Orde Wingate: The Onion-Eating Major General Who Led Deep Penetration Missions In Burma
Maj. Gen. Orde Wingate was one of many well-regarded British officers of the Second World War. By the time the conflict began, he’d already made…
Japan Deployed Suicide Commandos for a Raid on Yontan Airfield
The Japanese were known for their use of kamikaze pilots throughout the Second World War. They were deployed during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941,…
de Havilland Mosquito: The Versatile Aircraft That Struck Fear Into the Germans
The de Havilland Mosquito was a British twin-engine, multirole combat aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other Allied air forces during…
Lew Ayres: The Lead Actor In ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ Was a Pacifist In Real Life
The novel All Quiet on the Western Front was so popular that it was made into two separate films, both of which did extremely well with…
The WWI Assault That Inspired A Movie About Sgt Alvin York
Many men went up against German machine guns during the First World War and didn’t live to tell the tale. Even fewer did so directly…
Battle of Fort Driant – World War II’s Strangest Engagement?
The Battle of Fort Driant was a World War II-era engagement fought between the US Third Army and Germany’s 1st Army from September 27 to…
Before Playing a POW In ‘The Great Escape,’ Donald Pleasence Was One In Real Life
British actor Donald Pleasence became one of the most popular antagonists in television and film, and is probably best known for portraying a prisoner of…
These ‘Night Witches’ Weren’t Burned at the Stake – They Bombed German Soldiers
One bomber regiment during the Second World War was so feared by the Germans that a soldier was immediately awarded the Iron Cross for shooting…
Zheng of Qin: The Chinese Emperor Who Escaped Assassination By Running Around a Pillar
Zheng of Qin, who reigned as the first emperor of China’s Qin Dynasty from 221-210 BC, survived several assassination attempts, including some that occurred while…
When War Production Dipped, the US Staged the Mock ‘Battle of the LA Coliseum’
As the Second World War progressed, the US government became concerned that production wasn’t as high as it should be, which directly correlated to public…
The Tank Museum Puts Rare Maus Tank Optical Sight On Display
The 188-ton Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus was intended to be Germany’s answer to the advanced tank technology being utilized throughout Europe by the Allies. Only two…
Edgar ‘Cobber’ Kain Single-Handedly Decimated 17 Enemy Aircraft During the Battle of France
It might seem strange, but the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) first Flying Ace of the Second World War wasn’t from Britain – he was from…