Bazooka Joe

Bazookas, man-made portable rocket launchers, used first by the US Army, were one of the major innovations of the War. The Germans captured several in North Africa and soon had versions of their own. The name "bazooka" comes from a musical instrument. The Germans called their version a panzerschreck.

Rolling Thunder

A good overview on the German army's various armored vehicles. Wonder what their mileage was.

The Beautiful B-25

It's closing in on April 18th, the anniversary of the famed Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. Those pilots flew the B-25. Named for flight pioneer General Billy Mitchell, the B-25 Mitchell is the only American military plane named for a person. There's more about the plane here, but we thought you'd enjoy watching the engines come to life in a recent clip.

Setting the Standard: The Colt M1911

The Colt MI911 was the standard-issue pistol during WWII. For American forces it was ubiquitous. Here, a video clip of a MI911A1 being fired.

The Turn Colt

Imagine a highly successful American gun like the Colt M1911 Pistol. Imagine it used against us in war. That was the case of the "Kongsberg Colt," a version of the gun made in Norway. When the Nazis invaded that Scandinavian country in 1940 they took over the pistol factory at Kongsberg and continued making Colts until the war ended.

The Shermans' March

They weren't the most powerful tanks in WWII, the Germans had those. But what the US-made Shermans lacked in force they made up for in numbers. Mass-produced, they became a key tool in the Allies advance. Sold to armies 'round the world they were still being used as late as 1973. Here they are in action:

Clanks for the Memories

Which tank was the best one in the War? The Sherman or the Soviet's T-34? What about the German Tiger? We want to know what you think. Vote in the poll at left.

Which WWII Firearm are You?

Take the quiz and match your personality at this clever website.

Belle of the Ball

Rare color footage of the War's most famous B-17 bomber the Memphis Belle.

Big Guns on Track

An unnamed German gun moved by rail. If anyone can supply more information about this and what campaigns it was used in let us know.

Wild Horses: A Mustang Lives

Could anything be sweeter than the revving of an airplane engine coming to life? The P-51 Mustang, shown here in a modern video still sounds as good as it did when it was serving as a fighter escort to bombing runs over Germany.