2nd of September, 1945 - The inferno that was World War II is officially extinguished. The global conflict is laid to rest and the sacrifices made by all nations of the world will be permanently remembered by all.

While the world was still recovering from the horrors of the First World War, it was clear that many had not yet learned their lesson. In ignorance of this, the world was once again at war...

The ShVAK (abbreviation for Shpitalnyi-Vladimirov Aviatsionnyj Krupnokaliberny aka “Shpitalny-Vladimirov Large Caliber for Aircraft”), was the most frequently used Soviet 20 mm cannon during the World War 2!

An idea in the making for two thousand years, it was the ambitions of two men, of opposing sides, that made propulsive jet engines revolutionise aviation history.

While they never grabbed the headlines or became media stars like the fighters and bombers, Flying Boats were pivotal during the war for all sides either sending alerts to enemy spotted or saving people lost on the vast and treacherous seas.

An aircraft’s armament is just as important in determining its fighting ability as the pilot and aircraft itself. Find out more about different Machine Guns in this article!

Following the U.S. Army's doctrine, the concept of 'tank destroyers' was a relatively new and somewhat foreign idea until around 1941, when U.S. General George C. Marshal developed the theory of a highly mobile, mechanised force capable of hunting and destroying enemy tanks and other armoured vehicles. 

One cannot but put any piston engine into an aircraft. It has to be specifically designed for the demanding environment of flight. Engines for aircraft were being built years before the Wright brothers’ historic flight and have a development path quite different to that of land based engines.

In the middle of 1930’s, German Luftwaffe started to receive a new type of auto cannon – 20 mm cannon MG FF, based on Swiss Oerlikon FF. It was significant leap forward in effectiveness of aircraft armament compared to rifle-caliber machine guns, since larger shells could carry explosive filling, increasing the damage.

After the Battle of El Alamein in July 1942, both the Axis and Allied forces disengaged from major conflict in order to give themselves a chance to refresh and regroup.

The 753rd provided a major share of the armored firepower of Task Force Butler and played a crucial role in its operations. Over the course of the operation, the 753rd battalion commander and operations officer each commanded separate, independently-maneuvering combined arms teams within the fast-moving operation.

Semyon Vladimirov was a Russian engineer who is widely recognized for leading the development of the first Soviet-built 20 mm automatic cannon for aircraft, the ShVAK.

The initial appearance of heavy tanks in the United States armed forces can be traced back to the First World War. It was then that the cooperation between British and American engineers resulted in the appearance of the Mark VIII heavy tank, also known as the "Liberty Tank".

After the hammering of North Africa and Tunisia, the Italians set about establishing a defensive line around the Italian peninsular. Available to this defence was some 30 Divisions, though many units were lacking training and not fit for front line service. On the island of Sicily, however, the Axis forces were deprived of much in the way of manpower and material.

History of this heavy tank battalion start in May 1943 by redesignation and reorganization of I./Panzer-Regiment 3, stationed in Wien-Mödling. In June 1943, unit was redesignated back to I./Panzer-Regiment 3 and equipped with PzKpfw V Panther tanks.

In this series of articles, we will discuss the development of the Pz.Kpfw. VIII 'Maus'. After taking a look at ideas and visions leading to the development of its prototypes, we will take a closer look at the infamous German vehicle that got past the firing range tests.

After the First World War, recently introduced tanks underwent rapid development, and as their armour protection grew stronger, a need for suitable armour-piercing ammunition was evident.

In this series of articles, we will discuss the development of the Pz.Kpfw. VIII 'Maus'. After taking a look at ideas and visions leading to the development of its prototypes, we will take a closer look at the infamous German vehicle that got past the firing range tests.