World War 2 | War History

He Was The Last Japanese WWII Soldier To Surrender – in 1974

World War II ended in Europe on May 8, 1945. As for Southeast Asia and Oceania, peace only came several months later on September 2,…

Newsreel Footage – The Famous Doolittle Raid over Tokyo – Revenge for Pearl Harbor

Often, war is no different than your average street fight regardless of how crude that might seem. When a man is punched in the nose,…

The Iowa Class: A Departure from Traditional US Battleship Design

War History Online presents this Guest Article from Chris Knupp The four vessels of the Iowa class were the last battleships put to sea by…

How the Father of Organized Crime Won His Freedom by Helping the US Government during WW2

War History Online Presents This Article By Guest Blogger Jack Hawkins It is often said that crime does not pay, and when Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano…

Little-Known Facts About ‘The Dirty Dozen’ – Charles Bronson Threatened Lee Marvin!

Still from 'The Dirty Dozen'

The Dirty Dozen (1967) is a classic war film that features a number of the biggest Hollywood stars of the time: Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine,…

Ghosts of Time: 39 Beautiful Then & Now Pictures of WWII – Including US troops at the water pump in St Marie du Mont 1944 – 2015

On the 1st of September the horror of World War II was unleashed upon the world when the German Army invaded Poland. The Invasion of…

Japanese Plastic Surgeon Who Denied Auschwitz Purchases Hirohito’s Monologues

Ian Harvey

The Emperor’s Monologue is a handwritten account of Japan from before World War II to its surrender in August of 1945. The memoir was dictated…

Treasure Trove of World War II History Found in Abandoned Storage Unit

Ian Harvey

Joe Alosi bids on storage units that have been abandoned by whoever rented them. He does not know what he is getting before he purchases…

Two Years Before Filming “It’s a Wonderful Life”, Jimmy Stewart was Bombing the Daylights Out of Germany

Jeff Edwards

Every year when the Christmas season rolls around, the classic film of a Banker, who wishes he had never been born and an angel who…

Richard Ira Bong – The Deadliest American Pilot in WWII

He was a WWII hero adored by millions. So much so that his death was front-page news – especially as he did not die in…

After Pearl Harbor, A Japanese Pilot Crash-Landed On A Hawaiian Island And Tried to Occupy It

In 1941, a lone Japanese pilot tried to capture the Hawaiian island of Ni’ihau. The natives responded by holding a luau for him. Though part…

Black Sheep One: American WW2 Marine Fighter Ace With 26 Kills – Gregory “Pappy” Boyington

Jeff Edwards

Gregory Boyington would often muse that during his 20 months as a Japanese POW his health actually improved due to the forced sobriety. Affectionately known…