Andrew Knighton

Andrew Knighton is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Andrew Knighton:

Paul Robinett, Legendary American Tank Commander of World War Two

Paul Robinett spent six months on the battlefront of WWII, first as a colonel and then as a general. During that time, he fought in…

Battle For North Africa – The Ships, Planes, and Tanks of Operation Torch

In November 1942, 107,305 American servicemen crossed the Atlantic to invade occupied North Africa. Their success depended in large part on the military vehicles available…

The Bold But Unsuccessful Mission of 1st Commando at Bizerte in World War Two

In November 1942, British and American forces made their first decisive push to take control of Tunisia from the Axis armies. Having landed in the…

Rapid Fire – Machine Gun Technology of the Cold War Era

During the Cold War, the rise of the assault rifle put automatic fire in the hands of ordinary infantry. However, machine-guns continued to play a…

Russia’s 1914 Invasion of Germany – The Beginning of WWI on the Eastern Front

In August 1914, fighting broke out between Germany and Russia – it was the beginning of WWI on the Eastern Front. Russia declared war on…

Stille Hilfe: The organisation committed to supporting SS members facing punishment for their crimes

In the aftermath of World War Two, most of the world wanted to punish those who had upheld the Nazi regime. The shocking revelation that…

Fighting Joe Hooker – One of the Weirdest Generals of the American Civil War

Fighting Joe Hooker is one of the stranger figures of the American Civil War. As a general, he was aggressive in both his outlook and…

Taking the War to the Skies – Some of the Best Fighter Planes of the War

Boulton Paul Defiant A two-seater British plane, all of the Defiant’s firepower lay with the rear gunner. It performed well in the Battle of France…

Chouigui Pass: The First US v German Tank Clash of WWII

On November 26, 1942, a significant encounter took place in an obscure patch of Tunisian countryside. American forces had recently arrived in North Africa, joining…

How the US Navy Trained its Pilots in WWII – the Bar for Entry was High

With a thud and a screech, a damaged fighter plane hits the deck of an aircraft carrier. The ocean heaves in a high wind, making the…

Napoleon – The Great Conqueror Should Have Lost in Italy

From 1792 to 1797, France fought a multi-fronted war against the First Coalition, the first of many attempts to bring the revolutionary nation to heel.…

The Rise Of The Night-Fighters – Devastating Aircraft in Two World Wars

Fighting between planes began in daylight which allowed pilots and gunners to see what was going on so they could target their prey and see…