Hacker News with Generative AI: Military History

The Strategic Oil Bombing Campaign (calum-douglas.com)
The bombing of Germany continues to elicit a great deal of controversy. The views range from “All is fair in love and war, what did Germany expect?” through to: “The Allies lost the moral high-ground by intentionally obliterating civilian areas, the means are as important as the end”.

Military History, Controversies, Ethics

23 points by Michelangelo11 5 days ago | 6 comments

The Cannae Problem (joanwestenberg.com)
It's August 2, 216 BCE. The Roman army stands in formation under the blistering Italian sun. Eight legions strong—the largest force Rome has ever fielded—nearly 80,000 men await the order to advance. Across the plain at Cannae stands Hannibal's army, outnumbered almost two-to-one. The Roman commanders, Consuls Varro and Paullus, feel confident. How could they not? They've assembled the greatest concentration of Roman military might in history specifically to crush this Carthaginian invader who has plagued Italy for two years.

Military History, Ancient Rome, Hannibal, Battles

162 points by flobosg 7 days ago | 106 comments

Dissecting a British wartime night vision tank periscope [video] (youtube.com)

Military History, Technology, Vehicles, Video

44 points by michalpleban 17 days ago | 5 comments

Aerial Minesweeping (2021) (historynet.com)
When Germany deployed magnetic mines early in the war, Britain countered with aircraft that could explode them by mimicking a ship’s magnetic signature.

Military History, Aviation, Technology

35 points by fidotron 23 days ago | 2 comments

Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident (1943) (wikipedia.org)
The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident occurred on 20 December 1943, when, after a successful bomb run on Bremen, 2nd Lt. Charles "Charlie" Brown's B-17F Flying Fortress Ye Olde Pub of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was severely damaged by German fighters. Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler had the opportunity to shoot down the crippled bomber but did not do so, and instead escorted it over and past German-occupied territory so as to protect it.

Aviation, Military History, Germany, United States

66 points by smitty1e 43 days ago | 7 comments

WWI's 'Dazzle' Camouflage Seemed Effective Due to Unexpected Optical Trick (gizmodo.com)
During World War I, navies painted their ships in “dazzle” camouflage, also known as “razzle dazzle.” Unlike traditional camouflage, which helps objects blend into their surroundings, dazzle camouflage used stark geometric patterns to try to confuse German U-boat captains’ perception of a ship’s direction and speed, making it harder to target. But did the dazzle actually dazzle, or did it simply look ridiculous?

Camouflage, Military History, Optics

118 points by ilamont 48 days ago | 69 comments

Maintenance of two infamous guns: the AK-47 and the M16 (worksinprogress.co)
SOME OF THE MOST VALUED MANUALS focus on known weaknesses of the device in question. John Hall’s musket manual did that. So did John Muir’s VW manual. This digression-within-a-digression examines what was behind the most famous of all manuals dedicated solely to maintaining a flawed tool. It emerged from the Vietnam War and is one of the harshest maintenance dramas in history.

Military History, Weapons, Vietnam War

11 points by speckx 52 days ago | 0 comments

Navajo Code Talkers get DEI label as military info disappears under Trump order (msn.com)
Articles about the renowned Native American Code Talkers have disappeared from some military websites, with several broken URLs now labeled "DEI."

Military History, Politics, Digital Censorship, Information Access

40 points by moonlet 53 days ago | 6 comments

The Siege of Syracuse: A Roman General vs. a Greek Genius (2020) (historynet.com)
The Second Punic War, fought between ancient Rome and Carthage, is most well-known for the clashes of the legendary Hannibal with Roman commanders. An often-overlooked engagement during this war is the Siege of Syracuse, from 213-212 BC, which tested strategic military might against feats of engineering. This contest pitted Marcus Claudius Marcellus, a Roman general renowned for his power in single combat, against the Greek mathematical genius Archimedes.

