WWII History December 2014

The FCC’s RID and Japan’s Surrender

George Sterling received a teletype message from the War Department just after 5:15 am on August 15, 1945. Read more

WWII History December 2014

The Second Great War (and the Weather that Defined it)

Weather has long played a vital role in human history. Kublai Khan’s attempted conquest of Japan was foiled when his invasion fleet was destroyed by a typhoon. Read more

WWII History December 2014

A Soldier Remembers the Pearl Harbor Attack

At about 8 am on the morning of December 7, 1941, I stood on the third-floor deck of a red brick barracks that looked across the Schofield Barracks golf course toward the infantry barracks that housed much of the U.S. Read more

WWII History December 2014

Nazi War Machine: Why the WWII German Army Was So Strong

With the end of World War I, the German Army had not been defeated in the field. Read more

WWII History December 2014

The Arisaka Rifle: Weapons for the Imperial Japanese Army Way of War

As militarism grew in Japan in the early 1930s, conscription began at the age of 19, and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) cadet entered military service. Read more

WWII History December 2014

The Fall of Beijing, 1937

Most people think that World War II broke out on September 1, 1939, when the Wehrmacht crossed the German-Polish border. Read more

WWII History December 2014

Melee for the Manhay-Grandmenil Sector in the Bulge

The young men of Companies H and I of 3rd Battalion, 517th Parachute Regiment (PIR) were about to move out for their assault on the crossroad town of Manhay, Belgium. Read more

WWII History December 2014

Greeting the Liberators: The Civilians of Normandy

The Germans were gone. After more than four years of occupation, the soldiers of the Wehrmacht had been evicted from France’s Normandy region by the American and British armies. Read more

WWII History December 2014

Game Reviews: Hearts of Iron IV

Considering the fact that grand strategy game Hearts of Iron III came out back in 2009, the wait for the proper numbered sequel has been a long one. Read more

WWII History December 2014

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

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

WWII History December 2014

Military Book Reviews: December 2014

One morning in early January 1882, Japan took its first unknowing step toward eventual world war. On that day Mutsuhito, the emperor of Japan, handed a document known as the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors to Army Minister, Oyama Iwao. Read more

WWII History December 2014

Charles E. Kelly: The First European Theater Medal of Honor Recipient

He killed 40 Germans in less than an hour. The next day, he earned the Medal of Honor for killing more. Read more

WWII History December 2014

Protecting & Repatriating American Remains at the Battle of Saipan

Many vestiges of World War II in the Pacific linger, denying the ravages of time.

The battleship USS Missouri, where the war ended nearly 70 years ago, remains as a floating monument and museum at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Read more