World War II | War History

American Fighter Pilot Clarence ‘Bud’ Anderson Was a World War II Triple Ace

Military portrait of Clarence "Bud" Anderson + Clarence "Bud" Anderson standing with his arms crossed in front of him

It was late in the Second World War – 1944, to be exact – when Clarence “Bud” Anderson shot down his first enemy aircraft near…

Poland Demanding $1.3 Trillion in World War II Reparations from Germany

German soldiers running down a dirt road

Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party has released a report, which puts the country’s monetary losses during World War II at $1.32 trillion (6.2…

The Japanese Battleship Kongō was Among the Most Heavily Armed When It was First Built

Kongō at sea

The Japanese battleship Kongō had some of the greatest nicknames in history; the Japanese translations for the vessel’s many names are “Indestructible Diamond,” “Indra’s Spear” and…

Bruce Carr Was Shot Down Behind Enemy Lines and Flew Back In a Stolen Aircraft

Bruce Carr standing in front of his North American P-51D Mustang "Angels' Playmate"

There were many astounding feats accomplished by flying aces throughout the course of the Second World War. Earning the title of “flying ace” is itself…

Lauri Törni: The Only SS Member to Be Buried At Arlington National Cemetery

Military portrait of Lauri Törni

Finland was in a strange place during the Second World War. At first, the nation hoped to stay out of the conflict. That became impossible…

The MP 40 Was Widely Used By German Soldiers During World War II

Todd Neikirk
MP 40 being held up in front of another firearm

The early 20th century saw two major wars fought within only a few decades, and since most of the world’s powers were taking part, the…

Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer Was the Luftwaffe’s Best Night Fighter Pilot

Todd Neikirk
Underside of a Messerschmitt Bf 110 in flight + Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer in uniform

Between World War I and II, a number of advancements were made in aviation. Despite this, there were still some conditions that made flying difficult,…

The Incredible Military Career of Graves Erskine, the US Marine Who Escorted the Unknown Soldier

Graves Erskine standing with John Wayne

When John Wayne and Republic Pictures needed a technical adviser for the 1949 film Sands of Iwo Jima, they reached out to Graves Erskine. It…

Only 10 Crewmen Survived the Sinking of the Japanese Battleship Fusō – Out of 1,600

Fusō at sea

Prior to the First World War, Japan designed two dreadnought-style battleships. They were developed at a time when international players were engaged in a naval…

Scuttled Kriegsmarine Warships Have Risen from the Danube River Amid Severe Drought

View of the Danube + Scuttled ship sticking out of the water of the Danube

Amid a severe drought that’s plaguing Europe, a fleet of scuttled German warships dating back to the Second World War has risen from the declining…

The Still-Unsolved Mystery of the US Navy’s ‘Ghost Blimp’

L-8 hovering above a building

Today, blimps are a common sight at college football games. Goodyear has been advertising during big games for decades. However, back in the 1940s, blimps…

The Char B1 Tank’s Superiority Couldn’t Stop France’s Fall to Germany

Soldiers standing beside a wrecked Char B1

When the Second World War began, German leadership ordered the use of blitzkrieg tactics to quickly overwhelm their enemies. One of the key aspects of…