Why Did the German Cruiser Deutschland Change Her Name During WWII?
Many ships have had their names changed or passed on to another. For example, the US Navy has had eight different vessels called Enterprise, with…
The M1 Garand was ‘The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised’
Of the many guns to see combat during the Second World War, the M1 Garand was the first standard issue autoloading rifle used by the…
Richard ‘The Giant Killer’ Flaherty was the Shortest Green Beret to Fight in Vietnam
The US Army Special Forces, commonly referred to as the Green Berets, are one of the country’s most elite fighting forces. They’re known for their…
The Type 4 Grenade was a Last Ditch Effort By the Japanese
As the Second World War drew to a close, the Japanese were in a difficult position. By 1944-45, most of their industrial buildings had been…
Horizontal Collaboration: How Traitors Were Dealt With Following the Liberation of France
When France was liberated in 1944, foreign press agencies were there to document the aftermath. Among the photos taken were of thousands of French women…
Panjandrum: Britain’s Failed WWII-Era Rocket-Propelled Explosive
By 1943, the Germans had heavily fortified the European coast against an Allied invasion. This defense system, known as the Atlantic Wall, spanned along the…
Men Were Too Scared to Fly B-29 Superfortresses – Until Two Women Did
In the lead up to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Paul Tibbets was tasked with training a group of pilots on the newly-produced Boeing…
Charles Loring Jr. was a POW in WWII Before Receiving the MoH for His Actions in Korea
Charles J. Loring Jr. is one of many Medal of Honor recipients. Although he served in the Second World War, he received the honor for…
Paul Tibbets Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Was Given No Funeral or Gravestone
Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets, better known as the man who piloted the Enola Gay during the bombing of Hiroshima, became a well-known figure in the…
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…