Causes and Weapons of World War II World History 4/22/16

ALLIES in WW2

Goals Understand the development of weaponry and technology before and during WWII. Specifically, understand the differences and similarities from the weapons of World War I we looked at last month Ace response questions, and smash the quiz at the end!!

American M-1

German MG42

Tanks During WWI

Response

Tanks in WW2 Compared to WWI: – Revolving turret – Better sights – Improved American-designed suspension and tracks – Much larger tank cannon – Increased speed to 32+ MPH – Much more versatility (FT, pulling, etc) – Much thicker armor

The American “Sherman” tank

German Panzer model

Closer to modern tanks?

Anti-Tank Weapons Dominance of tanks caused development of first anti-tank guns Ammunition had a tungsten carbide core, around within a soft steel casing – The German Gerlich gun could penetrate ANY known tank armor Often lightweight for great mobility

Response

Planes in WWI

Planes during WW2 Compared to WWI: – Hundreds of miles of range – 300 to 400 MPH! – Could drop 20,000 of LBS of bombs – Provided major ground support for advancement – All major countries produced jet-powered aircraft by end of war

US P-51 Mustang

American B-29 Superfortress

B-29

Battleships

Aircraft Carriers Became the MAJOR weapon at sea during WW2. Essex class carrier characteristics: – feet long – Could carry 100 aircraft – Could reach 150 ft high – Move at speeds of 32 knots – Over 2,000+ crew

USS Yorktown

Sonar and Radar Sonar – underwater detection system used for depth detection, etc by sending sound waves and listening for echoes Radar – emits radio waves that would be reflected by metallic objects like ships, aircraft, etc

Modern A.C.

The Atomic Bomb The Manhattan Project – US effort to research and ultimately build an atomic bomb – Robert Oppenheimer oversaw the project from 1940 to 1945 – 2,000,000,000$$$ spent by US First tested in NM desert July 16, 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki – August 1945 – Only use of atomic weapons in war to date – Est. 200,000+ deaths

Quiz 1.Explain at least 2 ways that tanks were different in WW2 than in WWI. 2.Explain at least 2 ways that planes were different in WW2 than in WWI. 3.What caused the dominance of submarines diminish as the war progressed? 4.What was “The Manhattan Project?”