Russell Hughes

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

Articles by Russell Hughes:

A Battle That Changed The Course of the Vietnam War – Hamburger Hill

The Battle for Hamburger Hill left such a big mark on the American psyche that it has appeared in films, documentary series, video games and…

Francis Parsons and The Battle of Paardeberg in the Boer War

Francis Newton Parsons risked everything to help the wounded and displayed courage above and beyond the call of duty on numerous occasions during his army…

Operation Cobra – The Battle That Opened The Way For An Allied Victory In France

Operation Cobra was as important to the Allied war in France than the D-Day landings themselves. The success of the battle was the moment the…

POW James Risner: Attempted to destroy his voice by injuring his own throat. When that failed, he drank a paste made from soap

James Robinson Risner was a remarkable pilot and a man whose tenacity of spirit was only matched by his bravery. Risner ended his career in…

Josef Allerberger and Matthäus Hetzenauer: Two Snipers with Over 600 Kills Between Them

Josef Allerberger and Matthäus Hetzenauer were two snipers in the German Army who left a trail of death and chaos in their wake. The pair…

Battle of Khe Sanh May Have Been The Cause Of The Tet Offensive’s Success

Not only was the Battle of Khe Sanh one of the longest and bloodiest confrontations of the Vietnam War, it also kept American focus away…

Operation Linebacker II – The Massive Bombing Campaign That Brought Peace In Vietnam

Operation Linebacker II was the ultimate oxymoron and a repetition of a favoured American tactic for bringing about peace on an Asian battlefield. Just like…

VC: In WWI Horace Augustus Curtis Charged The Enemy Trenches, Capturing 6 Machine Guns and 100 Infantry

Horace Augustus Curtis wasn’t supposed to be a war hero. He was supposed to be a nobody who lived and died in relative poverty in…

John Baskeyfield VC: A Mighty Hero of the WW2 Battle of Arnhem

As a civilian, John Baskeyfield spent his time as a butcher, but during the Battle of Arnhem, he turned his skills to a different type…

The Battle of Crete Was The Reason Hitler Abandoned Parachute Assaults For Good

Crete might be an idyllic tourist island now, but during a 12-day period in May 1941 a mixed force of British, Australian, New Zealand and…

The German WW2 Night Fighter Ace Who Shot Down 7 Lancaster Bombers In 19 Minutes

Once you know the story of Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, it’s pretty hard to forget. Schnaufer was an incredibly skilled pilot. He was arguably the best night…

Wounded and Outnumbered, This WW2 Hero Defended His Position and Was Awarded VC

Eric Charles Twelves Wilson’s accomplishments on the field of battle are almost as impressive as his name. But not only did he earn a Victoria…