World War 2 | War History

The Long Range Desert Group was the ‘Finest of All Units’ to Serve in North Africa

Convoy of Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) vehicles

Throughout the Second World War, intelligence was key. Commanding officers tasked their sailors, soldiers and pilots with gathering important information, which could be used to…

The Five Sullivan Brothers Died Serving Aboard the Same Ship in the Pacific

The five Sullivan brothers aboard the USS Juneau (CL-52)

For any family, the loss of a sibling, child or relative during war is devastating. For Thomas and Alleta Sullivan, their entire lives changed when…

The Residents of Graignes Saved the Lives of Over 100 American Paratroopers

Three American paratroopers standing among rubble

The Battle of Graignes was fought between American paratroopers who’d accidentally been dropped off-target during D-Day and German soldiers attempting to provide support for their…

Ernest Evans Took On a Fleet of Japanese Warships, Despite Being Drastically Outnumbered

Ernest Evans smiling during the commissioning ceremony for the USS Johnston (DD-557)

Escort carriers played a unique role during World War II, particularly in the Pacific Theater, where they faced attacks from above, below and from other…

Manila American Cemetery Is Home to More US WWII Dead Than Any Other Site

Rows of crosses at the Manila American Cemetery

Some 16,859 American soldiers call the Manila American Cemetery their final resting place, making it the largest US site of World War II dead. It’s…

22 Images That Show the Many Faces of World War II

Damian Lucjan
Portrait of a US Marine + German machine gunner with an ammunition belt around his neck

By Damian Lucjan and Clare Fitzgerald Society had never before experienced a conflict quite like the Second World War. While the Great War was the…

These Helicopters First Took Flight During WW2

Focke-Wulf Fw 61 in flight + Sikorsky R-4 "Hoverfly" parked in the grass

Whenever someone uses helicopters and war in the same sentence, images of aircraft hovering over dense Vietnamese jungles immediately come to mind. However, while these…

The Sleeping Giant Awakes: American Assembly Lines During WWII

Female operating a machine along a factory assembly line

Throughout the Second World War, countries ramped up their production efforts to levels not previously seen. The one that stood out the most with regard…

Henry Fonda Served In the US Navy During WWII – He Didn’t Want to ‘Be a Fake In a War Studio’

Military portrait of Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda was one of the most famous actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Starring in over 100 films, television specials and theater roles,…

The Integral Role Air Gunners Played During the First and Second World Wars

Walter R. Newbury sitting in the top turret of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator + Jesse Rhodes Waller aiming the .30-caliber machine gun of a Consolidate PBY Catalina

Aircraft made their combat debut during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-12. Just a few years later, during the First World War, they appeared in much…

High School Project Reunites Twin Brothers Seven Decades After WWII

Servicemen carrying a flag-draped coffin

On June 19, 2018, twin brothers Ludwig Julius Wilhelm “Louie” Pieper and Julius Heinrich Otto “Henry” Pieper were laid to rest side-by-side, some 74 years…

The Allies Faced Many Difficult and Ingenious Beach Obstacles During WWII

Todd Neikirk
Tank driving over Czech hedgehogs + Two soldiers squatting near Teller mines

The Second World War saw the implementation of a number of new weapons and devices. In particular, the Allied forces had to contend with many…