Who can forget Matt Damon’s famous line in the movie Good Will Hunting as he was pounding on the pub window, taunting that rich grad student who failed to get the girl’s number? “Do you like apples?” followed with him showing the guy the girl’s phone number and saying, “How do you like them apples?” […]
WWI
Hand To Hand Combat In WWI, Trench Clubs And Maces
World War I was a war of many technological innovations when rifles and artillery-like cannons were created and used in the narrow trenches. For the same reason, forces had to come up with weapons that could effectively be used in those foxholes dug into the ground. This war involved a lot of sneaking into the […]
The Brutal Reality of the Flamethrower and the Men Who Carried It
Fire as a weapon has a very long tradition. Notably, in the 7th century AD, Greeks created Greek fire. The flamethrower truly rose to prominence during World War I, and the Germans were the first reported widespread users of flame weapons. By the time World War II came around, everyone was shooting fire at each […]
Jumping on a Grenade? Make Sure It’s a German One
We’ve all seen it in the movies and read about in its Medal of Honor citations. A Soldier or Marine throws himself on a grenade to save his battle buddies. It is seen as the ultimate act of self-sacrifice. In the Pacific theater, no less than 27 Marines were decorated for throwing themselves on top […]
4 US Weapons That Have Been Declared Illegal by Enemies
A B-1B Lancer drops cluster munitions during a test. (USAF) The U.S. has a legitimate claim as one of the more honorable warfighting nations on Earth. Sure, we get involved in a lot more wars than some others, but we also follow lots of rules about how to fight them and have even pushed for […]
The American Mosin Nagant, the Polar Bears, and Winter in Russia
World War I seemingly caught everyone by surprise. No one seemed to have enough rifles when the war came knocking. Prior to the United States’ entry into the war, America was producing rifles for the British and then took a contract from Imperial Russia. Remington Arms and New England Westinghouse accepted the contracts to produce […]
A brief history of bulletproof vests and armor
The evolution of the firearm is an interesting one — from the unknown Chinese origins of gunpowder, to the fire lance, and the slow development of handheld tubes that use gunpowder to force a projectile outward and into an enemy target. By the 1300s, what we consider guns today were well along in development, and […]
Storm of Steel: Germany on the Western Front
Storm of Steel takes you inside the mind of German soldier Ernst Junger as he fought through trenches and defeat in the no mans land of World War I.
10 must-haves for the World War I infantryman – and one piece of junk
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The World War I soldier endured bitter cold, poison gas, enemy snipers and a grueling fight from the trenches. The U.S. joined the Allies in 1917, making this year a big one for the WWI Centennial and a fitting time to honor the doughboys. Here are our picks for must-haves on the […]