The German Bomb That Drove Itself
The Goliath was not a tank carrying a weapon. It was the weapon, steered by a wire it trailed behind itself — and cutting...
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The Me 262's Swept Wings Were Not About Speed
The first jet fighter in combat had swept wings. The reason was not aerodynamics — it was that the engines turned out heavier than...
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The Half-Motorcycle Built to Fit Inside an Aeroplane
A motorcycle at the front, a tracked tractor at the back. The shape came from one requirement: it had to fit inside a Junkers...
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The Fastest Tank of the War Was Built by a Car Company
The M18 Hellcat was built by General Motors' car division and did 55 mph. The speed was not a bonus — it was the...
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The One-Word Answer at Bastogne
On 22 December 1944 the Germans surrounding Bastogne demanded its surrender within two hours. The American reply was one word long.
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The Tanks That Were Built to Drive Underwater
Germany could not land tanks on an English beach, so 168 of them were sealed, given air hoses and a gyro-compass, and taught to...
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