1978 Battle of Kolwezi The Battle of Kolwezi (also known as Operation Bonite or Operation Leopard) was a successful airborne operation carried out in May 1978, by the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) of the French Foreign Legion. It took place in what was then Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Central Africa. The operation’s task was to rescue…
Tag: Military History
Know Your USMC History: The Frozen Chosin
Battle of Chosin Reservoir: One Marine’s Survival Story The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was one of the most brutal battles of the Korean War. In November and December of 1950, the massively outnumbered United Nations forces fought both frigid weather and the attacking People’s Volunteer Army. Chinese troops outnumbered the Allied forces — for…
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…
On This Day in History: 1861, Robert E. Lee Named Commander of Virginia Confederate Forces
Robert E. Lee named commander of Virginia Confederate forces Damnatio Memoriae for the 21st Century?
AK Corner: Story of the RPK-74
Story of the RPK-74 The 5.45x39mm RPK-74 was an evolutionary development of Mikhail Kalashnikov’s original 1940’s-vintage AK-47. The earliest AK (Avtomat Kalashnikova) rifle fired the then radically new M43 7.62x39mm round and was built around a stamped steel receiver. This 35″, 7.7-lb. infantry rifle legitimately changed the world. Alas, those early stamped receivers weren’t…
The Bad Ass Files: Robert “R.J.” Thomas – The Story of a Real American Gunfighter
A REAL AMERICAN GUNFIGHTER AND HIS GUNS When those who grew up in my era hear the words “gunfight” or “gunfighter,” we immediately get a vision of something that never existed. Spending many of my Saturdays in the late 1940s at the West Theater to watch western movies with the likes of Roy Rogers,…
In Memoriam: Major Mike Sadler, SAS (1921-2024)
Major Mike Sadler: Founding member of SAS dies at 103 Major Mike Sadler, a founding member of Britain’s Special Air Service, has died in Girton aged 103. The World War II navigator died at Arlington Manor Care Home on Thursday (January 4). His death was confirmed by John Allcock, the secretary of the Special…
Know Your Military History: Operation Barras (SAS Hostage Rescue)
Via: Bulldog Breed Operation Barras was a British Army operation that took place in Sierra Leone on 10 September 2000, during the late stages of the nation’s civil war. The operation aimed to release five British soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment and their Sierra Leone Army (SLA) liaison officer, who were being…
Guerilla Warfare History: Commercial and Artisanal Hand Grenades of the Spanish Civil War
Commercial and Artisanal Hand Grenades of the Spanish Civil War Hermit Notes: There are only a handful of Substack Subscriptions I would recommend and Karl Dahl’s is at the top of the list. I also Highly recommend his Fiction. WARNING! Don’t get any silly ideas – the information contained herein is for historic…
Know Your Real WW2 History: Everyone Knows The Word “Nazi” But How Did The Term Come Into Being?
Everyone Knows The Word “Nazi” But How Did The Term Come Into Being? World War II is a huge part of our history, with Hitler’s Nazi Germany being remembered as the villains. As such, it is not surprising that the word “Nazi” would still be around years later. Indeed, “Nazi” has become a word…