MSN | War History

Weird Military Aircraft: de Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle

Selmer Sundby aboard a de Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle

Many unusual military vehicles have been developed throughout history, yet there are few as strange as the de Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle. Designed to be piloted…

Smith & Wesson Model 29: Dirty Harry’s Go-To Pistol

The .44 Magnum, the most … famous handgun in the world. The original quote is about the Smith & Wesson Model 29, a double-action revolver…

The Bofors 40MM Revolutionized Anti-Aircraft Combat

Boros 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun

The job of an anti-aircraft gun is surprisingly demanding. It must be able to destroy or deter a fast-moving target by aiming not where it…

John K. Waters: General Patton’s Son-In-Law Who Was a Four-Star General

Military success must run in the Patton family. It is well known that General George Patton was an extremely successful commander in the United States…

Cunning Deception Tactics Saved Helsinki from Soviet Bombings in 1944

Jesse Beckett
Residents walking around Helsinki + North American B-25 Mitchell in the air

While often overshadowed by larger combatants, Finland was involved in World War II almost from day one. Just a few months after Germany invaded Poland,…

How Eisenhower Planned to Survive a Nuclear Attack By the USSR

Jesse Beckett
Dwight D. Eisenhower sitting at his desk + Mushroom cloud

Limiting the effects of a nuclear attack can be a tough task, one that many nations took on (mostly in vain) during the Cold War.…

The USS Franklin was the Most Damaged Aircraft Carrier to Survive WWII

Jesse Beckett
Aerial view of the USS Franklin at sea + Crew of the USS Santa Fe watching the USS Franklin burn

The USS Franklin (CV-13) was a member of the Essex-class of aircraft carriers, which had a successful design that served well during World War II…

Four US Presidents Who Were Battle-Hardened Generals

Andrew Jackson + Ulysses S. Grant + Zachary Taylor + Theodore Roosevelt

Considering the President of the United States is the Commander-in-Chief, it’s surprising military experience is not a requirement for the job. Despite this, many former…

How the Russians Made the Kremlin “Disappear” During WWII

Hiding The Kremlin during WWII

During the Soviet Union’s clash with Germany during WWII, many of their cities were reduced to rubble. Historically and culturally significant buildings and artifacts were…

The US And Britain Thought This Paint Could Protect Against a Nuclear Blast

Anti Flash White

When it comes to surviving a nuclear blast, paint is probably the last type of defense you’d consider. However, with the advent of nuclear weapons…

Zimmerit: The Unique Coating Along the Outside of German WWII Armored Vehicles

PanzerV With Zimmerit Applied

When looking at German tanks from WWII, you may have noticed a strange texture covering most surfaces of their armor. Although this looks like some…

The US Navy’s P-8 Poseidon Is the Ideal Submarine Hunter

Navy P-8 Poseidon

As the US becomes more focused on China’s nuclear ballistic missile submarines, the Boeing P-8 Poseidon is the aircraft that is doing much of the…