planes | War History

Taking the War to the Skies – Some of the Best Fighter Planes of the War

Boulton Paul Defiant A two-seater British plane, all of the Defiant’s firepower lay with the rear gunner. It performed well in the Battle of France…

How the US Navy Trained its Pilots in WWII – the Bar for Entry was High

With a thud and a screech, a damaged fighter plane hits the deck of an aircraft carrier. The ocean heaves in a high wind, making the…

The Rapid Rise of Naval Air Power Over Two World Wars

An aircraft carrier and its complement of planes is perhaps the most powerful military formation in the modern world. With it, a nation can reach…

Turning Point of WWII – The Battle of Britain – Part 1

War History Online Presents Part one of the guest Blog from Chris Charland.  The 15th of September 1940 was undoubtedly the decisive turning point in…

“Double Ace: Robert Lee Scott Jr., Pilot, Hero, and Teller of Tall Tales” – Review by David D. Kindy

By Guest Blogger David D. Kindy Robert Lee Scott Jr.,World War II flying ace and author of “God is My Co-Pilot” is best remembered as the…

The Invasion of Poland in the Opening Stages of World War Two

The invasion of Poland was one in a long line of acts of Nazi German aggression. It was also the one that tipped Europe into…

Second World War Fighter Planes – Rapid Development of an Essential Technology

Shifting Propellers The propellers of WWII planes were significantly more advanced than those of previous generations. Variable-pitch propellers, developed in the late 1930s, increased the…

Amazing Technology – The Rapid Development of Deadly Fighter Aircraft

A deadly flash racing across the sky, the fighter plane is one of the most exciting tools of modern warfare. How did we get to…

The Hurricane: A Very Important Fighter in the Battle of Britain

The Spitfire is widely recognized as the plane that fought the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. Another plane, however, was just as crucial to…

Where Patton Awarded McAuliffe: The 101st Airborne HQ Chateau in Bastogne Revisited

In this Dakota Hunter Blog, you will read about an insane plan that the Germans deployed in a final effort to break the imminent Allied…

Shot Down over Poland – The “Hell’s Angel” Aircrew Are Remembered To This Day

By Guest Blogger Szymon Serwatka All photos provided by the author On Friday, September 13th, 1944, the 15th Air Force targeted the Nazi fuel industry…

The Amazing Legacy of the Legendary F-16 Falcon – An American Icon

For many modern Americans, General Dynamic’s F-16 Fighting Falcon is the most iconic fighter jet of the United States military. The plane has been in…