History of War

From the conquering legions of Ancient Rome to the thunderous tank battles of World War II and beyond, History of War takes you deeper inside the minds of history’s fighting men, further under the bonnets of some of the world’s most devastating war machines, and higher above the battlefield to see the broad sweep of conflict as it happened.

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WAR in FOCUS

TIMELINE OF THE… FRENCH AIR FORCE • France pioneers military aviation in the early 20th century, with the Armée de l’Air fighting in conflicts ranging from the World Wars to the War on Terror

FLEDGLING EAGLES • The French contribution to the air battles of WWI was unmatched. A world leader in aviation, its pioneers and factories readily turned to supporting the war effort

LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE • During WWI, the burgeoning French Air Force formed a squadron of volunteer American pilots who served France with distinction over the Western Front

REARMAMENT & THE BATTLE OF FRANCE • France entered Second World War while still suffering the effects of the First. Out-thought as much as out-fought, the Armée de L’Air was left ill-equipped in both mindset and aircraft

COLD WAR • After the defeats and divisions of WWII, the Armée de L’Air struggled for aircraft and a role for them. Ironically, breaking away from NATO united the force behind a single aim

BATTLE FOR SICILY THE ‘SOFT UNDERBELLY’ • Eighty years ago, Allied forces invaded the Axis homeland for the first time in a huge, complex operation that involved airborne and amphibious landings

THE SHORES OF SICILY • A massive undertaking, the seaborne landings saw the disembarkation of hundreds of thousands of soldiers along the island’s southern coast

RACE TO MESSINA • The rivalry between Bernard Montgomery and George S Patton saw a competitive Allied campaign to complete the invasion of Sicily

SAS IN SICILY • How the elite unit emerged from chaotic beginnings to spearhead the Allies’ 1943 invasion of the Mediterranean island fortress

Great Battles GETTYSBURG • The embattled Union forces finally succeed in repulsing the second invasion of the northern states by Robert E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, in the turning point of the US Civil War

PREPARING FOR KURSK • Dr Ben Wheatley of the University of East Anglia reveals the huge German and Soviet preparations for the largest tank battle in history

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AUBREY COSENS • In February 1945, as the Allies began a renewed push into Nazi Germany, a Canadian sergeant single-handedly cleared three enemy-held buildings to earn the Commonwealth’s highest military honour

VICKERS MEDIUM MKI TANK • The Vickers Medium tank was an inter-war tank developed by the British, and a few saw action in 1939-40

WWII’S FORGOTTEN V-2 HEIST • In the summer of 1944, a daring mission was launched to retrieve an intact German rocket, recovered by the Polish Home Army, to analyse and counter Hitler’s devastating vengeance weapon

THE FLIGHT OF DAKOTA KG477 • History of War reader Darren Little wrote in to share the story of his great uncle, who took part in the daring RAF operation, Wildhorn III, to transport the recovered V-2 to London. Here he recounts the thrilling story of Flight Sergeant John Appleby and his crewmates

BATTLE OF JINGXING • Strategic brilliance and an audacious plan ensured victory for the underdog in this legendary clash in ancient China

HOMEFRONT

MUSEUMS & EVENTS • Discover the Imperial War Museum’s new exhibition on the Troubles, Jersey’s largest castle and the Welsh regiment that inspired WWI poets

Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig • The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum in Caernarfon Castle tells the story of Wales’...