The Short Career of the Civil War-Era Double-Barreled Cannon
The double-barreled cannon is as cool as it sounds. It can shoot two cannon balls at the same time that, when attached by a chain,…
The US Air Force Once Tried Landing Bombers On Tank Treads – It Didn’t End Well
Tanks are invaluable military assets, as are heavy bombers. Combining the two should be a winning combination… Right? As the US Air Force learned, the…
Winged Hussars: The Rise and Fall of Europe’s ‘Angels of Death’
For two centuries, the elaborate winged uniforms and menacing battle tactics of the Polish hussars dominated the battlefield. Coming across the winged hussars must have…
The Lee-Enfield Repeating Rifle Has the World’s Second-Longest Service History
The first version of the Lee-Enfield repeating rifle entered into service in 1895. Since then, 17 million units and a number of variants have been…
Richard H. Best: The Only WWII Pilot to Bomb Two Japanese Aircraft Carriers in One Day
Of the four Japanese aircraft carriers sunk during the Battle of Midway – one of the most critical battles to occur in the Pacific Theater…
What Made the Polish No. 303 Squadron the Most Effective Pilots During the Battle of Britain?
At the outset of World War II, the Germans decided to treat Poland like a prize for the taking. What they didn’t realize, however, was…
Ukraine to Launch Touring Exhibit of Russian Tanks Destroyed During Ongoing War
The Russo-Ukrainian War has continued to rage for the better part of four months. What the Russian military presumed would be a quick takeover has…
Highways Across the World Are Built for Warplanes to Land on Them
Typically, an aircraft landing on a highway would indicate a serious problem, perhaps a mechanical issue or medical emergency with one of the pilots… That…
The Doolittle Bombers Traded Their Tail Guns for Broomsticks
On April 18, 1942, the United States responded to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor by doing something that had never been done before: launching bombers…
The US Military Used Tourist Maps to Prepare for the Invasion of Grenada
When the US military invaded Grenada in 1983, troops were grossly unprepared. Knowing little about the country, officials had to get inventive in order to…
Why the Battle of Ortona Was Nicknamed the ‘Italian Stalingrad’
While initially intended to be a super power on the Axis side during World War II, Italy wound up playing a smaller role in the…
Were There German Spies in the French Foreign Legion?
The French Foreign Legion is a historic and elite part of the French Army. It was created in the 1830s as a way to deal…