Pros And Cons Of Ww2 Weapons

544 Words2 Pages

War is brutal, but the technological advances of WWII made it far more vicious than it needed to be. The weapons of the era, even the transportation was designed to kill. They were designed to be mass killing machines and had no intent other than to kill. Some of these advancements include the M1 Rifle, Bomber Planes, and long range weapons.

First, the M1 Rifle was a newer adaptation of the gun that was cheap and mass produced for soldiers. It was called the most effective weapon of the war, beating out bombs and airplanes. Compared to older guns it was faster, shot harder, and was far easier to load. It was also lightweight and had clips to store and shoot multiple bullets at once. It was first delivered to the U.S. army by the government in 1938 as a massive upgrade to finicky and inaccurate weapons from before. Many machine or submachine guns were used by the Japanese forces to storm and invades towns or cities in just hours. These weapons fit the brutal attacking style of the Japanese in WWII. …show more content…

They had guns attached and some of the bigger bombers( b-16’s, b-29’s) could also carry many troops. The most effective airplanes from the U.S. were the b-16 bombers that flew day and night raids over germany and took out many ships and manufacturing plants with ease. They could carry several hundred pounds of explosives along with ammunition and supplies. Near the end of the war, the b-29 bomber was developed to aid in the destruction of Japan. The most famous of these was the Enola Gay, which carried the first Atomic bomb that was dropped on Japan. Only of few of these were made as the war was nearly over and they planes were very expensive to

Show More
Related

  • Explain Three Reasons Why Was There More Deaths In Wwl Than In The Napoleonic Wars

    201 Words  | 1 Pages

    There were many technological developments in WWl. Machine guns were invented to help soldiers kill many people at the same time. Machine guns could fire

    Read More

  • All Quiet On The Western Front by Eric Maria Remarque

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    When we think of weapons that the soldiers used in War World I we think of them as defense. But what is sort of ironic is that the same weapons the soldiers used to protect them selves were the same weapons that killed them. "The development of poison gases took on a new urgency during 1914-18." (http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/index.htm) Poison gas was a lethal or incapacitating gas used as a weapon in warfare. It was used extremely between the years of 1914-1918 in order to torture enemies during war. Another major weapon used during the war was the machine gun. "The machine gun was a fairly primitive device when general war began in August 1914." (http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/index.htm) The machine gun is an automatic weapon that fires rapidly and repeatedly without requiring separate squeezes on the trigger each time. This weapon was one of the most affective weapons and murdered the most enemies. These weapons were similar to the weapons that Remarque described in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Atomic Bomb

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the world’s first atomic bomb over Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. On August 15th, the Japan announced unconditional surrender in World War II. To this day historians still discuss why the U.S. decided to use the atomic bombs. Orthodox historians argue that the decision to drop the bombs was a military one designed purely to defeat the Japanese. Revisionist historians argue that the bombs were not needed to defeat Japan; the bombs were meant to shape the peace by intimidating the Soviets. After analyzing the documents in The Manhattan Project it has become clear that the U.S. used the bombs during WWII not only to defeat the Japanese, but also to intimidate the Soviet Union

    Read More

  • Transportation and Weapons: The B-29 Superfortress

    1864 Words  | 4 Pages

    The United States needed an enormous bomber plane that could carry out the plans that air force wanted. There were two main focuses for sending the B-29’s over to the Pacific. Author James Lee Cate said,”...the plan was aimed at two objectives currently sponsored by President Roosevelt: to speed up the war against Japan and to bolster the morale of the Chinese.” Air company, Boeing, and American Air Force designed the B-29 Superfortress in 1939. Boeing had come up with a huge project in making these big bombers. The new bomber plane was unlike any plane at the time. At 99 feet long and with a wingspan of 141 feet, the B-29 had a top speed of 365 miles per hour. Its range was about 5, 830 miles and it could hold a crew of ten men. The B-29 had fast speed, good range, as well as carrying big bombs. The Air Corps needed a plane exactly like this. This bomber was also the heaviest plane to date because it was equipped with bombs and defensive weapons. Being able to hold many bombs because of its...

    Read More

  • The Enola Gay Controversy

    687 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Enola Gay is a B-29 bomber that was used in the bombing of Japan. It was flown by the pilot, Paul Tibbets, who named the plane after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets. Tibbets flew the plane on August 6, 1945, carrying a bomb, nicknamed Little Boy that was a result of the Manhattan Project. The bomb dropped on Hiroshima and left tens of thousands of people dead (“Enola Gay pilot felt dropping an atomic bomb was his duty.”). The dropping of the bombs, Big Boy and Little Boy caused a lot of controversy, because of the repercussions it left in Japan.

    Read More

  • The V-1 and V-2

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    WWII, one of the bloodiest wars in history. The Germans and the Axis Powers were combating the English and US with the other Allied Powers. From 1939-1945 war raged on in Europe and in the Pacific. In 1939 proposals were made (not approved until later) by the Nazi’s to create two of the most destructive and advanced weapons of the time (Gatland). Thus, the V-1 and V-2 rockets were put into production. The V-1 and V-2 rockets were important to the German’s because they believed that these weapons would give them an extreme advantage in the war, and eventually help them win the war. The development of these rockets were very important to the Nazi’s. These rockets were different and more advanced than any other bomb made before. Also, the developments of these rockets have had long term effects after the war. The V-1 and V-2 were intricate and powerful, making a recipe for destruction.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Atomic Bomb

    1326 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most controversial decisions that have been made, in the history of the United States, was Harry Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The ever so controversial topic of the dropping of the atomic bombs has successfully driven people insane. People feel strongly that this decision was atrocious and unnecessary, while others believe the polar opposite, that it was completely necessary. Some historians argue that the human cost to the Japanese population can never justify the use of such weapons. Other historians see it from an optimistic perspective, that it would not have been moral if atomic weapons had not been used to end the war as quickly as possible. President Harry S.

