Andrew Knighton

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

Articles by Andrew Knighton:

Most Famous Japanese Plane of WWII – 15 Facts About the Mitsubishi Zero

One of the most famous planes of the Second World War, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero-Sen, was Japan’s best fighter and the bane of Allied airmen…

7 Historic Japanese Tanks – Japan’s Armored Force Has Come a Long Way

Type 89 Medium Tank During the 1920s, the Japanese tested a variety of foreign tanks. Based on these experiences, they developed their own four man…

Messerschmitt Me262 – First Operational Jet Fighter -16 Facts and Great Photos

Arriving late in the Second World War, the Messerschmitt Me262 was the world’s first operational jet fighter, a terrifying new weapon in the skies above…

Unprepared for WAR – Why the Allies’ Heads Were in the Sand

At the start of the Second World War, the Allies found themselves at a huge disadvantage. The Axis powers were ready for war while the…

Blitzkrieg Tactics: Lightning Conquest of Poland

On the 1st of September 1939, Germany launched one of the most dramatic military campaigns of the 20th century. Troops poured across the border into…

Front-Line General – Norman Cota in WWII

Grey eyed and craggy-featured, General Norman Cota was one of the more distinctive generals who took part in the 1944-5 campaign in Western Europe. A…

Japan’s Ace Producer – 6 Mitsubishi Fighters

As a manufacturer of fighter planes, Mitsubishi made a major contribution to the Japanese war effort during the Second World War. A5M Built to a…

Masters of Armored Warfare – 6 Historic German Tanks

Though initially slow to adopt tanks, the Germans eventually became masters of armored warfare, with some of the most effective vehicles of the Second World…

5 Messerschmitt Fighter Planes of WWII

During the 1930s and 1940s, Messerschmitt made some of the most advanced and effective fighter planes in German service. They played an important part in…

Rearming for WWII: Too Little Too Late

During the 1930s, the Nazi government began rearming Germany for what would become the Second World War. The response from Germany’s main opponents, Britain and…

Anti-Tank Missile Vehicles – 22 Facts About the Soviet 2P Series

During the 1950s, Soviet weapons engineers designed a new anti-tank missile, the AT-1 Snapper. This was a guided missile that used a wire link to…

The Incredible Messerschmitt Me163: Years Ahead of Its Time

When it took to the skies in 1944, the Messerschmitt Me163 Komet looked like something out of a science fiction serial. One of the stranger…