WWII Today in History. On these pages you will find of some of the most important events that shaped World War 2.
Few vehicles from the Second World War are as recognizable—or as influential—as the M4 Sherman tank. With approximately 50,000 units produced, the Sherman became the backbone of Allied armored forces and a defining symbol of industrial power and battlefield adaptability. Origins of the M4 Sherman The M4’s design emerged from the need to mount a […]
The M4 Sherman Tank – From World War 2 till Today Read More »
The U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon: Quiet Heroes of a Military Revolution In the grand narrative of American military history, few units have left such a powerful legacy with so little public recognition as the US Army Parachute Test Platoon. Born in 1940 amidst rising global tensions, this elite 50-man unit ignited the spark that would
The U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon Read More »
Jumping on the night of D-Day, the 82nd Airborne had to capture the town of Sainte-Mère-Église. Holding the town, however, would have meant little without also holding the roads to and from it. One such route had a bottleneck: the La Fière Bridge a small stone bridge at La Fière manor, 700 yards to the west
The Battle of La Fière Bridge Read More »
Dead Man’s Corner: The 101st Airborne and the Battle for Carentan After D-Day After the Allied landings on D-Day, the mission wasn’t over once the beaches were secured. The hard-fought push inland through the Normandy countryside began immediately. Troops had to capture key crossroads and towns to link up the separate beachheads and expand the
Dead Man’s Corner: The 101st Airborne and the Battle for Carentan Read More »
On the morning of June 6, 1944, as the Allied invasion of Normandy unfolded across beaches and fields, a small unit from the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Easy Company, executed one of the most tactically significant assaults of D-Day—the Brécourt Manor assault. This engagement, though often overshadowed by the larger-scale beach landings, became a textbook
Brécourt Manor and the Easy Company Assault: A Textbook Tactical Victory on D-Day Read More »
The failure of the Dieppe Raid in 1942 made it clear for Allied war planners that the Invasion of Normandy had to be prepared as thoroughly as possible. One important part of this preparation was Exercise Tiger, a nine-day secret live fire rehearsal held in April, 1944. Exercise Tiger was held along the British coast
Exercise Tiger: The Slapton Sands Disaster Read More »
COMBAT AMERICA by Clark GableWW2 Aerial Combat Documentary Combat America by Clarke Gable was originally intended to be used as a recruiting film for aerial gunners, however, by the time it began production, the needs for gunners had lessened. The film was completed as an account of aerial combat over occupied Europe and
COMBAT AMERICA by Clark Gable Read More »
World War 2 “Points” the Adjusted Service Rating Score or ASRS, the system for calculating the eligibility of when a U.S. Soldier was allowed to In early as mid-1943, as troops were being shipped all over the world, it was becoming obvious that bringing all the Soldiers, Sailors and Marins back home after the war
WWII Points – Adjusted Service Rating Score (ASRS) Read More »
Where does the name “D-Day” come from, and how D-Days were there?. What is the actual meaning of the D in D-Day?. A popular view in France is that it stands for disembarkation or debarkation, referring to the invading Allied troops disembarking from their landing craft. Another, more romantic, explanation is decision, deliverance or doom.
Other D-Days in WW2 Read More »
James Gavin (1907-1990) was raised adopted from an orphanage in Brooklyn by a struggling coal miner. Inspired by his school readings on the American Civil War, Gavin decided to seek a better future by joining the army. He was 17 when he enlisted as a private, lying about his age as he knew his adoptive
General James Gavin: the Jumping General Read More »
