Mighty WW2 Warships – KMS Admiral Graf Spee in the Battle of the River Plate
On September 1, 1939, while German troops were rolling across the border into Poland, their Navy was sent to raid Allied shipping lanes, much as…
Maynard Smith: Awarded the Medal of Honor And Then Demoted in WW2
It is perhaps a tale that Veterans of the United States Air Force are more familiar with, the story of “Airman Snuffy.” Given a choice…
21-Year-Old Bomber Pilot Who Died Saving His Comrades in WWII
On the night of May 30, 1942, Britain launched its largest bombing raid so far in World War Two. Of the 1,047 bombers that flew,…
Kaiten: The Japanese Suicide Submarines in WWII
During the last months of World War II, as the Japanese were becoming desperate, they turned to a new kind of weapon. While it incorporated…
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…
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…
British Naval Intelligence: Well Equipped for WW2 But Often Lacking Material
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…
The RAF and the Luftwaffe: Different Ways They Approached WWII
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)…
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…
The Napoleonic Wars – An Age Of Mighty Ships Of War
Navies were crucial to the Napoleonic Wars. In the days before rail, ocean transport was vital to the trading economies of the European powers. Naval…
How Tanks Decided The First And Second World Wars
The concept of a military tank was not particularly new in 1916. However, the ability to move troops safely through combat territories with a vehicle…