Carl Hans Lody Was German Wartime Spy – When He Was Executed, He Thanked His Guards For Their Courtesy
People used to think of spying as dishonorable. Many British officials rejected it in WWII – they wanted to fight a “gentlemanly war.” Churchill felt otherwise,…
Two WW2 Planes Collided Over Australia, Then The Pilot Who Saved Them Was Punished
In 1940, two planes collided in mid-air over Australia. Remarkably, there were no fatalities. Even more remarkably, the pilot responsible for saving the planes was…
The Four Phases Of The Battle of Britain Explained
History likes to paint Britain as the tiny country that, against all odds, somehow resisted the superior military might of Nazi Germany during WWII. But…
Rivalry in the USA – The Toledo War of 1835 – When Ohio Fought Michigan
The Toledo War of 1835 took place between the US state of Ohio and a foreign country – Michigan. Though hundreds joined the conflict, only…
The German Officer Who Rescued the ‘Pianist’
Sometimes, things aren’t always so black and white. Take the Nazi officer who ran a concentration camp in Poland. Who would ever have thought that he’d…
Pierre Ortiz: French Legionnaire, US Marine, Hollywood Actor, German Nightmare
In late 1944, a man sat in a French café wearing a long, dark cape. Around him were German officers grumbling and cursing President Roosevelt,…
Hanns Scharff – Nazi Germany’s POW “Master Interrogator” Who Used Kindness Not Brutality
The Nazis had a “Master Interrogator” who was so good at getting information out of prisoners that he became a legend. His methods were so…
Wacko: Making An Aircraft Carrier Out of Ice and Sawdust In WW2
In WWII the British were desperate. Metal was in short supply, and German U-boats were sinking Britain’s lifeline – ships. The Allies needed an unsinkable…
The Mighty Japanese Battleship Musashi — The Launch that Flooded Nagasaki
It was one of the biggest ships to ever ply the seas and ensure Japan’s conquest of the Asia-Pacific region during WWII. It was so…
Retreat Does Not Always Mean Defeat – Epic Retreats From Military History
In war, retreats aren’t always about defeat. Sometimes, they’re a deliberate tactic to gain more defensible ground, consolidate forces, encircle an enemy, or lead them…
The USAAF pilot who defected with his plane and joined the SS
During WWII, an American pilot defected to Nazi Germany. Despite this, he was allowed to reenlist in the US military. Martin James Monti was born…
In 1937, A Toilet Break Led to War Between China and Japan
Wars have been waged over the stupidest things, but in 1937, Japan took it a step further. That was the year that a minor incident…