During the siege of Leningrad…
During the siege of Leningrad, a Russian girl named Tanya Savicheva cronicled in her diary the deaths of all her family members during the siege of Leningrad, ending with “Everyone is dead. Only Tanya...
View ArticleDuring WW2 German prisoners…
During WW2 German prisoners were so well treated in Canada that they didn’t want to leave the country when released. Thousands of them eventually stayed or came back to Canada with one saying that the...
View ArticleTheodore Roosevelt Jr was the oldest…
Theodore Roosevelt Jr was the oldest man in the D-Day invasion at 56. Initially denied to attend D-Day, Ted petitioned as he personally knew the men of these units and believed his presence would...
View ArticleDuring World War II, Steinway…
During World War II, Steinway & Sons airdropped pianos with large parachutes and complete tuning instructions into the battle for the American troops. Called the Victory Vertical or G.I. Steinways,...
View ArticleThe Luftwaffe planted buoys…
The Luftwaffe planted buoys in the english channel for downed pilots to survive in, containing food, alcohol, clothing and games.
View ArticleDuring WWII, the British…
During WWII, the British launched nearly 100,000 weather balloons trailing long metal wires toward occupied Europe, causing power outages when they shorted out power lines and causing at least one...
View ArticleAfter the attack on Pearl Harbor…
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government was worried Japan would invade Hawaii and seize all the U.S. currency there. As a precaution, the U.S. burned $200 million in cash circulating on...
View ArticleAdolf Hitler’s personal chauffeur…
Adolf Hitler’s personal chauffeur and close confidant, Emil Maurice, was Jewish. He was also one of the founding members of the SS. After uncovering of his Jewish heritage, Hitler declared that he was...
View ArticleWhen France was occupied by the Germans…
When France was occupied by the Germans in 1940, Citroen was forced to produce vehicles for the Nazis. They chose to move the fill line on their oil dipsticks lower, causing the trucks to seize under...
View ArticleThe US military was already…
The US military was already using UAV drone technology in WWII. The primary manufacturer at that time, Radioplane Company, had a drone assembler named Norma Jeane Dougherty, who eventually changed her...
View ArticleGilbert Seltzer, a WW2 veteran…
Gilbert Seltzer, a WW2 veteran, lead a secret platoon of men within a unit dubbed the ‘Ghost Army’. Made up of artists, creatives & engineers, their job was creating deception about the enemy. From...
View ArticleDuring WWII, a Nazi spy…
During WWII, a Nazi spy stationed in New York tried to turn himself into the FBI. The FBI didn’t believe him. The FBI finally listened when he showed up at FBI headquarters and offered proof that he...
View ArticleA British Navy Stoker managed…
A British Navy Stoker managed to escape from a sinking submarine and get to the surface over a 100 feet up. He then swam five miles to land.
View ArticleAs a sign of appreciation, 49 box…
As a sign of appreciation, 49 box cars were sent from France to the US in 1949. Each car of the “Merci Train” contained personal items. This was a “thank you” gesture from French people to Americans,...
View ArticleDuring WWII, J. Hunter Reinburg…
During WWII, J. Hunter Reinburg wanted to make ice cream for his men while stationed on a tropical island in the Pacific. He put the ingredients in a can mounted on the underside of his plane and would...
View ArticleFuzzy dice hanging on a rear…
Fuzzy dice hanging on a rear view mirror is a good luck charm with the origins based on WWII pilots keeping gambling trinkets in their air planes. A lot of car and sub culture trends is spawned from...
View ArticleLydia Litvyak was the Jewish…
Lydia Litvyak was the Jewish Soviet fighter ace. During WWII she claimed 14 kills, trained 45 pilots, and shot down an ace who wouldn’t believe a woman beat him until she described the fight. She went...
View ArticleAleksey Maresyev, a pilot who was…
Aleksey Maresyev, a pilot who was shot down in Nazi territory, lost the use of his legs, crawled for eighteen days before returning to Soviet territory. His legs were then amputated. Nevertheless,...
View ArticleHitler privately expressed great…
Hitler privately expressed great admiration for Mussolini; however, Mussolini had little regard for Hitler. Mussolini said that the Germans were the descendants of those who were illiterate when Rome...
View ArticleCarl Jung was an undercover operative…
Carl Jung was an undercover operative (“Agent 488”) for the allies during World War 2. His commanding officer Allen W. Dulles said that “Nobody will probably ever know how much Prof Jung contributed to...
View Article