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In the early months of the Pacific war, the Japanese quickly seized control over a large expanse of the Western Pacific and East Asia. Their remarkable fighter plane, the “Zero,” played an important role in these successes.

But although the Zero was the best fighter plane in the world when it was first introduced in 1940, by 1943, Allied aircraft technology was catching up, and Allied pilots were gaining experience in fighting against it.

• Listen now:

Transcript.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Symphony No. 9 in E minor.
Composed in 1893 by Antonín Dvořák. Public domain.
Performed by the DuPage Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Barbara Schubert, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 license. Source.

Closing War Theme

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Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

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Continuing from the previous episode, we look at important events in August-September 1943.

The most notable of these was the surrender of Italy. Italians hoped this meant the war would be over, at least for them, but the Wehrmacht had other ideas.

• Listen now:

Transcript.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Overture to La Forza del Destino.
Composed in 1861 by Giuseppe Verdi. Public domain.
Performed by the University of Chicago Orchestra and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 license. Source.

Closing War Theme

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Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

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The period of July-August 1943 saw major developments on the Eastern Front, in the Mediterranean, and in the Pacific.

US Navy patrol boat PT-109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Its commander, the son of financier Joseph Kennedy, rescued the survivors and became a war hero.

• Listen now:

Transcript.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Symphony No. 7 in A Major (piano transcription.)
Composed in 1813 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Public domain.
Performed by Luis Sarro and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Source.

Closing War Theme

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Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.