Vinegar Joe Stilwell – a tough, brilliant, but difficult commander in World War Two
General Joseph Stilwell, widely known as Vinegar Joe, had one of the strongest personalities of WWII. As American commander in Burma, he showed incredible insight…
Sergeant First Class Robert Howard: Refused Two Medals of Honor
He earned three nominations for a Medal of Honor but received only one. Not because he did not deserve all three, but because some of his…
How the Allies Smashed the Nazi German Military Industry
WWII was a war between industries as much as it was between nations. From tanks and planes to bullets and bombs, the materials of war…
Four Glaring Historical Errors In Otherwise Realistic War Games
Some of the best video games from recent years have revolved around real wars and historical conflicts, with varying degrees of accuracy. In certain cases,…
Operation Thursday: Orde Wingate, Building Fortresses Behind Enemy Lines in WWII
Building a fort behind enemy lines sounds like an impossible challenge. It was the tactic developed by Orde Wingate during the Second World War and…
A Sailor’s Life For Me – A day in the life of a Royal Navy Sailor from 1806
The life of a sailor has never been easy, and during wartime, it is doubly true. It was particularly so in the Royal Navy at the…
Abdol Hussein Sardari – the Iranian Schindler – Saved Many Lives in WW2
During WWII, people found different and creative ways to save Jews from internment and death. Perhaps the most unusual method involved using Nazi racial laws…
The US Camel Corps: An Abandoned 19th-Century Army Experiment
The US Army does not immediately come to mind on hearing the words “Camel Corps.” Instead, armies in Northern Africa or the Middle East, maybe…
The First Yale Unit: College Students Form a Flying Squadron in 1916
In the Spring of 1916, as WWI was raging in Europe, the students at Yale University’s class of 1918 were preparing themselves for a summer of…
Some of the Best Catchphrases Of The Ancient Spartans
“Spartans, Eat Well, for Tonight We Dine in Hades” is a memorable line from the movie, 300. The movie should get credit for fitting in…
WWII 1944: The Assault on Myitkyina was a Failure of Leadership
In May 1944, the Allies assaulted Japanese-held Myitkyina in Burma. It was an attack that brought successes despite significant failures of leadership and coordination. Stilwell…
John D. Bulkeley’s Daring Evacuation of General Douglas Macarthur on a 77′ PT Boat
The US Navy is best known for its Admirals and battleships. Both are often the most prominent assets in the fleet, but in the Philippines,…