Introduction Richard Ira Bong (24 September 1920 to 06 August 1945) was a United States Army Air Forces major and Medal of Honour recipient in World War II. He was one of the most decorated American fighter pilots and the country’s top flying ace in the war, credited with shooting down 40 Japanese aircraft, all… Read More
Introduction Hugo Schmeisser (24 September 1884 – 12 September 1953) was a German developer of 20th century infantry weapons. Schmeisser was born in Jena, Thuringia. His father, Louis Schmeisser (1848-1917), was one of the best-known weapons designers in Europe. The life and work of Hugo Schmeisser mostly took place in the weapons manufacturing city of… Read More
Events 994 – Major Fatimid victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of the Orontes. 1762 – Seven Years’ War: Battle of Signal Hill. 1776 – American Revolutionary War: British forces land at Kip’s Bay during the New York Campaign. 1794 – French Revolutionary Wars: Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) sees his first… Read More
Introduction Werner Voss (German: Werner Voß; 13 April 1897 to 23 September 1917) was a World War I German flying ace credited with 48 aerial victories. A dyer’s son from Krefeld, he was a patriotic young man even while still in school. He began his military career in November 1914 as a 17‑year‑old Hussar. After… Read More
Introduction William Frederick Stone (23 September 1900 to 10 January 2009) was one of the last five surviving First World War veterans who served in the United Kingdom’s armed forces and one of the last two surviving seamen worldwide, along with Claude Choules. They were also the last two to have also served in the… Read More
Introduction Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 to 01 February 1957) was a German field marshal during World War II who is best known for commanding the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 to February 1943). The battle ended in disaster for the Wehrmacht when Soviet forces encircled the Germans within… Read More
Introduction The Vela incident, also known as the South Atlantic Flash, was an unidentified double flash of light detected by an American Vela Hotel satellite on 22 September 1979 near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean. The cause of the flash remains officially unknown, and some information about the event remains classified by… Read More
Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute 