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Who was Ma Ning (1922-2010)?

Introduction Ma Ning (Chinese: 马宁; 1922 – 3 December 2010) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and major general of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). A decorated army veteran of the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War, he transferred to the Air Force after being handicapped by battle wounds. He trained to… Read More

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Who was Zakhar Sorokin (1917-1978)?

Introduction Zakhar Artyomovich Sorokin (Russian: Захар Артёмович Сорокин; 17 March [O.S. 04 March] 1917 to 19 March 1978) was a Soviet fighter pilot and flying ace who flew in combat with prosthetic feet from 1943 to 1945, having lost his feet to frostbite in 1941 after crashing in tundra in his MiG-3. He was awarded… Read More

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Who was Aleksey Maresyev (1916-2001)

Introduction Aleksey Petrovich Maresyev (Russian: Алексей Петрович Маресьев; 20 May 1916 to 18 May 2001) was a Soviet and Russian military pilot who became a Soviet fighter ace during World War II despite becoming a double amputee. Biography Before joining the army in 1937 Maresyev worked as a turner and then participated in the construction… Read More

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What is the Chesney Gold Medal?

Introduction The Chesney Gold Medal is an award given by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) awarded to “any especially eminent work calculated to advance the military sciences and knowledge”. The following people have received the Chesney Gold Medal: This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesney_Gold_Medal >; it is used under… Read More

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Who was Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914)?

Introduction Alfred Thayer Mahan (27 September 1840 to 01 December 1914) was a United States naval officer and historian, whom John Keegan called “the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century.” His book The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660–1783 (1890) won immediate recognition, especially in Europe, and with its successor, The Influence… Read More

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Who was Victor Jones?

Introduction Lieutenant Colonel Victor Harry Jones OBE (b. 1898) was a British intelligence officer and “visual deception” expert during the Second World War. First serving with the 14th/20th King’s Hussars in the First World War, he made a name for himself during the North African campaign of the Second World War by using dummy tanks… Read More