MSN | War History

How the Sophisticated B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Stays Invisible

Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit in flight

The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is one of the rarest aircraft in the world. Born out of Cold War innovation, only 21 were…

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,…

The US Air Force Once Tried Landing Bombers On Tank Treads – It Didn’t End Well

Convair B-36 Peacemaker in flight + Track landing gear installed on the Convair XB-36 Peacemaker

Tanks are invaluable military assets, as are heavy bombers. Combining the two should be a winning combination… Right? As the US Air Force learned, the…

Winged Hussars: The Rise and Fall of Europe’s ‘Angels of Death’

Drawing of the winged hussars during a charge

For two centuries, the elaborate winged uniforms and menacing battle tactics of the Polish hussars dominated the battlefield. Coming across the winged hussars must have…

The Lee-Enfield Repeating Rifle Has the World’s Second-Longest Service History

Todd Neikirk
British soldiers training on Lee-Enfield repeating rifles

The first version of the Lee-Enfield repeating rifle entered into service in 1895. Since then, 17 million units and a number of variants have been…

Richard H. Best: The Only WWII Pilot to Bomb Two Japanese Aircraft Carriers in One Day

Ed Skrein as Richard Best in 'Midway' + Douglas SBD Dauntless on the deck of the USS Enterprise (CV-6)

Of the four Japanese aircraft carriers sunk during the Battle of Midway – one of the most critical battles to occur in the Pacific Theater…

USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63): The Decorated Aircraft Carrier That was Sold to Scrap Dealers for One Cent

USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) at sea

In May 2022, the decommissioned supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) arrived in Brownsville, Texas for scrapping. The iconic vessel served the US Navy for nearly…

What Made the Polish No. 303 Squadron the Most Effective Pilots During the Battle of Britain?

Todd Neikirk
Polish pilots standing together

At the outset of World War II, the Germans decided to treat Poland like a prize for the taking. What they didn’t realize, however, was…

Highways Across the World Are Built for Warplanes to Land on Them

Airplane landing on a highway

Typically, an aircraft landing on a highway would indicate a serious problem, perhaps a mechanical issue or medical emergency with one of the pilots… That…

The Doolittle Bombers Traded Their Tail Guns for Broomsticks

James Doolittle and his crew standing together

On April 18, 1942, the United States responded to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor by doing something that had never been done before: launching bombers…

Why the Battle of Ortona Was Nicknamed the ‘Italian Stalingrad’

Todd Neikirk

While initially intended to be a super power on the Axis side during World War II, Italy wound up playing a smaller role in the…

Were There German Spies in the French Foreign Legion?

Members of the French Foreign Legion landing on a beach

The French Foreign Legion is a historic and elite part of the French Army. It was created in the 1830s as a way to deal…