World War II is one of the most well-documented historical events, but there are still some images you might not have seen. These recently unearthed photographs of the iconic battles and soldiers on the base show what life was really like for these soldiers. Whether they're flying high in the sky or lying low in the trenches, these are some never-before-seen pictures of one of history's darkest times...

Pappy's Pram

In this picture, five men pose in front of an airplane named Pappy's Pram before they head off to the skies. There is nothing known about the men in this photograph, aside from what happened after. They suffered a light crash landing aboard the aircraft carrier Enterprise CV-6. This all went down in the US Navy's Pacific Fleet maneuvers back in the 1940s...

American Serviceman

This moving image has a lot of mystery attached to it. The exact location of the photograph's setting is unknown. However, there is one thing known about it. The picture above was allegedly taken in May of 1944 somewhere in a small Italian village. The American Servicemen riding through the town has never been named, but he surely remembers this view... 

British and African Soldiers

This image is not what you might think. Here, British and African soldiers who have joined forces hold up a Nazi flag after a successful operation and the defeat of the other side. In the background, the bulldozers are moving debris to clear paths in the rubble. What a powerful image for a very terrifying set of circumstances. These soldiers were so brave...

Up In the Skies

In April 1944, like a swarm of bees, the planes are launching from the USS Lexington (CV-16). They are leaving the flight deck, which is a place where planes land and take-off. These planes were about to head off toward New Guinea. Aircraft missions were essential to the winning of the war and the defeat of the German armies. Thankfully, these airplanes did their duty. 

Hidden Explosives

Here, a U.S. Army combat engineer is pictured placing something truly explosive inside an empty tank. The estimated half-pound of cans contain TNT explosives. They are being tucked away under an abandoned German Tiger heavy tank. It is approximated that this photo was taken during the Battle of El Guettar, Tunisia. Based on that, it is dated April of 1943.

Ammo Dump

In 1944, ammunition dumps were commonplace. Here, a couple of American servicemen are pictured moving a single large bomb at an ammunition dump. Recently, an entire village in Switzerland was forced to move due to the remnants of an ammunition dump. The clean up for the dump is estimated to take nearly a decade before the residents can return to their homes...

Dauntless

Pictured here is a close-up and visually rare image of the US Navy Douglas SBD (SBD stands for slow but deadly). The plane is known as the 'Dauntless'. Here, it is photographed while the flight is en route to Palau. During this flight, there was a surprise air raid attack. The picture is dated to be taken on March 30th of 1944. It could reach up to 225 mph and had a massive wingspan. 

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

This might look like a close up of a mushroom, but it's actually something pretty terrible. Pictured here is the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki using atomic weaponry. The US is the only country to ever use an atomic bomb in warfare, and since it has been led to widespread criticism for the decision. The death toll exceeded 200,000 altogether...

London Bridge

During the WWII era, the London Bridge endured some serious damages. Many believed it would fall down any day. Even though it went through quite a bit of warfare, it survived the entire battle. After some minor fix-ups, repairs, and light maintenance, it was restored to its full former glory. That's showing some seriously marvelous engineering that it never fell.

Moving to America

Here, captured Germans are taken through the streets after losing a battle. Surprisingly, some of them took to American life after the war ended. Over 5,000 of the prisoners later joined American civilization for themselves. Thousands more returned just to visit their past lives. They had a lot of high praise for the cultural American way of life...

St. Lo France

St. Lo, France is the site of all this chaotic damage from the war. The buildings were reduced to bits and pieces of what used to be several homes. Thousands of lives were ruined in the wake of the tragedy. This particular image was captured on the day after D-Day. D-Day was the cause of death for thousands of Americans who experienced the battle...

USS Arizona

The USS Arizona endured quite a terrible historical event. The boat was brutally bombed four separate times by the Japanese military until it finally sank to the depths of the ocean. Onboard, about 1177 shipmen lost their lives. Today, The USS Arizona still rests at the bottom of the harbor, and some say the seas surrounding it are haunted by the crewmen...

Retaken Town

Moving through the ruins of a recently retaken French town, one of these tanks was pulled out of service during the war. The American soldiers successfully seized the town. In the background, the wounded and bloodied body of a fallen American soldier is given quick medical attention by two army doctors while the terrible battle wages on around them...

St. Lucia Fountain

Next to the St. Lucia Fountain in Italy, a group of American soldiers parked their tanks. This fountain is one of the most famous locations in all of Italy. The landmark stood standing through a myriad of disasters much like World War II. Surprisingly, it is still standing today and remains one of the most historically significant structures in the whole entire nation...

Battle of El Guettar

This photograph was taken at the Battle of El Guettar. These soldiers made efforts to conceal their identity while out on the front lines. To utilize the element of surprise, these soldiers prioritized camouflage in order to blend in with their sandy and beige environment. The encampment can then wait and watch for the enemy while staying safe on their own side...

