clive's - Rented List

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Originally made in 1945 as part of the acclaimed Frank Capra series 'Why We Fight', 'Battle Of China' focuses on one of the forgotten theatres of the second World War, China. The Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 gave the world a first hand taste of modern warfare.

The Japanese atrocities in every territory they overran firmed the resolve of the 'free world' to fight back.

Originally made in 1945 as part of the acclaimed Frank Capra series 'Why we Fight', The Battle Of Russia examines the various invasions suffered the Russians over the centuries, culminating in the 1941 invasion by 2 million Germans. Here the German blitzkrieg tactics finally met their match.

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Dating from 1927 Esfir Shub's 'The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty' documentary uses archive footage from the Romanov tercentenary in 1913 to the Bolshevik takeover four years on. Here truth really is fashioned into myth.

The musical score consists of a medley of Russian favourites, pounded out on an electric piano, making for a rather limited, though not inappropriate, soundtrack.

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In the winter of 1939 - 40, tiny Finland held back the might of the Soviet army which stormed Finland's borders with massive tank and artillery firepower, a large air force and well armed infantry.

The war continued relentlessly for 105 days, in extreme conditions, through an exceptionally cold and hostile winter. Against all the odds the Finns held strong and this historic battle has come to be known as the Finnish Miracle.

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For decades the Cold War prevented the world from truly understanding the events that unfolded between the Russians and Germans on the Eastern Front during WWII.

Far more than a struggle between nations, it pitted tyrant against tyrant and evil ideology against evil ideology as the lives of tens of millions were consumed by the conflict. One in 10 Russians died. One in four Poles died. And whole divisions of Italians, Romanians and Hungarians disappeared without a trace. On average, 17,800 people died every single day - and the war on the Russian/German front lasted for 1,400 days. First broadcast on Canadian television in 1995, this series featured German and Russian film footage that has never before been seen outside those countries. Narrated by Douglas Rain (the voice of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey) with a powerful script, this documentary offers a rare look at one of the darkest horror stories in the history of warfare. The sweeping musical score composeu by Rick Hyslop (The Passion of the Christ) only adds to the drama, and captures every nuance of the tragedy.

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This is the story of Gordon Welchman, the forgotten genius of Bletchley Park, the codebreaker who hacked Hitler. Gordon Welchman was one of the original elite codebreakers of Bletchley Park.

Without him, the German Enigma codes might not have been broken, and World War Two could have lasted two more years. His contribution was as great as Alan Turing's and he should be just as famous, yet very few have heard of him. But for a forgotten man, his secret legacy is everywhere - from Whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA, to the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and now Islamic State. Discover his story told through recently released interviews from co-workers and letters from "The Forgotten Genius of Bletchley Park" himself.

Originally made in 1944 as part of the acclaimed Frank Capra series 'Why We Fight, Tunisian Victory takes a historical look at the execution and planning of Operation Acrobat, an Allied operation that paved the way for the subsequent defeat of Germany in North Africa.

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Modern weapon technology and cunning military strategy have dominated the waging and winning of wars for centuries. The emphasis in warfare has been on mobility ever since the end of "war of position" tactics at the beginning of the 20th century.

The invention of the battle tank provided a degree of mobility never achieved before and proved a decisive factor in ending the First World War. The so-called "Blitzkrieg" introduced at the beginning of the Second World War was only successful on the basis of modern battle tanks in combination with highly-efficient air cover supplied by the German Luftwaffe. The exact analysis of important tank battles highlight the technical standards and tactical values and the involvement of the tank crews. These rare film excerpts in both colour and black and white help to illustrate the development of the German tank from the humble beginnings during the First World War right up to Hitler's final defeat in 1945.

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For many the awesome image of German tanks streaming unchecked across open European countryside is the ultimate depiction of German superiority during the early part of the World War Two.

There can be no doubt that the immense strength, speed and coordination of the Panzer divisions facilitated the success of the Blitzkrieg tactic, and hence European domination. However, the myth of German tank invincibility would soon be shattered as Allied technical advancement and sheer numbers coming out of Russia would turn the tide on the battlefield. Made with the cooperation of the Bovington Tank Museum this video discusses the power, tactics and designs of tanks, as well as their role in the overall outcome of World War Two.

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The Panzer III emerged as one of the formative images of German military success in the newsreels produced by the Propaganda Ministry, documenting the Blitzkrieg victories of the early war years.

While proving adequate to the task of countering allied armour in France and the Western desert, the fateful encounter with the superior Soviet T-34 tank, following the invasion of Russia in 1941, revealed the technical shortcomings of the Panzer III. It's days as a battle tank were numbered, but it could still be seen serving in the East as a command tank until 1944, and in other secondary theatres such as Norway until the German surrender.

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In continuous production from 1936 until 1945, the Panzer IV was the armoured 'workhorse' of the German Army in the Second World War.

Designed originally as a heavy 'support' tank for its stable mate, the lighter Mark III in the Panzer divisions, it became one of the key instruments of the Blitzkrieg victories, in the early war years. This programmer traces the long history of this most versatile of German tanks, and documents a combat career that finally ended with the destruction of the last Mark IV's in Syrian service by the Israeli Army on the Golan Heights in 1967.

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During WW2, the need for capable and qualified crewmen to work with and maintain the equipment became vital. In order to keep up with the demands of warfare, soldiers and engineers were educated partly with training films.

This programme shows footage of the Tiger tanks during Operation Citadel, as well as edited highlights of two German Army training films from late 1943 and mid 1944. Including two major military productions, the first of these films was produced to show how to convert the Panther tank allowing it to successfully deal with the extensive Soviet defences like the ones it encountered at its debut in Kursk. The second film from 1944, made for the benefit of personnel serving in Sdkfz 251 D's and the Panzerjaeger IV, may well be the only footage of this type to survive the war. Finally there are sequences showing such machines as the late Model Brummbaer which round off this fascinating assemblage of unique footage of German armoured Fighting vehicles from the latter part of WW2.

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The sudden and dramatic appearance of German paratroops brought a new and unexpected dimension to the nature of warfare during the Second World War. These new warriors of the air, the Fallschirmjager, were to make critical contributions to some of the most famous battles of the conflict.

An enduring legend was created thanks to the Fallschirmjager's dogged defence of Monte Cassino and successful invasions of Crete and Norway. With the use of computer graphics and rare archive footage, this video pays homage to a remarkable fighting force.

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Caesar had his Praetorian Guard; Napoleon, the Old Guard. Adolf Hitler's equivalent was the Leftstandarte which grew from a small handpicked battalion into a complete Panzer Division twenty thousand strong.

Naturally the Leibstandarte received the best and most modern in equipment but they needed it. As the German position during World War Two deteriorated, the Division became a mobile "fire brigade" deployed wherever the fighting was fiercest in Europe. Famed for their bravery and skill, these SS men quickly and justifiably also gained a reputation for barbarism add subhuman brutality. Expert comment and analysis from Dr. Robin Clifton of Warwick University and Bob Carruthers, author and historian, combine with reconstructions and rare archive footage for an enthralling look at this savage arm of the Nazi machine.

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Battle tanks decided many battles during the Second World War. Some 25,000 were produced in Germany and some 250,000 by the Allies during the conflict. Yet despite overwhelming odds, the German Panzer Divisions became legendary.

Just as a cavalryman becomes attached to his horse, the Panzer crews still vividly remember their mechanical mounts, the sounds they produced, the smell of fuel and oil, the effects they had on the enemy and also the fact that the Panzer could become a steel coffin in one blazing moment.