In Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom, historian Iain Ballantyne lays out in an almost cinematic style how the German high-seas raider met her match during a contest of steel versus struts and canvas. It was the most unlikely of tales — fragile, supposedly obsolete Swordfish biplanes against the modern battle-wagon Bismarck, at the time the most powerful warship…
Category: Britain and UK
World War II History: How British Commandos Pulled Off The “Greatest Raid of All”
During World War II, there were many ingenious and courageous raids, but only one would come to be known as “The Greatest Raid of All” – the British raid on St. Nazaire. Since the beginning of hostilities, the German Navy had wreaked havoc on shipping in the Atlantic. With the fall of France, the Nazis…
History of Guerilla Warfare: IRA Guerilla Gunmsiths and the “Shipyard Special”
At the height of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, both the Republicans and Loyalists were desperate for any weapons they could lay their hands on. These weapons ranged from smuggled AR-18s — infamously nicknamed Widowmakers — to crude but ingenious improvised weapons such as the submachine gun pictured above. These improvised weapons took the STEN as their basis. They…
Military History: Chilcot and a Very British History of Dubious Military Decisions
The publication of the long-awaited report by Sir John Chilcot and his committee on Britain’s involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq proved more surprising and damning than expected. Many of the report’s conclusions confirmed what was widely understood to be the case. But the authoritative, exhaustive, and rigorous nature of the report has made…
World War I History: ‘A Good Kick’ -The Story of the Ball That Led To One of The Bloodiest Battles in History
One hundred years ago Friday, as the last shells of a week-long bombardment crept off into the fields of northern France, British Army Capt. William P. Nevill kicked a football into no-man’s land. It was a few minutes after 7:30 am on July 1, 1916, and one of the bloodiest engagements in the history of civilization — the…
Ancient History: 10 Little Known Facts About The Anglo-Saxons
It can be argued that no people are more important in English history than the Anglo-Saxons. This loose confederation of Germanic tribes not only gave Britain its language, but also its first and most enduring literary hero—the Geat warrior-king Beowulf. The Anglo-Saxons also bequeathed a culture of dispersed power and widespread liberty, which is still evident…
RKBA News: British MP Murdered with “Homemade” Gun, Knife
A British Labor MP has been murdered when she intervened in an altercation between two men, one of whom has been reported to have mental issues. Witnesses at the scene reported that the gun used appeared “homemade”. A knife was also used. The MP was reportedly shot three times and stabbed several times. From uk.businessinsider.com:…
History of Terrorism: How British Intelligence Infiltrated the IRA
This is an article from The Atlantic in 2006 but I thought it a great read on the History of the IRA from the British perspective.-SF I first met the man now called Kevin Fulton in London, on Platform 13 at Victoria Station. We almost missed each other in the crowd; he didn’t look at…
Espionage Files: MI6 Escapes Prosecution in Libyan Rendition Probe
There is “insufficient evidence” to charge anyone from MI6 with involvement in the rendition of two men and their families to Libya, prosecutors say. Ex-Libyan dissident Abdel Hakim Belhaj says MI6 helped to arrange his and his wife’s rendition – saying they were covertly taken from Thailand to Libya. Sami al-Saadi and his family were…
Brush-Up On Your History: The Little Known Story of Operation Tonga
As part of Operation Tonga, the British airborne component of Operation Neptune (the official name of the D-Day), the 9th Parachute Battalion was tasked with capturing the Merville Gun Battery, whose guns were trained on Sword Beach and the British troops who would be assaulting it on the morning of the invasion. The gun battery’s defenses…