Ships | War History

Megadrought Reveals Sunken WWII-Era Higgins Boat in Lake Mead

Partially-submerged Higgins boat in Lake Mead

The continuing megadrought impacting the southwestern portion of the United States has caused water levels at Lake Mead to drop to an all-time low. As…

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…

The Titanic’s Sister Ship Took Out a German U-boat in World War I

The RMS Olympic in dazzle camouflage

When the RMS Olympic was launched in October 1910, she was the largest man-made moving object in the world. At 882 feet long, Olympic set…

Why Were Pigeons Onboard America’s First Aircraft Carrier?

USS Langley (CV-1) at sea + Pigeon sitting in someone's hand

The first American aircraft carrier was commissioned 100 years ago and onboard was a crew of small, winged comrades who proved their service was invaluable…

USS Barb (SS-220): The Gato-Class Submarine That ‘Sunk’ a Train In Japan

USS Barb (SS-220) at sea

The USS Barb (SS-220) was a US Navy submarine that became highly decorated after successfully sinking 96,628 tons of enemy shipping during her service in World…

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…

USS New York (BB-34): The Only US Ship to Sink a German U-boat In WWI

Naval guns firing on the deck of the USS New York (BB-34)

The USS New York (BB-34) was a US Navy battleship and the lead vessel of her class. Named after the state of New York, she was…

USS Massachusetts (BB-59): The Battleship that Fired the Last Shot of World War II

USS Massachusetts (BB-59) at sea

The USS Massachusetts (BB-59), one of the fast battleships of the South Dakota-class, was built under the limitations enforced by the Washington and London naval…

The USS Alaska (CB-1) Was the US Navy’s Impractical Warship

Sailors manning naval guns aboard the USS Alaska (CB-1) + USS Alaska (CB-1) at sea

The USS Alaska (CB-1) was a large, powerful and extremely capable ship built during the Second World War. Going by statistics alone, one could easily…

MD-160: The Aircraft-Ship Hybrid Known as the ‘Caspian Sea Monster’

MD-160 sitting on the beach

There have been some really unusual military vehicles built over the course of history, but none have amazed us more than the Lun-class MD-160. A…

Only Two Submarines Have Sunk Ships Since the End of WWII

ARA General Belgrano (C-4) sinking beneath the ocean's surface

Both the First and Second World Wars cemented the submarine’s place in military arsenals around the world. German U-boats and their domination of the north…

Nearly 80 Years After Sinking, the SS Richard Montgomery Still a Cause for Concern

Large boat sailing by the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery

During the summer of 1944, the SS Richard Montgomery left port in Philadelphia for the United Kingdom. Carrying thousands of tons of munitions, the trip…