Lee Van Cleef Received the Bronze Star For His Service in the US Navy During World War II
Lee Van Cleef was a regular fixture during the boom-time of Western films in American cinema. His sharp features and stoicism made him the ideal…
The OSS Manual That Encouraged Axis Citizens to Sabotage the War Effort
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…
Ex-Concentration Camp Guard Sentenced to Five Years in Prison By German Court
A 101-year-old German man has been found guilty of 3,518 counts of accessory to murder for serving as an SS guard at Sachsenhausen concentration camp…
Fact or Fiction: Did Christopher Lee Embellish His World War II Service?
Written by Todd Neikirk and Clare Fitzgerald. Christoper Lee had an incredibly long acting career that began in the late 1940s. He gained notoriety for…
Allied Snipers and Their Effectiveness During the Second World War
Snipers have played an important part in warfare for hundreds of years. The term was first officially used during the American Civil War, but sniper-like…
The Short Career of the Civil War-Era Double-Barreled Cannon
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,…
Winged Hussars: The Rise and Fall of Europe’s ‘Angels of Death’
For two centuries, the elaborate winged uniforms and menacing battle tactics of the Polish hussars dominated the battlefield. Coming across the winged hussars must have…
Richard H. Best: The Only WWII Pilot to Bomb Two Japanese Aircraft Carriers in One Day
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?
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…
American Soldiers Teamed Up with Germans and Cossacks to Save Horses from the Red Army
On April 28, 1945, a portion of the American forces set off on an incredibly dangerous and unique mission. Dubbed Operation Cowboy, it saw them…
The Doolittle Bombers Traded Their Tail Guns for Broomsticks
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…
Why the Battle of Ortona Was Nicknamed the ‘Italian Stalingrad’
While initially intended to be a super power on the Axis side during World War II, Italy wound up playing a smaller role in the…