War Articles | War History

How Norwegian Commandos Sabotaged Germany’s Atomic Bomb Research

Richard Harris and Kirk Douglas as Knut Straud and Dr. Rolf Pederson in 'The Heroes of Telemark'

As the Second World War dragged on, both the Allied and Axis powers invested heavily in research that would create the first atomic weapons. The…

The Vietnam War Featured Four Exceptional American Snipers

Carlos Hathcock with his medals pinned to his chest + Chuck Mawhinney holding his sniper rifle

The battles of the Vietnam War were unlike any the US military had faced before. Early on in the conflict, officials realized snipers were going…

Indra Lal Roy was India’s Sole Flying Ace During World War I

Todd Neikirk
Royal Air Factory S.E.5a in flight + Portrait of Indra Lal Roy

World War I was the first major conflict to feature aircraft engage in aerial battles. At the time, it was incredibly dangerous to take to…

Gold Dust Twins: The Two Coast Guardsmen Who Saved Chesty Puller’s Marines on Guadalcanal

Todd Neikirk
Painting of US Coast Guardsmen firing weapons from a boat

The Guadalcanal campaign – also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal – is among the most well-known engagements to occur in the Pacific Theater during…

How the Legend of the Gurhkas’ Kukri Blade was Forged

Gurkhas standing in a line with their Kukri blades

In 1814, the British Army first encountered Nepalese soldiers known as Gurkhas. While both were initially enemies, the British later brought the Gurkhas into their…

A Lone KV-1 Tank Held Off German Advances During the Battle of Raseiniai

Soldier climbing out of a tank

On June 22, 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the World War II invasion of the Soviet Union. Despite signing the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact in 1939,…

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Body and a False Identity Helped the Allied Invasion of Sicily

Soldiers watching while additional troops disembark from a landing craft

In the years since the Second World War, many documents have been released, detailing the covert operations undertaken by the UK’s Special Operations Executive (SOE),…

Why Did the German Cruiser Deutschland Change Her Name During WWII?

German cruiser Deutschland at sea

Many ships have had their names changed or passed on to another. For example, the US Navy has had eight different vessels called Enterprise, with…

How Many 5 Star Generals Are There? Nine: A List of 5 Star Generals in the US

Douglas MacArthur standing in uniform + Military portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower + Chester Nimitz standing in his naval uniform

Following the death of Gen. Omar Bradley in 1981, the elite rank of five-star general feels more like a legend than reality. Since Congress allowed…

Patrick Fleming: The Flying Ace Who Shot Down 19 Japanese Aircraft In Just Six Sorties

Military portrait of Patrick Fleming + Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in flight

Patrick Dawson Fleming was born an Army “brat” on January 17, 1918. He took an interest in flying at an early age and became the…

Clarence L. Tinker: The First Native American to Be Promoted to Major General in US Army History

Todd Neikirk
Clarence L. Tinker sitting at a desk

They don’t make soldiers like Clarence L. Tinker anymore. Born on a Native American reservation in 1887, Tinker was inspired to serve the United States…

Operation Trent: The British Special Air Service’s Astonishing Daylight Mission in Afghanistan

British troops sitting on an armored vehicle in the desert

The British Special Air Service (SAS) is considered one of the most elite forces units in the world. They operate with extreme secrecy, are deadly…