On His First Mission, This American Air Force Misfit Saved His Plane And Was Awarded The Medal of Honor
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…
When An American Submarine Took Out a Japanese Troop Train and Much More in the Pacific in WW2
On the 22nd of January, 1945, 30 Japanese merchant ships sat in Namkwan Harbor, in Southern China. They felt safe in their well-defended home, surrounded…
Lightning Strike: When the Americans Killed Japanese Admiral Yamamoto and Avenged Pearl Harbor
Not only did the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7th, 1941 deal a devastating blow to the United States’ Navy and draw the nation into…
Battles Of Military History: When Fighting Spirit Overcame The Odds
Battles can be lost for a hundred different reasons. Poor numbers, unwise strategy, inferior weapons, the list goes on. But just occasionally, a fighting force…
Private Dirk J. Vlug: the Bane of Japanese Tanks – Fighting in the Philippines in WW2
Ten hours after bombing Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked the Philippines. Because of their brutality, many Filipinos fought back as they had little to lose.…
SS Panzer General Sepp Dietrich – one of the principal German tank commanders of WWII
Josef “Sepp” Dietrich was one of the principal German tank commanders of WWII. An SS officer and veteran of WWI, he came from a working…
The Rosary Paratrooper – Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte
WWII saw paratroopers become an important part of warfare for the first time. Among the most gifted paratroop commanders was Friedrich August Freiherr von der…
Germany and Italy in WWII – A Difficult Relationship
Germany and Italy had the most powerful and outspoken far-right governments in inter-war Europe. They were the main Axis powers in Europe in WWII. Their…
The Lapland War: A Fight For Finland To Leave The War
Finland was in a difficult position in WWII. The country was at first defending itself from an invasion conducted by the USSR in 1939. After several…
Robert Anderson Hoover of Nashville, Tennessee: the Father of Aerobatics
He was among the world’s greatest pilots – despite suffering from severe air sickness. Robert Anderson “Bob” Hoover was born on January 24, 1922, in…
Wounded, Promoted, Decorated – Adolf Hitler in the First World War
Adolf Hitler is remembered for the terrible destruction of WWII. Before that, he served with courage in WWI. That first conflict deeply influenced his future.…
This Member Of The Nazi Party Became Known as a Modern Buddha
A “Buddha” is an enlightened being – one who breathes wisdom, goodness, compassion, and mercy. A saint, to put it in Christian terms. In one…