Slow Down

Being at war means that sometimes you have to get creative with your tactics. When a group of Germans was quickly approaching the American soldiers, they had to act fast. Thinking on their feet, they decided to explore a nearby bridge that the Germans would need to cross to reach them. It wasn't great for infrastructure, but it worked at the time!

Coca-Cola Plant

Coca-Cola has been around for a long time. Posing in Saipan, the men in the front of the build are most likely American GIs who are accompanied by embarrassed Japanese prisoners of war. These prisoners were believed to be conscripted to help set up the building, though they likely did not enjoy the process nearly as much as the American soldiers did...

Yokohama, Japan

War tends to be glorified in images and videos, but people often forget the many livelihoods and human beings that are put at stake. Here, a Japanese man kneels by the wreckage of where his home once stood. In Yokohama, Japan, he expected to live a nice, normal, and peaceful life. However, the terrors of war tore his life apart too soon for him to experience it. 

Siege of Leningrad

This is a ghastly image depicting the Siege of Leningrad. The Siege Of Leningrad caused an estimated total of 1.5 million deaths during the two year period. This is largely due to the lack of food and water provided. Now known as Saint Petersburg, this military blockade became one of the longest and most destructive in all of human history. It is sometimes considered its own genocide. 

Saving Space

World War II was considered to be huge money guzzling machine for almost every nation. Afterward, anything that had been used previously was reused and then reused again. For instance, several war-torn airplanes were destroyed and used to repair other planes. This was a concerted effort to maximize the number of working planes by being creative with the scraps. 

French Refugees

While desperate for safety, many French citizens were forced underground to avoid capture and death from outside forces. These escapees were encamped in a quarry. LIkely, the Germans were above the ground searching for refugees after they invaded France. It was a very scary time for people who were expecting to live a normal life. This lifestyle was anything but...

Hitler's Bunker

For over a decade, Berghof was Hitler's secret mountain hideaway. Sometimes referred to as the Eagle's Nest, the location also served as one of his military headquarters during World War II. There is also some packed history behind these walls. In this house, Hitler and his wife took their own lives to avoid being secured by American troops. His reign of terror ended here. 

Enola Gay

his Boeing B-29 Super-fortress Bomber is quite a force to be reckoned with. First of all, it dropped the first of the two deadly atomic bombs used during the war. Both of these bombs were detonated in Japan. As you might already know, the first bomb dropped was released on Hiroshima and the second was on Nagasaki. Enola Gay was the plane's title, named after the pilot's mother. 

Gasoline Prep

In this photograph, a young soldier is preparing gasoline for the attack on D-Day. The attack was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Allied forces banned together to invade northern France by landing on the beaches in Normandy. About 156,000 English, American, and Candian forces landed on the 50-mile beach to regain control. It was very pivotal to the war. 

Eating during the war was a difficult but necessary endeavor, as pictured here. These soldiers decided to dine atop giant boxes of ammunition. This photo was taken in 1944, just before the forces began preparations for the D-Day invasion of France. Their meals seem to be balanced. Hopefully, they included proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, and hydration before the big day. 

After World War II ended, many beautiful German towns were destroyed by the battles. Here, Heilbronn was demolished and reduced to wreckage. Today, Heilbronn is the sixth-largest city in the state with 123,000 residents. It is known for its bustling wine industry. Due to a myriad of economic reasons, many companies opened offices in Heilbronn after WWII.

Hiroshima Aftermath

Hiroshima perished in the wake of the war. Hiroshima was practically obliterated after the US military detonated an atomic bomb over the city, killing thousands and radiating nuclear energy on to residents for several years afterward. About 140,000 people died from the bombings and 70% of the buildings were destroyed. Hiroshima hasn't been the same since...

Fine Dining

When going into battle, make sure to have a balanced breakfast. Taken prior to the Battle of Normandy, this photographed smiling soldier sat down to enjoy his meal. The menu consisted of some mashed potatoes, roasted chicken, a piece of bread, and a pineapple slice. He sat on ammunition shells and ate off of them too. He looks pretty happy about it though...

Women And Children

Though women and children are often the first to receive protection in uncertain times, sometimes the situation cannot be helped. Here, a group of Parisian mothers tries to shield their children from incoming German attacks. While everyone was trying to be helped, it was clear that children took precedent over all else. So many little lives were saved by mothers...

Extensive Damage

In this photograph, you can spy three different US army soldiers as they carefully inspect an extensively damaged and abandoned tank. The tank is likely property of the German army, left to the open when attacks came in. Wartimes meant that many supplies such as these were reused and recycled for the benefit of the effort. They probably reused this tank...

