Operation Goodwood: Epic Armor Clash in Normandy – Day One
At 0525 on July 18th 1944, an artillery barrage erupted on the German positions a few kilometers to the east and southeast of Caen. Ten…
The Perfect, Unkillable Soldier – He Fought In Wars For Almost Fifty Years
Some men have no fear of death, while others have no fear of personal injury. One man snubbed his nose at both, which was why…
Violette Szabo: British Female Spy Killed Behind Enemy Lines
A British Special Ops agent in World War II, Violette Szabo was a posthumous recipient of the George Cross for her impressive work in occupied…
A German and an American Meet at the end of WWII
War is full of brief encounters. A sudden glimpse of the face of an enemy; the brief sighting of an enemy submarine; or seeing a wounded…
The Gray Ranks – The Fighting Boy-Scouts Of The Polish WWII Resistance
When people think of boy scouts, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Setting up a tent? Singing songs around the fire? Wearing…
This Brave Pilot Climbed Out On To The Wing Of His Stricken Bomber At 13,000 Feet
The details behind every Victoria Cross are fascinating, but James Allen Ward may have the most unique tale of all. The 22-year-old New Zealand-born pilot…
How Tanks Decided The First And Second World Wars
The concept of a military tank was not particularly new in 1916. However, the ability to move troops safely through combat territories with a vehicle…
Heinze And Reinhard Heydrich – A Tale Of Two Brothers Who Went Different Ways In WW2
In 1918 two teenage brothers posed for a photograph. The older brother has his arm protectively around the younger one. They are Heinze and Reinhard…
The Early Days Of Drones – Unmanned Aircraft From World War One And World War Two
Unmanned aerial vehicles, popularly known as drones, are most often associated with airstrikes in modern warfare, but their history goes much further back than that.…
Fighting On The Gustav Line – Part 1
War History Online presents this Guest Article from Pietro Giovanni Liuzzi Italy, September 1943 – May 1944 Following the defenestration of Mussolini on July 25,…
Advance on Canae: The World War Two Invasion of Crete
The invasion of Crete was an impressive campaign of WWII. A significant battle during the seizure was the advance on Canae. German paratroopers fought fiercely…
“Smiling Albert” Kesselring; a German General of World War Two
Albert Kesselring had one of the most wide-ranging careers of WWII. A skilled German commander, he was fondly referred to by his admirers as “Smiling…