It isn’t everyday that an original World War II Enigma machine comes up for sale, most of the machines are now either in museums or private collections and owners are, understandably, exceedingly reticent to part with them. The story behind the Enigma needs no introduction, the small mechanical devices were ingenious and it took the…
The North American P-51 Mustang was a masterpiece of American engineering that was designed and built on an extremely short timeline – only 102 days passed from commissioning the project to delivery of the first prototype and the P-51 first flew 47 days after its initial roll out on the 26th of October 1940. What…
Flak – Evading Anti-Aircraft Fire is an official training film from the Second World War that taught pilots how to evade and otherwise deal with flak – from Europe to the Pacific and everywhere in between. Anti-aircraft weaponry has existed since very shortly after the first aircraft were militarised and WWII is widely considered the…
The Marder 1A3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle is a German armoured personal carrier that’s been in development since 1960, the 1A3 version is the most common and includes a slew of improvements over the original 1A1 – not the least of which is the ability to withstand 30mm cannon fire. The Marder can hold 12 infantrymen…
The Willys Jeep is a vehicle that I’d love to see make a comeback, the relatively small form factor of the design coupled with its mechanical simplicity makes it a fantastic four-wheeler for all manner of off road escapades. Of course there’s no way an original specification Jeep could be manufactured nowadays with emissions regulations,…
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is an unusually named aircraft with a unusual set of abilities, it was designed in 1935 to fill an order for the US Navy who were seeking a flying boat for use in the Pacific – it was a surprisingly prophetic order and the Catalina would see intensive use throughout the Pacific (and…
Hidden Warbirds II is the much anticipated follow-up to the hugely popular book Hidden Warbirds by aviation historian Nicholas A. Veronico. This new book is a continuation of Nicholas’ work chasing down and recovering aircraft from WWII, the stories, photography and historical information make these two books exceptionally good reads – especially if you’re fascinated by…
It isn’t every day you get the chance to buy a fully functioning M37 Tank with a 105mm Howitzer and a .50cal M2HB machine gun – both of which are 100% operational. The idea of owning a mobile Howitzer will be immediately attractive to anyone who finds the steering wheel mounted horn insufficient when dealing…
The Harley-Davidson WLA is one of the most important models ever made by the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer, it saw a production run of over 90,000 units during the Second World War and earned itself the nickname “The Liberator” during the latter part of the war, when Allied forces were chasing the German armed forces…
The classic telemeter chronograph wristwatch isn’t quite as common now as it used to be, for the uninitiated the red dial on the watch face is the telemeter scale, it functions as a method of measuring distance using the second hand of the watch to monitor time. The telemeter has a multitude of measuring…
Oil & Blood is a small gear manufacturer based in Las Vegas, it’s owned and operated by Steve Carter and Luke Andrews, two native sons of Sin City who are passionate about motorcycles and handmade gear. The backpack you see here is one of their most popular products, it’s designed in the style of the…
The Cammenga® 27 Phosphorescent Compass is a traditional, military-style compass for people who think GPS navigation is for old ladies, Prius drivers and ICBMs. The compass has a lightweight aluminium-cast housing, it’s waterproof and has long-lasting phosphorescent self-illumination. If you’ve been looking for a compass that’ll still work after the collapse of modern civilisation, this…
