WW2 Weapons

The World Wars 1914-18 and 1939-45.

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Recent reports:

de Inf Angriff Verdun
Diary for Monday, March 6, 1916: Western Front Verdun: After hurricane barrage German 4th Division attack on west bank of Read more
Greek anti-aircraft gun
Diary for Thursday, March 6, 1941: Balkans Greeks launch successful counter-attacks in central sector of Albanian front, capturing several vital Read more
terrain east africa 1
Diary for Sunday, March 5, 1916: African Fronts East Africa - Smuts' Kilimanjaro Offensive begins: Stewart's 1st Division (4,000 men) Read more
Unloading Bofors in Greece
Diary for Wednesday, March 5, 1941: Sea War Mediterranean - Operation Lustre: 58,000 British troops convoyed from Alexandria (Egypt) to Read more
angreifendes de UBoot 300x266 1
Diary for Saturday, March 4, 1916: Sea War Germany: Tirpitz and Admiral Holtzendorff fail to get Kaiser's Crown Council to Read more
Assault of British Commandos
Diary for Tuesday, March 4, 1941: Occupied countries Norway: British-Norwegian raid on Lofoten Islands (Operation Claymore). British commandos and Norwegian Read more
Luftaufnahme Ft Douamont 300x194 1
Diary for Friday, March 3, 1916: Western Front Verdun: French success at Douaumont (and on March 7). Middle East Armenia: Read more
Cant Z.1007 Alcione bombers
Diary for Monday, March 3, 1941: Air War Italians bomb earthquake-stricken town of Larissa. RAF Hurricanes destroy 5 Cant bombers Read more
bombers scots guards 234x300 1
Diary for Thursday, March 2, 1916: Western Front Flanders: British 17th Division retake positions lost on February 14 north of Read more
DAK military parade in Tripoli
Diary for Sunday, March 2, 1941: North Africa Tripoli propaganda military parade of the Afrika Korps. Air War BOAC begin Read more
Martinsyde Elephant 1
Diary for Wednesday, March 1, 1916: Air War France: Only Royal Flying Corps Martinsyde G.100 (nicknamed the Elephant) unit arrives, Read more
German motorcyclist in Bulgaria
Diary for Saturday, March 1, 1941: Politics BULGARIA JOINS THE AXIS. German troops enter Sofia. see also: Bulgarian Armed Forces Read more
Germans launch grenade attack 1
Diary for Tuesday, February 29, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Bloody struggle round Fresnes and salient. Falkenhayn finally agrees to attack Read more
de art verdun 1
Diary for Monday, February 28, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Sudden thaw after long cold spell turns battlefield into a sea Read more
Devastation in London
Diary for Friday, February 28, 1941: Air War The Blitz in February 1941: 789 dead and 1,068 seriously wounded British Read more
Nachschubstransporte Voie Sacree 1
Diary for Sunday, February 27, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Petain reorganizes defences, halts withdrawal from Woevre. French retake La Feuille Read more
sinking of the Italian merchant raider 'Ramb I
Diary for Thursday, February 27, 1941: Sea War Italian armed merchant raider Ramb I (3,700 t.) catches fire and blows Read more
Me 109 on Sicilian airfield
Diary for Wednesday, February 26, 1941: Air War 60 German bombers and Ju 87 Stukas (7 lost) with fighter escort, Read more
On ne passe pas 213x300 1
Diary for Saturday, February 26, 1916: Western Front Verdun: GQG admits loss of Ft Douaumont. Recapture attempt fails. Petain orders Read more
Schneider Panzer Versuchsprogramm 300x216 1
Diary for Friday, February 25, 1916: Home Fronts French Army orders 400 Schneider tanks by November 25, 1916. Western Front Read more

About WW2 Weapons

WW2 affected virtually almost any corner of the globe. In the six years between 1939 and 1945, some kind of 50 million people lost their lives, and hardly any who survived were not affected. It was the costliest and utmost widespread conflict the world has forever obtained.
It was subsequently battled on ground, sea and in the air with weapons which in fact had first been used in World War One of 1914-18. Ironically, a far greater conflict was to come out from the burning embers of these ‘war to end all wars’, and with it huge innovations in technologies.
The countries engaged in WW2 finally owned the techniques, potential and weapons to fight every other in a much more powerful – and more deadly – manner.

However only Britain, her Empire allies as well as Germany were engaged during the full period (as well as, in fact, Japan and China since 1937). For all the other nations the conflict was of a shorter duration. The US and Japan, for example, were at war from December 1941 to August 1945 (and the USA was at the same time at war with Germany, until Hitler‘s defeat in May 1945).

The state of affairs was so complex, the skeins of partnerships and enmity so connected that it would require a really huge document in fact to illustrate the prospect.
Only one factor was less complicated and widespread to all the nations involved: the nature of the weapons that the soldier used to struggle their way to triumph – or defeat.

Of course, there were differences in detail of the WW2 weapons: the German Panzer V Panther was a very different tank from the US M4 Sherman, the Russian T-34, or the English Cromwell. But in fact they were all much the same – armored vehicles mounting powerful guns running on tracks.

The small arms with which the various opponent countries equipped their armies were totally different weapons in details too, but basically these were all guns for launching projectiles at high speed.
Simply speaking, lots of people would just say that guns are guns, bombs are bombs, aircraft are planes, and so on. But there is definitely even more to it than that, for the abilities to obtain victory or lose a war actually rested on these kinds of WW2 weapons’ qualities, just as a lot of as it did on the fighting abilities of those who employed them and on the strategic sense of those who directed them in their use.

Shermans vs Panthers
Shermans vs Panthers with 3d models.

General about WW2 Weapons:

All information, data, specifications and statistics used on the website WW2 Weapons have been compiled from a variety of sources and the large library of the author – who now lives on Crete for a long time – about military history and history, especially about the world wars, which has been built up over decades.

The most important source references and notes about additional literature can be found at the end for the most articles. To the best of our knowledge and belief, the most secure and reliable information and sources were used, which are also constantly updated and improved.

These data and specifications are used among other things for as accurate as possible historical military simulations, such as the war game WW2 Total. The photos are mostly ‘public domain’, but partly also property of the author.

The author therefore asks for understanding that he can’t handle additional requests for the sources or pictures beyond that due to time constraints and provides the information and its sources to the internet community as ‘as published’, i.e. either the visitor of this website considers it helpful and agrees with it over, or just leaves it.
Discussions and suggestions for improvement are nevertheless welcome and can be held below the respective reports.

Panzermuseum Munster,
Norman ‘Kretaner’ visits Panzer Museum Munster, Germany.
WW2 Weapons
Conflict of Nations - World War III