World War II
5/03/2011
What technology was developed during World War II, and how has the technology developed during World War II impacted the world today?
Technology played a key role in determining the outcome of World War II. The high military demand for more advanced technology acted as a catalyst for the development of technology in the interwar years of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Scientists and Engineers alike poured massive amounts of research and development time into supporting the war effort, and more advanced technology was developed at an alarmingly rapid rate. One notable fact about technology in World War II is that World War II is the first war in which many military attacks were designed specifically to sabotage the research efforts of the enemies. In the bombing of Peenemünde, the Eighth Air Force executed a bombing run to destroy hydrogen peroxide that was being used to fuel the V-2 Rocket. Another example is the Norwegian heavy water sabotage in which a group of Norwegian soldiers destroyed a heavy water plant to inhibit the Nazi development of nuclear weapons (heavy water or, deuterium oxide, can be used to produce nuclear weapons). Yet another example is when Niels Bohr, a brilliant Danish physicist who understood and even contributed to the discovery of atomic structure, was evacuated from German-controlled Denmark and brought to Britain in 1943. The allies made all of these efforts to deter Nazi Germany from further developing much-needed technology, and this shows just how important technology and the research of technology was during the War. Almost every type of technology was utilized in the war, but the most notable technological advances involved five main categories: Weaponry, Industry, Medicine, Communication, and Transportation. More advanced weaponry came in the form of magnetic detonating torpedos, “Tank destroyer” missile rounds, jet fighters, jet bombers, V1 autopilot bombs, proximity fuzes for
Bibliography: Bishop, Chris; Chant, Chris (2004). Aircraft Carriers: The World 's Greatest Naval Vessels and Their Aircraft. Silverdale Books. p. 7. Chenoweth, H. Avery; Nihart, Brooke (2005). Semper Fi: The Definitive Illustrated History of the U.S. Marines. Main Street. p. 180. Hearn, Chester G. (2007). Carriers in Combat: The Air War at Sea. Stackpole Books. p. 14. Sumner, Ian; Baker, Alix (2001). The Royal Navy 1939–45. Osprey Publishing. p. 25. Tucker, Spencer C.; Roberts, Priscilla Mary Roberts (2004). Encyclopedia of World War II: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. p. 163. ----------------------- [1]While napalm was developed in World War II, it was not used until the Korean War