World War 2 | War History

Clarence L. Tinker: The First Native American to Be Promoted to Major General in US Army History

Todd Neikirk
Clarence L. Tinker sitting at a desk

They don’t make soldiers like Clarence L. Tinker anymore. Born on a Native American reservation in 1887, Tinker was inspired to serve the United States…

All Five of the Second World War’s Triple Aces in a Day Flew for the German Luftwaffe

Messerschmitt Bf 109G parked on a runway

The Second World War saw thousands of air battles between pilots. Germany, which started the conflict in 1939 with its invasion of Poland, held a…

MoH Recipient Gregory ‘Pappy’ Boyington was Among the Most Famous Pilots of WWII

Todd Neikirk
Gregory "Pappy" Boyington wearing his Medal of Honor + Members of the Black Sheep Squadron standing in front of an aircraft

During World War II, ace fighter pilots became household names, and few were more famous than Gregory “Pappy” Boyington. The star swimmer and wrestler joined…

Horizontal Collaboration: How Traitors Were Dealt With Following the Liberation of France

Group of women standing together

When France was liberated in 1944, foreign press agencies were there to document the aftermath. Among the photos taken were of thousands of French women…

Panjandrum: Britain’s Failed WWII-Era Rocket-Propelled Explosive

Panjandrum parked on a beach

By 1943, the Germans had heavily fortified the European coast against an Allied invasion. This defense system, known as the Atlantic Wall, spanned along the…

Mass Graves of 8,000 Concentration Camp Victims Discovered in Polish Forest

Gravestone overlooked by a wooden cross in the middle of Białuty Forest + Remains of Soldau concentration camp

Investigators with the Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) have discovered what they claim are two mass graves containing the ashes of at least 8,000…

Men Were Too Scared to Fly B-29 Superfortresses – Until Two Women Did

Boeing B-29 Superfortress in flight + Paul Tibbets, Dora Dougherty and Dorothea Moorman standing in front of a Boeing B-29 Superfortress

In the lead up to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Paul Tibbets was tasked with training a group of pilots on the newly-produced Boeing…

A Brazilian Air Force Pilot Managed to Fly His P-47 Home – With Part of Its Right Wing Missing!

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in flight

While it took a while for Brazil to enter the Second World War, the country’s forces certainly left their mark. The Brazilian Air Force, in…

MoH Recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams Destroyed Enemy Pillboxes During the Battle of Iwo Jima

Hershel W. "Woody" Williams speaking at a podium

Over the course of the Second World War, 473 military members received the Medal of Honor. They’ve all since passed away, with the last remaining…

Paul Tibbets Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Was Given No Funeral or Gravestone

Paul Tibbets sitting in the cockpit of the Enola Gay

Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets, better known as the man who piloted the Enola Gay during the bombing of Hiroshima, became a well-known figure in the…

Elvis Presley’s Fundraising Efforts Helped Erect the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

Aerial view of the USS Arizona Memorial + Headshot of Elvis Presley

In the 1950s, any American of a certain age could be drafted into the US military. Famous athletes and actors regularly served, as did musicians…

Ray C. Hunt: US Army Air Corps Mechanic Turned Guerrilla Fighter

US Army Rangers walking together in a group

Ray C. Hunt signed up for the US Army Air Corps at the start of the Second World War. He trained as an aircraft mechanic,…