accurate to the Nth degree, I just like finding out about the engineering/design and also active service aspects and thought somebody might know the names of a few documentary series I could look for on't'internet? I watched a few 'Wings of the Red Star' which was decent.

I have a few books but.... I prefer a good documentary.

If you rely on TV documentaries, youir knowledge will always remain fairly superficial on any given subject. That is fine if you don't want to delve any deeper but you will have to bear in mind the points made above.

As I said, if you aren't that interested in reading up on the selected topic, then specialist DVDs are usually better than TV documentaries.

[T89 Callan]

Eric Mc said:

T89 Callan said:

Overhaulin said:

You could use Sky Player for the History Channel etc

Don't you have to have a Sky subscription or pay?

To all the above, SonicBomb seems good, I'm not after every little bit of data accurate to the Nth degree, I just like finding out about the engineering/design and also active service aspects and thought somebody might know the names of a few documentary series I could look for on't'internet? I watched a few 'Wings of the Red Star' which was decent.

I have a few books but.... I prefer a good documentary.

If you rely on TV documentaries, youir knowledge will always remain fairly superficial on any given subject. That is fine if you don't want to delve any deeper but you will have to bear in mind the points made above.

As I said, if you aren't that interested in reading up on the selected topic, then specialist DVDs are usually better than TV documentaries.

Superficial is fine, 'enjoy' is the operative term.

[D-Angle]

Wednesday at 10:00 on More4 - Engineering Britain's Superweapons. Part 1 - the V-Bomber.

[T89 Callan]

D-Angle said:

Wednesday at 10:00 on More4 - Engineering Britain's Superweapons. Part 1 - the V-Bomber.

Thankyou

[dnb]

There's supposed to be a documentary about the type 45 destroyer on channel 4 in September. Not sure what the focus of it is going to be, but hopefully it will be focused on the new technology not the politics.

[Eric Mc]

T89 Callan said:

Eric Mc said:

T89 Callan said:

Overhaulin said:

You could use Sky Player for the History Channel etc

Don't you have to have a Sky subscription or pay?

To all the above, SonicBomb seems good, I'm not after every little bit of data accurate to the Nth degree, I just like finding out about the engineering/design and also active service aspects and thought somebody might know the names of a few documentary series I could look for on't'internet? I watched a few 'Wings of the Red Star' which was decent.

I have a few books but.... I prefer a good documentary.

If you rely on TV documentaries, youir knowledge will always remain fairly superficial on any given subject. That is fine if you don't want to delve any deeper but you will have to bear in mind the points made above.

As I said, if you aren't that interested in reading up on the selected topic, then specialist DVDs are usually better than TV documentaries.

Superficial is fine, 'enjoy' is the operative term.

That's fine - but whilst ejoying the problem, take on board the fact that you may not be getting the full or correct picture.
However, a lightweight documentary may be the spark you need to want to know more about a particular subject. I'm sure TV documentaries I saw as a kid were partly responsible for me wanting to learn more.