Curtiss SB2C Helldiver — The Big-Tailed Beast

In 1937, the Curtiss SBC Helldiver entered service, but even at that point, the carrier-based two-seat scout/dive bomber was on the verge of being obsolete. Interestingly, it was also the second aircraft produced by Curtiss-Wright to earn the designation “Helldiver” after the United States Ma...

By Peter Suciu

USS Saratoga: WWII Carrier Sunk by an Atom Bomb

The USS Saratoga (CV-3) was one of just three United States Navy aircraft carriers—along with USS Ranger (CV-4) and USS Enterprise (CV-6)—to survive the entirety of the Second World War. Although outdated by 1943, as the newer and more capable Essex-cla...

By Peter Suciu

USS Hornet (CV-12): Carrier that Stung Japan

The USS Hornet (CV-12) stands as one of the most storied aircraft carriers in United States naval history, playing a decisive role in World War II as part of the Essex-class fleet. From its origins as a replacement for the lost USS Hornet (CV-8) to its participa...

By Peter Suciu

X-Bow Debuts In-House Electronic Ignition Safety Device at Sea-Air-Space

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD., Apr. 20, 2026 8:00 AM EDT — X-Bow Systems Inc (X-Bow), the leading non-traditional producer of solid rocket motors (SRMs), sub-orbital launch solutions and defense technologies, today announced a significant industry milestone at the Sea-Air-Space Expo 2026: the succes...

By Eric G

Triumph and Tragedy: The USS Indianapolis

No one on board the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) knew anything about the cargo they were carrying. What they did know was that the veteran cruiser (launched in 1931) made the trip from San Francisco to the island of Tinian in the Marianas in just ten days. The crew was proud of the “Indy”, and fo...

By Tom Laemlein

Curtiss P-36 Hawk: Hero Plane of Pearl Harbor?

At the National Museum of the United States Air Force, many visitors will see an unfamiliar aircraft at the entrance to the WWII gallery. The museum’s display of the gleaming silver fighter coded “86” on the fuselage, features a pilot boarding the plane in his pajamas, with an M1911 pistol ...

By Tom Laemlein

Hideki Tojo: The Monster Behind Pearl Harbor

This content is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the express permission of GunsAmerica.com and BAAANG Media LLC. Hideki Tojo: The Monster Behind Pearl Harbor From samurai roots to the gallows, this is Hideki Tojo’s fanatic rise, failed suicide with an 8mm Nambu, and the wild “Rem...

By Will Dabbs

PSA Olcan Review: Why the 300 Blackout Bullpup Actually Makes Sense

The PSA Olcan in 300 Blackout is more than just a JAKL-based bullpup experiment. After range time, it looks like one of the strongest arguments yet for a compact, suppressor-friendly bullpup that regular shooters can actually afford.

By Hank Strange

Fate of the “Unsinkable” Japanese Battleship Yamato

During the Second World War, the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Yamato was feared due to its immense size and power. She was the most heavily armed battleship ever built, with nine 18.1-inch (460mm) main guns, the largest ever mounted on a warship. Each shell weighed nearly 1.5 tons and had a range i...

By Peter Suciu

Chesty Puller: Most Decorated U.S. Marine in History

Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller is the most decorated Marine in U.S. history and has been awarded the nation’s second-highest military award for valor six times, with five Navy Crosses and one Distinguished Service Cross. He fought guerrillas in the Haitian and Nicaraguan �...

By Friedrich Seiltgen
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