Machinery & Gear | War History

Why Did the German Cruiser Deutschland Change Her Name During WWII?

German cruiser Deutschland at sea

Many ships have had their names changed or passed on to another. For example, the US Navy has had eight different vessels called Enterprise, with…

The M1 Garand was ‘The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised’

Rosemary Giles
Two soldiers aiming their M1 Garands

Of the many guns to see combat during the Second World War, the M1 Garand was the first standard issue autoloading rifle used by the…

Convair B-58 Hustler: The First Operational Bomber to Reach Mach 2

Convair B-58 Hustler in flight

When it comes to awards and accolades, the Convair B-58 Hustler is truly unrivaled. The first bomber to ever reach Mach 2, its speed is…

The Type 4 Grenade was a Last Ditch Effort By the Japanese

Rosemary Giles
Two Type 4 Grenades placed beside each other

As the Second World War drew to a close, the Japanese were in a difficult position. By 1944-45, most of their industrial buildings had been…

Ukraine is Flying Hind Helicopters Donated By the Czech Republic In its Fight with Russia

Mil Mi-24 Hind in flight

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States were in a constant fight to one-up each other when it came to weapons…

The Prototype for the T28 Super Heavy Tank was Lost for Decades – In a Field!

Soldier sticking his head out of a T28 Super Heavy Tank

Tanks were incredibly important during World War I and became even more so during the Second World War. During the latter, the United States realized…

The Ukrainian Military Has Repurposed the Soviet DShK as a Shoulder-Fired Infantry Weapon

The Russian-produced DShK is among the longest-serving machine guns still in use today. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian military found itself…

Panjandrum: Britain’s Failed WWII-Era Rocket-Propelled Explosive

Panjandrum parked on a beach

By 1943, the Germans had heavily fortified the European coast against an Allied invasion. This defense system, known as the Atlantic Wall, spanned along the…

Men Were Too Scared to Fly B-29 Superfortresses – Until Two Women Did

Boeing B-29 Superfortress in flight + Paul Tibbets, Dora Dougherty and Dorothea Moorman standing in front of a Boeing B-29 Superfortress

In the lead up to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Paul Tibbets was tasked with training a group of pilots on the newly-produced Boeing…

A British Challenger 1 Set the Record for the Longest Tank-on-Tank Kill in 1991

Challenger 1 tank parked

The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 tank had a rocky start. It wasn’t very reliable and had a poor rate of fire. As such, a lot of…

The First Drone was Invented 16 Years Prior to World War I By Nikola Tesla

Portrait of Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla developed a lot of incredible inventions during his lifetime. One that often goes unnoticed is his rudimentary drone. Prior to the 1900s, Tesla…

The History of Drop Tanks: From Improvised Bombs to Vietnamese Canoes

Aircraft in flight + Close-up of a drop tank

Since the end of the Vietnam War, Vietnamese civilians have been making the most of US military waste. Reduce, reuse, recycle has taken on a…