The Commando Raids On The Norwegian Coast That Tied Up 30,000 German Soldiers
In 1941, Britain raided Nazi-occupied Norway, making use of a new and still untested force – British Commandos. The aim was to boost British morale and…
Helped Save His Burning B-17 By Urinating On The Fire & Drove Off Waves of German Fighters
Maynard Harrison “Snuffy” Smith was such a screw-up, he joined the US Army to avoid jail. He earned the nickname, “Snuffy Smith,” because no one…
Like a Scene From the Great Escape: If PoWs Escaped They Had To Learn Fast To Blend In With The Locals
During WWII, many British servicemen became prisoners of the Germans. Some were captured during the fall of France and the retreat to Dunkirk. Others were…
MI9: The Secret British Organization Set Up in WWII to Help Prisoners Of War Escape
During WWII, thousands of combatants were taken prisoner by their opponents. To help Allied troops who had been captured and to get the best possible…
Started out as a Biplane: The Grumman F4F Wildcat One Of The Most Valuable American Fighter Planes Of WW2
Despite its slightly odd origins, the Grumman F4F Wildcat was one of the most valuable fighter planes in the US arsenal of WWII. The Biplane…
The Cutting Edge Heinkel He162 Salamander – Another fascinating German Jet Fighter Concept
During WWII Nazi Germany led the world in jet technology. Late in the war, the Germans tried to use their advantage to turn the tide…
The Ground-Breaking Gloster Meteor – The Only Allied Jet Which Took Part Combat in World War Two
The British Gloster Meteor jet fighter entered service late in WWII. It was a ground-breaking aircraft in an era when aerial combat was changing. The…
The Vultee Vengeance – The Allied WWII Dive Bomber Developed To Rival The German Stuka
When people talk about aircraft used in WWII, most remember the German Stuka dive-bomber used to great effect very early in the war, but both…
US 33rd Fighter Group – The Exhausting Fight for the Air Over Tunisia
In November 1942, the American 33rd Fighter Group went to North Africa. They were among the first US flyers to join the African campaign. Over…
The Martyr City: When Egyptian Civilians Fought British Paratroops: The 1956 Suez Crisis
By Christopher Weeks Sixty years ago, in the fall of 1956, Egypt faced the combined armed forces of three countries – Britain, France and Israel…
Paul Robinett, Legendary American Tank Commander of World War Two
Paul Robinett spent six months on the battlefront of WWII, first as a colonel and then as a general. During that time, he fought in…
Battle For North Africa – The Ships, Planes, and Tanks of Operation Torch
In November 1942, 107,305 American servicemen crossed the Atlantic to invade occupied North Africa. Their success depended in large part on the military vehicles available…