World War II: Weapons

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Weapons of World War II

It is often said that few things advance technology and innovation as quickly as war. World War II was no different as each side worked tirelessly to develop more advanced and powerful weapons. During the course of the fighting, the Axis and Allies created increasingly more advanced aircraft which culminated in the world's first jet fighter, the Messerschmitt Me262. On the ground, highly effective tanks such as the Panther and T-34 came to rule the battlefield, while at sea equipment such as sonar helped negate the U-boat threat while aircraft carriers came to rule the waves. Perhaps most significantly, the United States became the first to develop nuclear weapons in the form of the Little Boy bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima.

Aircraft - Bombers

Photo Gallery: World War II Bombers

Avro Lancaster - Great Britain

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress - United States

Boeing B-29 Superfortress - United States

Bristol Blenheim - Great Britain

Consolidated B-24 Liberator - United States

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver - United States

De Havilland Mosquito - Great Britain

Douglas SBD Dauntless - United States

Douglas TBD Devastator - United States

Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger - United States

Heinkel He 111 - Germany

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka - Germany

Junkers Ju 88 - Germany

Martin B-26 Marauder - United States

Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" - Japan

Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" Japan

North American B-25 Mitchell - United States

Aircraft - Fighters

Photo Gallery: American Fighters of World War II

Bell P-39 Airacobra - United States

Brewster F2A Buffalo - United States

Bristol Beaufighter - Great Britain

Chance Vought F4U Corsair - United States

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk - United States

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 - Germany

Gloster Meteor - Great Britain

Grumman F4F Wildcat - United States

Grumman F6F Hellcat - United States

Hawker Hurricane - Great Britain

Hawker Tempest - Great Britain

Hawker Typhoon - Great Britain

Heinkel He 162 - Germany

Heinkel He 219 Uhu - Germany

Heinkel He280 - Germany

Lockheed P-38 Lightning - United States

Messerschmitt Bf109 - Germany

Messerschmitt Bf110 - Germany

Messerschmitt Me262 - Germany

Mitsubishi A6M Zero - Japan

North American P-51 Mustang - United States

Northrop P-61 Black Widow - United States

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt - United States

Supermarine Spitfire - Great Britain

Armor

A22 Churchill Tank - Great Britain

M4 Sherman Tank - United States

M26 Pershing Tank - United States

Panther Tank - Germany

Ordnance QF 25-pounder Field Gun - Great Britain

Little Boy Atomic Bomb - United States

Tiger Tank - Germany

Warships

Admiral Graf Spee - Pocket Battleship/Heavy Cruiser - Germany

- Pocket Battleship/Heavy Cruiser - Germany

Akagi - Aircraft Carrier - Japan

USS Alabama (BB-60) - Battleship - United States

USS Arizona (BB-39) - Battleship - United States

USS Arkansas (BB-33) - Battleship - United States

HMS Ark Royal - Aircraft Carrier - Great Britain

USS Bataan (CVL-29) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS (CVL-24) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS (CV-20) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

Bismarck - Battleship - Germany

USS ​Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Cabot (CVL-28) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS California (BB-44) - Battleship - United States

USS Colorado (BB-45) - Battleship - United States

USS Enterprise (CV-6) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Essex (CV-9) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Franklin (CV-13) - Aircarft Carrier - United States

USS Hancock (CV-19) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

Haruna - Battleship - Japan

HMS Hood - Battlecruiser - Great Britain

USS Hornet (CV-8) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Hornet (CV-12) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Idaho (BB-42) - Battleship - United States

USS Independence (CVL-22) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Indiana (BB-58) - Battleship - United States

USS Indianapolis (CA-35) - Cruiser - United States

USS Intrepid (CV-11) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Iowa (BB-61) - Battleship - United States

USS Langley (CVL-27) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Lexington (CV-2) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Lexington (CV-16) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

Liberty Ships - United States

USS Maryland (BB-46) - Battleship - United States

USS Massachusetts (BB-59) - Battleship - United States

USS Mississippi (BB-41) - Battleship - United States

USS Missouri (BB-63) - Battleship - United States

HMS Nelson - Battleship - Great Britain

USS Nevada (BB-36) - Battleship - United States

USS New Jersey (BB-62) - Battleship - United States

USS New Mexico (BB-40) - Battleship - United State

USS New York (BB-34) - Battleship - United States

USS North Carolina (BB-55) - Battleship - United States

USS Oklahoma (BB-37) - Battleship - United States

USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) - Battleship - United States

USS Princeton (CVL-23) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

PT-109 - PT Boat - United States

USS Randolph (CV-15) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Ranger (CV-4) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Saratoga (CV-3) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

Scharnhorst - Battleship/Battlecruiser - Germany

USS Shangri-La (CV-38) - United States

USS South Dakota - Battleship - United States

USS Tennessee (BB-43) - Battleship - United States

USS Texas (BB-35) - Battleship - United States

USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

Tirpitz - Battleship - Germany

USS Washington (BB-56) - Battleship - United States

HMS Warspite - Battleship - Great Britain

USS Wasp (CV-7) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Wasp (CV-18) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS West Virginia - Battleship - United States

USS Wisconsin (BB-64) - Battleship - United States

Yamato - Battleship - Japan

USS Yorktown (CV-5) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

USS Yorktown (CV-10) - Aircraft Carrier - United States

Small Arms

M1903 Springfield Rifle - United States

Karabiner 98k - Germany

Lee-Enfield Rifle - Great Britain

Colt M1911 Pistol - United States

M1 Garand - United States

Sten Gun - Great Britain

Sturmgewehr STG44 - Germany