Category: Units
Condemned Men – Inside Nazi Germany’s Penal Battalions
“By 1945, more than 50,000 Wehrmacht troops had served in punishment regiments.” CALL THEM THE Fuhrer’s “Dirty Dozens.” The German army’s strafbattalions were infantry units made up largely of convicts, felons, malingerers and thugs. Inmates in…
Hessians for Hire – Meet the 18th Century’s Busiest ‘Mercenaries’
Hessian troops prepare to depart for operations in the New World. “Although the Hessians are probably best remembered for their role in the American Revolution, they had actually been fighting in wars for the better…
The Odyssey of the Czechoslovak Legion — Meet the Forgotten Army that Fought Its Way Across Siberia
“While the exploits of this travelling army are legendary in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia to this day, elsewhere, its deeds have become little more than a footnote to the larger First World War…
Immigrant Armies — The ‘Multicultural’ American Civil War
“During the first half of the 19th century, waves of newcomers from Europe streamed into America, all in search of land, opportunity and a life free from strife and persecution. Sadly, the peace they dreamed of…
Psych Ops — Meet the Top Secret “Ghost Army” of WW2
On April 1, we told you about some of the most famous wartime deceptions in history from the legendary Trojan horse to dummy cannons called Quaker guns. What we didn’t tell you about was the…
The Battle for Nassau – Inside the First Overseas Mission for America’s Marines
“Less than a year into the revolution, a force of Continentals invaded and captured the island of New Providence in the Bahamas. Their target: a cache of military supplies that included 200 barrels of gunpowder.”…
