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The Technological Innovations of World War II

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Outline I. Introduction II. Chapter 2 A. World War 2 B. Allied and Axis III. Conclusion

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Table of Contents Chapter 1 ......................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 2 ......................................................................................................................................5 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................10

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Kenneth Yam Ms Murphy English P1 26 April 2013 The Technological Innovations of World War II World War II was a world changing event, not only because of the war itself and the actions of the combatants, but also because of the technological advancements made during the war. The intense fighting made both the Allies and the Axis create and innovate new technology. Many of these innovations and inventions greatly influence modern technology. Some are still used today, in some shape or form. Though the number of inventions is great, this essay will only talk about the changes in radio, industrial, and military technology. In total, World War II produced about 50 million deaths, more than any other war to date. During World War II, radio technology was greatly improved and became more widespread. Radar, which is radio waves that are used to detect objects, was used heavily during World War II. Although radar was already in use, it became more developed and more common during the war. Radar was also used to make proximity fuses, which are fuses on explosives that detect their target and explode when they are at an appropriate distance. Radar made surprise attacks obsolete. To combat radar, countermeasures were developed. Pilots dropped thousands of tiny strips of tinfoil, code- named window and chaff to jam enemy radar. (see Fig. 1) (Mindell 2) Radio was mostly used to communicate during World War II. However, before and during the early part of World War II, the US Army preferred to use encrypted telegraph, which had to be deciphered by hand, and had telegraph stations inside the US and in some bases outside the country. The telegraph became obsolete once radio technology was improved. One of these improvements was to make radios smaller. Before, radios were delicate and were almost useless in vehicles such as tanks. The reduction in size made radios useable in tanks, as well as by infantry. The replacement of telegraph and wire communications is one thing that made WWII a more technological war.

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Both sides of the war made improvements to radio communication technology during the war. The Signal Corps was responsible for improving radios for the United States, as well as manufacturing and distributing them. Radio was also developed at places like MITs Radiation Lab. One technique that was utilised by both sides was to use crystals to regulate frequencies. The Americans used x-rays to show where to cut the crystals. Before, crystals were cut by hand, which took training. The Army didnt have enough people who could cut a crystal, so they used x-rays to show where to cut the crystals. The Army had other problems as well, such as figuring out how to keep all of the radio frequencies regulated. AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency modulation) radio were developed during the war. Edwin H. Armstrong developed FM radio, which was immune to static; an advantage over AM. However, pilots and some ground troops still preferred to use AM radio. FM radio was used to communicate at farther distances. Push button radios were developed by the Signal Corps during the war, which simplified the use of radios. (Thompson, Overview: the Signal Corps in World War II) Radio was also used in long range navigation to triangulate the position of a vessel. America was not the only country to make improvements to radio, however. The Germans also further developed radio, and had superior radio in the beginning of the war. They also used crystals, and had a testing system built into the radio itself. German radios were simple to manufacture, but still had a complicated circuit design. Even so, the American radios were far superior than the German radios by the end of the war. Though the war instigated many changes to radio technology, it also brought about advancements in industrial technology as well. While radio technology was useful to the military for communication and radar, the war also resulted in advancements in technology more useful to civilians. People during the war created many useful materials that are still used today. Because of a scarcity of materials such as glass and sheet metal, substitutes were needed to replace aforementioned materials. Cardboard was used to make cartons, which replaced glass bottles. and synthetic materials such as acrylic and plastics were more widespread. Acrylic, for example, was used to make bomber noses. The classic American look of the 1950s was because of these materials developed during the war.

