German technology surpassed the Allies by also producing radio-guided weapons that worked in a combat environment. As early as 1943, the Henschel (Hs) 293 and the Ruhrstahl X-1 (Fritz X) were the first guided bombs employed in combat. These weapons debuted around the time of the Allied assault on Salerno and were a new concern for fleet defense. 

Churchill’s famous quip about the Royal Air Force’s “few” was inspirational, but Fighter Command wasn’t so few and even had several advantages. 

The Eighth Air Force’s first penetrating strike into Nazi Germany was a bloody affair that provided lessons for both sides. 

Most people are aware that Boeing's B-29 Superfortress was the plane that made the first atomic attacks. However, the B-29s delivering America’s first atomic weapons were far from ordinary.

While most people are familiar with the names of “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” as the atomic weapons used over Japan, what they may not be familiar with was how different the respective technologies of each bomb were and why this difference mattered. 

The fire seemed to become a living entity, changing course at will, consuming everything in its path, and generating a heat that melted glass and cutlery and turned bricks to ash. For over four hours, Hamburg burned. 

Many of the tactics, techniques, and procedures used during the invasion of Sicily set a precedent for further development in Allied amphibious assaults in the European theater of operations.

Decades after his death, Mikio Hasemoto’s Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. A second-generation Japanese American serving in the segregated 100th Infantry Battalion, Hasemoto’s sacrifice was one of many initially overlooked because of race.

A first-generation American of Lebanese descent, James Jabara was intent on being a fighter pilot. Soon, the five foot five airman would make US military aviation history.

US code breakers deciphering Japanese naval messages provided an opportunity for vengeance in April 1943 after intercepting the travel plans of Japan’s naval commander in chief, the mastermind behind the attack on Pearl Harbor.