MSN | War History

The WWII-Era Disappearance of a Grumman J2F Duck Over Greenland

Grumman J2F Duck in flight

The Grumman J2F Duck was an amphibious aircraft that served the US military in various capacities during the Second World War. It could operate from…

Panzerbüchse 39: The German ‘Tank Hunting Rifle’ That Saw Action In Poland and the USSR

German soldier aiming a Panzerbüchse 39 (PzB 39)

The Panzerbüchse 39 (PzB 39) was an anti-tank rifle operated by Wehrmacht during the Second World War. The PzB 39 saw use during the invasion…

The USS Oriskany Was Purposefully Sunk In the Gulf of Mexico to Form An Artificial Reef

USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34) sinking into the Gulf of Mexico

Laid down in the middle of World War II, the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34) didn’t see action until after the conflict. She was…

Albert Hickman: The F3H Demon Pilot Who Refused to Eject and Saved the Lives of 700 Americans

McDonnell F3H Demon in flight

Disaster doesn’t just strike in the heat of battle; there are times when things go wrong during training, which put servicemen’s lives in danger. That’s…

US Navy Releases Photos, Video of Chinese Warship Harassing American Destroyer In the Taiwan Strait

Clare Fitzgerald
Luyang III (DDG-132) transiting near the USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93) in the Taiwan Strait

The US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) has released photos and video of a Chinese warship performing dangerous maneuvers near the USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93) while the vessel…

RAF Members Preparing to Bomb German Industry Targets During the Battle of the Ruhr

A Royal Air Force (RAF) airman and Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) member standing with a bomb with "ON A VISIT TO THE RUHR" written on it in chalk

Throughout World War II, the Allied forces – in particular, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) – conducted several…

Can You Spot the Finnish Coastal Defense Ship Väinämöinen In This Image?

Väinämöinen anchored while covered in natural camouflage

Camouflage and optical illusions have long been a key part of conflict. Such tactics were heavily used throughout World War II, with examples being the…

The Tank Museum and American Heritage Museum Team Up for One-Of-a-Kind Tank Experience

Tiger 131 driving around a dirt track

The Tank Museum in Bovington, United Kingdom and the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, Massachusetts have teamed up to offer military historians and fanatics a…

Sunken Remains of German U-boat U-166 In the Depths of the Gulf of Mexico

U-166's deck gun covered in algae on the ocean floor

A total of 23 U-boats were stationed in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II. Over the course of the conflict, they took out…

Naval Aviators Graffiti Jet Fighter After Pilot Lands On the Wrong Aircraft Carrier

McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee with Fighter Squadron 62 (VF-62) parked on the flight deck of the USS Wasp (CV-18)

If you look at photographs captured during the mid-20th century, odds are you’ll come across some that feature US Navy aircraft covered in graffiti. The…

Leak Reveals Royal Air Force Told to ‘Stop Choosing Useless White Male Pilots’

Clare Fitzgerald
Mike Wigston standing in the middle of a group of Royal Air Force (RAF) airmen

The Royal Air Force (RAF) has suffered yet another email leak, with publications gaining access to correspondences that show the service advised recruitment officers to “stop…

Archaeologists Uncover Hoard of Coins Belonging to Fearsome Ancient Roman Legion

Roman legionnaires standing together

A team of Polish and Georgian archaeologists have unearthed a trove of ancient Roman coins in what was once the ancient city of Colchis, now…