Modern | War History

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…

Mass Graves of 8,000 Concentration Camp Victims Discovered in Polish Forest

Gravestone overlooked by a wooden cross in the middle of Białuty Forest + Remains of Soldau concentration camp

Investigators with the Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) have discovered what they claim are two mass graves containing the ashes of at least 8,000…

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…

Charles Loring Jr. was a POW in WWII Before Receiving the MoH for His Actions in Korea

Rosemary Giles
Charles Loring Jr. standing with three other airmen

Charles J. Loring Jr. is one of many Medal of Honor recipients. Although he served in the Second World War, he received the honor for…

A Brazilian Air Force Pilot Managed to Fly His P-47 Home – With Part of Its Right Wing Missing!

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in flight

While it took a while for Brazil to enter the Second World War, the country’s forces certainly left their mark. The Brazilian Air Force, in…

MoH Recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams Destroyed Enemy Pillboxes During the Battle of Iwo Jima

Hershel W. "Woody" Williams speaking at a podium

Over the course of the Second World War, 473 military members received the Medal of Honor. They’ve all since passed away, with the last remaining…

The Defiant Tanker Who Disobeyed Orders and Saved the Lives of 65 US Rangers in Korea

US infantrymen sitting on top of a tank

The situation for the 8th Ranger Company (Airborne) was looking pretty grim on April 24, 1951. Ordered to move forward to gain intelligence, they soon…

Paul Tibbets Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Was Given No Funeral or Gravestone

Paul Tibbets sitting in the cockpit of the Enola Gay

Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets, better known as the man who piloted the Enola Gay during the bombing of Hiroshima, became a well-known figure in the…

Elvis Presley’s Fundraising Efforts Helped Erect the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

Aerial view of the USS Arizona Memorial + Headshot of Elvis Presley

In the 1950s, any American of a certain age could be drafted into the US military. Famous athletes and actors regularly served, as did musicians…

Ray C. Hunt: US Army Air Corps Mechanic Turned Guerrilla Fighter

US Army Rangers walking together in a group

Ray C. Hunt signed up for the US Army Air Corps at the start of the Second World War. He trained as an aircraft mechanic,…

Operation Wikinger: The Kriegsmarine’s Disastrous Mission in the North Sea

German destroyer Z1 Leberecht Maass at sea + Heinkel He 111 in flight

The Luftwaffe was the main arm and, arguably, the most dangerous aspect of the German military. Another branch intended to be just as strong was…

Dean Laird: The Ace Who Downed Both Japanese and German Aircraft During World War II

Dean Laird sitting in the rear seat of a Beechcraft T-34 Turbo-Mentor + Two aircraft in flight

There were numerous air aces during the Second World War. These aviators exhibited bravery and courage in the face of danger, earning the status of…