Shahan Russell

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

Articles by Shahan Russell:

Night Witches – Soviet Female Flying Aces Who Struck Terror Into the Hearts of the German Wehrmacht

In 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Because of their superior technology and their rapid success in taking territory, the Germans had expected a quick…

The Strange And Cold Day The French Cavalry Captured a Dutch Fleet at Sea

The Hussars were a type of light cavalry that originated in medieval Hungary and were adopted by other European countries. Their bravery, cunning, and daredevil…

When a Chinese Submarine Surfaced Next To The USS Kitty Hawk in 2006

Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) was a general who wrote the “Art of War” – a book on military strategy that’s still required reading for all…

This Is How Japan Tried To Set The U.S. West Coast Ablaze in WW2 – It Nearly Worked

Most believe that those at Pearl Harbor were the only casualties on American soil during WWII. Not true. There were more in Oregon. The Japanese…

The Daring Bruneval Raid To Capture German Radar Technology

One of the most important raids in the Second World War was the British raid on Bruneval in occupied France. Its aim was to steal…

How A Crossword Puzzle Nearly Spelled The End For D-Day

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…

Church of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s War Against the Sea & 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 –…

That Day The Serbs Did The Impossible & Shot Down An F-117 Nighthawk

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a stealth fighter that was so advanced for its time that it remained a secret for a long time. What…

Half Blind Japanese Pilot Flies His Damaged Zero For 5 Hours, Then Refused Medical Attention Before Making His Report

During WWII, Sub-Lieutenant Saburō Sakai served as a naval aviator with the Imperial Japanese Navy. He claimed 64 victories, one of which was made after…

The Bombing of Pearl Harbor – And The Exiled Queen of Holland, The First Female Billionaire

Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria was the longest-serving queen of the Netherlands, having reigned from 1890 to 1948. Her keen business instincts made her the first…

Robert Howard McCard, the American corporal who did not know how to quit

Most people have heard of the D-Day Landings in France, but few know there was (almost simultaneously) another set of landings in the Pacific. As…

“I guess they didn’t know I was a Marine” – Heroism and Honor at Guadalcanal

Despite being the smallest of America’s Armed Forces, the US Marine Corps are considered the cream of the crop. There is a good reason for…