The M1 Carbine: 10 Little-Known Facts The “U.S. Carbine, Caliber .30, M1” was the most produced American infantry arm of World War II. And it’s back in production today. As this is written, my cheek is gleefully stained with linseed oil (either that or I have jaundice) from test-firing the M1 Carbine and M1A1 Paratrooper…
Category: WW2 Era Weapons
Real WW2 History: Firebombing of Populated Cities
Firebombing of Dresden Few Allied actions during World War II are as controversial or as debated as the firebombing of Dresden, which began on February 13, 1945, lasting two more days. During that time more than 1,200 Allied aircraft dropped almost 4,000 tons of high explosive and incendiary devices on the German city,…
In Memoriam: Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor by the Numbers Sometimes it’s difficult to get a true feel for the scope of an event without concrete numbers to back up the information and make it come to life. You already know that the Japanese launched a devastating attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. You also know…
Know Your Partisan Firearms
Came across this picture on WRSA and being a firearms history nerd, my curiosity was peaked, so I did an image search: ‘A Warsaw insurgent armed with a ZB vz. 26 light machine gun during the Warsaw Uprising.’ More on the Czech ZB vz.26: Caliber: 7.92×57 mm Mauser Weight: 8.9 kg Length: 1168 mm Length…
Know Your WW2 Pacific War History: What Can Christians Learn from the Bravest Naval Aviator at the Battle of Midway?
What Can Christians Learn from the Bravest Naval Aviator at the Battle of Midway? I have been reading lots of books about the World War II battles in the Pacific theater lately, and I wanted to write a post about one of the heroes I found who was the most compelling to me. You…
Know Your WW2 Naval History: Hunting the Bismarck – Part I
Hunting the Bismarck – Part I Without doubt, the Bismarck is the single best-known German warship of World War II. Large, fast, hard to sink and equipped with the latest in German radar and optics technology, it quickly earned notoriety after it sank the HMS Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy. The panicked British response eventually brought low the German monster, but only after…
Know Your WW2 History: The M8 Greyhound
The M8 Greyhound Armored cars tend to be overlooked by World War II history buffs. Nimble fighter planes, deadly bombers, hulking tanks and stealthy submarines are “sexier” than a car that can’t fight like a tank, can’t race a plane, and can’t use terrain to its advantage like infantry. Nevertheless, armored cars were a vital part…
Obscure WW2 History: Jap Lunge Mines and Banzai Sticks
Jap Lunge Mines and Banzai Sticks – Last Ditch Weapons in WW2 During World War II, the ancient Samurai moral code of honor, obedience, duty and self-sacrifice found its way into Japanese military tactics, particularly during the last desperate months of the empire of the Rising Sun. Beyond the high-profile Kamikaze air strikes, the…
Know Your WW2 History: Masters of the Air Twofer
DID YOU KNOW WHY THE GERMAN PLANES ATTACKED FROM THE FRONT IN MASTERS OF THE AIR? DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE AERIAL ROCKETS SEEN IN MASTERS OF THE AIR? Highly recommend this mini-series along with the book upon which it is based: Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War…
Know Your WW2 Weapons: Japanese Model 89 Knee Mortar
Japanese Model 89 Knee Mortar For more than a century, American troops have given a wide variety of nicknames to their own weapons, and also those of their enemies. During World War II, American troops in the Pacific Theatre created a nickname for a highly effective Japanese weapon that was a bit misleading. The…