Calvin L. Graham: America’s Youngest WWII Hero
Johnston was only 12 during the campaign and 13 when he was decorated. On July 6, 1864, the Union War Department banned the recruitment of…
“I did my bit” – Veteran served as pilot with Army Air Corps 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…
When London Burned – 10 Extraordinary Stories From The Blitz In WW2
From September 1940 through to the summer of 1941, British cities came under attack. Night after night, German aircraft dropped bombs on Britain’s major centers…
Why the US Coast Guard Goes To (Mock) War With American Citizens Every Year
The United States Coast Guard is, as the name implies, tasked with protecting and guarding Americans. Every year, however, this small branch of the military…
Fast Facts – History of the Hand Grenade – An Essential Infantry Weapon In Modern Warfare
Hand grenades play an important part in modern war as lightweight and hard-hitting infantry weapons. But their development hasn’t been a steady one, and for…
Poetic Justice and the Plot to Kill Hitler
Poetic justice is when the good are rewarded and the evil punished. It usually comes about by an ironic twist of fate. It happened to…
Massively Super-Sized Siege Guns From World War One And Two
In the 19th century, transport limitations restricted the size of artillery. If a piece of equipment could not be pulled by horses, then it could…
Get Out of Jail Free – How Monopoly Helped Allied POWs Escape
Imagine the following scenario: you’re with the Allies during WWII. Fortunately, your side eventually won. Unfortunately, you’ve ended up in a Nazi POW camp before…
The Submachine Gun – An Infantry Weapon Which Changed The Face Of Warfare
From the First World War to the Second World War, the submachine gun played an important part in infantry fighting. A small machine gun firing…
Life at Thélepte, a US Air Base in WWII North Africa in World War Two
Over the winter of 1942-3, American pilots spent several months based at the airfield at Thélepte in North Africa. It was a difficult posting, one…
Alexander Bonnyman: From a Miner’s Life to the Pacific
To emerge victorious from a global war, a nation must not only produce gallant warriors for the battlefield, but they must maintain an unprecedented level…
A Desperate Fight to the Death: RMS Carmania Vs. SMS Cap Trafalgar 1914
In September 1914, WWI had only just begun. Europe was plunged headlong into the greatest conflict yet seen, but a victory for either side was…