World War 2 | War History

“It all happened so fast” – Army veteran shares story of WWII service, Central Missouri Honor Flight

War History online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Jeremy P. Ämick, who is a military historian and writes on behalf of the Silver Star…

Chaos In The Aftermath Of World War One: The German Revolution: 1918-1919

War History online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Joseph M. Durante The German Revolution occurred shortly after World War I and included all the…

Maynard Smith: Awarded the Medal of Honor And Then Demoted in WW2

It is perhaps a tale that Veterans of the United States Air Force are more familiar with, the story of “Airman Snuffy.” Given a choice…

Fog Of War – Often, the Allies Couldn’t Tell if Bombing Campaigns Were Working

Destructive bombing raids against Germany were a vital part of World War Two. They let the Allies lash out against the Nazi war machine long…

21-Year-Old Bomber Pilot Who Died Saving His Comrades in WWII

On the night of May 30, 1942, Britain launched its largest bombing raid so far in World War Two. Of the 1,047 bombers that flew,…

Two Childhood Friends Helped Found an Elite WW2 Unit Then Died on the Same Day, Hundreds of Miles Apart

Founded in 1940 during the difficult days of the Second World War, the Small Scale Raiding Force was an elite British naval unit. The predecessor…

A Terrible Mistake – Why The USSR Ignored Britain’s Warnings of Impending Invasion

On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the USSR. It was a move that came as a shock to the Soviets, but less so to the…

Harry Errington: The Only London Fireman to Earn a George Cross for Service in the Blitz

The bombing campaigns of WWII put a massive strain on firefighters. In both Britain and Germany, campaigns of deliberate destruction set cities alight. Not just…

Bill Slim and WWII’s Forgotten Army – One Of The Most Successful Commanders Of The War

One of the greatest military commanders of WWII is usually forgotten in stories of the war. Bill Slim, the British general commanding troops in Burma,…

The First Thousand-Bomber Raid – Changing the WWII Air War

From the start of the Second World War, Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) committed themselves to a particular bombing strategy. They believed that, with heavy…

Hugh Seagrim, Who Fought WW2 from Behind Japanese Lines

In the small Karen village of Mewado, Burma, two men stood smoking cigarettes. The owner of the cigarettes, Captain Inoue, was an officer in the…

Japanese-American Soldiers, The Nisei: The Purple Heart Battalion

When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, Japanese-Americans became enemy aliens and were sent to internment camps. One responded in a most spectacular way. Daniel…