Ray C. Hunt: US Army Air Corps Mechanic Turned Guerrilla Fighter
Ray C. Hunt signed up for the US Army Air Corps at the start of the Second World War. He trained as an aircraft mechanic,…
Dean Laird: The Ace Who Downed Both Japanese and German Aircraft During World War II
There were numerous air aces during the Second World War. These aviators exhibited bravery and courage in the face of danger, earning the status of…
The OSS Manual That Encouraged Axis Citizens to Sabotage the War Effort
As the Second World War raged on, the Allied and Axis powers employed various tactics to gain ground. One way was to utilize spies and…
Allied Snipers and Their Effectiveness During the Second World War
Snipers have played an important part in warfare for hundreds of years. The term was first officially used during the American Civil War, but sniper-like…
The US Air Force Once Tried Landing Bombers On Tank Treads – It Didn’t End Well
Tanks are invaluable military assets, as are heavy bombers. Combining the two should be a winning combination… Right? As the US Air Force learned, the…
Highways Across the World Are Built for Warplanes to Land on Them
Typically, an aircraft landing on a highway would indicate a serious problem, perhaps a mechanical issue or medical emergency with one of the pilots… That…
Were There German Spies in the French Foreign Legion?
The French Foreign Legion is a historic and elite part of the French Army. It was created in the 1830s as a way to deal…
How Canadian Soldiers Exploited German Troops During World War I
As the First World War dragged on, an unexpected group of soldiers became known for their ruthlessness and zeal. Canadians, stereotyped as friendly, kind and…
The Ace of Spades Was Used By the 101st Airborne Before It Became the ‘Death Card’
Symbols during wartime are important and, more than that, they are powerful. Winston Churchill famously used the “V for Victory” symbol during World War II,…
The Rats of Tobruk: How A German Insult Was Reclaimed as a Proud Nickname
At the beginning of the Second World War, Libya was still an Italian colony. As the only deep port in the eastern part of the…
Nine of the Most Infamous Booby Traps Used By the Viet Cong
The Vietnam War was infamous for the guerrilla warfare American forces were largely unprepared for. The Viet Cong were on their home turf and used…
131,553 Allied Pilots and Airmen Trained in the ‘Aerodrome of Democracy’
At the outset of the Second World War, the United Kingdom was faced with many problems, one of which was how to train the aircrews…