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German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 circa 1942. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

Luftwaffe’s Secret Weapon: The Rise and Fall of the “Shrike” Fighter Aircraft

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 emerged in 1941 to challenge the Bf 109’s dominance and cast a long shadow over World War II skies.

Aviation Jun 16

Elements of the 8th US Army Air Force Bomber Command target a ball bearing factory and aircraft engine repair depot in occupied France on December 31st, 1943.

Pic of the Day: The 8th Air Force Helps Ring in the New Year – 1944

Amidst the roar of engines and the thunderous explosions, the B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 390th Bomb Group delivered a devastating blow to the enemy’s war machine, forever altering the course of the conflict and the fate of occupied Paris.

A Messerschmitt Bf 109E4B downed over England in 1940 is closely inspected. Image from Wikimedia Commons

SOFREP Pic of the Day: Messerschmitt Bf 109E4B Downed over Britain, 1940

In September 1940 a 28 year old Luftwaffe pilot was shot down over England. This is his story and the story of the aircraft he was flying.

Hermann Göring (Charles Alexander, Office of the United States Chief of Counsel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

During WWII the German Navy and Luftwaffe Fought a Furious Battle at Sea, With Each Other

We didn’t really know much about the German navy called Kriegsmarine, and there’s a reason for that.

A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, taxis to an aircraft shelter on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Feb. 16, 2022. The aircraft are equipped for a variety of missions to deter aggression and defend allies should deterrence fail. (DVIDS, U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Maeson L. Elleman)

Germany To Buy New F-35 Fighter Jets From U.S.

Germany is now set to purchase 35 units of the modern and advanced F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet to replace its aging fleet of Tornado aircraft amid Russian threats of nuclear war.

Aviation Mar 18

How High-Octane Gasoline Saved Untold Allied Pilots During WWII

How High-Octane Gasoline Saved Untold Allied Pilots During WWII

Aviation legend Jimmy Doolittle pioneered a type of gas that made Allied planes faster and more lethal, helping us win battles and the war.

Aviation Nov 05

Wikipedia

Dunkirk: The German Half of the Story

The German war machine almost crushed the bulk of the British infantry in Dunkirk. Find out why it didn’t.

Military History Jun 25

Photos: WIkipedia

Bombing of Dresden, Feb. 13-15, 1945, Legitimate Target or Terror?

Historians estimate that the February 13, 1945 Allied bombing of Dresden and resulting firestorm killed some 25,000 people.

Military History Feb 13

Image courtesy of Tweeter

This new WWII movie will blow you away

London, United Kingdom—A new war movie celebrating the Polish pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain is out. The movie narrates the story of RAF Squadron 303, which was comprised mostly of Polish pilots. Poland was the first victim of the German onslaught. Utilizing the novel Blitzkrieg tactics, the first modern usage of combined […]

May 4, 1939: A demonstration of British aerial firepower

May 4, 1939: A demonstration of British aerial firepower

May 4, 1939 — The Royal Air Force (RAF) lines up its premier fighter planes on the tarmac at the RAF Duxford airfield in England — the Supermarine Spitfires, pictured above. The plane had only been introduced into the RAF the year prior on this very airfield, piloted by men from 19 Squadron, RAF Duxford. Spitfires […]

Military History May 04

The Luftwaffe Starts the “Second Great Fire of London, 1940

The Luftwaffe Starts the “Second Great Fire of London, 1940

On this night, December 29-30, 1940, the Luftwaffe unleashed one of the more deadly raids on the city of London during “The Blitz”, firebombing the capital and destroying a large segment of the city. The Blitz was the name Londoners gave to the German bombing of England that took place between 7 September 1940 – […]

Aviation Dec 29

September 7, 1940 the Germans Bomb London During the Battle of Britain

September 7, 1940 the Germans Bomb London During the Battle of Britain

In the summer of 1940, the German army was a juggernaut. The punched a hole through Belgium, rolled across France and were preparing for the coup de grace, the invasion of England. Even the ever-confident Hitler was surprised at the speed in which the Germans crushed the allied forces of Britain, France, and Belgium. The […]

Germany pulls the plug on troops in Turkey

Germany pulls the plug on troops in Turkey

Germany has followed through on threats to withdraw its military forces from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey after months of diplomatic tensions with the Turkish government. The forces in question composed Germany’s contribution to the coalition against ISIS, and will remain out of the fight for at least another two months as they are moved […]

Foreign Policy Jul 10

Hitler’s secret Nazi war machines of World War II

Hitler’s secret Nazi war machines of World War II

Earlier this month, the world reflected on the 72nd anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe — when Hitler’s Nazi army finally surrendered on what is now known as “Victor in Europe Day.” Hitler’s engineers secretly developed some of the most ambitious projects and rapidly produced sophisticated technology decades before its time. In […]

Military History May 28

Monastery of Green Devils

Monastery of Green Devils

The harshness that became the four battles of Cassino occurring in Italy from January through May 1944 represented the difficulty facing the Allies trying to take what had been described as the “soft underbelly of Europe.” They had witnessed the successes at the fall of the island of Sicily and Salerno beachhead on the mainland, […]

Military History Apr 16

Otto Skorzeny: The Reich’s Commando

Otto Skorzeny: The Reich’s Commando

Though history remembers him as one of the bad guys, there is little doubt that a German named Otto Skorzeny played an influential role in demonstrating the power small specialized units could play on the battlefield. Once called ‘The Most Dangerous Man In Europe,’ his participation in planning and executing risky, even outlandish, operations earned […]

Military History Feb 24

From The Cockpit: Battle of Britain Flyover

From The Cockpit: Battle of Britain Flyover

Yesterday, we mentioned the opening salvos of the Battle of Britain, the only campaign in the history of warfare to be fought strictly with airpower. The anniversary was commemorated in London in a variety of ways, to include a changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace where all of the participants were wearing RAF uniforms, […]

Aviation Jul 11

The Battle of Britain: “Their Finest Hour.”

The Battle of Britain: “Their Finest Hour.”

Seventy-five years ago today marked the beginning of the end for our friends in the United Kingdom. As precursor to a planned airborne and amphibious invasion of the British Isles–known as Operation Sea Lion, Adolf Hitler’s Luftwaffe began a massive air campaign against England. The British flatly refused to go quietly, so thus began “the […]

Milestone Monday: Eurofighter Typhoon First Flight

Milestone Monday: Eurofighter Typhoon First Flight

Welcome back, FighterSweep fans! For this week’s edition of Milestone Monday, we’re going to take a look at yet another controversial aircraft – imagine that! – but this time one operated by several of our NATO partners and closest allies. The Eurofighter Typhoon is a modern, delta-winged, multirole strike fighter that made its first flight on […]

Aviation Mar 23

Burner Friday: Panavia Tornado

Burner Friday: Panavia Tornado

Our Luftwaffe friends certainly love to put the Tonka through its paces down low, where she’s in her prime. Take a look as they ruffle some feathers near CFB Goose Bay, Canada.

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