Month: May 2012
‘The Wipers Times’ — Soldiers’ own newspaper let Tommies laugh at trench warfare
“Far from being an official mouthpiece of the British war effort, The Wipers Times mainly featured poems, jokes and short articles satirizing the futility of trench life.” IT’S BEEN SAID that war consists of long periods boredom…
The Tu-95-Bear — Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
“The bomber’s size, payload and range shocked Western defence planners when it was introduced in 1956. And not surprisingly, the monstrous Tu-95, was a major source of national pride for the Soviet Union.” WHEN THE…
Japanese soldier fights on — for 30 years!
“When the war ended in August of 1945, orders to stand down never reached Onoda and his small detachment of three troops.” THINKING OF throwing in the towel? Calling it quits? Leaving work early? Well, Hiroo…
Billy Yank, Johnny Reb and a Cup of Joe — Real Coffee Was a Rarity for Civil War Soldiers
“While soldiers on both sides of the conflict had very different views on slavery and states’ rights, all shared an appreciation for a good cup of coffee.” THE GATLING GUN, improved repeating rifles, and ironclad…
“Remember the Lusitania!”
IT WAS JUST after 1:30 p.m. on May 7, 1915 when the lookouts aboard U-20, a German submarine operating 14 miles off the coast of south-western Ireland, spied a tempting target: the RMS Lusitania, a 31,500 ton British passenger…
