This Week on History Happy Hour: It is one of the most famous and controversial battles the British fought in Normandy. On June 13, British forces were ambushed at Villers Bocage by Waffen SS German Panzers, including one commanded by German Panzer ace Michael Wittmann. This kicked off a two-day battle that resulted in a major British withdrawal.

Chris and Rick dig into this story with Daniel Taylor author of Villers-Bocage: Operation Perch: The Complete Event. The debate still swirls: Was it a crushing British defeat, or a compelling recovery from an ambush that was misunderstood by an already nervous high command? And has Wittmann’s role been exaggerated, or was he really the hero the Nazis made him out to be?

This Week on History Happy Hour: The legendary ‘Red Devils’, British Airborne troops, were created at Winston Churchill’s instigation in June 1940. They started with just 500 men and grew into three 10,000-strong airborne divisions.

British military historian Saul David returns this encore episode of History Happy Hour to talk about book Sky Warriors: British Airborne Forces in the Second World War. We’ll talk about their role in iconic operations such as Pegasus Bridge, Arnhem Bridge, and Operation Varsity, the biggest parachute drop of World War II.

This Week on History Happy Hour: The story of British scientists who developed cutting-edge underwater science that helped make D-Day possible.

Chris and Rick welcome Rachel Lance, author of Chamber Divers. A long-classified tale of eccentric researchers who conducted life threatening experiments on themselves to pioneer the safe use of miniature submarines and breathing apparatuses used to reconnoiter the D-Day beaches.