The Nazi Invasion of the Balkans & Yugoslavia – A Costly Victory
In early 1941, Adolf Hitler could look at a map of Eastern Europe and think that his plans were progressing nicely. The invasion of the…
George H. Bush Narrowly Escaped Being Executed And Eaten By The Japanese in WWII
In September 1944, the USS Finback submarine surfaced a few miles off the coast of Chichi Jima, an island some 700 miles South of Tokyo.…
The Awesome Alaska Class: America’s (Not Quite) Battlecruisers
War History online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Chris Knupp This class of cruiser is perhaps one of the more confusing ships ever put to sea…
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…