Decisive Weapons is a television series made by the BBC in association with the US channel A&E. It ran for two years airing on BBC2 in the UK from 1996 to 1997. The series was devised and produced by Martin Davidson who also co-wrote the book Decisive Weapons with series researcher Adam Levy.
T34: The Queen of Tanks
Sep 18, 1996
The story of the Soviet T34 tank, the manufacture of which heralded the largest industrial migration in history. In 1941, the Soviets faced almost certain defeat by the Germans, until the arrival of the Red Army's ultra-secret new tank, the T-34. In the hands of those who built and then drove it, this was the tank that led the fightback, all the way to Hitler's bunker in 1945.
The Bell Huey - Vietnam War Horse
Sep 25, 1996
The Bell-Huey helicopter was designer and built for air mobility, the rapid transport of troops and the provision of gun and rocket support. It gave the Americans an early advantage in the jungles of South Vietnam, but the North Vietnamese soon learned to lure the Hueys to the places they wanted to fight. Through such films as Apocalypse Now, the Huey came to symbolise the American involvement in the Vietnam conflict.
The P-51: Cadillac of the Skies
Oct 2, 1996
In 1943, the large and slow Flying Fortresses, used in the US Air Force's daylight bombing raids, were being shot out of the sky at a rate of up to 60 per day. Only one fighter plane could save them - the single-seat P51 Mustang. The P51 enabled American pilots to fly eight-hour missions - by the end of the war, it accounted for half of all German planes destroyed, either in the air or on the ground. American and German veterans recount the legend that was the Mustang.
The Bayonet - Cold Steel
Oct 9, 1996
No description available.
The Longbow - Wood Against Steel
Oct 16, 1996
The longbow was the lethal weapon of the Middle Ages, a killing machine that could stop a fully-armoured knight dead in his tracks. Its simple form and devastating power made it the ideal weapon for the English when they invaded France in 1415 and, at Agincourt, faced a massive French army.
The Harrier - Jumping Jet Flash
Oct 20, 1996
Untested in combat and generally derided by the British military establishment, the Harrier proved itself in the Falklands conflict when just 20 of them took on a 200-strong Argentinian air force.
