MSN Slideshow | War History

Odette Sansom: The SOE Agent Who Became the First Woman to Receive the George Cross

Odette Sansom standing with a group of young women

In 1942, a young Odette Sansom responded to a call from the British Admiralty, asking for individuals to send postcards or family photographs from the…

The F-117 Nighthawk Had a Relatively Short Service Life with the US Air Force

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk parked on a runway

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was the first ever operational US Air Force stealth aircraft. It proved to be highly successful and effective, operating in a…

Luck of Kokura: The Japanese City That Avoided Atomic Bombing – Twice

Sketch of Kokura

Kokura is located on the northern tip of Japan’s Kyushu island. Housing one of the country’s largest military arsenals, it was a key target in…

US Air Force Pilot Richard Ritchie Shot Down Five Enemy Aircraft in Vietnam

Richard Ritchie wearing his pilot's jacket + McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in flight

On August 28, 1972, US Air Force Capt. Richard Stephen “Steve” Ritchie and Weapons System Officer Capt. Charles Barbin DeBellevue successfully shot down a North…

Nuclear Weapons Were Almost Deployed During the Korean War

Two commanding officers reading a newspaper announcing the armistice being signed to pause the Korean War

The end of the Second World War ended with a literal bang for the Americans when they forced the Japanese surrender by dropping atomic bombs…

Operation Northwoods: America’s Proposed Cold War False Flag Operation

Todd Neikirk
Military portrait of Lyman Lemnitzer + Fidel Castro looking to the side

The Cold War was unlike any other time in US history. The Soviet Union had become a threat to democracy and the ideals Americans held…

Robert Howard: The Decorated Green Beret Who was Nominated for the MoH Three Times

Robert Howard wearing his Medal of Honor

Robert L. Howard was a dedicated US Army Special Forces soldier who received 14 wounds during his 54 months in Vietnam. His service afforded him…

M270 MLRS: The Incredible Rocket Launch System That Continues to See Combat

Samantha Franco
M270 MLRS launching a rocket

The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) is an armored multiple rocket launcher that has been used by the US Army for decades. Jointly developed…

The Famous Patton Tank Couldn’t Hold Its Own Against the Indian Army

Todd Neikirk
Pakistani infantrymen running behind a tank

Over the course of six-and-a-half weeks in 1965, India and Pakistan fought a war – and they didn’t do it alone. The world was watching,…

The M320 Grenade Launcher is a Serious Step-Up From the M203

Samantha Franco
Soldier aiming an M320 grenade launcher

The M320 grenade launcher is one of the newest in the US military’s arsenal. It was created with the intention of having an equally effective…

William Speakman Held Back 6,000 Enemy Troops with Beer Bottles in Korea

William Speakman in uniform

24-year-old William Speakman volunteered to serve in the Korean War in 1951. He’d joined the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), attached to the 1st Battalion…

How Norwegian Commandos Sabotaged Germany’s Atomic Bomb Research

Richard Harris and Kirk Douglas as Knut Straud and Dr. Rolf Pederson in 'The Heroes of Telemark'

As the Second World War dragged on, both the Allied and Axis powers invested heavily in research that would create the first atomic weapons. The…