Jesse Beckett

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

Articles by Jesse Beckett:

Zimmerit: The Unique Coating Along the Outside of German WWII Armored Vehicles

PanzerV With Zimmerit Applied

When looking at German tanks from WWII, you may have noticed a strange texture covering most surfaces of their armor. Although this looks like some…

The US Navy’s P-8 Poseidon Is the Ideal Submarine Hunter

Navy P-8 Poseidon

As the US becomes more focused on China’s nuclear ballistic missile submarines, the Boeing P-8 Poseidon is the aircraft that is doing much of the…

Lethal Weapons: 5 of the Most Effective Man-Killing Tools in History

Crusades

Weapons are simply an extension of the capabilities of the human body. In practice, though, they have been extremely expensive and complex, with quite literally…

Black Tom Explosion: German Sabotage on US Soil During WWI

Jersey City pier broken into pieces following the Black Tom explosion

On the morning of July 30, 1916, Manhattan was lit up by a huge flash, before being slammed by an enormous blast wave. Three men and…

USS Massachusetts (BB-59): The Battleship that Fired the Last Shot of World War II

USS Massachusetts (BB-59) at sea

The USS Massachusetts (BB-59), one of the fast battleships of the South Dakota-class, was built under the limitations enforced by the Washington and London naval…

5 Little-Known Facts About the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

images of the Tomb

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located in Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, United States and is one of the most symbolic and hollowed…

There’s Only One German Dornier Do 335 Aircraft Left In The World

Dornier Do 335 Pfeil

The Dornier Do 335 is one of Germany’s most weird and wonderful late WWII aircraft. Its unique push-pull engine configuration made the Do 335 extremely…

The USS Alaska (CB-1) Was the US Navy’s Impractical Warship

Sailors manning naval guns aboard the USS Alaska (CB-1) + USS Alaska (CB-1) at sea

The USS Alaska (CB-1) was a large, powerful and extremely capable ship built during the Second World War. Going by statistics alone, one could easily…

US Marines Took Hawaii in an Illegal Coup

Hawaiian beach and Marines poster

When talking about the US Marine Corps capturing islands, many would think of the island-hopping campaign that took the Corps across the Pacific in WWII.…

The Military Is The Reason Why the Amish Have Their Distinctive Beards

Three Amish men standing outside

The Amish are a group of traditionalist Christian church fellowships most notable for their relatively “old-fashioned” style of life. As part of living out what…

Five Celebrated Military Commanders Who Might Not Live Up To Their Hype

Portrait of George Washington + William Halsey yelling + George Patton in military uniform

Nearly all notable military leaders are surrounded by controversy, usually from those who think they were great – and those who think they weren’t. As…

The USS Intrepid Survived Four Kamikaze Attacks And Continued In Service For Decades

USS Intrepid Docked

The USS Intrepid was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during WWII. Initially operating in the Pacific Theatre, Intrepid would end up serving a wild 30-year…