Panzerfaust — The Story of Germany’s “Tank Fist” Panzerfaust literally translates to “tank fist,” and it was one of several desperation weapons fielded by the Germans in the closing months of World War II to blunt the Soviet juggernaut and the increasing threats on the Western Front. First developed in 1942, as Germany’s fortunes…
Tag: Military History
Know Your Military History: The Roman Legion
Roman Legion The Roman Army comprised a series of legions, each consisting of around 5,280 men (excluding officers). The basic structure of the legion was the Contubernium (the tent group): 8 men (roughly a squad). The Centuria (Century) consisted of ten Contubernium (80 men) (roughly a company). Its commanding officer was called Centurion. The Cohort…
Know Your WW2 History: The 1943 Ploiesti Refinery Raid
The 1943 Ploiești Refinery Raid — Inside One of the Worst Debacles of the Allied Air War EIGHTY YEARS after the August 1, 1943, raid on the Ploiești oil refineries, the mission still captures the imagination of military historians and general public alike. How could it not? American air crews carried a daring and dangerous…
Memorial Day Weekend Movie Watch List
Sergeant York 1917 A Bridge Too Far The Bridge on the River Kwai The Railway Man Patton Saving Private Ryan Flags of our Fathers Dunkirk Hacksaw Ridge We Were Soldiers Full Metal Jacket Bat 21 Black Hawk Down Heartbreak Ridge Taking Chance 13 Hours Zero Dark Thirty Lone Survivor American Sniper The Hurt Locker Act…
Unsung Heroes – U.S. Navy Corpsmen
Unsung Heroes – U.S. Navy Corpsmen This memorial day weekend is very special to me for a reason I will be writing about later. In the meantime I wanted to do a trio of articles honoring the real heroes, starting off with every Devil Dog’s best friend: The U.S. Navy Corpsmen. “Corpsman Up!!”…
A Historical Lesson in “Anti-Fascism” (aka Communist Assholes)
Liberation of Zagreb by the Partisans Next time you hear the word “ANTIFA” I want you to remember what happened on the 8th of May 1945 in Zagreb Croatia. “Because when Communist Partisans (ANTIFA) came and liberated Zagreb, they did what Communists always do the best: they liberated the citizens of their pride, property…
Know Your WW2 History: German-Soviet Alliance – How the Soviet Union Enabled Hitler’s Conquests
German-Soviet Alliance: How Soviet Union Enabled Hitler’s Conquests For all you fellow amateur military historians out there, I highly recommend you bookmark the resources for this article. They make for some excellent reading by themselves: The Buildup of the German War Economy: The Importance of the Nazi-Soviet Economic Agreements of 1939 and 1940 Historian…
Know Your Weapons: The M79 Grenade Launcher
The M79 Grenade Launcher The M79 was a large-bore, single-barrel, single-shot weapon that was breech loaded and fired from the shoulder. It launched a 40mm by 46mm grenade in a round that resembled a huge bullet. The close-support infantry weapon reportedly was nicknamed “Thumper, Blooper, Thump Gun, or Bloop Tube” by some soldiers due…
Know Your WWII History: The True Story that Inspired ‘Fury’
The True Story that Inspired ‘Fury’ Is Fury a true story? Was the Fury tank an actual Sherman? It sure seems to be. In this article, the renowned and redoubtable Red2Alpha73 (Mike Durand) reviews Belton Y. Cooper’s 1998 memoir: Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II.
Know Your Military History: The Black Watch Regiment of the Royal Highlanders
Black Watch: Royal Highlanders The Black Watch regiment is a storied unit within the Scottish military, dating back to the early 18th century. The origin of the Black Watch is similarly steeped in history, with a long lineage of skilled marksmen dating back centuries. Following the Jacobite Rebellion, loyalists of the Highland clans of…