Hitler’s Fortified Siegfried Line Was Massive And Included 22,000 Bunkers And Pillboxes
During the build-up to WWII, the German government commissioned a line of defenses all along its border with France. The enormous undertaking seemed a waste…
The Cutting Edge Heinkel He162 Salamander – Another fascinating German Jet Fighter Concept
During WWII Nazi Germany led the world in jet technology. Late in the war, the Germans tried to use their advantage to turn the tide…
The Malayan Emergency: Winning Hearts And Minds In The Conflict With Communism
Between 1948 and 1960, a guerrilla insurgency tore Malaya apart. Communist rebels fought against British and Commonwealth troops as well as local military forces and…
Started out as a Biplane: The Grumman F4F Wildcat One Of The Most Valuable American Fighter Planes Of WW2
Despite its slightly odd origins, the Grumman F4F Wildcat was one of the most valuable fighter planes in the US arsenal of WWII. The Biplane…
The English Navy Full of Drunkenness, Disorder and the Plague: The Cadiz Fiasco of 1625
The English navy has a reputation as a force to be reckoned with from the 16th century onwards. But in the early 17th century it…
Russia’s 1914 Invasion of Germany – The Beginning of WWI on the Eastern Front
In August 1914, fighting broke out between Germany and Russia – it was the beginning of WWI on the Eastern Front. Russia declared war on…
Leonidas I, Sparta’s Greatest Warrior King
King Leonidas I is the most famous general in the history of Sparta, and perhaps the whole of Greece. Disappointingly little is known about the…
The Vultee Vengeance – The Allied WWII Dive Bomber Developed To Rival The German Stuka
When people talk about aircraft used in WWII, most remember the German Stuka dive-bomber used to great effect very early in the war, but both…
The Ground-Breaking Gloster Meteor – The Only Allied Jet Which Took Part Combat in World War Two
The British Gloster Meteor jet fighter entered service late in WWII. It was a ground-breaking aircraft in an era when aerial combat was changing. The…
How the US Navy Trained its Pilots in WWII – the Bar for Entry was High
With a thud and a screech, a damaged fighter plane hits the deck of an aircraft carrier. The ocean heaves in a high wind, making the…
The Rapid Rise of Naval Air Power Over Two World Wars
An aircraft carrier and its complement of planes is perhaps the most powerful military formation in the modern world. With it, a nation can reach…
Battle of Agincourt – The English Really Should Have Lost, But They Won
The Battle of Agincourt is an iconic moment in English military history. On 25 October 1415, an army of English raiders under Henry V faced…