WWII Archives

During the Battle of the Bulge, Otto Skorzeny led hundreds of German commandos on an audacious mission known as Operation Greif.

WWII

Operation Greif and Otto “Scarface” Skorzeny

By Don Hollway

With a quarter of a million German troops pouring through the Ardennes Forest, three Americans fleeing in a jeep should have raised no alarm. Read more

WWII

The Freckleton Air Disaster: The Story Behind the Tragedy in Lancashire

By James R. Hedtke

Wednesday, August 23, 1944, was a day of triumph for the Allies in their struggle against the Axis powers. Read more

Despite running an organized and effecient army, Adolf Hitler's war machine couldn't quite compete with the Allies when it came to the factory.

WWII

War Machines: The Failure of German Mechanization in WWII

By Allyn Vannoy

“Hitler’s generals, raised on the dogma of Clausewitz and Moltke, could not understand that war is won in the factory.” Read more

More so than other more visible factors, superior American logistics contributed to the reduction of the Battle of the Bulge.

WWII

The Battle of the Bulge: An Allied Logistic Victory

by Michael D. Hull

When Adolf Hitler’s last major World War II offensive burst through the chill Ardennes Forest early on December 16, 1944, it scattered American frontline units and caused many anxious hours in the Allied high command. Read more

The British Cromwell tank would eventually prove to be one of the most successful WW2 vehicles made by the U.K. But how was it developed?

WWII

The British Cromwell Tank: What Made it Such a Success

By Arnold Blumberg

At the outbreak of World War II, the British War Office assumed that conditions on the Western Front in France would be the same as those experienced in the Great War of 1914-1918. Read more

WWII

Fire Control at the Battle of Surigao Strait

by David Alan Johnson

One of the main reasons for the success of the battleships West Virginia, Tennessee, and California at Surigao Strait was their Mk 8 fire control radar, which was used in conjunction with the Mk 8 rangekeeper computer. Read more

Courtesy of the Army Air Corps, allied airpower played a significant role in turning the tide at the Battle of the Bulge.

WWII

The Army Air Corps at the Battle of the Bulge

by Michael D. Hull

At daybreak on December 16, 1944, three senior officers in the Army Air Corps and a Royal Air Force air vice marshal arrived at an elegant chateau near the town of Spa in southeastern Belgium that was the headquarters of Lt. Read more

WWII

The Airborne Infantry “Cricket”: Dime Store Toy Becomes D-Day Legend

By Richard A. Beranty

Made popular by the Band of Brothers portrayal of Easy Company, the U.S. paratrooper “cricket” was in fact used to identify each other in the predawn hours of the D-Day invasion. Read more

WWII

Japan’s Vast War

By Christopher Miskimon

On April 12, 1942, thunder sounded across the waters surrounding the island of Corregidor. It was not a natural storm, however, but a conflagration of steel. Read more

During the Battle of the Bulge, The 7th Armored Division was forced out of St. Vith in December of 1944. A month later the tankers wanted it back.

WWII

The Battle of the Bulge: Avenging St. Vith

by Kevin M. Hymel

The 7th Armored Division fought a running battle out of St. Vith on December 23, 1944. After the destruction of the 106th Infantry Division in the first days of the Battle of the Bulge, the 7th tried to hold, but could not withstand the pressure of six German divisions bearing down on it. Read more

An SBD flies over the environs of Norfolk, Va. Visible are the split dive brakes at the trailing edge of the wing so important to the stability of the aircraft in a dive-bombing run on an enemy ship.

WWII

The Douglas SBD “Dauntless” Dive-Bomber

By John D. Gresham

World War II gave us many stories of aerial warfare, men and their machines fighting their way to victory and glory in the name of humanity. Read more

To many in the military, dogs became welcome companions. Inside, you'll find World War 2-era pictures of the pets who were promoted to mascots.

WWII

Military Dogs: World War II Photos of Pets in Action

By Kevin Hymel & James Hart

American men left behind a great deal when they left home to fight in World War 2. Read more

WWII

WWII Battles: The Battle of Los Angeles

By Michael E. Haskew

Three Months after the United States was plunged into World War II with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the nation was on edge. Read more

The Escort Carrier Gambier Bay fell to Naval gunfire during the ultimate sea battle of World War II.

WWII

Clash in the Sibuyan Sea: Gambier Bay

by Robert F. Dorr

When she went to the bottom of the sea at the height of the greatest naval battle in history, the USS Gambier Bay (CVE 73) became a legend for heroism and as the only U.S. Read more

WWII

Clash in the Sibuyan Sea: John D. Bridgers

By John Wukovits

As a dive-bomber pilot from the Essex, Lieutenant John D. Bridgers participated in the action against Kurita in the Sibuyan Sea. Read more

Taking advantage of the minimal cover afforded by their foxhole, a pair of American soldiers provides suppressing fire in an effort to dislodge a German sniper

WWII

Major Dick Winters: The Island In His Own Words

By Dick Winters

Now that Uden was secured, Easy Company and the remainder of the 101st Airborne Division received orders to move to the “Island,” a long narrow area north of Nijmegen between the Lower Rhine and the Waal Rivers. Read more

WWII

Captain Dick Winters: The Island

By Kevin M. Hymel

Airborne divisions were designed as light troops, relying on the shock value of landing to the enemy’s rear, and giving the Allies a third dimension of attack. Read more

Marines advance on the run. Two carry communications wire and radio equipment to stay in contact with other units.

WWII

Survival at Sugarloaf: Battle Fatigue at Okinawa

by John Wukovits

Because of the severe conditions at Sugar Loaf and elsewhere on Okinawa, the fighting produced an alarmingly high number of battle fatigue cases. Read more

WWII

General Ushijima’s Support in Okinawa

by John Wukovits

Lieutenant General Ushijima heavily depended upon two staff officers who, although differing in temperament, formed along with the general as effective a commanding trio as the Marines faced in the Pacific. Read more