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

What’s a Roach Belly?

In this article, Randall Wilson reviews the Cold Steel Roach Belly knife. Odd name notwithstanding, the knife proved to be an excellent choice at a great price. The knife is personally owned by the author and is from his collection. Born in the late 1800s, my grandad was a sea captain. What gear ...

By Randall Wilson