Shahan Russell

Shahan Russell is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Shahan Russell:

When Four Prisoners Escaped From Auschwitz In The Kommander’s Car

In 1942, four Polish prisoners at Auschwitz had had enough. They wanted to escape, but if they did (regardless of whether or not they succeeded),…

The Slave Who Stole A Confederate Ship, Met President Lincoln & Bought His Master’s House

In 1862, Robert Smalls stole a Confederate ship, gave it to the Union Army, freed slaves, and met President Abraham Lincoln. After the war, he…

This German Officer Sacrificed His Life In A Minefield To Save An American Soldier

October 7, 1994, saw a strange sight over the Hürtgen War Cemetery in Hürtgen, Germany. The cemetery is the final home of 3001 bodies –…

Victoria Cross: He Sucked the Bullet Out of His Wound & Carried On to Storm a German Dugout & Capture 75 Men

At the turn of the 20th century, Canada did not have much in the way of an army. The joke was that only its parliament…

John Reginald Gorman – The Amazing Irish Kamikaze, Busting Tanks In WW2

In WWII, the Germans had a reputation for their formidable technology. What they did not consider, however, was the formidable Irish reputation for bullishness. John…

Ten Things to Know About Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson, America’s 28th president, was a man of many contradictions. He wanted to keep America neutral during WWI, yet he also declared war…

How The Stringbag, an Outdated Biplane, Took Out the Gigantic Battleship Bismarck in the Second World War

The German battleship, Bismarck, was one of the biggest vessels ever built in the first half of the 20th century. A marvel of advanced engineering…

The Supermarine Spitfire’s Fatal Flaw (Watch)

The Spitfire was a single-seat fighter plane that served Britain during WWII. Some are still airworthy today, though more are preserved in museums. Unfortunately, at…

10 Myths About the Nazis (Watch)

Many myths have grown up around the infamous Nazi Party which led Germany into war, and plunged the world into global conflict. Some of these…

The Daring Bruneval Raid To Capture German Radar Technology

One of the most important raids in the Second World War was the British raid on Bruneval in occupied France. Its aim was to steal…

The BBC’s Treason In The Falklands War At The Battle of Goose Green

The Battle of Goose Green in 1982 was part of the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina. It was especially notable for two things –…

The Curious Tale of an Extremely Jinxed Ship – The USS William D. Porter (DD-579)

During WWII, the Allies had a ship so jinxed, it destroyed itself by nearly destroying something else. And yes, you read that correctly. The USS William…