The Science of D-Day

Original version

BBC Four

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

BBC Four HD

BBC News Channel

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South

BBC One Oxfordshire

Started as BBC News 24 in 29/11/1997 and then became the BBC News Channel on 21/04/2008

BBC News Channel HD

Rob Bell

Richard Townsend

Jane French

Documentaries

Factual: History

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

07/06/2014

BBC One - The Science of D-Day

Engineer Rob Bell explores the new inventions that made the Normandy invasion possible.

Engineer Rob Bell explores the new inventions - from giant troop-carrying gliders to tanks that could operate on water - that made the Normandy invasion in 1944 possible.

In June 1944, one of the greatest amphibious assaults in history was launched from the south coast of England. Within a matter of hours, 7,000 vessels had landed 156,000 troops on the beaches of Normandy. It was a manoeuvre that changed the course of the war and tested innovations in science and engineering for the first time.

In this programme, engineer Rob Bell looks at the nuts and bolts which made such a staggering invasion possible - from giant troop-carrying gliders to tanks that could drive on water - and how necessity really did become the mother of invention. Like all new inventions, not all of them worked and resulted in devastating consequences. We find out why. This is the science of D-Day.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Science of D-Day

Contributors

Genres

Formats

BBC Four HD

About BBC Four