World War 2 | War History

RAF Members Preparing to Bomb German Industry Targets During the Battle of the Ruhr

A Royal Air Force (RAF) airman and Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) member standing with a bomb with "ON A VISIT TO THE RUHR" written on it in chalk

Throughout World War II, the Allied forces – in particular, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) – conducted several…

Can You Spot the Finnish Coastal Defense Ship Väinämöinen In This Image?

Väinämöinen anchored while covered in natural camouflage

Camouflage and optical illusions have long been a key part of conflict. Such tactics were heavily used throughout World War II, with examples being the…

Sunken Remains of German U-boat U-166 In the Depths of the Gulf of Mexico

U-166's deck gun covered in algae on the ocean floor

A total of 23 U-boats were stationed in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II. Over the course of the conflict, they took out…

Malaysia Accuses Chinese Barge of Looting World War II-Era Shipwrecks

Chinese barge Chuan Hong 68 anchored in the water

The Malaysian Maritime Agency has detained a Chinese barge it accuses of looting two British shipwrecks in the South China Sea. The accusations come after…

A Gloster Meteor Once Deflected A V-1 Flying Bomb With Its Wing

Gloster Meteor in flight + V-1 flying bomb in flight

The V-1 flying bomb was an early cruise missile developed by Germany as part of its V-weapons (Vergeltungswaffen) program. Starting on June 13, 1944, V-1s…

HMS Centurion (1911): The British Dreadnought That Saw Action At Jutland and Was Purposefully Sunk After D-Day

HMS Centurion (1911) at sea

The HMS Centurion (1911) was the second of four King George V-class dreadnought battleships. She served with the Royal Navy between 1913-44, seeing action throughout…

Grieving Mother Searches for Son Among Returning Austrian POWs

Grieving mother holding up a photo of her son to a returning prisoner of war (POW)

Following World War II, each nation began the intensive process of returning each other’s prisoners of war (POWs) home to their worried and grieving mothers,…

WWII Veteran Fred Taylor Walks Across Graduation Stage 80 Years After Completing College Degree

Fred Taylor walking across the stage at Cornell College's 2023 graduation ceremony

It wasn’t uncommon for men across the United States to put their education on hold once the country entered the Second World War. Some opted…

Gerda Weissmann Klein: The Holocaust Survivor Who Fell In Love With Her American Liberator

Gerda Weissmann Klein standing at a podium

While two people destined to fall for one another may seem like a thing of fiction, the story of Gerda Weissmann and Kurt Klein might…

Why Was ‘Casablanca’ Banned In Germany?

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund in 'Casablanca'

Casablanca (1942), a cinematic masterpiece cherished by audiences worldwide, experienced a peculiar fate within the borders of Germany. Despite its popularity, this iconic film found…

‘Gilligan’s Island’ Star Russell Johnson Was a Bombardier During the Second World War

Still from 'Gilligan's Island'

Russell Johnson, the talented actor known for his role as Professor Roy Hinkley in Gilligan’s Island (1964-67), led a remarkable life both on- and off-screen.…

Before He Was Obi-Wan Kenobi, Alec Guinness Was Part of the Allied Invasion of Sicily

Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi in 'Star Wars'

Alec Guinness is renowned for his iconic roles in such films as the Star Wars franchise and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Behind…