How tanks used to be assigned a gender at birth
Tanks were first developed during World War I so armies could advance across no man’s land without getting tripped up by barbed wire and getting machine gunned into oblivion. It…
The British military actually had an effective plan in 1776
One of the biggest questions of the Revolutionary War is this: How did the British, with immense advantages in troops and ships, manage to lose the war?
When you look at the material state of affairs, the 13 colonies really didn’t stand …
Today in military history: Brits launch Operation Supercharge
On Nov. 2, 1942, British forces broke through Axis defensive lines in the Battle of El Alamein in Egypt. In 1941, World War II was not going well for the…
Today in military history: American victory at Saratoga
On Oct. 17, 1777, Americans won a major victory at Saratoga. During the American Revolution, the nascent United States needed a large victory to prove to foreign countries that the…
This eccentric tank design was appropriately named the ‘Praying Mantis’
Military vehicles are often named after animals to reflect their abilities. The F-15 Eagle fighter jet is an all-American air superiority aircraft while the French Gazelle helicopter is famed for…
Today in military history: US forces capture British ships on Lake Erie
On Oct. 9, 1812, American naval forces captured two British vessels on Lake Erie. The HMS Detroit served on Lake Erie during the War of 1812, which, along with the…
The Pierrepoint family were Britain’s official executioners
Albert Pierrepoint knew from a young age that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps of sorts. His father Henry was a hard-drinking day laborer who sometimes acted as…
Britain’s unluckiest general surrendered to two of the empire’s greatest enemies
A 2012 poll in the UK asked Britons who they thought was the British Empire’s greatest historical nemeses. Among the top two answers were General George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte….
How an English lady ensured Britain could hold the Germans off in World War II
Dame Fanny Lucy Houston, Lady Houston wasn’t born with those titles. She was actually born in 1857 into a large, working class family in London. She later became a professional…
Today in military history: Tecumseh defeated in War of 1812
On Oct. 5, 1813, American general and future president William Henry Harrison defeated a combined British and Indian force at the Battle of the Thames. During the War of 1812,…