Japanese “Army Zero” – Nakajima Ki-43 in 27 Photos
The Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa was a relatively slow, lightly armed, and fragile land-based tactical fighter plane, but it became legendary for its performance in East…
Heroes of Dieppe Disaster – 3 Victoria Crosses in 9 Hours
It is not an entirely uncommon occurrence for uniquely vicious battles to produce countless acts of inexplicable gallantry worthy of a nation’s highest military honor.…
German Special Forces of WWII – Brandenburgers
In 1935, the head of the Abwehr, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, enlisted the services of a veteran of the colonial wars, Captain Theodor von Hippel. Canaris…
Battles, PinUps, and Music: World War II Comes to Life
Anyone without knowledge of local events who happened to be strolling around Conneaut, Ohio, recently would have been excused for thinking themselves caught in a…
Fierce and Colorful – Zouave Regiments in the Civil War
The Zouaves originally came as part of the French Army linked to French North Africa, which served between 1830 and 1962. Their uniform and tactics…
Meat Grinder on the Eastern Front – Rzhev
The Battle of Rzhev is marked in Soviet history as one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the Great Patriotic War. Rzhev was occupied…
Despite Tragedy the “Duck” Lives On – DUKW Amphibious Vehicle Still Popular with Tourists
For most consumers, the notion of a boat and truck amphibious hybrid vehicle doesn’t make sense. They don’t need a vehicle that can lead them…
One Man and a Trumpet Sends Army Running
War broke out in 1912 when the peoples of the Balkan Peninsula decided they had had enough of hundreds of years of Ottoman rule. The…
Blitzkrieg Tactics: Lightning Conquest of Poland
On the 1st of September 1939, Germany launched one of the most dramatic military campaigns of the 20th century. Troops poured across the border into…
Claiming Deseret: The Utah War
Throughout the nineteenth century the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as Mormons, struggled to find a home for themselves. Eventually,…
Shaping War in Europe – Lessons Learned in the Spanish Civil War
In 1936-39, Spain was torn apart by civil war. Monstrous atrocities on all sides took place and nations/ideologies and people from all over the world…
“Slow But Deadly” – Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive-bomber with 26 Photos
SBD is an acronym for Scout Bomber Douglas, but the performance of the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber, especially in the Battle of Midway, earned…