The Polish Thermopylae: 800 vs 42,000 at Wizna, 1939
As German troops poured across the border into Poland in 1939, one Polish captain, 40 miles from the front line, prepared for what he knew…
Things Nearly Went Nuclear When the Chinese Stole a Soviet Tank
In 1900, Russia signed the Treaty of Beijing which gave them Outer Manchuria and other Chinese lands. When both countries became communist, their nagging border…
Wacko: Making An Aircraft Carrier Out of Ice and Sawdust In WW2
In WWII the British were desperate. Metal was in short supply, and German U-boats were sinking Britain’s lifeline – ships. The Allies needed an unsinkable…
Hiding Ships In Plain Sight: How Dazzle Camouflage Is Used To Confuse The Enemy
Dazzle camouflage was the brainchild of British artist Norman Wilkinson. It was put forward as a solution to the problem that ships could not be…
Used His Last Moments In a Burning B-24 To Sink a U-Boat – Rescued German Captain Recommended Him For a VC
Flying Officer Lloyd Allan Trigg was awarded a Victoria Cross for destroying a German submarine in WWII. The only reason we know of his heroic deed…
3 Wars That Paved the Way for World War I
The First World War was devastating in its scope and utterly unlike what national leaders expected. As such, it was seen by many as an…
Tough As Nails – Lauritz Sand – The Most Tortured Man in Norway During WWII
Lauritz Sand entered Norwegian history as the man whose name became synonymous with the saying “Tough as nails.” Sand gained his reputation during WWII when,…
Tibor “Ted” Rubin: How Mauthausen Concentration Camp Helped Him Survive the Korean War
None who survived the German concentration camps of WWII remember them fondly. Except for one man. As far as he was concerned, it is what…
10,000 Colt Model 1911A1 Handguns May Go on Sale in the US
As many as 10,000 of the 1911A1 pistols may be released for sale by the US government. The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act has a…
James E. Williams, Medal of Honor: The Most Decorated Enlisted Sailor in the US Navy
The greats of the United States Navy are usually champions of the oceans. Rear Admiral Richard O’Kane and famous submarine Commander Rear Admiral Eugene Fluckey…
The Iowa Class: A Departure from Traditional US Battleship Design
War History Online presents this Guest Article from Chris Knupp The four vessels of the Iowa class were the last battleships put to sea by…
Major Charles J. Loring Jr: Dived Into a Korean Artillery Battery
When people speak of a plane recklessly and intentionally diving into an enemy, the word Kamikaze comes to mind. A desperate tactic deployed by the…