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WWII WeaponsThroughout WWII, hundreds of new weapons were innovated and used by participants of the war to gain an edge over their opponents. Although warfare is primarily fought on land with guns, the heavy focus on weapons allowed for new technology which strengthened navies, produced more powerful and sophisticated bombs, and forged new aircraft. Nuclear weapons, bazookas, and ballistic missiles were creating masses of destruction every day. That combined with high-powered rifles, tanks, and LMGs resulted in a lot of blood. This led to WWII being the worst war in the history of the world because of all these new gadgets made for slaughteringthousands or more at a time.During WWII countries worked to improve their artilleries. Countries needed heavy artillery to be successful during the war. The most famous and effective weapon in countries’ artilleries’ was the M1 Garand. This weapon was invented by General George S. Patton, and was the first semi-automatic rifle made. It was used by the Allied Powers. Before this was invented, people used bolt-action rifles which required them to reload after every shot. With the M1 Garand, soldiers were able to shoot shot after shot before having to reload. They had to reload after eight rounds. This gun benefitted the Allied Powers by giving them an edge over the standard bolt-action rifle. Many machine guns were also included in militaries’ artilleries. The United States invented the M2 Browning machine gun. The M2 Browning could shoot down a ship, plane, and other soldiers. The weapon had the potential to be used anywhere in battle. At first, it was used by the Allied powers but was later integrated into most armies during and after the war. The semi-automatic rifle and the machine gun changed the course of the war in the Allies favor. One particular weapon that claimed numerous lives and helped countries win battles in WWII were explosives. Countries worked to improve and invent different explosives during WWII to gain advantages on the battlefield. One explosive used in WWII was the Mk2 Fragmentation Grenade. This grenade was not deadly because of the explosion- it was lethal because it released shrapnel in a 50-yard radius. These injured and killed many who were too close to it. This allowed soldiers to gain an advantage over others in a battle by killing several men with one grenade. A second explosive weapon that was used in WWII was the Bazooka. The Bazooka was used to get past defenses and destroy tanks. It could shoot anything up to 300 feet away. This weapon was very easy to make, leading to mass production. The Bazookas were used by the Allies and gave them a massive advantage over tanks and fortifications. A third explosive weapon that was used in WWII was the suicide dog. Bombs were attached to dogs who were trained to go under tanks. When they did this, the bomb would explode, taking out both the dog and the tank. This weapon was used by the Soviets. Despite the fact that the dogs were killed, the Soviets were able to take out many tanks with the dogs. The fourth and deadliest explosive in WWII was the Atomic Bomb. These bombs were nuclear and were used by the United States against Japan to ultimately help end the war. They were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing hundreds of thousands of people. Overall, all these explosives helped to win many battles and eventually helped the Allies win the war.One of the most famous and influential weapon that was used in WWII was the tank. Many tanks were produced by different countries. Tanks included the T-34, Panzer VI Tiger, and M-26. The T-34/76 was designed and built by the Soviet Union, with nearly 84,000 made. It was reasonably easy to produce, had thick and highly-sloped armor, an efficient gun, good speed, but most importantly, it was extremely sturdy and reliable. The Panzer VI Tiger was a German tank which had the perfect balance of armor, design, and lethality. But all these traits came at a cost. Only a mere 1300 Tigers were produced and used in special highly trained, elite squads. New prototypes of tanks allowed for thicker armor, bigger guns, and more stability which completely changed the equation. These tanks were so powerful that trenches with anti-tank artillery were stunned as their shells bounced off the tank’s thick armor. Overall, tanks profoundly influenced grounded battle in WWII primarily by causing fear in trenches and mainly just starting chaos and ripping up the battlefield especially when paired with motorized infantry.Another strategy that countries used to gain advantages in war and win battles included aviated warfare. Countries used new and improved aircraft in WWII. One of most effective weapons in aircraft included the B-17 Flying Fortress made by the US and used by the Allies. This plane had nine machine guns and could release bombs from the air. It held up to 10,000 pounds of explosives. This allowed the Allies to win many battles in the skies and even on the ground. Throughout the war, these planes bombed Germany with 640,000 tons of explosives. Another plane that affected the course of the war greatly was the Fw-190. Unlike the B-17 Flying Fortress, the Fw-190 was made and used by the Axis Powers. This defensive plane could take down bomber planes and tanks. It took down B-17 Flying Fortresses easily until the P-51 Mustang was invented. These aircraft were made to take down enemy fighters, as well as protect Flying Fortresses. This gave the bombers the opportunity to release bombs without being shot out of the sky from enemy fighters. The P-51 Mustangs were used and built by the Allied Powers. Since this plane could fly farther and at higher altitudes than most other aircraft, they were considered one of the best planes in the war. These planes changed the course of the war to win many battles on both sides.Countries also strengthened their Navies to have an advantage over others in battles at sea. There were six main types of warships that were implemented into countries Navies during WWII. The first main type of warship was the battleship. Battleships