In July of 1944 the Allies had a problem. Having landed successfully in France and established a beachhead, they had been stalled for weeks. Thankfully a fortuitous victory over the Germans opened up the line and Allied troops roared across France, chasing the Nazis back to where they came from. This presented another problem.
With ports mangled, railroads destroyed, and all their stuff sitting on the beach war planners had to think fast to supply, feed, and fuel the armies fighting on the front lines. Their answer was one of the greatest single logistical feats in the history of war. They created the Red Ball Express and supplied multiple armies with more than 6,000 trucks working 24-hours a day on a closed loop highway system.
On this episode we tell the story of the Red Ball Express. How and why it was done, how it worked, how much stuff it managed to serve up, and why it was so key to the Allied successes in France during 1944. It is something that no other nation on Earth could have done at the time, but America did. This is an awesome story. Truckin' awesome if we may say so ourselves.
4.3 The Greatest Race You've Never Heard Of: A History of Bahamas Speed Week 1954-1966
4.2 The Wild History Of INDOOR Drag Racing In Chicago During The 1960s!
4.1 Drag Racing's Darkest Day: The 1969 Yellow River Drag Strip Disaster
3.7 Origin Story: How Stock Car Racing Was Born In Los Angeles Circa 1934!
3.6: Consumed: The First Ferris Wheel and How It Ruined The Life Of George Washington Ferris
3.5: Cold War Crushers: The Awesome History of The Air Force Heavy Press Program
3.4: Fastest - An Oral History of the 1992 Hot Rod Magazine Fastest Street Car Shootout
3.3: Beating Hitler With Combines - The Epic Story of The 1944 Harvest Brigade
3.2 Small Blocks vs The World: The Wild Story of The 1971 Questor Grand Prix
3.1: Unstable - The Deadly and Explosive History of Headlights
2.5: Rip Tide: The Incredible and Dark History of The World‘s Water Speed Record
2.4: 1,000 Ton Sucker Punch - The Wild Story Of WWI Q-Ships
2.3: Too Fat To Fly: The Crazy Story Of How Super Speedway Big Rig Racing Was Born!
2.1: Suicidal Speed and Splinters - A History Of Board Track Racing In America
1.28 Out Of Gas At 41,000ft: The Unbelievable Story Of The Gimli Glider
1.27: Twisted Steel and Sex Appeal: The Weird History of Staged Locomotive Wrecks 1896-1935
1.26: Under Pressure: The Story of Bill Lear’s Steam Powered Race Car That (Never) Ran The Indy 500
1.25: A Race To Oblivion: The 1927 Dole Air Derby
1.24: The Best Worst Ship Ever - The Story Of The SS Great Eastern
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