Silent aircraft rewrote World War II battlefields with daring precision assaults.

Discover how unpowered gliders became stealth weapons that helped Germany seize key targets and pushed Britain and America to build airborne forces of their own. Across this two-part series, you will see the tactics, designs, and high-stakes missions that defined their rise, and why their element of surprise could change a war.

Episode guide

2 episodes

1The War Gliders: Part 1

Before the Nazis came to power, Germany was limited to commercial aircraft and gliders. The Allies considered both to be harmless, but they were wrong. This mistake would allow the Wehrmacht to subjugate most of Western Europe in a matter of months.

25 min

2The War Gliders: Part 2

Although vulnerable, the glider proved versatile and economic—virtues that the Allies learned to exploit in their return to France and on to the war with Japan. Today, the glider is limited to recreational enjoyment for a lucky few, a far cry from its past.

25 min

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