Machinery & Gear | War History

Scuttled Kriegsmarine Warships Have Risen from the Danube River Amid Severe Drought

View of the Danube + Scuttled ship sticking out of the water of the Danube

Amid a severe drought that’s plaguing Europe, a fleet of scuttled German warships dating back to the Second World War has risen from the declining…

The Still-Unsolved Mystery of the US Navy’s ‘Ghost Blimp’

L-8 hovering above a building

Today, blimps are a common sight at college football games. Goodyear has been advertising during big games for decades. However, back in the 1940s, blimps…

The Char B1 Tank’s Superiority Couldn’t Stop France’s Fall to Germany

Soldiers standing beside a wrecked Char B1

When the Second World War began, German leadership ordered the use of blitzkrieg tactics to quickly overwhelm their enemies. One of the key aspects of…

The Iron Maiden Device Has a Questionable (and Possibly Fake) History

Samantha Franco
Woman standing in an iron maiden device

The iron maiden device is an invention that fuels nightmares. Forced inside its coffin-like shape, victims were greeted with sharpened spikes that, once the doors…

Panamax: How the Panama Canal Has Impacted Naval Ship Design

Elisabeth Edwards
Ship passing through the Panama Canal + Aerial view of the Panama Canal

Roughly 14,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal annually, but more than half can barely squeeze through the over 100-year-old locks, which are only 110…

The M134 Minigun Was Designed for Helicopter Crews in the Vietnam War

Rosemary Giles
Door gunner manning an M134 Minigun from a Chinook helicopter

With an impressive legacy of roughly 60 years of service, the M134 Minigun was created in 1960 for use by the US military in Vietnam.…

Northrop F-89 Scorpions Once Carried Nuclear Weapons to Combat Soviet Bombers

Three Northrop F-89D Scorpions in flight

During the Cold War, the US Air Force was in need of a new interceptor aircraft to combat Soviet bombers. The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was…

Glock 19: One of America’s Most Popular Firearms

Todd Neikirk
US Air Force pararescueman aiming a Glock 19

While the “Glock” name has become iconic in the world of firearms, the brand only released its first pistol, the Glock 17, in 1982. The…

The Remarkable North American P-82 Twin Mustang Was Two Aircraft In One

North American P-82C Twin Mustang in flight

The North American P-82 Twin Mustang may be one of the strangest and most remarkable piston-engine aircraft ever produced. Its connected wing and double fuselages…

Flashbang Grenade: Among the First Modern ‘Non-Lethal’ Weapons Ever Developed

Clare Fitzgerald
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl tosses a flashbang grenade while two other armed servicemen watch

Stun devices are among the most important non-lethal tools at a soldier’s disposal. They have the ability to disorient a target without causing harm, allowing…

The Loss of Kaga and Three Other Aircraft Carriers Ultimately Led to Japan’s Defeat in WWII

Aerial view of Kaga at sea

Early on in World War II, it looked like the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy would be an unstoppable force. Their servicemen were brave and…

North American X-15: The Fastest Manned Rocket Aircraft Ever Developed

North American X-15 in flight

Known as the fastest manned rocket aircraft ever flown, the North American X-15 is an engineering marvel. It made the first manned flights to the…