Military Channel Rolls Out a Gripping Second Season of GREATEST TANK BATTLES, Premiering January 11 at 10 PM E/P

SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Military Channel's action-packed series GREATEST TANK BATTLES returns for a second season with new, even more dramatic and compelling stories of mechanized warfare. Brought to life with stunning, ultra-realistic CGI animation and combined with archival footage, first-person testimony, GREATEST TANK BATTLES captures the strategy and action in some of the most iconic battles of the 20th century in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In each episode, viewers experience the gritty realism and thunderous tanks from perspectives never before possible. Each story is complemented by expert analysis of the tactical decisions behind each battle, including key technological advances and background briefings on the circumstances that lead to up to them. Season two of GREATEST TANK BATTLES premieres Wednesday, January 11 at 10 PM E/P on Military Channel.

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"We're excited to be able to present a whole new season of this hit series that combines non-stop action and cutting edge graphics with gripping and often emotional first-hand accounts from the heroic service members who were there, and manned these monster machines," said Ed Hersh, senior vice president of content strategy for Military Channel.

The ten-episode first season includes:

• FRANCE – Premieres Wednesday, January 11 at 10 PM ET
  At the outset of World War II, the Germans pioneered a new form of mobile armored warfare. It allowed the Nazis to unleash Blitzkrieg on Western Europe while thousands of Panzer tanks raced across rugged terrain, crushing Allied defenses and rolling over everything that stood in their path.
• BAUER – Premieres Wednesday, January 18 at 10 PM ET
  After the success of the Blitzkrieg, young men across Germany flocked to the armored corps in search of glory and excitement, including one young German tanker who came face to face with the harsh realities of armored warfare.
• WWI – Premieres Wednesday, January 25 at 10 PM ET
  In 1916, the British debuted a new mobile weapon in the hope of breaking a long, blood-stained stalemate on the Western Front with help from a new technology, the tank, that would change the face of the modern battlefield forever.
• TUNISIA – Premieres Wednesday, February 1 at 10 PM ET
  By 1942, the Afrika Corps had been pushed back to Tunisia just as the brash new U.S. tank force landed in North Africa, sparking a battle between two of history's most famous tank commanders, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and U.S. General George Patton.
• KOREA – Premieres Wednesday, February 8 at 10 PM ET
  The world was caught off guard in 1950 as North Korea launched a massive armored assault into South Korea. American tankers rushed to the aid of the South, fighting bloody battles up and down the Korean Peninsula.
• ITALY – Premieres Wednesday, February 15 at 10 PM ET
  In 1943, tanks of the Canadian Armored Corps made their combat debut on the European mainland, making their way up the Italian peninsula in the push to liberate Rome from Nazi occupation.
• SIX DAY WAR – Premieres Wednesday, February 22 at 10 PM ET
  In 1967, in response to a growing threat by its Arab neighbors, Israel launched a preemptive strike against Egypt in the Sinai, paving the way for one of the most dramatic victories in modern warfare.
• STALINGRAD – Premieres Wednesday, February 29 at 10 PM ET
  By late 1942, the German offensive on the Eastern Front began to stall, and the Soviets made their stand in the city of Stalingrad, forcing the most infamous battle in history as an entire German army was lost and the course of the war forever changed.
• OCTOBER WAR – Premieres Wednesday, March 7 at 10 PM ET
  Eager to regain territory lost six years earlier, Egypt launched a surprise attack against Israel in October 1973. It was the final Arab-Israeli war in the Sinai, in which both sides enjoyed remarkable success but also suffered stunning defeat.
• BALTICS – Premieres Wednesday, March 14 at 10 PM ET
  By 1944, the Soviets had turned the tide of war in the East and were pursuing the Nazi army back through the Baltic States. The German tankers struggled to fight, but they would not win the war.

GREATEST TANK BATTLES is produced by Breakthrough Films and Television for Military Channel.  For Breakthrough, Ira Levy and Peter Williamson are executive producers.  For Military Channel, Ron Simon is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Ed Hersh is senior vice president of content strategy and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager, Military Channel and Investigation Discovery.

About Military Channel:

The Military Channel brings viewers compelling, real-world stories of heroism, military strategy, and significant turning points in history. The network takes viewers "behind the lines" to hear the personal stories of servicemen and women and offers in-depth explorations of military training, aviation technology and cutting-edge weaponry. As the only cable network devoted to military subjects, it also provides unique access to this world, allowing viewers to experience and understand the full spectrum of human drama, courage, and patriotism intrinsic to the armed forces, as well as, the long-held traditions of the military. For more information, please visit military.discovery.com.

Please visit the Press Website at http://press.discovery.com/us/mil/programs/greatest-tank-battles/ for additional press materials, online screeners, and photography.

SOURCE Military Channel