Fallen Aircrafts

Aircrafts were extremely vital to the war effort. Pictured here is just one of the 94,000 planes that the US military lost during the air fights of World War II. Germany, by comparison, lost 76,000 planes. Additionally, the Soviet Union lost over 106,000 planes. It seems that no one left this war completely unscathed. Much of these airplanes were recycled into other airplanes. 

Many thousands of lives were lost in World War II. An American soldier was photographed here paying his respects to a fallen friend. This fellow soldier had been buried by the enemy, with only a name and a helmet to identify him. When soldiers recognized the display, it was promptly decorated to show their respect for their deceased brother in arms, duly missed by those left behind. 

Plane Wreckage

Several bodies went unidentifiable after the war was over. For example, this mystery pilot was left unknown but clearly suffered. His fiery fate came to fruition when his plane was attacked and brought down by nonstop gunfire. It uncertain whether this was a German or American pilot, but the disheveled and torn remains show the extent of the burning.

Tracer Targets

Tracers were a huge part of winning the war, but not many people know about their existence. These bullets were equipped with illuminating qualities. These bright lights were meant to assist the pilot in determining if the proposed target was actually hit or not. However clever, they were often inaccurate. If only one tracer hit the given target, about 80% of the normal bullets would fly by.

Engaging Entertainment

Just because you're overseas, does not mean you are denied the gift of entertainment, as you can see in this photograph. During the war, tired soldiers welcomed any possible breaks from the battling and trauma. Soviet troops in this picture enjoyed a generous performance by some gymnasts. The performers improvised a stage on top of a tank and put on a show for the troops. 

Women's Work

When the men went to war, the women went to work. World War II was the unexpected star of a huge social movement. While the men were overseas fighting, many women left their home life for the first time. They took on the vacant jobs that men left behind. It was considered to be a civic duty back then. Additionally, these manly jobs paid 40% more than their typical housework.

French Gratitude

Thanks to the battle of Normandy and D-Day, France was finally successfully liberated from German forces. Many of the French people were deeply grateful for this regaining of their freedom. Pictured in this photograph, several crowds of French people rushed into the streets to greet American soldiers and express their thanks for the assistance in gaining the victory.

Roza Shanina

You might not know the name, but you probably should. Roza Shanina barely 19-years old before she had over 59 confirmed kills for the Soviet Union. The young girl was a prolific sniper in the Russian Army but died when she was only 20-years old. She was once considered to be the "unseen terror of East Prussia" on account of her impeccable gunmanship skills. 

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The well-known B-17 Flying Fortress was not a machine to be messed with. The airplane was capable of carrying about 8,000 pounds of deadly bombs on some short-range missions, and about 4,000 pounds of explosives on longer missions. It is the third most-produced bomber of all time, ranking behind the four-engined B-24 and twin-engined Ju-88.

Fat Man

Clear the way, we got a fat man coming through! A "fat man" was any one of these massive, teardrop-shaped bombs.  Though it was a generic and general name for the troops, it is best remembered by most to be the type of atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. These deadly and massive bombs weighed well over 10,000 pounds and were over 3 meters long. 

Bright Lights

Sometimes you've got to get pretty creative if you want to stay safe. When Algeria was facing threats of bombers flying overhead, they decided to find a way to protect themselves. To do so, the anti-aircraft guns would illuminate the sky at night and irritate the vision of any flyers overhead. It wasn't the craziest idea, but it certainly kept the people safe...

Plane Repair

With a damaged airplane, some adjustments have to be made. For example, the pilot of this aircraft had to land his American P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane in a pretty strange location...a makeshift airfield in the deep countryside. Quickly conducting some necessary repairs just after the invasion of Normandy, the crew is ready to take to the skies again. This was taken in August 1944...

Stolen Soldiers

Many soldiers died on the battlefield, but some were actually captured by the enemy.  The fate of over 120,000 US soldiers was being taken as a prisoner of war by the opposing side. In this photo, these emaciated people are actually captured American prisoners of war. They sit inside a dingy and dirty room as they await their fate at the mercy of their captors...

German POWs

In this photograph, some somber German soldiers stand in front of their satisfied American captors. These men were captured on French soil during the Normandy D-Day invasion of 1944. Surprisingly, German captures who were taken to America spoke well of their time in the country. The many captured soldier emigrated to the States after the war ended...

Burning Plane

Making its way toward Makin Island in the South Pacific on November 10, 1943, this burning plane landed on the USS Enterprise. The plane, a lit Grumman F6F Hellcat (VF-2), narrowly took the life of Lt. Walter L. Chewning, Jr who can be seen climbing down the side of the plane. Chewning climbed up there to help save Ensign Byron M. Johnson, the pilot of the plane. 

