Most underrated WWII weapon

[Fishmoto37]

The most underrated fighter in WWII was the F4F Wildcat. It did the job in the early days in the Pacific. Then in the later years in the battle of the Atlantic it perfomed a role in convoy escort. Where would we have been without it?

[Razor]

The Russian army knive

[MrMalachiCrunch]

Razor…… Nice!

[Fishmoto37]

@Razor:

The Russian army knive

Do this mean what I think it do?

[Witt]

Does vodka in Russia come with a cork and not screwtop?

[aequitas-et-veritas]

Usually they knock of the bottle top and drink, kinda like russian roulette.

priviet comrade!!!  :-D :-D

[MrMalachiCrunch]

Perhaps it’s homemade and comes with a cork!  The smashing off of the top of the bottle is an awesome mental image and just how I would imagine a hard core Russian drinker to to it!

[Gargantua]

Speaking of homemade.

Most underrated weapon of WWII?

Mothers.

If germany had more mothers in 1925 on, say triple or quadruple… maybe they would have pulled something off.

And lets not forget to mention the ladies working in factories, pumping out the weapons of the world!

[CWO Marc]

@Gargantua:

Speaking of homemade. Most underrated weapon of WWII? Mothers. If germany had more mothers in 1925 on, say triple or quadruple… maybe they would have pulled something off.

Germany’s leaders appear to have thought likewise:

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

The decoration was conferred from between 1939 until 1945 in three classes of order, bronze, silver, and gold to Reichsdeutsche mothers who exhibited probity, exemplary motherhood, and who conceived and raised at least four or more children in the role of a parent.

[aequitas-et-veritas]

Partisans ,underestimated and feared to the end because of their ability to knock over the balance of a war with inconvenient warfare.

[Tall Paul]

@Gargantua:

The Landing Craft.
No one appreciated them -except- the Japanese, until the war broke out.
I remember reading about some American Colonel, who was studying japanese deployment of these in the late 30’s.  The files he sent to the pentagon were archived under “The work of some nut in china”.
Only later to be pulled out, broken down, and developed into mainstream landing craft.  Which made it possible for the allies to land in Fortress Europe a few years later.

––Garg,…You’re speaking about “Brute” Krulak. He witnessed the Japanese landing craft with front ramps on the attack  while in China. The “idea” was passed along to Andrew Higgins, the Louisiana builder of the LCVP’s.
––Krulak became a Marine Raider so I have many books concerning him and the Raiders, the best being his
“Raise Hell” decoy mission on Chossiel in the Solomons.

“Tall Paul”

[suprise attack]

How about oil and gasoline….or the radio
V-1
V-2
Look at the Tomahawk and the I.C.B.M.

[Fishmoto37]

I think you all are just grasping for straws here just so you can have something to post about. A WW II weapon would be used to kill the enemy, save lives in your own army and win the battle.

[aequitas-et-veritas]

@Fishmoto37:

I think you all are just grasping for straws here just so you can have something to post about. A WW II weapon would be used to kill the enemy, save lives in your own army and win the battle.

That´s simple then! It´s a mirror…

You can use it as an attachment, and it´s saving life´s and you can win urban battles with it!

try to look arround a corner without one.

[Gargantua]

OK I’ve got it!

Tactical Smart Missles
Phase Plasma Pulse Rifles
Sonic Electronic BALL Breakers!

Knives… SHARP STICKS!

and a team of ultimate bad-asses!

[Kreuzfeld]

@suprise:

How about oil and gasoline….or the radio

these where the 2 main things to concider in tank warfare

many agree that the T34 is the best tank of th war, it was cheaper, easier to operate and stronger than most german tanks. (leaving out the panther and tiger)

then how did the germans manage to beat them with tanks that where inferior on paper? Better radios. The radio almost nullified the advantage of the T34, it gave better coordination inside the units and made it easier to call in close airsupport, and in tankbattles nothing is more important.

Well, perhaps gasoline, the russians where able to build huge quantities of tanks, while not worrying about gasoline efficency. your tank and planes cannot fly without it.

I have heard stories of 20k+ german fighters being found, unused after the war, simply bc they missed the gasoline to fly them (have not verified it tho, so it is hear say at this point)

[CWO Marc]

@Kreuzfeld:

then how did the germans manage to beat them with tanks that where inferior on paper? Better radios. The radio almost nullified the advantage of the T34, it gave better coordination inside the units and made it easier to call in close airsupport, and in tankbattles nothing is more important.

In the TV series “Fields of Armor,” Kenneth Macksey talks about the crucial advantage that radio gave the Germans in the Battle of France. In effect, he says, the superiority of the German tanks over the French ones was in the area of electronics.  (In fairness, however, electronics by themselmes mean nothing if you don’t combine them with effective deployment, good tactics, and good command and control practices – but radio does greatly help to you use those elements when you’ve got them.)

[ABWorsham4]

@CWO:

@Kreuzfeld:

then how did the germans manage to beat them with tanks that where inferior on paper? Better radios. The radio almost nullified the advantage of the T34, it gave better coordination inside the units and made it easier to call in close airsupport, and in tankbattles nothing is more important.

In the TV series “Fields of Armor,” Kenneth Macksey talks about the crucial advantage that radio gave the Germans in the Battle of France. In effect, he says, the superiority of the German tanks over the French ones was in the area of electronics.  (In fairness, however, electronics by themselmes mean nothing if you don’t combine them with effective deployment, good tactics, and good command and control practices – but radio does greatly help to you use those elements when you’ve got them.)

I grew up watching Fields of Armor, love that show.

[manstein39]

@Kreuzfeld:

@suprise:

How about oil and gasoline….or the radio

many agree that the T34 is the best tank of th war, it was cheaper, easier to operate and stronger than most german tanks. (leaving out the panther and tiger)

then how did the germans manage to beat them with tanks that where inferior on paper? Better radios. The radio almost nullified the advantage of the T34, it gave better coordination inside the units and made it easier to call in close airsupport, and in tankbattles nothing is more important.

Radio was not the only advantage enjoyed by German tanks vis a vis the Russians.  The Germans used a 5 man crew in all of their tanks from the PzKw. III through the King Tiger.  All Russian tanks had 3 man crews.

What that means is that you have a 3 man turret in the German tank with a much more efficient separation of duties.  You have a gunner, loader, and commander.  This allowed the Germans to achieve a significantly higher rate of fire than the Russians could ever dream to achieve.  Combined with vastly superior optics, communications equipment, and command and control and it is obvious why the “inferior” tanks of the Germans were so successful.

[Gargantua]

Yeah but all those “superior” components would break down more regularily…

and for every 1 German tank, there were 3 Russian tanks or more!