Ninety-two year old James Barbour III is tough in an unusual kind of way. The stereotypical tough guy grimaces and fights and struggles. Instead, Jim has the remarkable ability to stay even, to keep things light. To make it seem like when the going gets rough, well, it’s not rough at all. According to him and wife,…
If you’ve ever seen a picture of a World War II Jeep with brown paint between the points of its “invasion star,” you might have assumed it was just an aesthetic touch. But it was much more than that: the paint was there to keep soldiers safe. Here’s how.
In 1955, one brave Frenchman’s thirst for adventure took him on an epic 25,000 mile road trip through Africa that would test his wrenching abilities to their fullest. Stranded in a 120 degree barren desert, the options were: wrench or die. He chose to wrench.
Perhaps the original Jeep enthusiast, Francis ‘Jeep’ Sanza—the mechanic who drove General George S. Patton Jr. around during the final year of World War II—died last Tuesday at age 99, The San Francisco Chronicle reports. Here’s a look at the man’s incredible story.
In 1945, an American soldier gave my Grandpa—who was then an eight-year-old living in Southern Germany—a ride in a World War II Jeep. That short trip changed my grandpa’s life forever, beginning a chain of events that led him to vow never to drive an automobile for as long as he lives.
Despite one of America’s top generals calling the World War II Jeep “America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare,” the little 4x4 wasn’t perfect. In fact, it rolled off the assembly line in 1941 with a terrible design flaw that could have sent soldiers barreling into oncoming traffic.
Exactly 75 years ago today, one of the strangest, most daring, and, frankly, craziest missions of World War II was carried out: the Doolittle Raid, America’s retaliation to Japan for Pearl Harbor, and the first time anyone in the war had directly attacked Japan’s Home Islands.
As you may or may not know, I have a thing for early Volkswagens. I’m also aware of how problematic that is, what with all the Nazi history. That may not have been as much of a problem for Jesse James, who may find the Nazi associations a bit more of a plus than most people. Regardless, the car he’s selling on eBay…
A homeless man dressed as a British soldier and dumped in the ocean as part of a plan masterminded by the creator of James Bond was critical in the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany.
The Bugatti 100P was an airplane unique in its use and its existence—it was a one-off project by company founder Ettore Bugatti around the start of World War II, and it never got to fly as meant to. A replica of the plane reportedly crashed nose first in a test flight on Saturday, killing its builder.
To allow U.S. military vehicles to drive through deep water during World War II beach landings, the armed forces devised a fascinating method of waterproofing involving a goopy putty called “Asbestos Waterproofing Compound.” Here’s a video showing all the steps needed to keep that Jeep moving through the deep stuff.
Once in a while, you hear an old war story that restores your faith in humanity. Usually it involves a moment of quiet in the midst of chaos; some singing or the sharing of a few condiments. But how many of them take place in mid air?
Seventy years ago, the United States dropped the first of two atomic bombs on Japan. At the time, the US was the only country with nuclear weapons. That wasn’t for a complete lack of effort on the part of other countries, however, and new documents found heap more evidence on Japan having a program of its own.
Today marks the 71st anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, designated at the time as Operation Neptune but known in popular culture today as D-Day. Why is that, and what does the D stand for?
D-Day was arguably the most significant and well-known event in military history. The Allies landed more than 150,000 troops in Normandy, involving 11,590 aircraft and 6,939 naval vessels. There were thousands of casualties.
The Flying Fortress was made famous in its role in the Daylight Strategic Bombing Campaign of WWII and the post-war movies, like Memphis Belle, that made it an icon. Now this B-17 is no longer avoiding anti-aircraft fire or enemy fighters but has exchanged its explosive warheads in order to drop people from the bomb…
Alright, so it's a Norwegian TV series, but if you die in Norway you die in real life so I'll count it. And since The Heavy Water War focuses on a uniquely Norwegian facet of one of the less-well known events of World War II, you might even say that it gives it an especially pertinent focus.
When World War II broke out, men and women across Britain were called upon to use their special skills to help the Allies prevail. One of them was Aston Martin works driver St. John "Jock" Horsfall, who became an MI5 agent during the war and was a key element in a bizarre but successful secret operation.
During the mid 1930s, the Army Air Corps wanted to push the technological envelope when it came to building a very long range bomber. Code named 'Project D,' this top-secret initiative would lead to the largest American bomber concept flown during World War II, the massive yet elegant Douglas XB-19.
