Machinery & Gear | War History

USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) Found After a Century; First US Destroyer to Be Sunk By An Enemy Vessel

Smoke emanating from a ship hit by a torpedo + The USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) at sea

On December 6, 1917, the Tucker-class destroyer USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) was sailing from Brest, France to Queenstown, Ireland. However, the ship never reached its…

The US Army Once Tried to Turn a Nerf Football Into a Grenade

US Marine preparing to throw a grenade

The Cold War was a time of near constant military innovation. The frequent advancement of weapons of war required a fast response, which sometimes meant…

Flakpanzer Gepard: A Cold War-Era Anti-Aircraft Gun That Continues to See Use

Todd Neikirk
Five German soldiers standing on top of a Flakpanzer Gepard

In May 1955, nearly a decade after the end of the Second World War, West Germany joined NATO. Reacting to the decision, the Soviet Union…

Road Workers Were Amazed By An Unexpected World War II-Era Discovery In Chartres

Crew using a mechanical digger to lift a mud-covered M5 Stuart from the ground

During the six years that made up the Second World War, the Allied and Axis nations deployed an astonishing number of troops and armaments across…

5.56 vs 7.62: Which is the Better Long Distance Round?

Hand loading a magazine + Table lined with 7.62 x 51 mm NATO rounds

5.56 x 45 mm vs 7.62 x 39 mm; when it comes to ammunition, these two cartridges are among the most prolific and well-known. They’re…

Swiss K31 Rifle: This Straight Pull, Bolt Action Rifle From WW2 Is Now a Popular Collector’s Item

Swiss K31 rifles lined up against a wall

The Schmidt-Rubin Karabiner Modell 1931, better known as the Swiss K31 rifle, was the standard-issue firearm for the Swiss Armed Forces for decades. Widely considered…

Swiss Lawmakers Approve Controversial Purchase of F-35A Fighters

Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II in flight

Lawmakers in Switzerland have voted to move forward with the controversial purchase of 36 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lighting IIs. The deal will go ahead without…

USS Grayback (SS-208) Found After 75 Years; What Was Onboard Was Unexpected

USS Grayback (SS-208) at sea

Seventy-five years after she first disappeared off the coast of Okinawa, the wreck of the USS Grayback (SS-208) was discovered at the bottom of the…

The USS Texas (BB-35) Was Intentionally Flooded During D-Day

USS Texas (BB-35) at sea

The USS Texas (BB-35) saw more combat action in her lifetime than most other US battleships, seeing service in both World War I and II,…

Black Hornet Nano: The Minuscule Drone That Aided British Forces in Afghanistan

Hand holding up a Black Hornet Nano

Surveillance flights existed prior to the start of World War I. The first incident of aerial reconnaissance occurred in 1794, when the French used an…

Dream Chaser Spaceplane Could Transport US Military Troops to Space

Three Sierra Space employees working around the Dream Chaser

The US military may soon be in possession of a new spacecraft capable of transporting troops to space and low Earth orbit within just three…

Has Russia Claimed to Have Destroyed More M142 HIMARS Than Ukraine Owns?

Ukrainian serviceman opening the door of an M142 HIMARS

Since receiving its delivery of 16 US-supplied M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), the Ukrainian military has used them against Russian-held sites and equipment.…