    Read More

  • Prompt And Utter Destruction Summary

    1143 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the war continued to drag on, each country invented new weaponry to help them gain a strategic edge. In both theaters of the war, the U.S used advanced bombing planes to lay waste to cities, making it easier for land troops to move in. The U.S had used bombing planes for most of the war but it wasn’t until the B-29 that allowed the U.S to strike in a more advanced way. “[The B-29] could carry a full bomb load for 3,000 miles or more at a considerably faster speed than older heavy bombers (24).” Unfortunately, with the ability to

    Read More

  • Essay On The Atomic Bomb

    1722 Words  | 4 Pages

    World War II brought up many new technologies for warfare. Advanced on existing developments such as weaponry, ships, vehicles air crafts, navigational devices and medicine are just a few broad examples of developments in warfare during this time in United States and World history. One development, however, changed the entire way of warfare. The Atomic bomb was developed during this time out of fears that the Germans had the same technologies, or at least were working to obtain it. Once the United States had this technological capability of producing atomic weapons, the way of fighting was changed. Two bombs were dropped on Japan in August of 1945, one on the city of Hiroshima and the other on the city of Nagasaki. Afterward, the ear of atomic diplomacy came up in American international relations, which as we have seen today, has led to the development of even stronger, more deadly weaponry and bombs. The bombing of Japan also brings up the still prevalent debate of whether the bombings were justifiable or not. Historians Gar Alperovitz, Robert P. Newman and Barton Bernstein all have written essays expressing their opinions in the matter.

    Read More

  • The B-29 Bomber Essay

    502 Words  | 2 Pages

    This new Bomber had a lot of new features. The Bomber had guns that could be fired by remote control and radar assisted navigation which helped get bombs to their targets more accurately. The B-29 was also one of the heaviest aircrafts because of increases in

    Read More

  • Weapons Used in the Vietnam War

    599 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Weapons that the United States soldiers used was the M-16, which is a “gas operated, magazine-fed rifle that fired a .223 caliber round. It could also fire 700-900 rounds per minute while in fully auto mode. The M-16 also had a secondary attachment called the m-203 which could fire a grenade up to 400m with a 5m casualty radius” (Meyerson). The U.S. Soldiers also used the M-60 light machine gun that could be mounted on tanks and helicopters and used as an artillery weapon. They also used the “105 mm Howitzer that shot explosive shrapnel bombs that have a fire rate of 3 to 8 rounds a minute” (History.com). The Howitzer was also used like the M 60 machine gun by being mounted to tanks and helicopters. The U.S. Soldiers used the M-79 40mm also known as the thumper which looked like a sawed of shotgun. It could fire up to 300 meters and fired a 6.5, pound grenade. The M-72 is a BBMM light anti-tank weapon that weighed 5.2 pounds. It was also used as a bunker buster and fired a 1 kg rocket that could travel 300 meters. (173dairborne)” “The US army used many different types of helicopters like the HU-1A. It had a T53-6-5 motor, which put out 700horse power and could hold up to 8,500 pound...

    Read More

  • Difference Between WWI And Today's Military Warfare

    375 Words  | 1 Pages

    Weapons used during WWI were different in shape, size and weight. One gun used by all nations was the rifle. There were different types of rifles but everyone used this gun. Most rifles though were in the allies. There were also machine guns, yes machine guns didn't think they could exist back then we'll they did. They shot 450-600 rounds per minute, they aren't as fast as today like the ones shooting 3,000 rounds per minute (ShKAS).

    Read More

  • The Machine Gun

    1364 Words  | 3 Pages

    No other weapon in my opinion has changed the face of the battlefield as has the machine gun. It's design and and association with mass death makes it a great and powerful weapon. Two men, Hiram Maxim and Richard Gatling, made huge impacts in the development of the Machine Gun and bringing it to use in the military. These two brilliant men designed capable and reliable versions of Machine guns in a time when everyone was making unreliable models. However before we get into discussion about the inventions of Hiram Maxim and Richard Gatling, it's important to understand how machine guns were developed.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Weapons

    1262 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1945, when the Americans bombed Hiroshima, Japan, approximately 140,000 men and women were instantly killed by the effects of American nuclear defense. With such extreme brutality and force how many people must die for one to finally realize the strengths of nuclear bombs and what damage they can cause. Nuclear weapons should be outlawed because they kill thousands of innocent humans at a time, destroy the environment, and inviolate human’s right to moral and personal freedoms.

    Read More

  • War Is Hell Essay

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    Weapons that had already existed from the past war were dramatically improved. New technologies came into play also. Britain introduced sonar to underwater warfare and radar allowed for early warning of incoming air attacks. Standing patrols of defensive fighters were no longer necessary, so fuel, pilots, ships and planes were saved and that resulted in many deaths from the opposing side because you knew when they were coming . One of the biggest contributions to so many deaths was the atomic bomb. The American government decided to make the development of this bomb top-secret, when it was ready Japan was told to surrender from the war or perish. On August 6, 1945 the first atomic bomb was used in the war, 70 000 people were killed and 61 000 were injured, only ten percent of the people who were within 500 meters of the bomb survived . The Japanese were put through torment and pain (so many innocent civilians were killed, injured and put through pain) with the atomic bomb and in a way they were punished for not surrendering. Torment, pain and punishment are things that you would experience in hell. The improved warfare technology caused a lot of the destruction during the

    Read More

More about Pros And Cons Of Ww2 Weapons

Open Document