How Japan reacted to the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day
When you’re fighting a global conflict alongside two other countries, one of them get knocked out of the war, and the third suddenly has an existential threat introduced to it…
These were the brutal tactics used by armies engaged in total war
Total war is a combat technique where armies utilize any means necessary to conquer their enemies using brutal tactics, including those regarded ethically or morally inappropriate. Total war is aimed…
Why Japan was never invaded and conquered by European conquistadors
Many areas of the world were invaded and colonized by European empires during the Age of Sail and beyond. Whether right or wrong, many corners of the globe suddenly began…
A US Navy destroyer once won a surface engagement with potatoes
In 1943, the USS O’Bannon was on patrol near the Solomon Islands when it came in contact with a Japanese submarine. This encounter would end with one of the greatest…
Today in military history: Germany, Italy, Japan sign Tripartite Pact
On Sep. 27, 1940, Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact and formed the alliance that would become known as the Axis Powers. A year earlier, Germany and Italy…
How a Truman staffer described the decision to drop the bombs
The decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki is one of the most controversial in military history. When looking at it from modern day, it’s easy to…
3 lesser-known Marine Corps tanks
In July 2020, the Marine Corps’ three tank battalions began the process of deactivation as their M1 Abrams main battle tanks were hauled away. The 1st Tank Battalion at 29 Palms, 2nd Tank Battalion at Camp Lejeune and 4th Tank Battalion at Camp Pen…
Why the US attacked Japan in the middle of the Civil War
While the United States was fighting for its existence, the world kept turning and other countries continued acting in their own self-interest. Just because the United States military was preoccupied…
Today in military history: Japan bombs US mainland
On Sep. 9, 1942, Japan attacked the U.S. mainland. Japanese pilot Nubuo Fujita launched from the Japanese sub I-25 off the coast of Oregon and dropped incendiary bombs meant to…
What a Hiroshima resident saw the day the bomb dropped
On Aug. 6, 1941, P. Siomes, a German priest, was sitting in his room when the sunny, summer day outside was suddenly lit by an even brighter light that blinded him just before an explosion of sound and heat slammed into the building he was in.…