Lightning Strikes

S4 E8: Naval victory isn’t always about power or numbers. Sometimes it’s achieved through speed, precision, and the element of surprise. In this episode, we examine some of maritime history’s most effective—and deceptive—lightning strikes. We’ll show how the French frigate Nivôse set a trap to lure Somali pirates in 2009, how the HMS Illustrious captured a well-defended Mediterranean harbor in WWII through an untested but brilliantly plotted carrier-launched attack, and how American planes pulled off a textbook surprise attack on Tokyo in 1942.