WW2 Stories & Real War Stories
"WW2 Stories & Real War Stories" is a gripping podcast that dives into the untold tales of heroism, sacrifice, and determination from the most significant conflict in human history, World War II. Each episode explores the lesser-known battles, daring missions, and personal accounts of the brave individuals who shaped the course of the war. From the epic struggles on the Eastern Front to the courageous acts of the resistance fighters in occupied Europe, join us as we uncover the true stories behind the pivotal moments and unsung heroes of the Second World War.
Episodes
You are now listening to World War 2 Stories. I'm your host Steve Matthews. Today, I'll take you into the heart of one of the most consequential covert operations of the entire war - a mission so audacious and against such impossible odds that it reads like fiction. Yet every word of this story is true.
February 1943. While battles rage across Europe and the Pacific, a small group of Norwegian commandos are about to embark o...
This is the story of the Great Raid on Cabanatuan – a pulse-pounding tale of courage against overwhelming odds, where the clock was ticking, and failure meant certain death for everyone involved. What happened on that fateful night of January 30, 1945, would become legend – a mission so audacious that even Hollywood couldn't have scripted it better.
Hello and welcome to World War 2 Stories. I'm your host, Steve Matthews. Today, we're exploring a remarkable but lesser-known drama that unfolded in the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor – a tense six-day saga on Hawaii's "Forbidden Island" that would test loyalties, lead to bloodshed, and ultimately influence America's controversial decision to intern Japanese Americans during the war.This is the story ...
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're going to explore one of the most consequential yet often overlooked operations of World War II – a massive airborne assault that played a pivotal role in bringing the European conflict to its conclusion. This is the story of Operation Varsity, the largest single-day airborne operation in military history and, as some historians...
Operation Mincemeat - British intelligence used a corpse with fake identity papers to mislead German forces about Allied invasion plans in 1943, successfully diverting attention from the Allied invasion of Sicily.
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we turn our attention to voices often overshadowed in the grand narrative of D-Day – the Norman civilians who endured the invasion from a unique and perilous perspective. While we rightly celebrate the courage of Allied soldiers who stormed the beaches and the paratroopers who dropped from the night sky, we must also remember that Norman...
Hello and welcome to World War 2 Stories. I'm your host, Steve Matthews. Today, we're taking a fascinating journey to one of the most dramatic and symbolic locations of the Third Reich – the Kehlsteinhaus, better known to Americans as the "Eagle's Nest." Perched high in the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, this mountaintop retreat has captured the imagination of historians and tourists alike, appearing in cou...
Hello and welcome to World War 2 Stories. I'm your host, Steve Matthews. In our previous episodes, we've explored various battles, weapons, and units that shaped the outcome of history's deadliest conflict. Today, we turn our attention to a more difficult but essential question: Why did World War II happen in the first place?
To understand this global catastrophe that claimed over 70 million lives, we must examine the man who set it...
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're turning our attention to an extraordinary group of men whose courage and determination played a crucial yet often overlooked role in the success of D-Day - the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion.
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're diving into one of the most audacious and innovative air-sea battles of World War II—the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. This remarkable engagement saw Allied airmen pioneering tactics that would revolutionize naval warfare and deliver a devastating blow to Japanese forces in the South Pacific. It's a story of ingenuity, courag...
Hello and welcome to World War 2 Stories. I'm your host Steve Matthews, and today we're diving into one of the most terrifying weapons of the Second World War – a weapon that brought hellfire to the battlefield and forever changed the nature of combat in the Pacific Theater. I'm talking about the M2-2 and M9A1-7 flamethrowers, weapons that literally projected liquid fire onto America's enemies.
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're examining one of the most pivotal and brutal moments in modern history—the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. This is the story of how a sovereign nation was systematically dismembered, how a new form of warfare shocked the world, and how the fuse was lit for the most destructive conflict in human history.
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're going to explore the extraordinary courage of one man whose actions on June 6, 1944, would earn him the highest military honor his country could bestow. This is the story of Company Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis – the only British soldier to receive the Victoria Cross for actions on D-Day.
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're examining one of the darkest chapters in modern history—Adolf Hitler's rise to power and the terrible transformation of Germany under Nazi rule. This is not an easy story to tell, but it's one we must understand if we're to grasp how a modern, cultured nation descended into barbarism and unleashed a global catastrop...
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're exploring one of the most extraordinary chapters in American military history—the story of the Native American Code Talkers, most famously the Navajo, who created an unbreakable code that helped secure Allied victory in the Pacific. It's a tale of ingenuity, courage, and the remarkable irony of how a people whose language h...
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're exploring one of the most extraordinary acts of courage in the history of aerial warfare—the story of Flight Sergeant John Hannah, who at just 18 years old became the youngest airman in World War II to receive Britain's highest military honor, the Victoria Cross.
Hello and welcome to World War 2 Stories. I'm your host, Steve Matthews. Today, we're going to challenge a powerful narrative that has dominated our understanding of America's role in the Second World War. For decades, the story has been one of inevitable triumph – the "Arsenal of Democracy" awakening to crush the Axis powers through overwhelming industrial might and military power.
But what if I told you that American victory was a...
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're exploring one of the most remarkable humanitarian efforts of World War II—the Danish rescue of Jews. This is the story of how an entire nation conspired to save its Jewish citizens, demonstrating that even in humanity's darkest hour, collective courage and moral clarity could triumph over hatred and violence.
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're going to explore the remarkable story of a woman whose determination, courage, and journalistic integrity led her to break barriers and witness history firsthand on the beaches of Normandy. This is the story of Martha Gellhorn – the first and only female journalist to cover D-Day from the ground.
Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're exploring the extraordinary life and heroism of America's most decorated combat soldier—Audie Murphy. His actions on a frigid January day in 1945 have become legendary, but the full story of this remarkable American hero reveals much more than a single act of courage, no matter how extraordinary.
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com