Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis, Recipient of the Only Victoria Cross for D-Day
The D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, saw many acts of courage. One man stood out and achieved the distinction of being the only person…
John Bridge: Heroic Bomb Disposal Expert of the Second World War
Unexploded munitions are a problem in war. Bombs and mines need to be deactivated to ensure operations can continue. It is difficult, dangerous, highly skilled…
Kaiten: The Japanese Suicide Submarines in WWII
During the last months of World War II, as the Japanese were becoming desperate, they turned to a new kind of weapon. While it incorporated…
I-17 & the Shelling of the Bankline Oil Refinery – February 23, 1942 – by Martin K.A. Morgan
Thanks go to Marty Morgan for this wonderful article. Two months after Pearl Harbor, World War II raged around the world in places like the Philippines…
The Japanese Diplomat Who Saved Thousands of Jews During WWII
Chiune Sugihara, better known as Sempo, was a Japanese diplomat who came to prominence during WWII. Sugihara was responsible for saving the lives of thousands…
Eric Liddell, the Record Breaking Olympian Who Kept Hope Alive in a Japanese Prison Camp
The Scotsman Eric Liddell is best remembered for his sporting accomplishments from the 1981 film that dramatized them, Chariots of Fire. However, his record-breaking performance…
Medal of Honor: He Took Out Three German Bunkers On His Own at the Battle of Crucifix Hill
Late in WWII, the obstinate Germans were on the defensive, and one American soldier had had enough. Unfortunately for the Germans, he was even more…
Second World War Naval Reservist Was Awarded the VC After Surviving 31 Air Attacks in 4 Days
At the start of the Second World War, thousands of reservists were called up to serve in the armed forces of Britain and other European…
U-Boat 96, and the film Das Boot
In 1981, a film was released which is still cited as one of Germany’s greatest cinematic triumphs. It followed the exploits of U-96, a German…
How the British Military Learned in Advance About the V2 Rocket – and How They Responded
The V2 rocket and its predecessor V1 had the potential to transform the Second World War. The world’s first long-range unmanned missiles, they were a…
Great Military Deceptions of World War Two
Military intelligence was vital to the Second World War. Trickery abounded, as commanders tried to deceive opponents about their plans. Tricking Rommel at Alamein Intelligence…
British Naval Intelligence: Well Equipped for WW2 But Often Lacking Material
At the outbreak of the Second World War, much of the British military were not equipped for dealing with military intelligence. The exception was the…