Shahan Russell

Shahan Russell is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Shahan Russell:

When A Bloody Medieval War Was Fought Because Of A Bucket Full of Treasure

In 1325, two armies clashed near what is today the Italian town of Castello di Serravalle in the region of Emilia-Romagna. It was a huge…

U-570 In the WW2 Battle of the Atlantic – The Only Submarine To Ever Be Captured By An Aircraft

There were many extraordinary events in the Battle of the Atlantic, the contest between the Germans and the Allies for control of the sea lanes,…

Church of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s War Against the Sea… And Mexico

Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (often referred to as “L. Ron Hubbard” or simply as “LRH”) was the controversial founder of an even more controversial religion –…

When Pirates Kidnapped Julius Caesar He Laughed at Their Ransom Demands and Told Them To Ask for More

Long ago a 25-year-old Roman author, poet, priest, and aristocrat was kidnapped by pirates. Rather than plead for his release, however, he ordered them to…

When The Serbs Shot Down An F-117 Nighthawk, Achieving the Impossible

The Serbs didn’t know that, however, which is why they were able to shoot one down in 1999 – reputedly the only time such a…

The Kamikaze Fighter Who Crashed Into And Sunk The USS Drexler

This is an odd story that involves a flight instructor, his family, and a single-minded request. The whole thing was so strange, in fact, that…

Massive Black Tom Explosion: Imperial Germany’s Secret Sabotage & Terrorist Attacks on America

When Al Qaeda destroyed New York City’s World Trade Center in 2001, many thought it was the first terrorist attack on US soil. They were…

Highly Skilled Specialists – Longest Long Range Sniper Kills Of Military History

A sniper is a skilled marksman whose job is to shoot someone from afar without hitting anyone (or anything) else. But it’s not just about…

The Four Phases Of The Battle of Britain

History likes to paint Britain as the tiny country that, against all odds, somehow resisted the superior military might of Nazi Germany during WWII. But…

An Unexpected Threat to the Success of D-Day: The Clues to a Crossword Puzzle

To end WWII in Europe, the Allies planned a massive assault on Normandy, France, in 1944. Over 5,000 ships, 1,200 planes, and almost 160,000 men…

Red Against Red – China’s Failed 27 Day Invasion Of Vietnam

In 1979, China invaded Vietnam because Vietnam had invaded Cambodia, whose rulers were backed by China. The conflict lasted a month and resulted in tens…

When Four Prisoners Escaped From Auschwitz In The Commander’s Car

In 1942, four Polish prisoners at Auschwitz had had enough. They wanted to escape, but if they did (regardless of whether or not they succeeded),…