World War 2 | War History

Vistula-Oder Offensive: The Offensive That Brought The Soviets To 70km From Berlin

In the 2004 film Downfall, depicting the last few days in Adolf Hitler’s bunker under Berlin before the city finally fell to Soviet troops on…

Britain’s Sacrifice of Crete Preserved North Africa For The Allies In World War Two

In May 1941, German paratroopers invaded and overran the island of Crete. A British force, which included New Zealanders and supported by the local resistance,…

Saving Sara Matuson: How 10 POWs Risked Their Lives to Save One Woman

Life in a prisoner of war camp could be hard and dangerous during the Second World War. It was even more so for ten British…

The One-Armed Warrior Who Was Awarded The Victoria Cross

Some soldiers are so pig-headedly persistent that they go down in legend; including one who did so with only one arm. George Albert Cairns was…

“That’s how they did things” – Veteran shares story of WWII Navy service in the Pacific

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…

Four British Intelligence Agents of World War Two and Their Very Different Civilian Lives

In the early stages of WWII, Britain had to hastily improve its capacity to make war. It included recruiting skilled professionals to previously neglected military…

“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…