Animals are an important part of war efforts. Before vehicles, soldiers rode horses into battle. Today, dogs are used to help with any number of tasks, such as sniffing out explosives. Pigeons were once trained as carriers for important messages — all of this, it’s only the beginning of what animals have provided in the … Continued
The British Army was the first to employ the tank on the battlefield during WWI. Although they arguably fell behind the curve during against the German tanks of WWII, British tank technology has returned to top form through the Cold War and into the 21st century. Since 1998, the British Army’s main battle tank has … Continued
Anyone who says “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” has clearly never seen a Challenger 2 tank in action. The Challenger was first introduced in 1993 and has seen action in Bosnia, Kosovo and the Iraq War. In all that time, not one was ever lost to the enemy. This is a tank … Continued
In 1839, the forces of Great Britain and the British East India Company invaded Afghanistan in the first major conflict of the “Great Game” – the struggle between Great Britain and Russia for control of Asia. The British quickly defeated the opp…
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…
Britain’s Challenger-1 tank was originally designed to be sold to the Shah of Iran, but with the Iranian Revolution in 1979, that sale was cancelled. Britain developed the tank for its own use instead, and it’s a good thing it did. The Challenger 1 became one of the most effective tanks in the history of … Continued
At the outbreak of the 20th century’s first global conflict, when you might think they’d take anyone who wanted to fight, the British Army was actually turning able-bodied men away. On the surface, that’s nothing new. Armies all over the world turn men away all the time. The U.S. military will turn troops down for … Continued
On July 31, 1917, the British guns in the Ypres salient roared to life, marking the opening of the Battle of Passchendaele. The battle would rage back and forth for over two months. Through the chaos, one amazing story emerged: A tank crew refused t…
On April 3, 1776, Congress authorized Privateers to attack British vessels. Pop quiz: you’re the Continental Congress, and it’s 1776. There’s a bunch of British ships out there that need sinking, but you’re a young nation and you don’t have the dubloons to build a proper Navy. What do you do? You hire pirates. Well, … Continued
The Allied invasion of Normandy was a challenge on a grand scale. Every single aspect of the plan drew new challenges for commanders. Luckily, the greatest military minds of the day were leading the Allied forces. They came up with some ingenious so…