Machinery & Gear | War History

When The Nuclear Submarine USS San Francisco Crashed Into An Undersea Mountain

Launched in 1979, the USS San Francisco is the third American ship, boat or submarine to carry a title featuring San Francisco in the name.  In…

A Tragic Accident Onboard The USS Oriskany Cost Many Lives – Without An Enemy Ship In Sight

On the morning of the 26th of October, 1966 the USS Oriskany was stationed 50 miles off the north coast of Vietnam. A group of Skyhawk…

Mers-el-Kébir In WW2 – When The British Devastated The French Fleet With One Ten-Minute Hail Of Fire

Unable to stop the German advance in Europe, British soldiers fled through the Port of Dunkirk with French help. Weeks later, the British thanked their…

Galleys: The First Great Warships – They Dominated The Seas For Centuries

From the earliest days through to the 16th century, naval warfare was dominated by the galley. Galleys have been around so long their exact origin…

Reinhard Heydrich’s Mercedes – Found In A Garage, Carefully Restored, Then Sold at Auction

On June 26th, the Danish Auction Company, Campen Auctioneer, auctioned off what may very well be the car that Reinhard Heydrich owned and suffered fatal wounds…

These Were The Last Two German U-boats To Surrender In WW2

Throughout the Second World War, U-boats played a critical role in Germany’s warfare strategy. This was especially so during the Battle of the Atlantic, which lasted…

Madagascar Air Force Boneyard: Tragic End of Douglas C-47s, MiG0-21s and Antonovs

In this DAKOTA HUNTER BLOG, you will read and see photos of yet another Aircraft Boneyard that existed for years in Madagascar. In one of…

Super-Sized Siege Guns From World War One And Two – These Are Simply Massive

In the 19th century, transport limitations restricted the size of artillery. If a piece of equipment could not be pulled by horses, then it could…

The Submachine Gun – An Infantry Weapon Which Changed The Face Of Warfare

From the First World War to the Second World War, the submachine gun played an important part in infantry fighting. A small machine gun firing…

Making An Aircraft Carrier Out of Ice and Sawdust In World War Two

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…

Age of Sail – The Many Types Of Ships Used In The Napoleonic Wars

It is a common misconception that the Navies of the Napoleonic Wars used only massive ships, crewed by hundreds of men, which would slowly close and…

“The End of Man’s Valor”: The History of Artillery From Ancient Rome To World War Two

Around 379 BC, King Archidamus of Sparta summed up the impact of artillery on infantry. When shown a huge bow capable of flinging giant arrows…