History of the Hand Grenade – An Essential Infantry Weapon In Modern Warfare
Hand grenades play an important part in modern war as lightweight and hard-hitting infantry weapons. But their development hasn’t been a steady one, and for…
After The Battle of Trafalgar, Admiral Horatio Nelson Traveled Back To England Pickled in Brandy
A long used euphemism in sailing circles, and in some pubs and bars, refers to slurping liquor from a straw directly from the barrel. The…
The Curious Tale of an Extremely Jinxed Ship – The USS William D. Porter (DD-579)
During WWII, the Allies had a ship so jinxed, it destroyed itself by nearly destroying something else. And yes, you read that correctly. The USS William…
The Dramatic British Opium Wars Which Changed The Course Of History
Many people have heard something about the British Opium Wars (1839-1860) in passing. Perhaps in a college history class, but the details are vague. Or…
The Strange And Cold Day The French Cavalry Captured a Dutch Fleet at Sea
The Hussars were a type of light cavalry that originated in medieval Hungary and were adopted by other European countries. Their bravery, cunning, and daredevil…
Lucky As Hell – Air Force veteran transitioned from transport to jet aircraft during Cold War
War History online proudly presents this Guest Piece from Jeremy P. Ämick, who is a military historian and writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families…
In World War Two, The Germans Had Big Plans – Here Are Five Which Did Not Succeed
Throughout WWII, Adolf Hitler’s political ambitions interfered with his plans. Several high-profile military operations were canceled, sometimes against the advice of his commanders. Operation Sealion…
Incredible Art From The First World War
The Idea War has always been mimicked in some artistic fashion, whether it’s literature, paintings, sculpture, song or the theater. At the beginning of World War…
The Nazi Invasion of the Balkans & Yugoslavia – A Costly Victory
In early 1941, Adolf Hitler could look at a map of Eastern Europe and think that his plans were progressing nicely. The invasion of the…
George H. Bush Narrowly Escaped Being Executed And Eaten By The Japanese in WWII
In September 1944, the USS Finback submarine surfaced a few miles off the coast of Chichi Jima, an island some 700 miles South of Tokyo.…
When He Ran Out of Grenades He Started Throwing Empty Beer Bottles and Earned the Victoria Cross
War tends to favor those with initiative and ingenuity and for Victoria Cross recipient Bill Speakman, he would evidently possess both. Some might think when…
Refusing To Abandon The Wounded, Chaplain Emil Kapaun Remained Behind to Care for His Men and Died in a Korean POW Camp
He didn’t carry a weapon, he wasn’t there to fight, but that didn’t stop chaplain Emil Kapaun from earning the nation’s highest military honor for…