Gunfire at the Horizon
The oceanic game of tag turned extreme with WWII’s obscenely long-ranged naval guns—some could lob a shell nearly 30 miles with the accuracy of a sniper. Modern warfare’s “you can’t see me” battles once relied on lofty perches and plucky pilots in flimsy floatplanes to spot foes over the horizon. Current destroyers follow tradition, still able to send a “hello” 23 miles distant.