The Dawn of the Submarine: U-21 sinks HMS Pathfinder
In 1914 submarines were still a novel idea. Many nations had not utilized them until 1900, Germany not until 1906. Soon their worth would be…
Four Great Disasters of the First World War
The First World War is regarded by many with horror. Ill-considered tactics, stubborn persistence, and a lack of understanding of how war was changing led…
100 years on, a new survey gives the first look at the sunken wreck of the HMS Vanguard
An initial survey of the wreckage of HMS Vanguard supports the view that the ship blew up due to an accidental magazine explosion which took…
The largest American military operation of the First World War – The Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the largest American military operation of the First World War. Engaging over a million American soldiers throughout the last months of…
Amiens: the beginning of the Hundred Days Offensive – The Allies brought enormous resources to bear
In August 1918, the Allied forces began their final great push of the First World War. Later known as the Hundred Days Offensive, this series…
The Battle of the Ourcq – The Americans make their presence felt at the Marne
Although they only arrived in the final year of the First World War, the Americans made their presence felt. The volume of manpower and resources…
The bloody reputation of Passchendaele Ridge – Hell on Earth during the First World War
The name Passchendaele sounds as though it should refer to a place of great beauty. It evokes a sense of romance and the peace of…
The Battle of Menin Road, 1917 – The third Ypres – A gargantuan effort in WW1
Part of the Third Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Menin Road was a testing place for the British. They countered a tactic that had…
When a pocket Bible saved a WW1 soldier from certain death
Leonard Knight was 17 when he was shot by a German soldier in World War I. Fortunately, he had placed his pocket Bible in his…
Preparations for centenary of one of First World War’s grimmest battles
July marks the centenary of the bloodiest and muddiest battles of World War One – Passchendaele. There’ll be a number of events to mark the…
Returning a Purple Heart medal is very important to an American Vietnam veteran
Don Crigger is a man on a mission: the Marine veteran who saw action in Vietnam is searching for the owner of a lost Second…
The German Paris Gun – Super Gun Of WWI
The most powerful gun to be fielded in the First World War was the German Paris Gun. Several of these guns were produced and used…