Modern | War History

Simo Häyhä: The Deadliest Sniper in the History of War

Simo Häyhä with his sniper rifle + Military portrait of Simo Häyhä

The Winter War of 1939-40 was a true test of the Finnish Army’s strength and resolve. While the country ended up ceding border areas to…

Lockheed AC-130: The Gunship That Provided Much-Needed Support in Vietnam

Lockheed AC-130 in flight

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 USS Midway’s Aircraft Were Credited with the First MiG Kills in Vietnam

Vought F4U Cosairs taking off from the USS Midway (CVA-41)

Air battles became very common during World War II. As a result, the leading powers in the world had to build more aircraft carriers. The…

Lahti L-39: The Anti-Tank Weapon the Finnish Nicknamed the “Elephant Gun”

Two Finnish soldiers lying behind a Lahti L-39

When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in November 1939, its military was largely unprepared. In fact, the vast majority of men who signed up to…

Tensions Between American and Australian Troops Led to the Battle of Brisbane

US soldiers marching through King George Square

During World War II, the American forces had their hands full with fighting the Germans in Europe and the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific.…

Phil Bucklew: The Father of US Naval Special Warfare

Navy SEALS training + Portrait of Phil Bucklew

Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, individuals from all kinds of professions enlisted in the US military, including musicians, movie stars and athletes. Phil…

Kota Bharu: How Imperial Japan Conquered British Malaya in the Most Unlikely Way

Just 70 minutes before the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service commenced an attack on the United States naval base Pearl Harbor, another equally horrific battle…

The Night Vision Scope Gave the Americans a Much-Needed Edge on Okinawa

Three Japanese soldiers sitting behind a large rock

The Second World War saw the involvement of many superpowers, and the prolonged fighting forced the majority to make much-needed advancements to their weaponry and…

Germany Files Case Against Italy with UN’s Top Court Over WWII Reparations

Exterior of The Hague

The German government has filed a case against Italy with the United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the two countries’ long-running dispute over…

David Hackworth: The Highly Decorated 101st Veteran Who Led Tiger Force In Vietnam

David Hackworth makes a point during a 1983 press conference

When he was still a teenager, David Hackworth decided that he wanted a life of adventure. And he certainly succeeded in accomplishing that feat. The…

A Shark Wreaked Havoc on the US Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Fleet

USS Florida (SSGN-728) at sea + Cookiecutter shark

There are a number of reasons why submarines have been taken out of commission while scouring the depths of the ocean. These include hitting sea…

US Army Garrison Italy Replaces Birthday Cake Stolen from Italian Girl 77 Years Ago

Meri Mion being presented with her birthday cake

Soldiers with US Army Garrison Italy have returned a birthday cake members of the 88th Infantry Division stole from a 13-year-old Italian girl 77 years…