The most known and unknown weapons and vehicles of WW2

Totenkopf · #1 (**permalink**) March 24th, 2008, 02:41 AM

List what you would think or Discuss the most know weapons and vehicles of WW2.

I would think the luger would be the most known pistol because you hear and read much reference to it in most articles and movies and such.

By far the most known smg would have to be the Thompson or the MP40 (somewhat self explaining)

A well known stationary weapon would in my opinion would be the Pak88 as there is wide reference to it as well in many databases.

I will list more later, so for know discuss!

Your Canadian Comrade; Dustin

Tomcat · #2 (**permalink**) March 24th, 2008, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by totenkopf

List what you would think or Discuss the most know weapons and vehicles of WW2.

I would think the luger would be the most known pistol because you hear and read much reference to it in most articles and movies and such.

By far the most known smg would have to be the Thompson or the MP40 (somewhat self explaining)

A well known stationary weapon would in my opinion would be the Pak88 as there is wide reference to it as well in many databases.

I will list more later, so for know discuss!

Your Canadian Comrade; Dustin

I think instead of the most known (which we all know) how about just the least known

The PaK 88 you are reffering to would be more the 88 FlugeabwehrKanone (88mm FlaK) not the PaK which was the antitank version (PanzerabwehrKanone).

We have also discussed this many different times in many different threads with tanks, planes and small arms.

Von Poop · #3 (**permalink**) March 24th, 2008, 04:08 AM

Hard to define 'unknown'.
These may be obscure, or they may be old familiar friends.

Cheers,
Adam.

Ceraphix · #4 (**permalink**) March 24th, 2008, 04:09 AM

One of the least known would definitely be the Heuschrecke.

Von Poop, is the second picture a Belgian tank or am I hallucinating at this late hour?

scarface · #5 (**permalink**) March 24th, 2008, 04:11 AM

Probably the most 'known' weapons of the war were the ones that achieved 'mythic' status....

....every tank the dogface saw was a 'Tiger'...

... every incoming artillery shell was an '88...

... every Japanese airplane was a 'Zero'...

... every battleship was the Yamato....

...and it worked the other way, too.... in the Battle of Britain, all of the German's were shot down by 'Spitfires'... no one would admit to being shot up by a Hurricane ....

.. to MY way of thinking, those were probably the most well-known weapons.

-whatever

-Lou

scarface · #6 (**permalink**) March 24th, 2008, 04:14 AM

Great pics, Poop!

#4 looks like the inspiration for something out of Star-Wars.

-whatever

-Lou

Von Poop · #7 (**permalink**) March 24th, 2008, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ceraphix

Von Poop, is the second picture a Belgian tank or am I hallucinating at this late hour?

You're on the ball this morning mate

Belgian T13 B3 - 1937.

Strange question the known/not known one though. The Heuschrecke is obscure if you've not seen it before, or it might be seen as one of those prototype rarities that have been mentioned enough now that they're actually rather well known.
Everything depends on perspective doesn't it, peculiar prototypes are easy to bring up, so are we looking for things that served in decent numbers but have been utterly neglected by a populist perception/history of the war, deserved or not.

In which case I nominate Dobbin, so often put aside alongside the over-egged 'mechanised might of the German Army':

Funnily enough the Kriegsberichters didn't tend to photograph the thousands of horses that formed part of the backbone of the Wehrmacht as much as they might a handful of Panthers. Don't think I've read a Signal article entitled 'See the archaic logistical system trot forward for the Reich'

.

Cheers,
Adam.

JCFalkenbergIII · #8 (**permalink**) March 24th, 2008, 04:35 AM

LOL Most of the Belgian AFVs were not well known

.

JCFalkenbergIII · #9 (**permalink**) March 24th, 2008, 04:38 AM

The Wilton-Fijenoord
An experimental type. After satisfying trials two of these cars were shipped to the East Indies in 1934. Results there were less satisfactory, the vehicles being too heavy for the roads and the air-cooled engines suffering from overheating, forcing the use of airplane gas rather than the normal gasoline. The 2 cars thus were sold back to the firm and returned to the Netherlands.
In February 1935 two vehicles were sold to Brazil. The third remained at the firm until they managed to sell it to the Netherlands army in return of a tax-reduction. In May 1940 the Germans captured the third unit and stored it until re-activated in April 1945 for the defense of Berlin, still unarmed.

TANKS!