Weapons | War History

The Mark 14 Torpedo Scandal of 1941-43

Mark 14 torpedo on display + Military portrait of Rear Admiral Charles A. Lockwood Jr.

The Mark 14 Torpedo Scandal occurred during the period of 1941-43, with problems related to the weapon dating back almost 25 years. It was among…

Atomic Annie: The Cold War-Era Cannon Capable of Firing a Nuclear Warhead

Mushroom cloud + M65 atomic cannon parked on grass

Toward the start of the Cold War, the United States government looked into developing atomic weapons capable of launching an attack on the Soviet Union,…

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…

The M203 Grenade Launcher’s Decades of Service Are Proof of Its Effectiveness

US soldier lying on his stomach with an M16A2 rifle equipped with an M203 grenade launcher

Throughout the course of the Vietnam War, the US Army developed a number of grenade launchers to aid forces in Southeast Asia. One of those…

US Army Announces Replacements for M4 Carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon

Clare Fitzgerald
US soldier aiming an M4 Carbine

The US Army has officially announced the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) that will replace the M4/M4A1 carbine and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The…

US Troops in Vietnam Hated the M16 So Much They Picked Up the Enemy’s AK-47s

US Navy sailor firing an M16 rifle

The M16 rifle was initially adopted for use in jungle warfare operations in Vietnam. However, it wound up being such an unreliable weapon that American…

The Spencer Repeating Rifle Saved ‘A Thousand Lives’ During the Battle of Hoover’s Gap

Spencer Repeating Rifle + John T. Wilder

When the Spencer Repeating Rifle was first recommended to the US Department of War, it was turned away due to the notion it would be…

Switchblade 300: The Drone-Like Vehicle Viewed as a Direct Fire Weapon

Cpl. Graham Rouse firing a Switchblade 300 + Switchblade 300 in flight

The Switchblade 300 is a small, loitering unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by branches of the US military. Classified more as a direct fire munition…

The Legendary Mauser Karabiner 98k and Its Use Throughout History

German sniper team with Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles fitted with a Dialytan RH36 4×32 telescopic sight in position amongst rubble

During the Second World War, Germany hoped to take over, and the Mauser Karabiner 98k was the weapon they were going to use to accomplish…

How the STEN Submachine Gun Helped the British Army During WWII

Soldier with Durham Light Infantry with a STEN Mk III + STEN Mk II

Machine guns began to see use in warfare toward the end of the 1800s, and throughout the 20th century the technology behind the weaponry rapidly…

The Maxim Gun Changed Warfare – With Devastating Results

Soldier aiming a Maxim gun

The Gatling gun, created in 1861, was equipped by the Union Army during the American Civil War. This powerful weapon also saw use throughout the…

The 5 Most Effective Infantry Weapons Still Being Used Today

Iraqi Soldiers fire AK-47's during training exercises

Thanks to the development and refinement of weapons, infantry warfare changed dramatically over the course of the 20th Century. Assault weapons that were once heavy…