World War 2 | War History

Where Did The Term ‘G.I.’ Come From For US Troops?

Where did we get the GI name for American Soldiers

Depending on who you ask, the meaning of “G.I.” can vary. From government issue to general issue, no one can seem to agree on one…

Gordon Cummins: The RAF Airman Who Used German Air Raids to Mask His Heinous Crimes

Aerial view of a bombed London, United Kingdom + Military portrait of Gordon Cummins

For the first years of the Second World War, the United Kingdom was under constant threat of German bombings. London, in particular, was an especially…

8 Times the US Was Attacked on Home Soil During World War II

Fu-Go floating over land

Many Americans assume that, prior to 9/11, the US hadn’t suffered an attack on its own soil since Pearl Harbor in World War II. However,…

A Doctor’s Note Allowed Winston Churchill to Circumvent Prohibition in America

Winston Churchill standing in the middle of a crowd

In the relatively short history of the United States, the country has gone through turbulent, violent and just plain crazy times. One of the weirdest…

Most of the Combat Footage from D-Day Was Dumped Into the English Channel By One Man

Troops wading to shore from a landing craft

Have you ever noticed a distinct lack of footage from the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944? Maybe you assumed it was simply too dangerous…

PT Boats Were Feared During WWII And Their One-Man Turrets Were Particularly Deadly

PT Boat Turret Operator

During WWII the US realized their PT boats had more potential than just simple torpedo dispensers. These rapid machines proved deadly as highly mobile machine…

Pearl Harbor Survivor and WWII Veteran Requests Cards to Mark 100th Birthday

Jack Holder + Attack on Pearl Harbor + Distinguished Flying Cross

A World War II veteran who survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and participated in over 100 missions is requesting cards to celebrate his…

Project Underworld: The US Navy’s Unexpected Mafia Alliance

Charles "Lucky" Luciano + Tanker explosion off the coast of Italy + General George Patton

Project Underworld was the US Navy’s codename for its joint mission with New York’s crime families. Active from 1942-45, it aimed to obtain information regarding…

During The World Wars Men were Drafted Specifically to Bury the Dead

Graves Registration

During a time of war, it is all too easy to ponder the complexities of the logistics involved with manufacturing, transporting, and supplying hundreds of…

Remains of Soldier Killed in Germany Returned to Illinois

B-17G Flying Fortress + Francis Wiemerslage

The remains of Sergeant Francis Wiemerslage have been returned to his family in River Grove, Illinois. The funeral service occurred two years after the soldier’s…

Here’s how the Most Successful Submarine in US Navy History Accidentally Sunk Itself

USS Tang Colorized

The USS Tang is the US’ most successful submarine, sinking over 100,000 tons of enemy shipping over five combat patrols during WWII. Her experienced and…

The Bat Bomb Proves The US Military Will Try Anything Once

Of all the weird experimental weapons conceived and tested during WWII, bat bombs were one of the strangest. The project attempted to attach small bombs…