Modern | War History

Sparrow Force Commandos Fought Against Unprecedented Odds During the Battle of Timor

Todd Neikirk
Australian soldier walking outside

When Japan entered the Second World War, the island nation of Timor was a big target. A small group of Australian, Dutch and British soldiers…

The Titanic’s Sister Ship Took Out a German U-boat in World War I

The RMS Olympic in dazzle camouflage

When the RMS Olympic was launched in October 1910, she was the largest man-made moving object in the world. At 882 feet long, Olympic set…

Junkers Ju 87Bs Utilized Psychological Warfare Against Allied Ground Troops

Junkers Ju 87Bs in flight

The Germans during the Second World War hoped to take over the world, and they didn’t just plan to do so by using military force.…

Was Ball Turret Gunner the Worst Position to Hold During World War II?

Gunner sitting in the entrance to a ball turret

There were plenty of positions during World War II that put a serviceman’s life at risk. Arguably one of the worst was being the ball…

The History of the US Navy’s TOPGUN School

Tom Cruise and Larry Gilyard starring in 'Top Gun'

The popular Tom Cruise movie Top Gun debuted in theaters in 1986, and features Cruise and his co-stars attending the US Navy’s TOPGUN school –…

The Mark 14 Torpedo Scandal of 1941-43

Mark 14 torpedo on display + Military portrait of Rear Admiral Charles A. Lockwood Jr.

The Mark 14 Torpedo Scandal occurred during the period of 1941-43, with problems related to the weapon dating back almost 25 years. It was among…

Konstantin Rokossovsky Was the Marshal of Two Armies During the 20th Century

Konstantin Rokossovsky dressed in winter gear

Russia during the first half of the 20th century was both massive and constantly engaged in military conflict. One man who made a name for…

Atomic Annie: The Cold War-Era Cannon Capable of Firing a Nuclear Warhead

Mushroom cloud + M65 atomic cannon parked on grass

Toward the start of the Cold War, the United States government looked into developing atomic weapons capable of launching an attack on the Soviet Union,…

Adrian Carton de Wiart: The Unkillable Soldier Who Frankly Enjoyed War

Artist's portrait of Adrian Carton de Wiart + Adrian Carton de Wiart sitting in a chair

Adrian Carton de Wiart. Not many people know the name, but it belonged to one of the most battle-scarred soldiers in the history of the…

The Secret Military Plans Switzerland Put In Place to Survive the Cold War

Todd Neikirk
View of the Bad Seckingen covered bridge

Switzerland has long been considered one of the most neutral countries in the world, having always endeavored to avoid war. That resistance to conflict, however,…

Anti-War Resistance in the US Military During the Vietnam War

Todd Neikirk
Newspaper clippings about resistance to the Vietnam War

Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II, many American civilians were eager to go off to war. It was a much…

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…