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A US Marine M2 Flamethrower operator from the 5th Marines Division attacks a camouflaged Japanese pillbox on Iwo Jima, February, 1945. The US Marines used the M2 Flamethrower extensively throughout their "island hopping" campaign, and it helped win many of the tough battles the Marines found themselves in. Even though the M2 Flamethrower was incredibly heavy, bulky, and awkward to operate. On Iwo Jima the sand was almost impossible to run in, and with a massive flamethrower on your back it was like walking in thick mud. It made the men a massive, slow, and easy target for the Japanese gunners. None the less, they were imperative for the success of the battles, allowing the Marines to clear out the extensive networks of caves, pillboxes, and tunnels without having to actually go inside. Going inside these places meant almost certain death: they were dark, confusing, and filled with hundreds of booby traps. AMAZON PRIME VIDEO WATCH NOW World War II Total War One Marine fla...

Dresden Bombings The Dresden bombings of February 1945 were barbaric and ruthless, and by many are regarded a war crime. Many fail to see a strategic target in Dresden, whereas others see the railways and production facilities as good reason for the bombing. The historic city up to 1945 had hardly been touched by allied bombing, and not knowing this was due to bomber and escort range issues, the local party leader had suspected it was due to the historical side and beauty of Dresden, and that it was preserved due to its relatively low input into the German war effort. The locals who, comparatively to residents of North West Germany, had had an easy wartime, were not used to air raid procedures or locations to shelter. Due to the aforementioned reasons, the local leader had put a low importance on shelters and anti-air defences. Between the 13th and 15th of February, over 2,000 allied planes flew over Dresden at a loss of 7 bombers. Hundreds of thousands of incendiary bombs were dropped...