Book Review: SPY PILOT-By Francis Gary Powers Jr. and Keith Dunnavant
From the moment this book dropped through my letterbox, it had me thinking back several decades to a TV drama featuring Lee Majors in the…
Pearl Harbor: The Worst Military Decision In History?
The morning of December 7, 1941, is a date remembered across the world, particularly by American citizens. That morning, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) caught…
D-DAY: The Battle for Carpiquet Airport
Early History The history of the airfield at the Normandy city of Caen goes back to 1937 when the French began construction west of the…
The Battle of Messines 1917: Australian & New Zealand Troops Together
On June 7, 1917, Australian and New Zealand Forces (ANZAC) combined to form an attack on a German defensive position near the Belgium town of…
At 225 Years Old The USS Constitution is America’s Oldest Warship Still Afloat
After bringing the British crew aboard as prisoners, the Americans concluded Guerriere was too far gone to salvage and burned her. “Old Ironsides,” the U.S.…
A Most Terrifying Sight: The Royal Scots Greys and the Battle of Waterloo
Ponsonby was subsequently killed and his sword was taken, which was then used to kill three soldiers from his rescue party. The Royal Scots Greys…
The Flying Rhino: The Mach 1.8 F/A-18 Super Hornet
With a range of around 500 miles when fully loaded for a mission, the Super Hornet has an effective range that is just over 40%…
From Booze to Bombs: The Beer Carrying Spitfires of WWII
To prepare for a beer run, the fuel tanks attached to the pylons would be steam cleaned by ground crews. The tanks would then be…
The Top Ten Most Terrifying Weapons of WWII
On many occasions in both wars, merely the sight of a flamethrower would be enough to make even experienced troops flee. In creating a list…
Why WERE WWII Aircraft Painted With Camouflage Patterns?
One rather striking detail that is immediately noticeable about many WWII combat aircraft, regardless of which nation fielded them, is the fact that they were…
The Magnificent Seven – The Normandy Battlefields
I have been visiting Normandy for 35 years and living there for the last eighteen. As a fledgling battlefield tour guide in the early days,…
How Ingenuity, Skill & The Humble Sandbag Saved a Squadron of Hurricanes
None of the pilots of No. 46 had trained in carrier flight operations, and the Hurricanes lacked arrestor hooks. They would try anyway! Ingenuity and…