World War 2 | War History

Gewehr 43: The German Semi-Automatic Rifle Inspired By the Soviet SVT-40

East German soldiers marching together while armed with Gewehr 43s

When the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa, they weren’t prepared for a number of things. While the weather is often the aspect most historians point to,…

Prince Philip and An American GI Are Two Deities Worshipped By WWII-Era Cargo Cults

John Frum followers dancing in a circle

Undoubtedly, the arrival of the Allies in Melanesia had a profound effect on those who lived there. Troops and natives came into contact for the…

John R Fox Ordered An Artillery Barrage On His Own Position to Save His Comrades

US artillerymen manning an artillery battery + Military portrait of John R Fox

In one of the greatest acts of bravery seen during the Second World War, John R Fox ordered an artillery barrage on his own position…

The German V-1 ‘Buzz Bomb’ Was Developed to Terrorize the British Public

V-1 "buzz bomb" on display

Vengeance weapon one (V-1), the “buzz bomb,” the “doodlebug” or the “Fi 103” – whatever name you call it by, this impressive World War II-era…

The Plumbing Disaster That Led to the Sinking of U-1206

Toilet onboard the HMS Alliance (P147) + Painting of a U-boat being sunk at sea

During the later years of the Second World War, the German U-boat U-1206 was cruising silently off the coast of Scotland. It was one of…

WWII Plans That Never Happened – There’s a Reason These Were Shelved

British Royal Marines running through heavy fog

There were many clever plans created by both the Allies and Axis during the Second World War, such as Operations Mincemeat and Overlord. However, there…

The Last Defenders of the Führerbunker Were French SS Troops

Légion des volontaires français contre le bolchevisme leaning out of the windows of a departing train

Typically, the Schutzstaffel (SS) is viewed as an all-German organization that filled its ranks with those who deeply resonated with the Führer’s message and goals.…

Dwight D. Eisenhower Took Extra Measures to Ensure the Holocaust Was Never Forgotten

Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton standing with other US military officials + Exterior of Ohrdruf concentration camp

Dwight D. Eisenhower viewed firsthand the crimes that were committed by the Germans at concentration camps when he visited the newly-liberated Ohrdruf during the Second…

The Laconia Incident Took More Lives Than the Sinking of the Titanic

Survivors of the Laconia Incident standing on the top decks of the U-156 and U-507

During the Second World War, an incident occurred that appeared to make the Germans the heroes and paint the Americans in a bad light. While…

Workers At the Polish Post Office in Danzig Held Off a German Siege for 15 Hours

German soldiers leading prisoners along the side of a building

The first official move of the Second World War was when the Germans invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The attack was dubbed “Fall Weiss,”…

When the Germans Were Chased Out, Poland’s ‘Cursed Soldiers’ Fought to Evict the Soviets

Henryk Wybranowski, Edward Taraszkiewicz, Mieczysław Małecki and Stanisław Pakuła standing together in a wooded area

When discussing Poland during the Second World War, it’s almost impossible to avoid the Polish Underground State. Initially formed to fight against the German occupiers,…

‘Crazy Major’ Henry Dobrzański Refused to Back Down Against the German Invasion of Poland

Members of the Detached Unit of the Polish Army on horseback

Already a well-established soldier by the time the Second World War broke out, Maj. Henryk Dobrzański became even more famous following his service for being…