Last Stand at Fort #1 – German Counter-Attack at Grodno 1944
On June 23, 1944, the major offensive of Operation “Bagration” began. On July 15, Soviet troops from the north began to liberate the city of…
From Mice to Elephants – The Amazing 5 Years of WWII Vehicle Development
Growling onto the battlefields in a blaze of shell-fire, the first motorized fighting vehicles made their appearance during the First World War. By the beginning…
Tourists Caught Stealing from Auschwitz – It’s Not the 1st Time!
It’s not uncommon for tourists to want to take mementos and souvenirs home from their trips abroad, but there are just some places and some…
Determined Fighting for a Terrible Cause – Germany’s Desperate Defense of Normandy
On the 6th of June 1944, the Allies invaded Normandy. For the German troops defending this region of occupied France, it was the beginning of…
Japan’s Dr. Mengele: Medical Experiments on POW’s at Unit 731
The main site of Japan’s experiments into biological warfare was the prisoner of war camp known as Unit 731 located in Pingfan, Manchuria, where Chinese…
Saving Private Ryan turns 20 and Goes 4K
It has been a while since I last watched Saving Private Ryan but now that Universal Pictures has released the epic war movie in 4K…
Fighter Factory: 11 Grumman Combat Planes
Across the course of the 20th century, the Grumman company provided the United States Navy with some of its most successful fighter planes. FF-1 Grumman’s…
Was Hugo Boss Hitler’s Tailor?
Not long ago at a function arranged by GQ magazine and sponsored by Hugo Boss, British comedian Russell Brand goose-stepped onto the stage and told…
Dust Means Death: Behind the Front Lines After D-Day
Following the D-Day landings of June 1944, the Allies poured troops into Normandy. By the 25th of July, they had 1,450,000 soldiers ashore in France,…
“Destroyer of Beasts” – the ISU-152
Object 241 or ISU-152 was a Soviet heavy self-propelled artillery vehicle during the Second World War. The designation “ISU” stands for self-propelled installation, created on…
Edokko: Touching Story of Jewish Refugee in WWII Japan
A memoir from a New York Man Who Grew Up a Jewish Refugee in World War II Japan and Worked with the US Military as…
Forgotten Meat Grinder: The Battle of Hurtgen Forest WWII
It was some of the most brutal fighting of the Second World War, a grinding battle in which thousands of American and German lives were…