The Lee-Enfield Repeating Rifle Has the World’s Second-Longest Service History
The first version of the Lee-Enfield repeating rifle entered into service in 1895. Since then, 17 million units and a number of variants have been…
Richard H. Best: The Only WWII Pilot to Bomb Two Japanese Aircraft Carriers in One Day
Of the four Japanese aircraft carriers sunk during the Battle of Midway – one of the most critical battles to occur in the Pacific Theater…
What Made the Polish No. 303 Squadron the Most Effective Pilots During the Battle of Britain?
At the outset of World War II, the Germans decided to treat Poland like a prize for the taking. What they didn’t realize, however, was…
American Soldiers Teamed Up with Germans and Cossacks to Save Horses from the Red Army
On April 28, 1945, a portion of the American forces set off on an incredibly dangerous and unique mission. Dubbed Operation Cowboy, it saw them…
Highways Across the World Are Built for Warplanes to Land on Them
Typically, an aircraft landing on a highway would indicate a serious problem, perhaps a mechanical issue or medical emergency with one of the pilots… That…
The Doolittle Bombers Traded Their Tail Guns for Broomsticks
On April 18, 1942, the United States responded to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor by doing something that had never been done before: launching bombers…
Why the Battle of Ortona Was Nicknamed the ‘Italian Stalingrad’
While initially intended to be a super power on the Axis side during World War II, Italy wound up playing a smaller role in the…
The Battle of Castle Itter Saw Germans Team Up with the American Forces
The Allies fought fiercely against the Germans in both World War I and II. By the end of the Second World War, some Germans were…
Were There German Spies in the French Foreign Legion?
The French Foreign Legion is a historic and elite part of the French Army. It was created in the 1830s as a way to deal…
The Ace of Spades Was Used By the 101st Airborne Before It Became the ‘Death Card’
Symbols during wartime are important and, more than that, they are powerful. Winston Churchill famously used the “V for Victory” symbol during World War II,…
The Rats of Tobruk: How A German Insult Was Reclaimed as a Proud Nickname
At the beginning of the Second World War, Libya was still an Italian colony. As the only deep port in the eastern part of the…
Lt. Col. Terence Otway Used An Unconventional Tactic to Test His Men
On June 6, 1944, 600 men squeezed into 32 transport planes en route to the Merville Gun Battery in Normandy. Known as the “Red Devils”,…