Weapons of World War II - The Technology of Warfare

Weapons of World War II - The Technology of Warfare World War II Leaders People | World War II 101 Weapons of World War II It is often said that few things advance technology and innovation as quickly as war. World War II was no different as each side worked tirelessly to develop more advanced and powerful weapons. During the course of the fighting, the Axis and Allies created increasingly more advanced aircraft which culminated in the worlds first jet fighter, the Messerschmitt Me262. On the ground, highly effective tanks such as the Panther and T-34 came to rule the battlefield, while at sea equipment such as sonar helped negate the U-boat threat while aircraft carriers came to rule the waves. Perhaps most significantly, the United States became the first to develop nuclear weapons in the form of the Little Boy bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima. Aircraft - Bombers Photo Gallery: World War II Bombers Avro Lancaster - Great Britain Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress - United States Boeing B-29 Superfortress - United States Bristol Blenheim - Great Britain Consolidated B-24 Liberator - United States Curtiss SB2C Helldiver - United States De Havilland Mosquito - Great Britain Douglas SBD Dauntless - United States Douglas TBD Devastator - United States Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger - United States Heinkel He 111 - Germany Junkers Ju 87 Stuka - Germany Junkers Ju 88 - Germany Martin B-26 Marauder - United States Mitsubishi G3M Nell - Japan Mitsubishi G4M Betty Japan North American B-25 Mitchell - United States Aircraft - Fighters Photo Gallery: American Fighters of World War II Bell P-39 Airacobra - United States Brewster F2A Buffalo - United States Bristol Beaufighter - Great Britain Chance Vought F4U Corsair - United States Curtiss P-40 Warhawk - United States Focke-Wulf Fw 190 - Germany Gloster Meteor - Great Britain Grumman F4F Wildcat - United States Grumman F6F Hellcat - United States Hawker Hurricane - Great Britain Hawker Tempest - Great Britain Hawker Typhoon - Great Britain Heinkel He 162 - Germany Heinkel He 219 Uhu - Germany Heinkel He280 - Germany Lockheed P-38 Lightning - United States Messerschmitt Bf109 - Germany Messerschmitt Bf110 - Germany Messerschmitt Me262 - Germany Mitsubishi A6M Zero - Japan North American P-51 Mustang - United States Northrop P-61 Black Widow - United States Republic P-47 Thunderbolt - United States Supermarine Spitfire - Great Britain Armor A22 Churchill Tank - Great Britain M4 Sherman Tank - United States M26 Pershing Tank - United States Panther Tank - Germany Ordnance QF 25-pounder Field Gun - Great Britain Little Boy Atomic Bomb - United States Tiger Tank - Germany Warships Admiral Graf Spee - Pocket Battleship/Heavy Cruiser - Germany - Pocket Battleship/Heavy Cruiser - Germany Akagi - Aircraft Carrier - Japan USS Alabama (BB-60) - Battleship - United States USS Arizona (BB-39) - Battleship - United States USS  Arkansas (BB-33) - Battleship - United States HMS Ark Royal - Aircraft Carrier - Great Britain USS Bataan (CVL-29) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS (CVL-24) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS (CV-20) - Aircraft Carrier - United States Bismarck - Battleship - Germany USS ​Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Cabot (CVL-28) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS  California (BB-44) - Battleship - United States USS Colorado (BB-45) -   Battleship - United States USS Enterprise (CV-6) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Essex (CV-9) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Franklin (CV-13) - Aircarft Carrier - United States USS Hancock (CV-19) - Aircraft Carrier - United States Haruna - Battleship - Japan HMS Hood - Battlecruiser - Great Britain USS Hornet (CV-8) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Hornet (CV-12) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS  Idaho (BB-42) - Battleship - United States USS Independence (CVL-22) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Indiana (BB-58) - Battleship - United States USS Indianapolis (CA-35) - Cruiser - United States USS Intrepid (CV-11) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Iowa (BB-61) - Battleship - United States USS Langley (CVL-27) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Lexington (CV-2) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Lexington (CV-16) - Aircraft Carrier - United States Liberty Ships - United States USS Maryland (BB-46) - Battleship - United States USS Massachusetts (BB-59) - Battleship - United States USS  Mississippi (BB-41) - Battleship - United States USS Missouri (BB-63) - Battleship - United States HMS Nelson - Battleship - Great Britain USS Nevada (BB-36) - Battleship - United States USS New Jersey (BB-62) - Battleship - United States USS  New Mexico (BB-40) - Battleship - United State USS  New York (BB-34) - Battleship - United States USS North Carolina (BB-55) - Battleship - United States USS  Oklahoma (BB-37) - Battleship - United States USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) - Battleship - United States USS Princeton (CVL-23) - Aircraft Carrier - United States PT-109 - PT Boat - United States USS Randolph (CV-15) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Ranger (CV-4) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Saratoga (CV-3) - Aircraft Carrier - United States Scharnhorst - Battleship/Battlecruiser - Germany USS Shangri-La (CV-38) - United States USS South Dakota - Battleship - United States USS  Tennessee (BB-43) - Battleship - United States USS  Texas (BB-35) - Battleship - United States USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) - Aircraft Carrier - United States Tirpitz - Battleship - Germany USS Washington (BB-56) - Battleship - United States HMS Warspite - Battleship - Great Britain USS Wasp (CV-7) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Wasp  (CV-18) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS West Virginia - Battleship - United States USS Wisconsin (BB-64) - Battleship - United States Yamato - Battleship - Japan USS Yorktown (CV-5) - Aircraft Carrier - United States USS Yorktown (CV-10) - Aircraft Carrier - United States Small Arms M1903 Springfield Rifle - United States Karabiner 98k - Germany Lee-Enfield Rifle - Great Britain Colt M1911 Pistol - United States M1 Garand - United States Sten Gun - Great Britain Sturmgewehr STG44 - Germany