Machinery & Gear | War History

PzH 2000: One of the Most Powerful Artillery Systems Ever Developed

Two PzH 2000s driving through muddy land

In 1998, the German Army adopted the Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000, an incredibly powerful artillery system that remains in use to this day. It made a…

Close Air-to-Air Combat Made MiG Alley One of the Deadliest Places of the Korean War

Four photos of a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 in flight

For many US Air Force pilots, one of the most deadly places to battle the enemy during the Korean War was MiG Alley. The site…

USS Barb (SS-220): The Gato-Class Submarine That ‘Sunk’ a Train In Japan

USS Barb (SS-220) at sea

The USS Barb (SS-220) was a US Navy submarine that became highly decorated after successfully sinking 96,628 tons of enemy shipping during her service in World…

Lockheed AC-130: The Gunship That Provided Much-Needed Support in Vietnam

Lockheed AC-130 in flight

The Lockheed AC-130 is a special operations gunship that can trace its history back to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Over its nearly 60 years of…

The USS Midway’s Aircraft Were Credited with the First MiG Kills in Vietnam

Vought F4U Cosairs taking off from the USS Midway (CVA-41)

Air battles became very common during World War II. As a result, the leading powers in the world had to build more aircraft carriers. The…

A-12 Spy Plane: Why Lockheed’s CIA Spy Plane Only Flew 29 Missions

Lockheed A-12 in flight

The Lockheed A-12 spy plane was developed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for service during Project Oxcart. While it had the potential for a…

Lahti L-39: The Anti-Tank Weapon the Finnish Nicknamed the “Elephant Gun”

Two Finnish soldiers lying behind a Lahti L-39

When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in November 1939, its military was largely unprepared. In fact, the vast majority of men who signed up to…

Boeing Delivers First T-7A Red Hawk Jet Trainer to US Air Force

Lt. Gen. Richard Clark speaking in front of a Boeing-Saab T-7A Red Hawk

The US Air Force’s first new jet trainer in 60 years has finally begun coming off the production line. Along with utilizing new technology that’ll…

Grumman F-14 Tomcat: The Versatile Fighter Made For Top Gun Pilots

Grumman F-14 Tomcat taking off

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is one of the most iconic aircraft to ever be operated by the US Navy, with it serving as the primary…

A Shark Wreaked Havoc on the US Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Fleet

USS Florida (SSGN-728) at sea + Cookiecutter shark

There are a number of reasons why submarines have been taken out of commission while scouring the depths of the ocean. These include hitting sea…

The M203 Grenade Launcher’s Decades of Service Are Proof of Its Effectiveness

US soldier lying on his stomach with an M16A2 rifle equipped with an M203 grenade launcher

Throughout the course of the Vietnam War, the US Army developed a number of grenade launchers to aid forces in Southeast Asia. One of those…

Why The RAH-66 Comanche Was Doomed From The Start

The RAH-66 mid-flight

The RAH-66 Comanche was a twin-turbine, two-seat armed reconnaissance helicopter that couldn’t meet its high expectations. With intended missions of armed reconnaissance, light attack, and…