100 Years After She Sank, The Mystery of USS San Diego’s (ACR-6) Tragic End Was Finally Solved
Shortly after 11:00 AM on July 19, 1918, the Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser USS San Diego (ACR-6) – formerly known as the USS California – was…
Ahmet Ali Çelikten: Why Have We Forgotten History’s First Black Aviator?
Exactly two years before World War I came to an end, Ahmet Ali Çelikten became one of the world’s first Black military aviators. Çelikten, who…
The Allies Crafted the Largest Non-Nuclear Explosion to Win the Battle of Messines
The origin of mine warfare dates back all the way to the mid-19th century, during the American Civil War. In December 1861, Confederate officer Maj.…
17 Powerful Images That Show the Human Side of War
Since the First World War, every conflict has been well-documented. There are millions of photos showing soldiers, aircraft, tanks and battlefields, and behind them are…
How the Soldier ‘Worth a Million Men’ Single-Handedly Saved His Comrades from a German Assault
On April 9, 1918, Aníbal Augusto Milhais and his comrades with the 2nd Infantry Division of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps were embroiled in the intense…
Tommies: Did the Endearing Term for British Soldiers Actually Originate During WWI?
The term “Tommies” is most closely associated with British soldiers who served during the First World War. However, where and how did the nickname originate?…
Battle of Tannenberg: Annihilation of the Russian Second Army
Five hundred years before the start of World War I, the Teutonic Knights were gravely defeated by Slavic and Lithuanian forces at the Battle of…
John Simpson Kirkpatrick: The ‘Man with the Donkey’ in Gallipoli
Best known as the “Man with the Donkey,” John Simpson Kirkpatrick was one of many larger than life figures who landed with the ANZACs during…
Maurice Rose: The Highest Ranking US Officer Killed By the Enemy In Europe During WWII
Maurice Rose lived through the horrors of the First World War and bravely returned to the battlefield when the global population was plunged into conflict…
How Trenches Changed the Face of Warfare During WWI
If there’s one thing World War I is known for, it’s the use of trenches as a means of protection and strategy. They could be…
Schwarzlose MG: The Unusual Austro-Hungarian Machine Gun of World War I
A number of machine guns saw action during the First World War. While the Vickers, Maxim and Lewis guns are likely the ones that come…
37 mm M1916: The French ‘Bunker Buster’ That Became a Hindrance on the Western Front
When the First World War began in 1914, it quickly became apparent that newer, more advanced weapons were needed. This was particularly true on the…