Tanks: Armoured Warfare | Tigers in the Desert (Episode 1)

A 1998 Cromwell Production War Documentary narrated by Graham McTavish and Mike Mundell.

World War II was the first great technological war. Innovations included long range missiles, submarines, fighters and bombers and of course Tanks! Armoured clashes were on a scale never seen before or since. Tanks were a significant factor in most of the main fighting theaters, from North Africa to Russia and northern France. They featured in some of the critical battles of the war, such as El Alamein in 1942 and Kursk in 1943. Some of the largest tank battles took place in the desperate struggle between Germany and Soviet Russia. The Russians had the T-34, a tank that was well armed, versatile and manufactured in huge numbers. It played a key role in helping turn the tide on the Eastern Front in favour of Soviet Russia.

In the early years of the war, Germany held the initiative. German forces used Blitzkrieg tactics in France in 1940, making full use of the speed and armour of tanks to break through enemy defences. By the later years of the war, the German advantage had lessened. Whilst German forces benefited from the huge armaments of tanks like the Tiger, the industrial might of the Allies meant they had tanks in larger quantities. Allied tank designs also improved, as did their tactical use of armour.

This 12 episode series takes the viewer inside the steel clad fighting machines who helped define this conflict. Experience the desert campaigns of the Tiger Tanks, roll out with the German legendary Panzer Divisions and conquer the enemy with the Sherman Duplex Drive. This unique series features rare footage from Russian, German and Allied sources, superb 3D graphics, interviews with the world's leading tank experts and historians, including David Fletcher, Professor John Erickson, Dr Simon Trew and Dr William Atwater, and film footage of the surviving tanks today.

Episode 1: Although they were few in number, the legendary Tiger tank carved out a reputation out of all proportion to its limited numbers. This fascinating episode draws on rare archive footage, stunning new animation and the views of leading armour authorities and Tank veterans from World War II to paint an intriguing picture of the deployment and use of armour in the desert war. Tigers in the Desert features a detailed examination of one of the last remaining Tigers in the word and a vivid reconstruction of the crew in action.