Military History, Ancient History, Siege Warfare, Greece, Rome

6 points by walterbell 53 days ago | 3 comments

When Crocodiles Attack: The Ramree Island Massacre (2013) (atlasobscura.com)
During World War II, Ramree Island off the coast of Burma was the site of a number of military battles, but the truly terrifying action only began after the military maneuvers ended.

History, Military History, Burma

77 points by lifeisstillgood 63 days ago | 81 comments

War heroes are among 26K images flagged for removal in Pentagon purge (apnews.com)
WASHINGTON (AP) — References to a World War II Medal of Honor recipient, the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan and the first women to pass Marine infantry training are among the tens of thousands of photos and online posts marked for deletion as the Defense Department works to purge diversity, equity and inclusion content, according to a database obtained by The Associated Press.

Military History, Censorship, Politics

15 points by geox 63 days ago | 4 comments

Pompey's Greatest Show on Earth (historytoday.com)
In the autumn of 55 BC Pompey the Great, one of the most powerful generals of the Late Roman Republic, opened his brand new theatre.

Ancient Rome, History, Theater, Military History

7 points by diodorus 64 days ago | 2 comments

Harry Stewart, Jr., one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, dies at 100 (apnews.com)
Retired Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr, a decorated World War II pilot who broke racial barriers as a Tuskegee Airmen and earned honors for his combat heroism, has died. He was 100.

Military History, Obituaries

22 points by cf100clunk 87 days ago | 7 comments

Operation Leg – a pilot unlike any other (2020) (rafbf.org)
Douglas Bader was a Battle of Britain pilot unlike any other. Medically discharged against his will in 1932, the outbreak of the war was an opportunity for Bader to re-join the RAF and take back to the skies. Although hampered by the loss of his two legs, Bader was a remarkable pilot and, once captured by the German, a persistent escapee.

Military History, Aviation, Biography

175 points by FinnLobsien 102 days ago | 77 comments

The South Vietnamese pilot who landed a Cessna on a carrier to save his family (2019) (historynet.com)
As his country crumbled, a South Vietnamese pilot attempting a high-risk landing on the Midway depended on the ship’s quick-thinking crew to save his family from disaster.

Vietnam War, Military History, Aviation, Escape

374 points by stmw 103 days ago | 179 comments

Byzantine-Sassanian War (602-628 CE): The Last Great War of Antiquity (2023) (thecollector.com)
After many years of conflict, the Sassanians and Byzantines fought one last great war that nearly destroyed both empires.

Byzantine Empire, Sassanid Empire, Military History, Ancient History, War

136 points by teleforce 112 days ago | 83 comments

WWII pilot got a kill credit for downing an American plane (threadreaderapp.com)
With friendly fire incidents being so topical lately, I figured I would make a post about my favorite friendly fire incident of all time.

Aviation, Military History, History

4 points by LorenDB 127 days ago | 0 comments

W54 (wikipedia.org)
The W54 (also known as the Mark 54 or B54) was a tactical nuclear warhead developed by the United States in the late 1950s.

Nuclear Weapons, Military History, Cold War

46 points by thunderbong 142 days ago | 33 comments

Why Arabs Lose Wars (1999) (meforum.org)
Arabic-speaking armies have been generally ineffective in the modern era.

Military History, Middle East, Political Science

18 points by rndmize 204 days ago | 0 comments

How to Raise a Tribal Army in Pre-Roman Europe, Part II (acoup.blog)

History, Military History, Ancient History, Europe

65 points by Luc 328 days ago | 15 comments

Analysis of Greek prehistoric combat in full body armour based on physiology (plos.org)

Ancient Greece, Military History, Archaeology, Physiology, Combat

14 points by PaulHoule 344 days ago | 1 comments

The Star Destroyer and Imperial Military Doctrine (acoup.blog)

Star Wars, Military History, Strategy

146 points by throwup238 361 days ago | 40 comments

The Most Decorated Battleship in U.S. History Gets an Overdue Face-Lift (nytimes.com)