USS Barb (SS-220): The Gato-Class Submarine That ‘Sunk’ a Train In Japan
The USS Barb (SS-220) was a US Navy submarine that became highly decorated after successfully sinking 96,628 tons of enemy shipping during her service in World…
Lockheed AC-130: The Gunship That Provided Much-Needed Support in Vietnam
The Lockheed AC-130 is a special operations gunship that can trace its history back to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Over its nearly 60 years of…
The Short-Lived Service Career of the Lockheed A-12
The Lockheed A-12 spy plane was developed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for service during Project Oxcart. While it had the potential for a…
The F-14 Tomcat: A Fighter Made For Top Gun Pilots
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was an American carrier-capable supersonic two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. It served more than 34 years of fleet service and…
Tomahawk Missiles: A Modular, Incredibly Accurate And Brutally Lethal Weapon
The Tomahawk missile first joined the US Navy fleet in 1983 and following multiple recertifications, has continued to be an integral weapon for ship and…
Why The RAH-66 Comanche Was Doomed From The Start
The RAH-66 Comanche was a twin-turbine, two-seat armed reconnaissance helicopter that couldn’t meet its high expectations. With intended missions of armed reconnaissance, light attack, and…
US Troops in Vietnam Hated the M16 So Much They Picked Up the Enemy’s AK-47s
The M16 rifle was initially adopted for use in jungle warfare operations in Vietnam. However, it wound up being such an unreliable weapon that American…
The Spencer Repeating Rifle Saved ‘A Thousand Lives’ During the Battle of Hoover’s Gap
When the Spencer Repeating Rifle was first recommended to the US Department of War, it was turned away due to the notion it would be…
USS New York (BB-34): The Only US Ship to Sink a German U-boat In WWI
The USS New York (BB-34) was a US Navy battleship and the lead vessel of her class. Named after the state of New York, she was…
George Preddy Jr: The American Ace Shot Down By Friendly Fire During the Battle of the Bulge
George “Ratsy” Preddy Jr. was a US Army Air Forces officer and Air Ace credited with downing 32 1/2 enemy aircraft. This made him not…