Military Battle Zone

Matthias Soh

  • German Goliath tracked mine WW2

    Also known as the “Doodlebug” or “Beetle” by Allied troops, the Sd. Kfz 302 and 303 Leichter Ladungstrager “Goliath” was a miniature, remotely controlled tracked mine that carried a 60kg explosive charge used for detonating various strongpoints or disrupt enemy… Continue reading

  • Anti-tank dogs of WW2

    During the Second World War, there were many ways to destroy a tank: anti-tank guns, rifles, grenades, and artillery, but dogs? Yes, the Soviet Red Army did use dogs strapped with an incendiary device weighing 10-12kg to disable and destroy… Continue reading

  • Monkeys used in warfare (Song dynasty)

    Many animals, like horses and elephants, in war were commonly used as war mounts for maneuver or ramming into enemy formations. However, some animals like monkeys are used for more unconventional means. For example, it was claimed that during the… Continue reading

  • Irish boy letter to Lord Kitchener 1914

    This letter is written by a 9 year old Irish boy, Alfie Knight, to the British Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, who wants to volunteer for the British army as a dispatch rider, despite his adolescent age. Alfie… Continue reading

  • Crater fields in No man’s land by Otto Dix

    This painting or sketch was drawn by a WW1 German veteran, Otto Dix, as part of his 1924 monumental portfolio “Der Krieg,” showing a vast, barren field pockmarked with artillery shell craters that evokes the vibe of a hellish lunar… Continue reading

  • WW1 calvary charge at Mons

    This painting depicts the charge of the British 9th Lancers at the battle of Mons, 24th August 1914 during the First World War. The Battle of Mons, Belgium, was the first engagement between the British BEF (British Expeditionary Force) and… Continue reading

  • A 2000 yard stare: Peleliu 1944

    This painting is drawn by an American LIFE magazine artist, Thomas Lea, depicting a US Marine suffering from shell shock in the hellish battleground of Peleliu. Thomas is a war correspondent who accompanied and documented Allied troops in North Africa,… Continue reading

  • Sinking of HMS Hood by J.C Schmitz Westerholdt 24th May 1941

    Here is a painting by J.C. Schmitz Westerholdt depicting the sinking of HMS Hood (in the background) beside HMS Prince of Wales (Foreground) during the Battle of Denmark Strait, 24th May 1941. Operation Rheniubung (Rhine Exercise) was a planned sortie… Continue reading

  • General Eisenhower’s letter to troops before D-Day 6 June 1944

    Here is a letter written by Supreme Commander General Dwight D Eisenhower to the troops of the allied invasion force before Operation Overlord on June 6th, 1944. Famously known as D-Day or the battle of Normandy, the allied operation was… Continue reading

  • Australian soldier’s letter to his daughter 1942, New Guinea

    The letter below was written by a young Australian soldier named John Bryne to his 2-year-old daughter on 21st October 1942 in New Guinea during the Pacific War. The Papua New Guinea Campaign began with the Japanese invasion of the… Continue reading