There have been many innovations developed as a result of World War Two (WWII). Many of those innovations and technologies were pushed forward in to high gear because of the need created by warfare. All types of items such as a proximity fuse (used to detonate bombs & Anti-Aircraft shells), significant advances in tanks, amphibious mobile troop carriers (DUKW), new designed aircraft carriers took over the old World War One battleships, were a direct product from the conflict. The development of the RADAR (RAdio Detection And Ranging) played a crucial role during the Battle of Britain in World War Two for the British air forces. At a time where the British only had available to them a total of 800 aircraft to try to hold back the German in which had an air force with over 3,000 planes at their ready. The use of Radar gave the British the upper hand by allow them to be able to detect the German aircraft while they were still fifty to sixty miles away. This enabled the British to only permit a limited amount of forces to fight the Germans as the approached knowing the direction, altitude, and speed of the planes as they came.
In the great depths of the sea, the German U-boat had become quiet the force that was wreaking havoc on the Allied Naval ships. The U.S. Navy not only had the use of SONAR (SOund Navigating And Ranging) but the development of Bearing Deviation Indicator (BDI) was a useful tool in adding the sonar equipment. BDI was used with standard echo-ranging equipment to let the operator see, for every ping, whether the target producing the echo was to the right or left of the bearing of the projector. The operator could, therefore, determine the bearing of the target with greater accuracy and rapidity than with standard echo-ranging equipment alone.
The use of RADAR and the BDI are examples of how some innovations were used in the effort to defeat the Axis powers during World War Two. Another one of these fine examples is not firepower by also in its deliverer. The B-29 bomber, known as the Superfortress, was the primary aircraft used in the last months of the fight against Japan carrying out firebombing for the United States. It was the known as the largest bomber in used in the World War Two. The B-29 bomber never made flight over to be used in Europe against Germany. It was called to serve over the Pacific theater against the Japanese Empire during World War Two.
The advancement of the Superfortress was set into high gear after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. It was developed for the “US Army Air Corp requirement for a high-level heavy bomber capable of extended operational ranges and increased payloads while operating at speeds nearing 400 miles per hour. The range requirement was of particular note for the vast distances of the Pacific required a long-range thoroughbred”. The technology on this aircraft was found to be very advanced. The airspeed was fast making it difficult for enemy fighter planes to intercept them. It not only was designed with remotely controlled machine gun turrets and a central fire control system, its fuselage was fully pressurized which would allow the B-29 bomber to offer a defense unparalleled to any other. “They were capable of flying at the altitude of 10,200m, just above the service ceiling of most Japanese fighters and just beyond the range of most anti-aircraft weapons”.
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is mostly known for not only carrying but dropping an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima by the “Enola Gay” 6 Aug 1945 and on the city of Nagasaki by “Bockscar” 9 Aug 1945 helping end World War Two for the Allies. Unfortunate as is may have seemed at the time as necessary means to end a war, even that event procured the technological advancement of nuclear power today. Among all these progresses in development that were conceived due to an Empire’s desire for expansion and a European country’s belief that it is to rule all, the need to move forward to the gain knowledge is always there. Whether they are used are for military strategic and tactical gain or for a nations’ increase for economic and industrial growth, innovating as a means for a better tomorrow has not and will not ever end.
As it is written in an article for the Armed Forces History Museum in Florida, “There certainly is no doubt WWII played a critical role in the industrialization of many of the nations around the world on which every military greatly relied. As a result, incredible advancements in technology – necessitated by the advancements of the enemy - were witnessed throughout World War II”. It really could not have been said any clearer.
Bibliography:
Chen, C. Peter. “World War II Database: B-29 Superfortress.” World War II Database. Accessed
July 27, 2015. http://ww2db.com/aircraft_spec.php?aircraft_model_id=42.
Sternhell, Charles M., and Alan M. Thorndike. OEG Report No. 51 Antisubmarine Warfare in
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[ 1 ]. . Charles M. Sternhell and Alan M. Thorndike, OEG Report No. 51 Antisubmarine Warfare in World War II, Volume 3 of Division 6 (Washington, DC: Summary Reports Group of the Columbia University Division of War Research, 1946), 59-60.
[ 2 ]. “Boeing B-29 Superfortress Strategic Long Range Heavy Bomber (1943)”, MilitaryFactory.com, May 01, 2015, accessed July 27, 2015, http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=82.
[ 3 ]. C. Peter Chen, “World War II Database: B-29 Superfortress”, World War II Database, accessed July 27, 2015, http://ww2db.com/aircraft_spec.php?aircraft_model_id=42.
[ 4 ]. Armed Forces History Museum, “Advancements in Technology in World War II”, Military Tanks, Military Vehicles, Military Weapons, World War I, May 17, 2012, accessed July 27, 2015, http://armedforcesmuseum.com/advancements-in-technology-in-world-war-ii/.
