David Heffernan

Britain avoided a direct Nazi invasion in the course of the Second World War. The country was certainly dreadfully impacted upon. The Blitz saw an intensive aerial bombardment of the country by Germany between the autumn of 1940 and the summer of 1941, while intermittent bombings and rocket strikes continued through to 1945. Similarly the […]

During the course of the Second World War there were many attempts to assassinate both the head of the German Reich, Adolf Hitler, and several other leading members of the Nazi regime. For instance, at least three different assassination attempts were planned for when the German chancellor visited Poland in March 1943. Most famously, a […]

The Pacific War is remarkable as a theatre of the Second World War in which almost none of the fighting occurred on the sovereign territory of the two main actors, the Empire of Japan and the United States of America. Most of the fighting actually took place in regions such as Midway Island, Guam, the […]

Of all the fronts in the Second World War that in North Africa was the most evenly contested between the Allies and the Axis Powers in the early years of the Second World War. Where Germany had quickly overrun Poland in 1939 and then Denmark, Norway, the Low Countries and France in 1940, the war […]

Many people are familiar with the attempt which was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler by a cohort of German army officers led by Claus von Stauffenberg on the 20th of July 1944. The plan, if successful, would have led to a coup d’état, whereby the army would have seized power from the Nazis and endeavoured […]

A great many raids were carried out by British forces during the course of the Second World War, all across Europe and wider afield. However, one of these raids has a claim to being the most successful British commando raid ever undertaken during the whole war. This was Operation Claymore, struck against German naval and […]

The True Story of the Attempted Escape from Stalag Luft III (24–25 March 1944) Ever since 1963 western film-viewers have been aware of the infamous break-out of Allied prisoners-of-war from the Stammlager Luft III POW camp in south-western Poland. Yet while The Great Escape starring Steve McQueen served to immortalise a version of the story, […]

The Bruneval Raid (February 27–28th, 1942) The Second World War witnessed the first widespread use of paratroopers as military units. The first military parachute jump had actually been carried out by the Italians in the final weeks of the First World War, but this was from a low altitude and the concept did not enter […]

The Doolittle Raid (April 18th, 1942) Some military engagements result in victories which are of little strategic military value for the winning side, but which are of immense benefit for the morale and psychology of the victors. Few operations were as significant in this respect as what has become known as the Doolittle Raid. This […]