World War 2 | War History

The German Officer Who Rescued the ‘Pianist’

Sometimes, things aren’t always so black and white. Take the Nazi officer who ran a concentration camp in Poland. Who would ever have thought that he’d…

Michael Wittmann, the Deadly German Panzer Ace Of WWII

Between the myth and reality lies a figure of great importance in the history of armored warfare. Michael Wittmann, the most successful panzer ace of…

Britain’s Plan to Kill Hitler By Having a Sniper Shoot Him During His Daily Walk To The Tea House

In 1944, the British hatched a plan to assassinate Hitler – a project known as Operation Foxley. It could have shortened the war, saved millions…

The Battle of Ortona – When 2,600 Canadian Men Were Sacrificed for a General’s Pride

In December 1943, a group of largely untested Canadians went up against German forces in the Italian town of Ortona. The result was a bloodbath…

The Empire Of Japan & The Invasion Of The Philippines In WW2

On December 8, 1941, Japan invaded the Philippines. A mix of local and American forces, most without combat experience, rushed to hold off the professional…

The US 503rd Parachute Battalion Seize the “High Ground” From the Axis

When American forces arrived in North Africa in November 1942, the 503rd Parachute Battalion were among the first troops on the ground. A week later,…

Japanese Schindler Helped 5,580 Jews Escape The Holocaust Ended Up Selling Lightbulbs To Survive

Although Japan was one of the Axis Powers during WWII, one Japanese diplomat did his best to mitigate the horrors of his country’s ally, Nazi…

The Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk and Warhawk – American WWII Fighters

An American Fighter The Curtiss P-40, known as the Warhawk, was an American fighter plane. It went into service during WWII, where it was widely…

A Powerfully Symbolic Moment – On September 11, 1944, The First US Troops Cross The Border Into Nazi Germany

On Monday, September 11, 1944, an event of powerful symbolic importance took place. An American patrol crossed the border into Nazi Germany. They were the…

From The Tank Museum: The Legend Of The Tiger Tank

Was the Tiger really the King of the Battlefield in Word War Two? Few tanks inspire as much awe and fascination as The Tiger Tank, but…

“A Different Breed” – PT Boat Veteran Served in Europe and the Pacific during World War II

War History online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Jeremy P. Ämick, who is a military historian and writes on behalf of the Silver Star…

The 1941 Siege of Tobruk, Birth Of The Rats of Tobruk

From the moment Germany invaded Poland and started WWII on 1 September 1939, they were unstoppable. Their blitzkrieg tactics (concentrating their tanks, planes, and mechanized…