were warships that were slow, but heavily armed and armoured. One example of a battleship used in World War Two was the Yamato. This ship was heavily armoured and armed and was made by the Japanese. The Yamato had turrets on it that could shoot explosive shells, armour piercing shells, or anti-aircraft shells up to 40 km far. The second type of warship used in WWII navies was the cruiser. These were warships meant for battle that were lightly armoured and heavily armed. This allowed the ships to be faster and made them less likely to be hit. Although, this advantage also led to its disadvantage of being lightly armoured. One example of a cruiser that was used in WWII was the KMS Admiral Hipper cruiser. This ship was made and used by the Germans. It had cannons, turrets, anti-aircraft guns, and torpedoes. These weapons made it a very strong ship and helped Germany to sink other warships during WWII. That caused them to win more battles. The third type of boat in navies in WWII was the Corvette. This type of warship is smaller than battleships and is less armed than battleships. This allowed it to be cheaper and more common in Navies during WWII. One example of a Corvette used in WWII was the Flower-class corvette. This ship was used by both the Allied and the Axis powers during WWII. It was armed with machine guns. The fact that these were easy to make allowed for more of them, which ultimately led to Navies being more deadly and winning more battles. The fourth type of warship in Navies in WWII was the aircraft carrier. These ships were mainly used to carry aircraft that were later used in battles. They stored aircraft both inside hangers and on it. These were very important in navies and gave warships an advantage in combat, with aircraft striking from above while they attacked from the water. One example of an aircraft carrier used in WWII was the USS Essex (CV-9). This carrier had about 90 planes stored on it and on top of that had many turrets. The fifth type of warship that was implemented into Navies during WWII was the submarine. These ships were used to sink ships and other submarines. They were not as visible as regular ships because of their ability to go underwater. This gave subs a massive advantage over surface ships. Submarines could quickly destroy them, but the ships had a hard time suppressing the submarines. One example of a submarine used in WWII was the USS Bowfin. This sub was operated by the United States. It had anti-aircraft cannons, torpedoes, and had substantial naval guns on its deck. These ships allowed Navies to sink other ships and win more battles. The sixth and final type of warship was the frigate. These ships were mainly used to protect bigger vessels. They had sensors that were able to locate submarines and that allowed them to destroy the subs before the subs sunk the ships they were defending. This gave Navies a huge advantage over others without frigates because they were able to locate submarines and destroy them. One example of a frigate used in WWII was the River-class frigate. These frigates had better endurance, speed, weapons, and sensors than normal ones. They were operated by the Royal Navy and gave them a considerable advantage over Navies without frigates, Navies with submarines, and other frigates that were not as technologically advanced as the River-class frigates. Overall, these six types of warships were used to win many key battles across the sea that ultimately helped the Allies win the war and even helped the Axis powers progress in the war.Overall, all these weapons used in WWII were different, but they all had one goal, to kill. These weapons led to the death of millions upon millions in WWII. Countries had a vast arsenal consisting of high-powered guns, explosives, tanks, aircraft, and warships to win battles and eventually win the war. There were many guns used in WWII, but the most effective gun/rifle in armies’ artilleries in WWII was the M1 Garand because it was semi-automatic rifle which gave the Allies an advantage over the Axis-powers who had bolt-action rifles. There were many explosives in WWII, but the most effective explosives were the atomic bombs which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Tanks were a huge part of winning battles in WWII, but one of the most effective tanks of the war was the Russian T-34 which had armor thick enough to deflect anti-tank artillery. Aviated warfare played a huge role in WWII as well. The P-51 Mustang played a massive part in aviated warfare because it took down enemy planes, it could fly farther than other aircraft, and it could fly at higher altitudes than different planes. Furthermore, Navies played a considerable role in countries battles. Countries with various types of warships like the battleships, corvettes, submarines, aircraft carriers, frigates, and cruisers, were able to win many battles and progress in the war. To gain advantages in war, many countries would launch surprise attacks to quickly gain territory and set up bases to take down dangerous competitors. Although war is typically won through tactics and strategy, there would never really be a war without weapons, just a huge argument between countries hopeful of expanding their territory and collecting more resources. References11 Weapons That Won World War II. (2017, February 15). Retrieved January 18, 2018,from , R. B., Black, L., Krieger, L. S., Naylor, P. C., & Shabaka, D. I. (2012). World History Patterns of Interaction. Orlando, Florida: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.Chen, C. P. (n.d.). World War II Weapons. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from, C. P. (n.d.). World War II Database: Your WW2 History Reference Destination.Retrieved January 18, 2018, from , G. (2013, June 03). 11 Jaw-dropping Weapons From World War II You ProbablyNever Heard Of. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from jaw-dropping-weapons-from-world-war-ii-you-probably-511010752Fraser, C. (2016, September 27). Top 10: Best infantry weapons of WWII? Tell us whatYOU think! 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