MSN | War History

When The Japanese Failed To Notice The Navy Had Cracked Their Code

Explosion at Midway + a U.S. Navy boat at Midway

The Battle of Midway was an integral part of America’s war in the Pacific Ocean. The battle resulted in extensive damage to the Japanese fleet,…

Project Habakkuk: The Aircraft Carrier Made Out Of Ice

Painting of the Habakkuk

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest-running campaign of WWII. The Germans had seized control of the mid-Atlantic, using U-boats to sink merchant and…

The Lewis And Clark Air Rifle: A Blast From The Past

Sacajawea guiding Lewis and Clark

When one thinks of guns and colonizing the West, violence is often the notion that comes to mind. However, the secret weapon (no pun intended)…

The Inhabitants Of This English Village Were Given 47 Days To Leave — Today It’s A Ghost Town

Wrecked tanks are seen close to the road that leads to the village of Imber on December 31, 2011 on Salisbury Plain, England.

The village of Imber in Wiltshire has long been abandoned by its inhabitants after they evacuated, leaving behind the eerie remains of a once-lived-in place.…

The Attagirls: Remembering The Women Who Flew Spitfires

Lettice Curtis, Jenny Broad, Wendy Sale Barker, Gabrielle Patterson and Pauline Gower standing in front of an Airspeed Oxford trainer

A large portion of combat during WWII occurred in the air. As such, manufacturers developed new aircraft that could stand up to the conditions of…

How Two Families Escaped East Germany In A Hot Air Balloon

East German police guarding the Berlin Wall

What price would you pay for freedom? What dangers would you put your family through for a chance at a new life? These were the…

Igor Of Kiev: The Mysterious Prince

Igor I of Kiev ruled from AD 913 until his death in AD 945. Although he had a relatively long reign, many aspects of his…

The Mulberry Harbor Paved The Way For Victory On D-Day

A view of the remains of Mulberry harbour off Arromanches-les-Bains.

To pull off the greatest seaborne invasion in history that took place on June 6th, 1944, the Allies had to pioneer a whole range of…

US Army Facts That’ll Impress Even the Most Knowledgable Veteran

Soldiers conducting a surfboard competition

The US Army has a long and decorated history. Dating back to the American Revolution, it’s since gone on to become the most powerful military…

Everyday Slang We Didn’t Know Originated In the Navy

Close-up of a ship's wheel

Over the centuries, sailors have created a language all their own to describe objects, people, actions and places. Much of this slang has found itself…

No, Polish Cavalry Never Charged German Tanks at Krojanty

Jay Hemmings
Polish cavalrymen sitting on horses

Ask many armchair historian when the last ever cavalry charge took place and most will tell you it happened during World War II. They’ll likely…