TANKS OF FURY to Debut 11/9 on Smithsonian Channel

Smithsonian Channel goes behind-the-scenes of the current blockbuster film Fury, starring Academy Award(R) winner Brad Pitt, to explore the real struggles of World War II tank crews. The new one-hour special, TANKS OF FURY, premieres Sunday, November 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

TANKS OF FURY looks at what World War II crews were up against, what skills and technology were needed to survive an armored duel, and what it was like to wage a war in what many veterans still call the "steel coffin." In addition, the special goes behind-the-scenes of the movie to explore the actors' boot camp military training, reveal how special-effects crews created a replica Sherman tank, and witness a historic moment, as the last remaining Nazi Tiger tank roars to life again to become part of the movie.

TANKS OF FURY features extensive interviews with David Ayer, best known as the writer of the blockbuster film Training Day. WWII vets Don Evans, Peter Burland and Paul Andert describe the harsh realities of tank warfare that they experienced as they rolled across Germany in a real Sherman in 1945. TANKS OF FURY also looks at what happens when a tank rolls over a landmine and how the blast of the German anti-tank rocket, the Panzerfaust, incinerates everything in its path.

"One German dropped a Panzerfaust at one of my tracks and killed seven of my men," Andert recalls. "I was so upset about what he did...that I was gonna kill him. We decided at that point that we were savages when we were fighting and we were humans when it quieted down."

Fury is considered an Oscar(R)-contender, but director Ayer tells Smithsonian Channel that he has greater goals: "I'm hoping that when veterans see this film, that they can share it with somebody they know and that person will understand a little bit better what they've experienced."

TANKS OF FURY is produced for Smithsonian Channel by the Documentary Broadcasting Company. Executive Producers for Smithsonian Channel are David Royle, Charles Poe and Tim Evans.