Advance on Canae: The World War Two Invasion of Crete
The invasion of Crete was an impressive campaign of WWII. A significant battle during the seizure was the advance on Canae. German paratroopers fought fiercely…
Saving Sara Matuson: How 10 POWs Risked Their Lives to Save One Woman
Life in a prisoner of war camp could be hard and dangerous during the Second World War. It was even more so for ten British…
Learning the Luftwaffe’s Secrets: How Intelligence Gathering Shaped the Battle of Britain
In WWII the Battle of Britain was fought in the air. A victory was achieved through the skill and courage of the rightly revered fighter…
13 Officials Who Hindered Britain’s Readiness for World War Two
In 1939, Britain was poorly prepared for war. Although some people in power had foreseen a conflict with Germany, others had not. For a range…
Seven Reasons Why Britain was Unprepared for World War Two
In retrospect, the outbreak of the Second World War seems both obvious and inevitable. However, to many people at the time, particularly in Britain, there…
The Battle of Issus: A Close Call in a Campaign of Conquest
In 333 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the Achaemenid King Darius III at the Battle of Issus. It was the beginning of the end for…
The Oslo Report: How a German Scientist Gave Away Nazi Military Secrets and Why Britain Almost Ignored Him
Early in the Second World War, the British received a dossier of Nazi military secrets. The extraordinary contents had been sent at great personal risk…
The Awesome B-54 Ultrafortress, Boeing’s Best Piston Prop Bomber That Failed To Ever Fly
War History Online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Hans Wiesman In this DAKOTA HUNTER Blog, you can read about the ultimate, most stretched version…
A Terrible Mistake – Why The USSR Ignored Britain’s Warnings of Impending Invasion
On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the USSR. It was a move that came as a shock to the Soviets, but less so to the…
The most decorated Marine in United States history – Chesty Puller, American Hero
“Chesty” Puller is the most decorated Marine in United States history. Heroic service in Haiti, Nicaragua, the Second World War, and the Korean War earned…
The Amazing Harry Errington: The Only London Fireman to Earn a George Cross for Service in the Blitz
The bombing campaigns of WWII put a massive strain on firefighters. In both Britain and Germany, campaigns of deliberate destruction set cities alight. Not just…
Bill Slim and WWII’s Forgotten Army – One Of The Most Successful Commanders Of The War
One of the greatest military commanders of WWII is usually forgotten in stories of the war. Bill Slim, the British general commanding troops in Burma,…