Samantha Franco

Samantha Franco is a content writer with a BA and MA in history, focusing on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history. She has written content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics.

Articles by Samantha Franco:

Patrick Fleming: The Flying Ace Who Shot Down 19 Japanese Aircraft In Just Six Sorties

Military portrait of Patrick Fleming + Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in flight

Patrick Dawson Fleming was born an Army “brat” on January 17, 1918. He took an interest in flying at an early age and became the…

Operation Trent: The British Special Air Service’s Astonishing Daylight Mission in Afghanistan

British troops sitting on an armored vehicle in the desert

The British Special Air Service (SAS) is considered one of the most elite forces units in the world. They operate with extreme secrecy, are deadly…

A British Challenger 1 Set the Record for the Longest Tank-on-Tank Kill in 1991

Challenger 1 tank parked

The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 tank had a rocky start. It wasn’t very reliable and had a poor rate of fire. As such, a lot of…

A Brazilian Air Force Pilot Managed to Fly His P-47 Home – With Part of Its Right Wing Missing!

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in flight

While it took a while for Brazil to enter the Second World War, the country’s forces certainly left their mark. The Brazilian Air Force, in…

The First Drone was Invented 16 Years Prior to World War I By Nikola Tesla

Portrait of Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla developed a lot of incredible inventions during his lifetime. One that often goes unnoticed is his rudimentary drone. Prior to the 1900s, Tesla…

Korean War Veteran Reunites with Long-Lost Love After 70 Years

Portraits of Duane Mann and Peggy Yamaguchi

Many American soldiers found love while away at war, but what happened when the fighting came to an end? Many were shipped back to their…

The Defiant Tanker Who Disobeyed Orders and Saved the Lives of 65 US Rangers in Korea

US infantrymen sitting on top of a tank

The situation for the 8th Ranger Company (Airborne) was looking pretty grim on April 24, 1951. Ordered to move forward to gain intelligence, they soon…

Details About ‘Inglourious Basterds’ That Make It Worth a Rewatch

Brad Pitt as Aldo Raine in 'Inglourious Basterds'

2009’s Inglourious Basterds is a war movie, comedy and drama all at the same time. It’s an homage to World War II movies and Spaghetti…

There Was Almost a Stealth Bomber Version of the F-22 Raptor

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor in flight

The Lockheed Martin FB-22 Strike Raptor was going to be an innovative and new stealth bomber. Not only that, it had the promise of being…

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk: The US Military’s Beast in the Sky

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk in flight

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk has a long and impressive history that spans over more than half a century. Developed for the US Navy and Marine…

The Short Career of the Civil War-Era Double-Barreled Cannon

Double-barreled cannon on display

The double-barreled cannon is as cool as it sounds. It can shoot two cannon balls at the same time that, when attached by a chain,…

American Soldiers Teamed Up with Germans and Cossacks to Save Horses from the Red Army

Man standing beside a Lipizzaner horse

On April 28, 1945, a portion of the American forces set off on an incredibly dangerous and unique mission. Dubbed Operation Cowboy, it saw them…