WW2 Weapons

The World Wars 1914-18 and 1939-45.

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Recent reports:

Guynemer 1
Diary for Thursday, February 3, 1916: Air War Western Front: Future French 'ace' Guynemer destroys 2 LVGs (his 4th and Read more
Duke of Aosta
Diary for Monday, February 3, 1941: East Africa Battle of Keren: Italians surprise British by holding this mountain stronghold for Read more
Mother test run 300x162 1
Diary for Wednesday, February 2, 1916: Secret War Britain: Kitchener calls 'Mother' tank 'a pretty mechanical toy' on seeing trials Read more
Aircraft carrier Ark Royal
Diary for Sunday, February 2, 1941: Sea War Mediterranean: Swordfish planes from aircraft carrier Ark Royal make unsuccessful attack on Read more
Big Bertha WesternFront
Diary for Tuesday, February 1, 1916: Western Front Verdun: Major-General Beeg, commander of the artillery of the German Fifth Army, Read more
Italian ascari
Diary for Saturday, February 1, 1941: East Africa British capture Agordat (Eritrea). Home Fronts South Africa: Serious riots in Johannesburg Read more
Zeppelins NorthSea 1
Diary for Monday, January 31, 1916: Air War Britain: First German airship raid on the Midlands by 9 Zeppelins (night Read more
SC-250 (550lb) bomb on the fuselage of an Bf 109E
Diary for Friday, January 31, 1941: Air War Britain: Three London hospitals damaged by 'hit-and-run' raiders.# Politics Vichy French authorities Read more
dont waste bread 196x300 1
Diary for Sunday, January 30, 1916: Home Fronts Britain: War Savings Committees begun. France: BEF arrest Attorney-General F E Smith Read more
Preparing a balloon barrage in South England
Diary for Thursday, January 30, 1941: North Africa British capture Derna (Libya). Air War Britain: German 'hit-and-run' raiders attack London Read more
Mother trial
Diary for Saturday, January 29, 1916: Secret War Britain: Mother prototype tank begins successful trials. Western Front Somme: German Second Read more
Native African soldiers
Diary for Wednesday, January 29, 1941: East Africa South Africans invade Italian Somaliland (1st South African, 11th and 12th African Read more
General Alexeyev 1
Diary for Friday, January 28, 1916: Eastern Front Russia: Prince Lvov and the Mayor of Moscow visit General Alexeiev; Army Read more
HMS Rorqual
Diary for Tuesday, January 28, 1941: Sea War Mediterranean: British submarine Rorqual lays mines off Adriatic coast port of Ancona. Read more
Gruppe vom Garde Grenadier Regiment 300x218 1
Diary for Thursday, January 27, 1916: Western Front Flanders and Artois: German attacks at Loos and Neuville-St Vaast. Argonne: Mining Read more
HMS Upholder at Malta
Diary for Monday, January 27, 1941: Sea War Mediterranean: British sub Upholder operates against Italian convoy route, Trapani (Sicily) - Read more
Jaeger battalions Balkans 1
Diary for Wednesday, January 26, 1916: Southern Fronts Falkenhayn orders Gallwitz to prepare attack across Greek frontier; despite Bulgar protests Read more
Lieutenant-Colonel Janari, commander of the Italian 2nd Spahis Colonial Cavalry Regiment
Diary for Sunday, January 26, 1941: East Africa British capture Biscia in Eritrea. Politics Wendell Willkie, defeated US presidential candidate, Read more
fortress gun erzerum 1
Diary for Tuesday, January 25, 1916: Middle East Armenia: Russian battalion seizes key Kargapazar ('Crow Bazaar') Ridge (c.9750 ft); 15 Read more
Italian crew of an 8mm M1935 Fiat Revelli machine gun
Diary for Saturday, January 25, 1941: Balkans Many cases of frostbite are reported on both sides (Greeks and Italians) in 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
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Conflict of Nations - World War III