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Chapter 2 The war also brought about the usage of many new industrial techniques that allowed for the United States to produce military hardware faster than other world powers. One such example of a new industrial techniques was to convert factories that made civilian goods, such as silverware or automobiles, to manufacture military goods (Mindell 2). The war effort required large amounts of weapons, vehicles, and other military equipment. To make such copious amounts of equipment, using different manufacturing techniques was required. While European and Asian powers used the more traditional method of craft production, or manufacturing goods by hand, but America used mass production to produce large amounts of materials. Craft production utilised skilled labour to produce high quality, custom products in small amounts. Skilled workers were needed to manufacture the product. Mass production, on the other hand, used unskilled or semiskilled people with little training to manufacture the product using machines and other specialised tools. The cost was far lower and the output rate was much higher than craft production. The United States used mass production to completely upgrade and rearm their military. While European and Asian powers took upwards of four years to rearm, while the United States turned itself [,] in a year[,] into a military super-power. (Paxton 93). For example, while Japan and Germany used craft production to build aeroplanes, the United States was using mass production to produce aircraft in large numbers. America was the first country to figure out how to mass produce aircraft, which was a complex piece of equipment. The United States military had around 500 combat aircraft in 1939, but the use of mass production meant that they could quickly replace the old and outdated aircraft. Using mass production, America was able to out-produce the rest of the world combined and convert from civilian production to military production far faster than any of its partners or enemies (Paxton 92). Although most countries used mass production by the end of the war, only America had a true, mature mass production economy (Paxton 91). World War II also brought advancements in weaponry as well. Tanks played a crucial role in the war, and they were greatly improved during the course of the war. In World War I, tanks were large, slow, and were not very effective. They used wire for communication, which limited their movements, and weighed 26 tons. The tanks top speeds were only three to four

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miles per hour. The French Renault FT17 was perhaps one of the best tanks used in World War I. It introduced the swivelling turret design, and could travel 4.8 miles per hour, an improvement over previous speeds. It was also far lighter (6 tons rather than 26). After WWI, tank development became a lower priority, and the early stages of World War II were fought with tanks that were only somewhat better than in World War I. During World War II, war, they were upgraded and became more useful. The Germans used Panzer (panther) tanks to invade Poland. The Panzer was 23 tons and went at 24 mph. It also had a powerful 75mm gun mounted on the tank. The Germans also had many tank corps and armies. The Allies had their own tank to counter the German Panzer. (Chambers Tanks) America fielded the Sherman M4-A at the beginning of the war, which weighed 33 tons, travelled at 23 mph, and were armed with a 75mm or 76.2mm main gun. The advent of tanks brought the disbanding of the horse calvary. Tanks during WWII focused on manoeuvrability, sound mechanics, and firepower. The developments in tank technology made in World War II greatly affect the way modern tanks look, move, and are armed. The M1 Abrams, the current tank in use by American armed forces, is something that would have amazed military commanders during WWII. The Abrams is armed with a 120mm smoothbore gun, two M240 light machine guns, and one .50 calibre heavy machine gun. It can travel at up to 42 mph. The M1 uses satellite information, infrared and optical sensors to assist in targeting the main gun. (Baker, M1 Abrams Tank) Although the Abrams is far ahead of the tanks of WWII, it still uses the swivelling turret design from WWI, and played the same role that past tanks had. Aircraft also were improved in World War II. Before, military aircraft were just biplanes with machine guns attached. America was using such aircraft at the start of the war, and were quickly outgunned by superior European designs. The Seversky P-35 became Americas first truly modern fighter (Americas Best Fighter Planes 68). During the war, monoplanes became the standard design for aircraft. Most had one rotor, but some had two, such as the Lockheed P38. Almost all fighter planes in WWII were propeller driven. The bent-wing design was first

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used in the Vought F4U(see Fig. 2). Planes such the American Mustang P-51 were among the best fighters in WWII. Americas first jet was developed during WWII, but was made too late to see action in the war. Garand was one of the most successful semi-automatic firearms of the time period. It used an 8round clip, and used a gas-piston system where the high-pressure gas from the round being fired is forced back into the chamber, pushing a piston back. This, in turn, ejected the spent cartridge and chambered a new one. The M1 carbine was a smaller calibre version of the M1 Garand. Both were used extensively all the way up to the Korean War. Germany also had many things to contribute to firearms. They used stamped parts to save costs on firearms. They also had the idea of having specialised weapons for different roles. The MG34, for example, was a machine gun with a rate of fire almost unparalleled today. It was used as a support weapon, providing cover fire for German soldiers with rifles. The pinnacle of German firearm development was the Stg-44 (see Fig. 3), or the Sturmgehwehr 44. It is one of the first ever assault rifles ever made. It also may have influenced another famous assault rifle, the AK-47. Although the Stg-44 did not see much action, its contributions to firearms was massive. One of the biggest developments in military technology was the invention of the nuclear bomb. America developed this weapon with the Manhattan Project. Over 130,000 people were employed to work on the atomic bomb, and many American and European scientists were used to develop this weapon. The Project used 22 billion dollars, making it one the most expensive military projects ever. Four nuclear devices were made at Los Alamos, but only two were deployed; one on Hiroshima and the other on Nagasaki (see Fig. 4). The Manhattan Project officially ended in 1946 following the Allied victory. The speed from conception to deployment seen in the atomic bomb was previously unseen. The atomic bomb detonation was one of the largest events of the 20th century. Many other countries such as Germany and the Soviet Union had a nuclear program as well, but only America gave the sufficient amount of support to its scientists. Today, 5 countries officially have nuclear weapons; the United States, the UK, Russia, France, and China. Several more countries unofficially have nuclear weapons, such as Iraq and North Korea.

