Browsing: Military

A Brief History On August 23, 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad commenced during World War II.  The German 6th Army was destroyed, and the decisive Soviet victory marked the beginning of the decline of the Axis forces on the Eastern Front.  Many historians therefore consider the Battle of Stalingrad to have been the turning point of the European theater of World War II. Digging Deeper There were many important battles during World War II; some only had a few thousand casualties, whereas others had over one million casualties. With a total of 22 to 25 million military deaths, including deaths in captivity of about 5 million prisoners of war, World War…

A Brief History On August 23, 1994, an extraordinary American warrior was posthumously commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.  Eugene Bullard, born in Columbus, Georgia in 1895, had fought in World War I for the French Foreign Legion, and in 1917 he became the first ever African-American to be a military pilot, one of only two pilots of African origin in World War I. Digging Deeper While with the French ground troops, Bullard had served with distinction.  He finally got his chance to fly after he had recovered from serious wounds which he had received at Verdun in 1916.  For…

A Brief History On August 22, 2007, the Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles with a score of 30-3, the most runs ever scored by a major league baseball team in the modern era.  Sometimes it just happens that one side has all the might or all the luck and really gives it to the other side.  This disparity can take place in sports, in wars or in just about in any other competitive endeavor.  Here 10 of those lopsided victories that left one side hurt and stunned are listed.  (Sorry American football fans, you will have to click on this…

A Brief History On August 20, 1940, Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the war-torn United Kingdom, delivered one of his most stirring wartime speeches, one that hailed the efforts of the Royal Air Force (RAF), known from then on and forever after as “The Few.” Digging Deeper All of Great Britain, but especially England, was being slammed by the might of Hitler’s Lufwaffe, and with almost all of the rest of Europe already under Axis control, the British were on their own.  Hitler and his Nazi troops , however, could neither eliminate the UK from the war nor invade the island of Great Britain…

A Brief History On August 19, 1940, the B-25 Mitchell was flown for the first time.  Although its service life did not extend as long as many other airplanes, this medium bomber was adapted for a huge variety of uses and configurations, making it one of the most versatile aircraft ever.  Here 6 (well, okay, actually 7) such multi-purpose aircraft are listed in the order the author finds most interesting or exciting.   Digging Deeper 6.  De Haviland DH.98 Mosquito. Entering service in 1941 as a high-speed unarmed bomber, the Mosquito was built mostly of wood, giving it a light airframe…