Pillboxes

Pillboxes were nothing like what the name suggests. They were in fact discrete concrete guard posts featuring slots or holes. Through these, short-range weapons could be fired without risking fireback. This photo depicts a German pillbox that has suffered some massive structural damage. This wreckage most likely came from an American tank firing at it. 

Front Line Fighters

Convicts in Russia often got the short end of the stick when it came to the battlefield. When moving through open fields, Russian armies would commonly force convicts to walk ahead of the soldiers and other fighters. Tragically, this is often how the convicts lost their lives. The Russian army would then be able to move forward with their best men still alive...

Battle of Berlin

Here, Soviet soldiers took their flag and raised it over Reichstag, which had been bombed to oblivion. This historic photo was taken on April 30, 1945, during the infamous Battle of Berlin. Weirdly, this is not the original image. Originally, the photographer removed the watches on their wrists, due to the fact that these were looted from dead German soldiers.

American Treasure

This has become one of the most famous images from World War II. Taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima, this image is a pride of American culture. Taken by photographer Joe Rosenthal, this iconic image is one of the most copied, reproduced, and recreated images in all of history. Three of the six men hoisting the flag in this photo died in the battle...

Liberation From Auschwitz

Auschwitz was one of the many camps that Jewish people were forced into during the war. The Soviet Union freed 7,600 Jewish detainees from this camp on January 27th, 1945. As they finally exit, they walked underneath the sign that reads, loosely translated, "Work Brings Freedom." Sadly, the Soviets also discovered the depth of the camps when they found mounds of bodies. 

Taxi to Hell

This eerie photograph is titled "Taxis to Hell- and Back- Into the Jaws of Death." It wasn't taken by a risky photographer though. During Operation Overlord, Robert F. Sargent was the one to snap this famous photograph. His role was the United States Coast Guard chief petty officer as well as the "photography mate." He never knew this picture would impact history...

Warsaw Ghettos

The invasion of Poland saw many deaths of Jewish people. Over 400,000 Jewish Poles were trapped within only a square mile of Warsaw. Sealed off by brick walls, barbed wire, and a small army of guards, Warsaw became a ghetto by 1940. Eastern Europe soon became littered with other ghettos like this. Though some attempted revolt, they were mostly helpless to the forces. 

Tuskagee Airmen

In this photograph, the group that would soon become the Tuskegee Airmen are pictured. They later became the first black military aviators. It was with their help that the US became such a powerful force. It also eventually helped promote the integration of the U.S. military. As the war progressed, the inclusion of other races was forced upon leaders and militaries...

Working Hard

The photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White was one of the earliest photographers hired for Life Magazine, so it's no surprise that she captured such an iconic image of women working in factories after men went to war. Margaret later became the first woman to be permitted to work in combat zones during the war and the first female war journalist. Now that's girl power...

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor was one of the darkest days in American history. After this, Roosevelt declared war on Japan and officially entered World War II. Germany and Italy, allies of Japan, then declared war against the USA. This prompted Congress to declare war on the European powers and put America back in the hot spot for battle. Over 2,400 Americans died in Pearl Harbor. 

Higgins Boat

The Higgins Boat was a type of ship used in the battle known as D-Day. The landing craft allowed easy escape from the ship, making it hugely important when the soldiers rushed to the beaches. Their design completely changed the way war was fought on the sea. One Marine Corps historian wrote, "It is impossible to overstate the tactical advantages this craft gave U.S. amphibious commanders in World War Two."

Soldier's Kiss

Taken in Time Square on Victory against Japan Day, one photographer named Alfred Eisenstaedt caught this moment between a returned soldier and a mystery woman. Once he saw her, he immediately grabbed and kissed her. While extremely well known, this photo has also stirred up quite a lot of controversy since the woman, Greta Zimmer Friedman, never knew the man.  

Ford Island

Amid wrecked planes on the Ford Island seaplane base, American soldiers stood watching as the USS Shaw met its final fate. The ship had exploded from bombs dropped by the Japanese. This is one of the many perspectives seen on the fated day of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. It occurred in the early Sunday morning at 8 A.M, waking soldiers in the worst way. 

Young Soldier

Injured while storming Omaha Beach on D-Day, these US army soldiers sat to recover after the landings in Normandy, France. Taken on June 6, 1944, none of the men in this photograph have ever been identified. It's unknown whether they lived to tell their stories, or perished in the battles. Not many people left the fighting unscathed, several retained injuries for years. 

Writing on Bombs

Obviously, there was a lot of contempt for the enemy. Here, a group of Soviet and American soldiers sit side by side with the bombs the wrote on, addressed to the Axis Powers. One soldier poses with a bomb that reads: "To the Axis, from U.S.S.R and U.S.A." Soviets and Americans were bounded by their distrust and hate for Germany during this unsettling time.