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World War II was an important world event, because of both the events of the war, and because of the advancements the world made during this time. If this war did not happen, then the world would be far behind the place it is today. Things such as plastics, radar, and jet planes would be far more undeveloped had not it been for World War II. The technological advancements made in the war have greatly affected the world as it is today.

Fig. 1: Window/Chaff compared to a ruler.

Fig. 2: The bent-wing design of the Vought F4U is very obvious in this picture.

Fig. 3: The Stg-44 (Sturmgewehr Model 1944), chambered in 7.92x33mm Kurz, influenced many modern assault rifles today. 9

Fig. 4: The mushroom cloud from the Nagasaki atomic bombing.

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Works Cited Larew, Karl G. "From Pigeons to Crystals: The Development of Radio Communication in U.S. Army Tanks in World War II." The Historian 67.4 (2005): 664-77. EBSCO Host. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. Baker, David. M1A1 Abrams Tank. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Pub., 2007. EBSCO Host. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. Chambers II, John Whiteclay. "Tanks." The Oxford Companion to American Military History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com.Web. 11 Mar. 2013 < http://www.encyclopedia.com> Farson, Adam. "German WW2 Radio: Technology, Equipment, and Innovations." North Shore Amateur Radio Club. N.p., 07 Feb. 2008. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. "Military." Tank History. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. <www.globalsecurity.org> Williams, Ted. "America's Best Fighter Planes." Military History Mar. 2012: 66-71. EBSCO Host. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. Suciu, Peter. "Firepower From the Third Reich: German Small Arms of World War II." Armchair General Magazine N.p., 11 July 2011. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <www.armchairgeneral.com>

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Suciu, Peter. "Weapons from the Arsenal of Democracy: American Small Arms of World War II." Armchair General Magazine N.p., 6 Apr. 2011. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <www.armchairgeneral.com> "Energy.gov." MANHATTAN PROJECT. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. "Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What at a Glance." Arms Control Association. N.p., Nov. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. < www.energy.gov.> Burr, William. "The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II: A Collection of Primary Sources." Sources. N.p., 27 The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II: A Collection of Primary Apr. 2007. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <www.gwu.edu>

Key Issues: Nuclear Weapons: History: Pre Cold War: Manhattan Project." Key Issues: Nuclear Weapons: History: Pre Cold War: Manhattan Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nuclearfiles.org> Paxton, John. "Myth vs. Reality: The Question of Mass Production in WWII." Economic Education Web. University of Nebraska, Omaha, Oct. 2008. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.

Mindell, Dr. David. "The Science and Technology of World War II." Learn NC. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.

Thompson, George R. "Army Communicator." Army Communicator. N.p., 20 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <www.signal.army.mil>

Fig 1: Dancraggs. Usnchaff. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., 03 Dec. 2008. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <en.wikipedia.org> Fig 2: Stahlkocher. Chance Vought F4U-4 Bu97264.jpg. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., 4 July 2006. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <commons.wikimedia.org>

Fig. 3: EdgecrusherXES_45. Stg-44. Digital image. AR-15.com. N.p., 14 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <www.ar15.com>. Fig. 4: Levy, Charles. Nagasakibomb.jpg. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. N.p., 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <en.wikipedia.org/>.

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