The Deadly Defiant, A Game-Changing British Warplane in WW2
The 1930s were an age of aeronautical experimentation. All around the world air forces were trying new and fascinating designs, searching for the perfect combination…
British Naval Intelligence: Well Equipped for WW2
At the outbreak of the Second World War, much of the British military were not equipped for dealing with military intelligence. The exception was the…
Lt. Gen Wainwright, Prisoner Of War, Who Was Awarded the Medal of Honor in WW2
Being captured by the Japanese during the early days of WWII meant facing years of grueling conditions, torture, and starvation. Also, many were cut off…
The U-Boat War: A Vital and Misjudged Part of WWII
The Battle of the Atlantic was a vital arena of the Second World War. A protracted campaign that lasted for most of the war, German…
How the British Military Learned in Advance About the V2 Rocket – and How They Responded
The V2 rocket and its predecessor V1 had the potential to transform the Second World War. The world’s first long-range unmanned missiles, they were a…
The Submarine Which Inspired The Movie – U-Boat 96, And The Film “Das Boot”
In 1981, a film was released which is still cited as one of Germany’s greatest cinematic triumphs. It followed the exploits of U-96, a German…
Death in the Skies in World War Two – The RAF and the Luftwaffe face off in Battle
One of the most crucial conflicts of the Second World War was between the air forces of Britain and Germany. The Royal Air Force (RAF)…
A Massive Operation – Raising A U-Boat To Recover Her Precious Cargo
In 1958, a German submarine was hoisted from the depths of the Kattegat Bay between the North and Baltic Seas off the coast of Sweden.…
“Hobart’s Funnies” – The Crazy-Looking Tank Mods That Helped Win D-Day
The landings in Normandy demanded new sorts of hybrid tanks that were capable of fulfilling multiple engineering tasks to provide maximum support to the infantry.…
The Iowa Class: A Departure from Traditional US Battleship Design
War History Online presents this Guest Article from Chris Knupp The four vessels of the Iowa class were the last battleships put to sea by…
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…
Nine Reasons Why The Allies Won The Battle of Britain
The most famous aerial battle in history, the Battle of Britain was a hard fought and desperate struggle to hold back Nazi Germany. Having launched…