World War 2 | War History

3 Urban Legends of War That Are Actually True… And One That Is Not

Legends, stories, and anecdotes are woven through the quilt of veteran and civilian experiences of war. We gain new words from war slang, and the…

Bomber Dog: Antis the dog that went on bombing missions to Germany and earned a medal

Jeff Edwards

In the immense tragedy of war, some people need something to hold on to during its darkest moments. For a Czech Pilot at the start…

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…

Little Known Battles of Attu & Kiska: Retaking The Only US Soil Lost During WWII

Greg Jackson

In the cold, desolate Arctic near Alaska in 1942, Japanese troops quietly invaded and took over two of the Aleutian Islands, considered to be North…

When “Red Mike” Edson & His 800 Men Were Up Against 2,500 Japanese – “You men have done a great job, & I have just one more thing to ask of you”

Greg Jackson

After more than 24 hours of fending off a ferocious Japanese assault, the sun began to set and the Marines of 1st Raider Battalion knew…

The Fairey Firefly Recon Fighter – Fast Recon In WW2

A Plane Made for Two The Fairey Firefly was a two-seat fighter and reconnaissance aircraft used by the British during WWII. A Naval Plane The…

The First Allied Soldier Killed By Enemy Fire on D-Day – Lieutenant Den Brotheridge At Pegasus Bridge

Colin Fraser

Lieutenant Herbert Denham “Den” Brotheridge, Commander of 25 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry holds an honored place in…

This Gigantic Submarine Factory Couldn’t Even Be Destroyed By The 22,000 lb Grand Slam Bomb

Erich Friedrich Michael Lackner is considered to be one of the most influential engineers of the last century. He developed a revolutionary type of concrete…

Used His Last Moments In a Burning B-24 To Sink a U-Boat – Rescued German Captain Recommended Him For a VC

Flying Officer Lloyd Allan Trigg was awarded a Victoria Cross for destroying a German submarine in WWII. The only reason we know of his heroic deed…

10 Facts about the German defeat at Verdun (1916)

Colin Fraser

By February 1916, the German advance into France had long since ground to halt, there was little movement on long front line and the conflict…

Malta: The Island Nation that Defied the Fuhrer

Jeff Edwards

The George Cross remains one of the highest military honors that can be given in the United Kingdom.  Second only to the Victoria Cross, it…

Britain’s Bomber Balloon Attacks Against Nazi Germany

Colin Fraser

Between 1942 and 1944, the British Royal Air Force and Royal Navy frequently got to bickering over a certain issue. It was, oddly enough, to…