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What was the greatest invention of the war?

Discussion in 'WWII General' started by PzJgr, Mar 12, 2001.

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  1. PzJgr

    PzJgr Drill Instructor

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    I say it was the jeep. This novel vehicle was most desired by all nations of the war and it's contribution to the advancing forces cannot be disputed. That's my choice.

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    "They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war there is nothing sweet or fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason."
     
    PzJgr, Mar 12, 2001
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  2. Ron

    Ron Member

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    i guess the most obvious would be the a-bomb...but not counting that i'd say RADAR.
     
    Ron, Mar 13, 2001
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  3. mart

    mart Member

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    the V2 rocket. This was the building block for all future spaceflights and has brought us much of the technology we have today

    the jeep was good, but I reckon the German Kuebelwagen was just as good, if not slightly better. The jeep just won the popularity contest because it was being build by one of the victors of ww2

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    *** We shall not retreat, nor shall we surrender. If we cannot stay here alive, we shall stay here dead***
     
    mart, Mar 13, 2001
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  4. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Ok, this one is a little controvertial, but what about all the genetic advancements made by people like Dr. Mengele? While their methods were horrific, they advanced knowlegde of genes by leaps and bounds. Some scientists say that without their work, mankind would still not be able to clone mammals for another 100 years.
     
    Otto, Mar 13, 2001
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  5. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    I will have to agree that Radar probably was the greatest invention of the war and then the Germans large cannons Thor and the large Mortar Karl. Give me time, I will think of another good invention.
     
    C.Evans, Mar 13, 2001
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  6. JoCon

    JoCon Member

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    the atomic bomb was the best invention in WWII
     
    JoCon, Mar 20, 2001
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  7. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    I would also have to say the U.S.O. and Willy and Joe--for more of the best inventions--for morale...
     
    C.Evans, Mar 20, 2001
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  8. A.GREG

    A.GREG Member

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    I dont't think the A-bomb was the best weapon. All it did was create a hundred times more killing and death than from before. Radar would be first on my list, because at least it didn't directly affect the death of millions of people. The A-bomb led to nuclear weapons, which are now the most threatening way to negotiate in some cases. The Cold War was brought about by these massive killing machines. Radar would probably be the most effective and best weapon produced in this war.
     
    A.GREG, Mar 20, 2001
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  9. Ron

    Ron Member

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    well i put RADAR because the A-bomb was the most effective weapon technology created during the war...it ended it AND i believe ended up saving lives...i couldn't imagine how many US and Japanese people would have died if an invasion occured by not having the bomb...and then even though the bomb was a double edged sword creating the cold war and the ability of mass destruction...all it REALLY has accomplished was...the ending of the most destructive war in history...and by ending it spared thousands of lives...and then was never used in anger again!
    I put the a-bomb almost in a category of it's own
     
    Ron, Mar 20, 2001
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  10. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    How about penicillin? That was a great thing that is helping people even today.
     
    Otto, Apr 13, 2001
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  11. A.GREG

    A.GREG Member

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    Never thought about that, something so small compared to an A-bomb and radar has helped millions of people in the last 60 years.
     
    A.GREG, Apr 13, 2001
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  12. Erich Hartmann

    Erich Hartmann Member

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    How about synthetic oil!
     
    Erich Hartmann, Apr 16, 2001
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  13. Mussolini

    Mussolini Gaming Guru WW2|ORG Editor

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    Hm...i would have to say RADAR and advanced technology (as opposed to WWI technology) in the Use/Manufactor of both Tanks, AirPlanes (fighters, bombers, spy planes, etc) Naval Ships (submarines, Destroyers, use of Radar, U-Boats, etc) as without them, the modern military wouldnt be where it is right now. Take a look at the recent China/US incident...that spyplane wouldnt have been 'invented' without the advances made suring WWII. (i didnt lose you in there, did i?)
     
    Mussolini, Apr 16, 2001
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  14. Snefru

    Snefru Member

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    This is a very sticky subject. Obviously the harnassing of nuclear fission as a weapon was a big one. The use of radient energy to locate objects is also a biggie. The jeep was a great idea as well. The ENIGMA encoding device that the Germans created was virtually unbreakable. An increadable construct (recall the ENIGMA code was not broken... a copy was captured by the British).
    How about Penicellin? That was probably the greatest invention. The lives it saved is incalcuable.
     
    Snefru, Apr 16, 2001
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  15. A.GREG

    A.GREG Member

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    Yes but think of the lives RADAR saved. It may not have affected them directly, but it did help save millions of lives from suprise attacks.
     
    A.GREG, Apr 16, 2001
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  16. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    There is another side to that coin Andrew, radar also made attacks more accurate and made it more difficult to hide from attack. Ask a Japanese carrier pilot or a german U-boat crewman if radar helped make his life more safe. I doubt they appreciated it's "safe" use by the enemy.

    And penicillin could also be considered a weapon because it allowed soldiers to recover more quickly and thus return to battle more quickly. As well it allowed many men to who otherwise might have died to fight another day. The war was prolonged by it's use, and more lives were lost because of it, (especially civilian lives), even though in the short term it helped save lives.

    It just goes to show, in war every technology is a weapon and takes lives, be it an A-bomb or penicillin.

    [ 16 April 2001: Message edited by: Otto ]
     
    Otto, Apr 16, 2001
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  17. PzJgr

    PzJgr Drill Instructor

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    How about SPAM? I absolutely love that stuff. Now that is an invention. [​IMG]
     
    PzJgr, May 10, 2001
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  18. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    How about "Sh** on a shingle" (Chipped Beef on Toast) thats an alltime favorite.
     
    C.Evans, May 11, 2001
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  19. PzJgr

    PzJgr Drill Instructor

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    That's right. I have not had that since I was in the U.K. It is pretty good. Maybe I'm just different. This could be a topic on it's own!
     
    PzJgr, May 11, 2001
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  20. Killjoy

    Killjoy Member

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mart:
    the jeep was good, but I reckon the German Kuebelwagen was just as good, if not slightly better. The jeep just won the popularity contest because it was being build by one of the victors of ww2

    <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
    Actually, the jeep was fundmentally better than the kubelwagen for the single reason that it had 4-wheel drive, while the kubel' had 2-wheel. There was that amphibious version of the kubel', but I hardly think that puts it above the jeep...
    As for this topic in general, I'd have to agree with the proponents of radar.
    The a-bomb might be considered a close second, but more due to the other uses for fission-derived energy than bombs.
     
    Killjoy, May 12, 2001
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