MSN | War History

Bob Roop was a Special Forces Medic Prior to Becoming a World-Famous Wrestler

Todd Neikirk
Jim Barnett standing with Bob Roop

Professional wrestlers come from all kinds of backgrounds. Few, however, have the backstory of Bob Roop. The Michigan native wrestled in high school, but went…

There Was Almost a Stealth Bomber Version of the F-22 Raptor

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor in flight

The Lockheed Martin FB-22 Strike Raptor was going to be an innovative and new stealth bomber. Not only that, it had the promise of being…

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk: The US Military’s Beast in the Sky

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk in flight

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk has a long and impressive history that spans over more than half a century. Developed for the US Navy and Marine…

The OSS Manual That Encouraged Axis Citizens to Sabotage the War Effort

Cover of the Simple Sabotage Field Manual + Woman crying while speaking with a police officer

As the Second World War raged on, the Allied and Axis powers employed various tactics to gain ground. One way was to utilize spies and…

How the Sophisticated B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Stays Invisible

Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit in flight

The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is one of the rarest aircraft in the world. Born out of Cold War innovation, only 21 were…

The Short Career of the Civil War-Era Double-Barreled Cannon

Double-barreled cannon on display

The double-barreled cannon is as cool as it sounds. It can shoot two cannon balls at the same time that, when attached by a chain,…

The US Air Force Once Tried Landing Bombers On Tank Treads – It Didn’t End Well

Convair B-36 Peacemaker in flight + Track landing gear installed on the Convair XB-36 Peacemaker

Tanks are invaluable military assets, as are heavy bombers. Combining the two should be a winning combination… Right? As the US Air Force learned, the…

The Lee-Enfield Repeating Rifle Has the World’s Second-Longest Service History

Todd Neikirk
British soldiers training on Lee-Enfield repeating rifles

The first version of the Lee-Enfield repeating rifle entered into service in 1895. Since then, 17 million units and a number of variants have been…

Richard H. Best: The Only WWII Pilot to Bomb Two Japanese Aircraft Carriers in One Day

Ed Skrein as Richard Best in 'Midway' + Douglas SBD Dauntless on the deck of the USS Enterprise (CV-6)

Of the four Japanese aircraft carriers sunk during the Battle of Midway – one of the most critical battles to occur in the Pacific Theater…

What Made the Polish No. 303 Squadron the Most Effective Pilots During the Battle of Britain?

Todd Neikirk
Polish pilots standing together

At the outset of World War II, the Germans decided to treat Poland like a prize for the taking. What they didn’t realize, however, was…

Highways Across the World Are Built for Warplanes to Land on Them

Airplane landing on a highway

Typically, an aircraft landing on a highway would indicate a serious problem, perhaps a mechanical issue or medical emergency with one of the pilots… That…

The Doolittle Bombers Traded Their Tail Guns for Broomsticks

James Doolittle and his crew standing together

On April 18, 1942, the United States responded to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor by doing something that had never been done before: launching bombers…