Ireland’s Secret WWII Bid to Team Up With Germany: Operation Dove
On St. Patrick’s Day, one of the strangest Irish wartime stories is worth revisiting. St. Patrick’s Day usually brings up parades, politics, and Irish identity.…
Surviving crew members of the USS Arizona were allowed to have their ashes placed within the wreck after their deaths, reuniting them with their fallen crewmates
Commissioned in the 1910s, the USS Arizona (BB-39)—a Pennsylvania-class battleship named after the 48th state—soon became a powerful symbol of American naval might. Its career,…
Heckler & Koch HK433: The modern rifle that allows users to choose between two familiar operating systems
In the 1990s, Heckler & Koch shifted the direction of infantry rifle design with the introduction of the Heckler & Koch G36. Developed as a…
You Won’t Believe the Bravery of These 5 Animal Soldiers
In the annals of military history, the most decorated heroes aren’t always human. From the mud of the Western Front to the hills of the…
The General Killed on the Ides of March Was Also History’s Most Dangerous Military Mind
Before the daggers came out on March 15, 44 BC, Julius Caesar pulled off one of the most audacious battlefield gambits the ancient world had…
General George Patton bought supplies from Sears because the U.S. was so unprepared for WWII
Famed yet polarizing U.S. General George S. Patton earned a reputation as a commander who pushed forward and achieved results regardless of the challenges before…
A soldier from WWI was shot in the head and didn’t sleep for 40 years
One year into World War I, a Hungarian soldier named Paul Kern suffered a gunshot wound to the head from a Russian bullet. Under normal…
The Briefcase That Could End the World: Inside the “Nuclear Football”
Somewhere near the President of the United States right now, a mid-grade military officer is carrying a black leather briefcase. This officer isn’t a cabinet…
A German bunker was hidden inside a Roman fort on a tiny island in the English Channel
A German bunker that was uncovered on Alderney has also revealed a Roman courtyard and several other intriguing finds spanning multiple periods. Situated in the…
When the Air Force needed a supercomputer, they built it out of PS3 consoles
In late 2010, the U.S. Air Force created a groundbreaking supercomputer designed to accelerate pattern recognition, image processing, and artificial intelligence research. Remarkably, instead of…
Before the Blitz, Britain’s Forgotten WWII Pet Massacre Killed 750,000 Pets
When people think about the first days of World War II, they picture Germany’s invasion of Poland, Britain’s declaration of war, and children being evacuated…
The Lewis and Clark Expedition relied on a unique tool: the Girardoni air rifle
While firearms are often associated with conflict during the westward expansion, the Lewis and Clark Expedition relied on a unique tool: the Girardoni air rifle.…