This one might have been done before but I was wondering what weapons you all think won WWII? The reason I put it in quotation marks in the topic title is that a "weapon" might not always be something that goes boom.

I've got five items picked for this but thought I'd wait and see what others say before posting mine.

hmmm.....



The M-1 garand
The sherman tank
The duece 'n' a half
The P-51 mustang
The B-17 Bomber
The Higgins boat
And finally the guys behind these weapons all they way

1. The Atomic Bomb
2. The grease gun
3. The "Jabo"
4. T-34
5. Timed Fuses on arty

1. Enigma codebreakers
2. B-17
3.A-bomb
4.T-34
5.Long range escort fighters

oh yeah, also those brave people behind those weapons

1. Colossus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer

2. Intelligence and resistance people in occupied countries

Kris

M1 Garand - despite it's flaws, it was nicked "rifle that won the war"
Mossin Nagant - Soviet's call to the M1
Sherman and T-34
P-51, Spitfire MkI/II, SBD, Corsair
Enterprise
Landing Crafts
Artillery pieces

-radar
-asdic
-liberty ships
-British Stubbornness
-American Mass Production
-Russian nummerical superiority
-Hitler??

Liberty Ships
Destoryer Escort
C47

The Sherman
B-17's, B-29's and Lancasters
Aircraft Carriers
P-51
F-4U Corsair and F6F Hellcats (Pacific Theater)
Katyusha rockets (care of Russia)
T-34 tanks
P-38 Lightnings
The Garand. It gave the GI an edge over the enemy who used bolt-action rifles.
Bangalore torpedoes (for breaching those defenses at Normandy)

i agree with all these, and would also like to add allied design superiority in all areas after 1942. by this i mean the ease of manufacture, operation and reliabilty, something the axis forces could never lay claim to

cheers

joe

- Money
- Military equipments
- Food (Combat ration)
- Raw material
- The guys who play the deathly toys.

Ok, all of these are good replies. I originally thought of five but after looking over some of these replies I came up with another. Here are mine, in no particular order.

The Liberty Ship. American manufacturing was a huge advantage but if it didn't get to where it was needed it was useless. If hitler had had any sense at all, and he saw how fast US shipyards turned out these ships he would have quit years earlier.

The landing craft. On every front a need came about to get men on to shore. Without these versatile craft the Allies could never have gone on the long road back to Japan, or invaded Europe.

The C-47. This aircraft got the supplies to where they were needed the most, and dropped the airborne troops that helped spearhead the road back.

The 'duce and a half' cargo truck. This truck supplied all the victorious armies, including the Soviets. Without this truck I can't imagine the Allied armies being able to supply themselves on all the fronts.

Code breakers. Without being able to "read their mail" many victories, such as Midway, either wouldn't have happened, or would have been much much harder.

The one I added was Radar. This device helped turn the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic, and led to victories by the Allied navies throughout the war.

You're note that none of these are "weapon" in the normal sense yet without them I can't imagine how an Allied victory would have come about. Now that Trumpeter has come out with a good 1/350 scale Liberty ship, along with the LCM, all of the first four can me modeled.

Well if you really want to know I guess I can let the secret out of the bag this one time?? (LOL) This one Folks was agreed upon by all of the following on what they needed to win the war, Eisenhower, Montgomery,Zukov, Patton, Mountbatten, Macarthur, Nimitz and many many more! The wonder weapon you may ask? Allied Logistics that was the key.
Cheers
Jeff Larkin

quite simple really the production lines,

mass mobilization of the civillain workforce. Germany never really set up for full wor time production until 1942 were everyone else done it from day 1. Look how fast they could build liberty ships was it one every 3 days? build them faster than they can be knocked out some how I dont think we will see that kind of effort again

I totaly agree with dave, Mass production by the civilian work force is my number one choice. Like the Japanese Admiral said, we have awoken a sleeping giant ! My second choice is the Aircraft Carrier. (mainly in the Pacific theater) The Men that used these weapons are right up there at the top also!
We owe them all so much!

Garry

I totally agree and I'm remiss in not mentioning the men, and women, behind the men on the front lines. I'm actually kind of biased in this regard since my Dad was one of the guys driving the duce and a half trucks, I had an uncle sailing in one of the Liberty ships, and my Mom was in Britain serving behind the scenes helping to bring about victory. Plus my paternal Grandmother who helped by sewing parachutes and such back in the states.

American Industrial Might!

The ability to out build not one but two enemies at one time. No other country at that time could carry out a two front war and keep supplied the men and material needed in both Europe and The Pacific.

American Genius!

The list of the weapons of war produced by America:
Fighters:
P-51 P-38 P-47

Bombers:
B-17, 24, 25
A-20, 26

Cargo
C-47, 54

Tanks,
M-4, 3, 5, Pershing

Trucks, DUKW, jeep

Weapons
50 Cal Browning, 30 cal mg M-1 Garand, carbine, Thompson, Grease Gun Colt M1911A1, proximity fuse,

Ships –

See the list could go on and on and on. America built more Sherman tanks in one year than the Germans built Panthers during the entire war.

The war was won on the might of American Industry.