English vs. Scots: The Battle of the Standard
As Scottish invaders challenged a usurper to the English throne in 1138, their enemies appealed to the heavens
Frederick Schomberg: ‘Ablest Soldier of his Age’
A German mercenary fought staunch enemies and former allies alike during his six-decade European military career
The Mysterious Death of Mike Turpin
The fate of a military broadcaster in Vietnam in 1972 still leaves doubts and questions
The Allies’ Billion-dollar Secret: The Proximity Fuze of World War II
An engineering triumph developed under strict wartime secrecy, the proximity fuze vastly increased the lethality of anti-aircraft guns and field artillery.
601 Reasons Not to Set Fires
When arsonists targeted Virginia City, Nevada, in early 1871, the 601 Vigilance Committee took decisive action
Antietam’s Cornfield Maelstrom
Antietam’s opening fight turned a field of crops into a scene of slaughter
An American Pilot’s Improbable Adventure in Occupied France
Joel McPherson's life changed the day he jumped out of his crippled P-47 and parachuted into a foreign land.
Dragon Lady Down: Crazy Night Landing in a U-2 Spyplane
Republic of China Air Force Major “Mike” Hua pulled off a nighttime dead-stick landing in an early U-2
How the B-25 Became the Ultimate Strafer of World War II
Armed to the teeth with machine guns and a 75mm cannon, B-25s played a key role in World War II as low-level bombers and strafers.
Freeda Hartzell: That Other ‘Champion Rifle Shot of the World’
Among those to follow in Annie Oakley's footsteps was trick-shooting prodigy Freeda Hartzell.
Death and Honor on Bloody Island
This onetime sandbar in the Mississippi River off St. Louis was the scene of duels between "gentlemen."
How the German Air Force Rebuilt After World War II
In the aftermath of WWII, Germany turned to former Luftwaffe officers to rebuild its air force under NATO and help counter the Soviet threat.
America’s Worst Wildfire: The Big Burn of 1910
In the summer of 1910, the largest wildfire in U.S. history ravaged the drought-stricken northern Rockies, burning millions of acres of forest and killing scores of people
Why a Piece of North Carolina is Forever British
When the Battle of the Atlantic neared America's East Coast, a small group of British sailors came to help, with tragic results.
Perfect Trap: The Godfather of Naval Aviation
Remarkable career of naval aviation pioneer Frederick “Trap” Trapnell encompassed biplanes, airships, WWII fighters, research planes and early carrier jets.
