Modern | War History

Project Fantasia: When America Planned to Use Glow-In-the-Dark Foxes Against Japan

Map of Japan + Fox looking back + Fox walking

When the United States entered the Second World War following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it seemed as though the country had a “no…

Three Aircraft Defended Malta from the Entire Italian Air Force

Side profile of a grounded Gloster Gladiator

When Italy joined the Second World War, the island of Malta found itself immediately under attack. The only defenses available were three Gloster Sea Gladiators…

Billy Waugh Couldn’t Walk Away From the US Military, Not Even After Being Shot In the Head

Billy Waugh sitting on a couch

Billy Waugh had a long military career, during which he honorably served. His commitment earned him many awards, including the Silver Star, four Bronze Stars,…

The Surprisingly Sweet Role Ice Cream Played During World War II

British troops eating ice cream at a shop counter

Whether it’s a photograph of a loved one, a favorite meal or one of the many simple commodities we take for granted at home, the…

Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Paths of Glory’ Was Loosely Based on a Real-Life Tragedy

Todd Neikirk
Kirk Douglas as Col. Dax in 'Paths of Glory'

War movies have always been one of the most popular genres of film and, for many years, they unambiguously portrayed their conflicts as noble. Renowned…

Relic Hunters Surprised By What They Discovered In WWII-Era ‘Swamp Ghost’ Bomber

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in flight

While flying over Papua New Guinea in 1972, airmen from the Royal Australian Air Force spotted something strange in the swamplands below. The large object…

Mars Bluff Incident: The US Air Force Accidentally Dropped a Nuclear Bomb on South Carolina

Todd Neikirk
Boeing B-47 Stratojets parked on a runway

Starting in the late 1940s and running through to the end of the Cold War, an arms race occurred between the United States and the…

Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars Program Featured Space Lasers for Nuclear Defense

Rosemary Giles
Ronald Reagan sitting at a table with other men while holding a yellow bumper sticker that reads, "SDI could ruin a nuclear bomb's whole day"

By the 1980s, the threat of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union was a very real possibility. US President Ronald Reagan…

Colditz Cock: The Glider Constructed By POWs to Escape from Colditz Castle

Crowd watching the replica of the Colditz Cock in flight

Throughout World War II, prisoners of war (POWs) were taken by both sides. They were kept under constant guard, forced into work details and kept…

Jagdtiger: The German Tank Destroyer That Was Both Devastating and Problematic

Jagdtiger on display outside

Throughout the Second World War, the Wehrmacht used some of the best equipment of the era. This was largely due to the fact the German…

The Douglas SBD Dauntless Changed the Course of the Second World War In a Single Day

Crewman standing in front of a number of Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers

Throughout the course of the Second World War, the US Navy and Marine Corps flew the Douglas SBD Dauntless, a naval scout aircraft and dive…

The US Army Air Forces Accidentally Dropped Bombs on Boise City, Oklahoma

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in flight

Accidents happen. Some, however, are far worse than others, such as mistakingly attacking one’s own country during a practice aerial bombing mission. As ridiculous as…