Updated | War History

Operation Olive: The Allied Attempt to Break Through the Gothic Line

Members of the 1st Canadian Armoured Division driving a Churchill tank down a dirt road

The final years of World War II saw Germany fighting a defensive battle against the Allies. The country’s forces had been pushed out of North…

The All-Female Civilian Organization That Provided Air Defense for Hawaii

Four members of the Women's Air Raid Defense (WARD) and a male co-worker gathered around a table

The Women’s Air Raid Defense (WARD) was a civilian organization working alongside the US military to protect the Hawaiian Islands from Japanese air attacks during…

Meat is Such a Treat – and the Black Market’s Hottest Commodity in the 1940s!

Sign placed in front of a chicken coup, which reads, "Please DO NOT BUY ANY POULTRY on the Black Market"

Americans faced a major toilet-paper shortage with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this wasn’t the first time they nearly ran out of a…

Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt Was Denied His Chance to Join the Western Front

Exhibit featuring cutouts of Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson

It’s a well-known fact that the United States officially entered the First World War in April 1917, but if it had been up to Theodore…

Cats Served As Mascots, Pest Control… Oh, and Gas Detectors

French soldier lying in the entrance to a dugout, watching a cat eat

In recent years, cats have been the subject of immense online fame. Users can’t get enough of their adorable faces and “toe beans” – and…

Mobile Expeditionary Base Named for MoH Recipient Robert Simanek Delivered to US Navy

USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB-3) at sea + Portrait of Robert Simanek wearing his Medal of Honor

Robert Simanek was a US Marine who received the US military’s highest award – the Medal of Honor – for his heroics during the Korean…

Digby Tatham-Warter: The British Major Who Disabled a German Tank With an Umbrella

Debris strewn across Arnhem Bridge + Allison "Digby" Tatham-Warter sitting in his military uniform

Allison “Digby” Tatham-Warter might be the most interesting member of the British Army to have fought during World War II. Known for his humor and…

Yamato: Japan’s Prized Battleship Couldn’t Survive An Air Assault By the Americans At Okinawa

Yamato at sea

As the fighting in the Pacific Theater neared its end in 1945, the Japanese were desperately trying to turn the tides of the Second World…

The United States Unknowingly Predicted the Attack on Pearl Harbor Years Before It Happened

USS Maryland (BB-46) afloat beside a capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37)

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century, possibly in human history. The assault brought the…

The ‘Desert Fox’ Crafted the 7th Panzer Division to Be One of Germany’s Best Military Units

German soldiers manning a Sd.Kfz. 251 in the middle of the street

The German invasion of France during the middle of 1940 was swift and effective. Within a matter of months, they’d overrun the country’s defenses and…

Lockheed YO-3 Quiet Star: The American Aircraft That Flew Over Vietnam’s Treetops Undetected

Lockheed YO-3A Quiet Star in flight

When discussing American stealth aircraft, designs like the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, Northrop B-2 Spirit and the Lockheed U-2 “Dragon Lady” are often brought up. However,…

Lumber Jills: The Women Who Made Up Britain’s Timber Corps

Two members of the Women's Timber Corps (WTC) cutting a tree with a hand saw

Throughout the Second World War, women in Britain stepped up wherever they were needed. Many volunteered as air wardens or joined civilian organizations dedicated to…