Jesse Beckett

Jesse Beckett is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Jesse Beckett:

The Sinking of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff Is The Single Largest Maritime Disaster In History

MV Wilhelm Gustloff

In January 1945 a German transport ship carrying thousands of civilian refugees from northern Europe was sunk in the Baltic Sea. She was torpedoed by…

A Sausage-Filled Jetliner Crashed During the Cold War, Killing 16 Soviet Admirals

Tupolev Tu-104 in the snow + Fork holding up a sausage

One of the many close calls between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War occurred on February 7, 1981. On this…

The First Successful Drone Strike Occurred in 1944

First US Drone

One of the longest-running missions that have continued throughout warfare is finding ways to reduce human involvement in conflicts. Today, drones have enabled this goal…

Fish and Chips Boosted the British Public’s Morale During World War II

British soldiers lining up outside of a fish and chips stand

To defeat Germany during World War II, the British public had to give up many staple items, and, for the most part, they did so…

FG-42: The ‘Fallschirmjäger 42’ German Paratrooper Rifle

FG 42 Automatic Rifle

The FG 42 was a powerful automatic rifle developed by the Germans during WWII and served in a similar role to the Browning Automatic Rifle…

Why the Viet Cong’s Tunnels Were So Deadly And Highly Effective

Tunnels in Vietnam

Of all of the nasty, uncomfortable, deadly, and outright terrifying jobs carried about by those who served in the Vietnam War, clearing Viet Cong tunnels…

The Battle of Bloody Ridge Definitely Earned Its Name During The Korean War

UN Troops Take Bloody Ridge

The Korean War saw United Nations and North Korean forces repeatedly bounce back and forth between gaining territory and quickly losing it. UN troops were…

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 ‘Sturmböcke’ Was Designed to Take On the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 parked in grass

In the early stages of World War II, aerial combat over Europe was dominated by two particular aircraft: the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Supermarine Spitfire.…

The Battle of Taejon And Its Importance In The Korean War

The battle of taejon

The Battle of Taejon was a battle that took place early in the Korean War, it was also one of the most important of the…

The M60 Machine Gun Has Withstood the Test of Time, Here’s Why

M-60 Machine Gun and Julie Andrews

The M60 machine gun is as much a symbol of the Vietnam War as the peace sign. This weapon was loved and loathed – it…

The Iconic Colt Single Action Army Certainly Earned Its ‘Peacemaker’ Name

The Colt Peacemaker

The Colt Single Action Army, also known as the Peacemaker, was a handgun that has been seen everywhere from the gunfight at O.K. Corral to…

The HMS Dreadnought (1906) is the Only Battleship to Sink a Submarine

1906 Dreadnought

The HMS Dreadnought was a vessel that quite literally changed the path of naval warfare and design philosophy. She brought in a whole host of…