The opening scenes of the 1998 war epic Saving Private Ryan depict several U.S. Army soldiers wearing what appears to be a strange-looking canvas belt around their waists both before and after disembarking from their landing craft to storm Omaha Be
The images of the Normandy landings taken by photographers such as Life Magazine photographer Robert Capa and Coast Guard Chief Photographer’s Mate Robert F. Sargent are ingrained in the collective memory of World War II. These visual testimonies p
Stalag Luft III marked a significant chapter in the history of World War II, particularly for the captured Western Allied Air personnel it confined. Situated in Sagan, Lower Silesia, the camp acquired notoriety for its sand-rich soil, a strategic d
The Blitz was a time of terror for the people of the United Kingdom during World War II. From 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941--8 months and 5 days--German bombers conducted mass air attacks against towns, cities, and industrial targets, causing wid
If you've studied WWII at all, you've probably heard of the Waffen SS massacre of U.S. troops at Malmedy. Did you know a regular German Army unit also massacred troops? An Airborne Medical Company attached to the 101st Airborne as a clearing station
On January 1st, 1945, the German Luftwaffe launched Operation Bodenplatte (Baseplate) with 1,035 aircraft to attack Allied airfields in Northern France, Belgium and Holland. The plan was to cripple Allied Air Forces during a lull in the fighting of t
During the Second World War, one of the most guarded secrets of the Allies was the work done at a seemingly nondescript country house in Bletchley, Milton Keynes. This was Bletchley Park, which became the nerve centre of Allied code-breaking. The w
20 January 1944: Those Tricky Allies: The Ghost Army of World War II
The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, popularly known as the “Ghost Army,” was one of the most innovative and unique units of the United States Army during the Second World War. O
The Battle of Remagen was a pivotal moment in the Allied invasion of Germany during World War II. This battle was fought in the small German town of Remagen across the River Rhine, which separated the Allies from Nazi Germany. The American Army's c
Military History Club Explores The Role of Hitler’s Luck in World War II
Was Hitler a genius who stretched too far, or a bungler with a stretch of good luck? On October 24 the Military History Club will explore that topic as it welcomes a Zoom app
In September of 2023, War History Network photographer and member Erwin Leydekkers traveled to Germany, visiting several historically significant locations. Among these stops was the Eagle's Nest, or Kehlsteinhaus, a building constructed by the Naz
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was a crucial moment in World War II’s Western Front. Occurring from December 1944 to January 1945, it was Hitler’s last-ditch attempt to turn the tide of the war around. The Allied for
During World War II, American editorial cartoonist Bill Mauldin was renowned for his uncanny ability to capture the hardships and misery of the American foot soldier through his cartoons. No other wartime artist or carto
The Battle of Hürtgen Forest has been regarded as one of the most underreported and least understood battles of World War II. The battle, which lasted from 19 September to 16 December 1944, marked the longest and most grueling battle ever fought by
Operation Market Garden, one of the most ambitious military plans of World War II, was designed to bring the war on the Western Front to an end by the end of 1944. However, the operation turned out to be a costly failure that resulted
World War II was one of the most devastating conflicts in human history, resulting in the loss of millions of lives and ravaging entire nations. The myriad of causes that led up to the war were both complex and mult
6 June 1944: Operation Overlord: D-Day; The Normandy Landings
Above: Photo #: SC 320901 Normandy Invasion, June 1944 Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day", 6 June 1944. Note helmet netting; faint "No Smoking" sign on
The Battle of Berlin was one of the final major Battles of World War II, where Soviet forces invaded the German capital in late April 1945. The battle was fought fiercely, with German troops defending the city block by block, leading to intense str
Above: 27 February 1933: Firemen work on the burning Reichstag Source: Item from Record Group 208: Records of the Office of War Information, 1926-1951. Public Domain, click to enlarge.
The Reichstag fire of 1933 was a pivotal moment in the rise to p
Above: Funeral of Ernst vom Rath (1909-1938), a German diplomat assassinated in Paris in 1938 by a 17-year-old exiled Jew, Herschel Grynszpan. The assassination triggered attack on German Jews. Photo licensed to War History Network. Click to enlarge
