WWII History August 2019
Lucian K. Truscott: The Soldier’s General
By Nathan N. PreferIn his Maxims of War, Napoleon Bonaparte wrote, “It is exceptional and difficult to find in one man all the qualities necessary for a great general. Read more
WWII History August 2019
The Bold Bull of Scapa Flow
By Phil ZimmerLate on the night of Friday, October 13, 1939, Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien surfaced his 218-foot-long submarine, U-47, and guided it through the protected, shallow, narrow channel at Kirk Sound. Read more
WWII History August 2019
Controversial Allied Escort Carriers were Versatile Weapons
By Michael HullUngainly, slow, and lacking armor, the escort carriers of the American and British navies were the versatile, unsung workhorses of the second half of World War II. Read more
WWII History August 2019
Rudolf Hess—a Life (and Death) Shrouded in Mystery
By Bob GordonIn October 1939, British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill famously described Russia as “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” Read more
WWII History August 2019
The Makin Island Raid: What Really Happened to the Marines?
By Peter McQuarrieIn August 1942, the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion conducted the Makin Island raid in the Central Pacific. The purpose of the raid was to destroy Japanese installations on the island, gather intelligence, and to test the raiding tactics of the U.S. Read more
WWII History August 2019
What the Devil’s Brigade Did in World War II
By Michael D. HullWhen General George C. Marshall visited London in April 1942, the new chief of the British Combined Operations Command, Lord Louis Mountbatten, introduced him to a “very odd-looking individual … [who] talks well and may have an important contribution to make.” Read more
WWII History August 2019
Operation Cobra: Get a Move On!
By Patrick J. ChaissonCompany B’s jeeps, armored cars, and self-propelled guns stood lined up on a narrow road, their crewmen anxious to move out. Read more
WWII History August 2019
Erwin Rommel’s War Photos: Images the Desert Fox Took Himself
By Zita Ballinger FletcherThe name Field Marshal Erwin Rommel—associated with tank warfare in Europe and North Africa during World War II—might conjure up mental images of the famous “Desert Fox” riding in a panzer, reviewing maps, or commanding battles. Read more
WWII History August 2019
Easy Company Mortarman
By Kevin M. HymelThe green light lit up the inside of the Douglas C-47 Skytrain’s fuselage, and 20 paratroopers from Easy Company’s Stick 70, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division charged out the door. Read more
