World War 2 | War History

Philip Toosey Served As the Inspiration for Lt. Col. Nicholson In ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’

Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa as Lt. Col. Nicholson and Col. Saito in 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' + Military portrait of Philip Toosey

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) was a sensational film so well-received that it earned several Academy Awards. What most people don’t realize is…

Henschel Hs 129 :The Luftwaffe’s Soaring Tank Buster Armed With a 75 mm Cannon

Sky at sunrise + Drawing of a Henschel Hs 129

As tank warfare evolved and became a key strategy during the interwar period, the German Wehrmacht envisioned a new kind of blitzkrieg – one that…

Harry Belafonte Narrowly Missed One of WWII’s Deadliest Disasters On US Soil

Portrait of Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte passed away in April 2023, ending a decades-spanning career that forever changed the faces of music, cinema and activism. Prior to becoming a…

The Red Army Recruited Blind Citizens During the Siege of Leningrad

Silhouette of soldiers manning a sound detector

The Red Army turned to desperate measures following Operation Barbarossa, as they were outnumbered. In one instance, they deployed camels, instead of horses, during the…

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star: The Only US Jet Fighter to See Action In WWII – During Secret Operations In Italy

Lockheed P-80A-1-LO Shooting Star in flight

The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, also known as the F-80, was the first jet fighter used operationally by the US Army Air Forces (USAAF). While…

No. 1426 Flight RAF Flew German Aircraft Decked Out In Royal Air Force Insignia

Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3 in flight

In September 1942, Rachel and Eddie Jones were enjoying the warm weather at their home near Romsey, England. Rachel had formed a keen interest in…

Normandy-Based Historians Create Documentary Honoring Canadian Regiment That Fought On D-Day

Re-enactors dressed as members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Regiment

A group of historians from Normandy have come together to produce a film highlighting the sacrifices made by Canadian troops before, during and after D-Day.…

The ‘Filthy Thirteen’ Were the Real-Life Paratroopers Who Inspired ‘The Dirty Dozen’

Still from 'The Dirty Dozen'

During the Second World War, a group of paratroopers earned a reputation for their unconventional behavior and combat tactics. Known as the ‘Filthy Thirteen,’ they…

Clint Eastwood’s Iwo Jima Duology Accurately Depicts the Battle from Both Sides

US Marines raising the American flag + Portrait of Clint Eastwood

In 2006, legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood released two World War II-era films that focused on both the American and Japanese perspectives of the…

Panzerschreck: Germany’s Much More Powerful Version of the American Bazooka

Two German soldiers manning a Panzerschreck in the rubble of a semi-collapsed building

The Panzerschreck was an anti-tank weapon designed and primarily used by Germany during World War II. Officially known as the Raketenpanzerbüchse 54, it was based…

Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse: The German Bomber Destroyer That Was No Match for Allied Fighters

Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U2 Hornisse parked on the tarmac

The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse was a German twin-engine heavy fighter and bomber destroyer operated by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Designed as…

A WWII-Era Mystery for the Ages – What Happened to the French Submarine Surcouf?

French submarine Surcouf at sea

Although they weren’t known as a naval superpower, the French still built one of the most impressive submarines of the Second World War. In fact,…