In March 1918 Germany played its last card on the Western Front, launching its enormous Spring Offensive against the British in a last-ditch attempt to win the First World War.

Join Mat as he speaks to historian Paul Reed about the new tactics and technology employed by the Germans, the vital role played by Australian troops in stopping the offensive at places like Villers-Bretonneux and Hazebrouck, and the progress of this bitter campaign that nearly won the war for Germany.

In the second episode of our Kokoda special series, Mat speaks to veteran Lloyd Birdsall, who served as a signaller with the Australian artillery throughout the Pacific War. In this enthralling interview, Lloyd talks about fighting in Kokoda, Lae, Morotai and Borneo and shares his insights into life and loss on the battlefield.

Mat discusses this week's discovery of the USS Lexington, the WW2 aircraft carrier sunk during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. The ship was found in 3km of water, 800km off the coast of Queensland, and is a link to one of the early turning points of the Pacific War.

In the first of a special series of episodes, Mat interviews WW2 veteran Reg Chard about his experiences fighting against the Japanese in the Pacific. Reg served throughout the New Guinea Campaign, and fought at Milne Bay, Kokoda and Sanananda. In this emotional and harrowing account, Reg shares his recollections of life and death in the jungle, and the horrors of fighting a brutal enemy.

Join Mat for a special episode of the podcast, as he visits the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Sydney, a living monument to the men who fought and died on the Kokoda Track in 1942.

On July 19, 1916, Australia launched its first major attack on the Western Front, when the 5th Division advanced against the German trenches near the village of Fromelles. In one night of fighting Australia lost 5533 men killed, wounded or captured, the bloodiest single day in Australian military history.

On February 19th, 1942, the Second World War came suddenly and shockingly to Australia, when Japanese bombers attacked Darwin. In only 30 minutes nine ships were sunk, dozens of aircraft were destroyed and about 300 people were killed. In this special podcast episode, Mat McLachlan discusses the significance of the attack on Darwin, and why the echoes of that fateful day still reverberate more than 75 years later.

Mat interviews former platoon commander Gary McKay MC about his experiences during the Vietnam War. Gary's platoon played a pivotal role in the last major Australian operation of the Vietnam War, the Battle of Nui Le, during which Gary was wounded and awarded the Military Cross.

It's the great 'what if' of Second World War history - what if the Germans had won the Battle of Britain and invaded the UK in 1940? Could they have pulled it off? How would the British have responded? What would life in Britain be like under Nazi occupation? In this fascinating interview, Mat is joined by historian Gary Sheffield to explore Operation Sea Lion, the German plan to invade Britain.

What world awaited World War Two prisoners of war on their release from captivity? Was it possible for them to return to 'normal' life after the horrors they had endured, and what would family, friends and their country think of them on their return? In this emotional episode, Professor Christina Twomey joins Mat to discuss the life after captivity that faced thousands of Australians in 1945.