Fighting Joe Hooker at the Battle of Fredericksburg: The Frustrated Commander
Few American Civil War commanders were as contentious, either in war or its aftermath, as Fighting Joe Hooker. After months of grumbling at the failures…
Chouigui Pass: The First US v German Tank Clash of WWII
On November 26, 1942, a significant encounter took place in an obscure patch of Tunisian countryside. American forces had recently arrived in North Africa, joining…
The Amazing Harry Errington: The Only London Fireman to Earn a George Cross for Service in the Blitz
The bombing campaigns of WWII put a massive strain on firefighters. In both Britain and Germany, campaigns of deliberate destruction set cities alight. Not just…
Taking the War to the Skies – Some of the Best Fighter Planes of the War
Boulton Paul Defiant A two-seater British plane, all of the Defiant’s firepower lay with the rear gunner. It performed well in the Battle of France…
The Desperate Measures Hitler Took to Avoid Losing WWII
In the summer of 1944, Adolf Hitler’s monstrous dream of an eternal empire began to collapse. Five years after his invasion of Poland had plunged…
The Doolittle Raid – American Planes Take Revenge For Pearl Harbor
The Doolittle raid is one of the most famous air attacks of WWII. The first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands, it was achieved…
The Rise Of The Night-Fighters – Devastating Aircraft in Two World Wars
Fighting between planes began in daylight which allowed pilots and gunners to see what was going on so they could target their prey and see…
Two Invasions of Belgium By Germany in Two World Wars: 1914 and 1940
In both World Wars, the fighting in the West began with a German invasion of Belgium. 1914: Why German strategy in the late 19th and…
One Secret Agent Who Helped Pave the Way for D-Day
Many agents served in secret during the Second World War. Sent behind enemy lines, they risked their lives gathering information and supporting acts of resistance…
Saving Sara Matuson: How 10 POWs Risked Their Lives to Save One Woman
Life in a prisoner of war camp could be hard and dangerous during the Second World War. It was even more so for ten British…
How Britain was Unprepared for World War Two
In retrospect, the outbreak of the Second World War seems both obvious and inevitable. However, to many people at the time, particularly in Britain, there…
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…