Pilots Were Meant to Fly the Gloster Meteor F8 WK935 While Lying Down
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies’ only jet-powered aircraft to engage in combat during World War II. Following the…
Did This U-boat Sink Herself With One of Her Own Torpedoes?
In the final month of 1943, U-972 went missing at sea. The U-boat had departed for her first patrol in November 1943 and hadn’t run…
M72 LAW: The Vietnam-Era Anti-Tank Weapon That Continues to See Service Today
In the Dirty Harry movie, The Enforcer (1976), the filmmakers needed to find a more powerful weapon than Harry Callahan’s Smith & Wesson Model 29.…
The United States Once Came to the Aid of North Korea During a Pirate Attack
The Dai Hong Dan Incident occurred on October 29, 2007 in the Indian Ocean. After Somali pirates attacked the North Korean cargo ship MV Dai…
A B-52H Stratofortress Once Flew for Five Hours – Without a Tail!
In January 1964, a Boeing B-52H Stratofortress embarked on an eight-hour flight load survey to test buffeting turbulence effects at low-levels. When this turbulence became…
Hughes XF-11: The Aircraft That Almost Took Out Its Creator
The Hughes XF-11 was a prototype reconnaissance aircraft intended to be operated by the US Army Air Forces (USAAF). It was partially designed by Howard…
The Extreme Measures the Germans Used to Effectively Execute Their Blitzkrieg Tactics
Blitzkrieg – “lightning war” – was a German military strategy employed during the Second World War. The tactic was refined by the Wehrmacht, and played…
Martin B-26 Marauder: The Accident-Prone Medium Bomber That Went On to Become One of the Most Successful of WWII
The Martin B-26 Marauder was an American twin-engine medium bomber that saw service during World War II. Taking part in action in all theaters of…
Fairey Swordfish: The Outdated Biplane That Helped Sink the German Battleship Bismarck
The Fairey Swordfish was a biplane torpedo bomber, nicknamed “Stringbag,” that primarily served with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the British Royal Navy during…
USS Ticonderoga (CV-14): The Aircraft Carrier That Served In Two Wars and Aided In the Apollo Missions
The USS Ticonderoga (CV/CVA/CVS-14) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built by the US Navy during the Second World War. She was the fourth ship to…
USS Buckley (DE-51): The Destroyer Escort That Took Out a German U-boat With Hand-to-Hand Combat and Grenades
The USS Buckley (DE-51) was a destroyer escort and lead ship of her class that served with the US Navy between 1943-46. During her wartime…
The USS Stickleback (SS-415) Was Sunk In a Collision During An Anti-Submarine Exercise
On May 28, 1958, the USS Stickleback (SS-415) became the second US submarine lost since the end of World War II. The Balao-class vessel had…