GIGN: The Elite French Force Charged with Counter-Terrorism and Hostage Rescue
The Groupe d intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (GIGN) – National Gendarmerie Intervention Group in English – is an elite French tactical unit that was…
American Fighter Pilot Clarence “Bud” Anderson Was a World War II Triple Ace
It was late in the Second World War – 1944, to be exact – when Clarence “Bud” Anderson shot down his first enemy aircraft near…
Special Forces Veteran Ryan Hendrickson Is Clearing Land Mines for Ukrainian Farmers
Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, land mines have been laid by Russians soldiers, leading to a high number of civilian casualties. They’ve…
Bruce Carr Was Shot Down Behind Enemy Lines and Flew Back In a Stolen Aircraft
There were many astounding feats accomplished by flying aces throughout the course of the Second World War. Earning the title of “flying ace” is itself…
Richard Marcinko: The Controversial Navy SEAL Legend
Richard “Demo Dick” Marcinko had an average upbringing. Born into a family of Croatian and Slovakian immigrants living in Lansford, Pennsylvania, he was only 17…
Only 10 Crewmen Survived the Sinking of the Japanese Battleship Fusō – Out of 1,600
Prior to the First World War, Japan designed two dreadnought-style battleships. They were developed at a time when international players were engaged in a naval…
The Char B1 Tank’s Superiority Couldn’t Stop France’s Fall to Germany
When the Second World War began, German leadership ordered the use of blitzkrieg tactics to quickly overwhelm their enemies. One of the key aspects of…
The M134 Minigun Was Designed for Helicopter Crews in the Vietnam War
With an impressive legacy of roughly 60 years of service, the M134 Minigun was created in 1960 for use by the US military in Vietnam.…
A 500-Mile March By French Cavalrymen Helped Bring an End to the First World War
Images of the First World War often capture the difficulties of trench warfare, with soldiers on all sides of the conflict engaging in a war…
Seven Reasons Why the Italian Forces Performed So Poorly During World War II
When it comes to the Second World War, France is often made the butt of the joke for its surrender to Germany in 1940. However,…
The Remarkably Effective WWII-Era PIAT Anti-Tank Weapon
By 1942, the Second World War had dragged on for three years. The British had seen a good deal of combat in various theaters, frequently…
Operation Tracer: The Secret British Military Operation for Gibraltar
Of all the secret operations of the Second World War, none were less appealing than Operation Tracer, which involved spies being buried alive (literally). This…