Weaponry in this small time period has advanced and has become better due to great inventions and ideas. Tanks got heavier and bigger with more layers of armour to add to the durability. Planes became faster in that time with lighter and more durable material and they also got upgrades such as better weaponry and better armour. The atomic bomb was developed quickly to end the war in Japan. The first bomb was considered to be an “experiment” as no one knew the devastation it could cause and it destroyed the whole of Hiroshima.
This timeline of the tanks shows exactly who they were developed and when which tanks can out in the war. Each new tank was a better and more efficient model than its predecessor:
1914- J.L. Breton makes the first French proposal for vehicles as track assault weapons.
1916- First uses of tanks by the British in the war
1917- The first French tanks are put into action and United States of America makes its first tank.
1918- The United States of America forms a tank company.
1918- The largest tank offensive of World War II is made up of 604 allied tanks to the east of Amiens, France.
1927- Japan's first experimental tank is completed.
1933- The Russian T-35 is first seen in the war
1936 – The Japanese Type 95 tank is first seen and is used by many countries afterwards.
1939- The first British tank goes into operation and the first tanks with flame throwers are made.
1941- The US Sherman tank design is finished and is used in the war.
1942- The Germans complete the Tiger tank and it is sent out in the war.
1943- Germany creates the most powerful tank engine of World War II. The Germans complete and release the Panzer tank.
1944- The Tiger II is seen in the war and is much better and greatly feared.
This timeline of planes shows the great models and certain advancements which made the planes of World War II such threats and so useful. Each plane had its own speciality:
1915- Roland Garros was a French fighter pilot, whom realised that he would have more luck in dogfights if he were able to fire a machine gun through the propeller. On Apr 1, 1915 Garros tested the deflector plates that were added to the propeller. The Germans noticed his invention and copied it. It was a successful invention during World War One.
1916- The British biplane fighter, Sopwith Camel is first seen in the war
1935- The heavy B 17 bomber is first seen and is used by the Americans and the German Stuka’s are also seen.
1936- The Supermarine Spitfire is first seen and is used by the British.
1940- Planes now have bullet proof windshields for better protection of the pilots and also the American P 51 Mustang is seen in the war.
1941- The first ever jet fighter plane Messerschmitt 262 is seen and is greatly feared.
The atomic bomb was a great invention in warfare and was done in a very short time. This bomb stopped the war immediately and made other countries fear America greatly:
January 26, 1939 -Albert Einstein writes to President concerning the use of uranium as a new source of energy leading to the formation of the Committee on Uranium.
January 29, 1939- Robert Oppenheimer realizes the military possibilities of nuclear fission.
August 2, 1939-At a conference at George Washington University, Niels Bohr announces the discovery of fission.
October 9, 1941- FDR gives the go-ahead for the development of an atomic weapon.
December 6, 1941-FDR authorizes the Manhattan Engineering District for the purpose of creating an atomic bomb. This would later be called the 'Manhattan Project'.
April 27, 1945-The Target Committee of the Manhattan Project select four cities as possible targets for the atomic bomb. They are: Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kokura, and Niigata.
May 25, 1945-Leo Szilard attempts to warn President Truman in person concerning the dangers of atomic weapons.
July 16, 1945-The world's first atomic detonation takes place in the 'Trinity Test' at Alamogordo, New Mexico.
July 21, 1945-President Truman orders atomic bombs to be used.
August 6, 1945-Little Boy, a uranium bomb, is detonated over Hiroshima, Japan. It kills between 90,000 and 100,000 people immediately.
August 9, 1945-The second atomic bomb to hit Japan, Fat Man, was scheduled to be dropped at Kokura. However, because of poor weather the target was moved to Nagasaki.
September 2, 1945-Japan announces its formal surrender.
As you can see from these timeline overviews of each of the type of weaponry, that there have been some significant developments and changes which have made weapons and weaponry what they are today.
There have been quite a few key turning points in the development of tanks. Tanks have become better with changes making which give them more versatility in the battle and make them more efficient. In 1939 tanks were given flame throwers and this was a key turning point because this meant that tanks could also do close combat if any infantry was to get close to them. Also with the addition of machine gun nests on the tanks later meant that tanks could now be more precise in killing infantry and not waste shells on them. This allowed tanks to be more conservative and kill more enemies at the same time. Near the D Day in 1444 specialised tanks were developed for the type of warfare. There were tanks with flail chains and they were able to take out all the mines so that the infantry could go through without triggering them. Also there were tanks with the capability to help troops cross over the mines and debris as they had temporary bridges on them. There were amphibious tanks too which could swim in water so that land was no more the only way of transport and this was a great addition to military tactics and was used for stealth attacks. Finally the Tiger Tank was a great turning point in tanks as it was a heavy tank with heavy armour. This made it a complete devastator as it was very hard to destroy and it had a lot of firepower in its arsenal. This led to the building of tanks such as the Sherman.
Planes had changed incredibly fast in between 1914 and 1945. They became more prominent and were heavily used in the war. They allowed armies to use the skies to attack and bomb. Planes also added speed to an attack because they were fast and they increased the element of surprise and this is seen in tactics such as Blitzkrieg which caused great confusion as planes bombed the city causing panic and havoc. A key turning point was Roland Garros’s deflectors on the propellers of the plane. This meant that if the plane was shot on the propellers it could still fly as the bullets were deflected so they could do no harm to the engine or the chassis. Another key turning point was the bulletproof glass as now the pilots were safer in their cockpits and this save a lot of lives as pilots were not hit by shrapnel or bullets. Overall a key turning point was technology to as the armour of the planes became lighter without any significant loss in durability. This gave the planes a lot more speed and manoeuvrability; this was vital in dogfights and it gave planes an advantage. Planes now could also carry bombs and a lot more fuel so they could bomb targets and travel larger distances. With the invention of the first jet fighter plane by the Germans the planes were now faster and better. They could withstand more damage and carry better weaponry and this was a major turning point. And finally I would like to mention the Supermarine Spitfire which was an amazing plane and it played a major role in the English RAF squadron. The Spitfire was a tight-turning and nimble plane. It played an huge role in stopping the dive-bomber (Stuka) German invasion force in the Battle of Britain. It was huge in dogfights due to its ability to move around and this was very important.
Finally the atomic bomb itself was a key turning point however the discovery of plutonium helped make the bomb more reactive. The key turning point for the atomic bomb was actually the success of it and this caused other countries to make their own atomic bombs and it made them fear America and made a country like Japan surrender. Also the bomb was considered to be an experiment but the destruction it caused made it a key turning point and it meant that there was potential for more weapons such as this.
The continuity was very hard to spot and to find because all of the weapons got significant upgrades and were made better by each country and army. However in most cases what were kept the same were the key design and the concept of each vehicle and weapon as it was good.
Tanks got a lot of advancement and had a lot of upgrades such as German tanks like the Panzer which went up till Panzer VI and the Churchill VII however the basic ideas in both of the tanks were kept the same. The name first of all was kept the same as it carried great significance as Panzer literally meant a tank and Churchill was a great leader. Another thing that stayed the same was the key design and shape which was kept the same and in each upgrades tanks got faster or better weapons. Tanks also kept the armour skirts as they found them really efficient and reliable. Tanks also maintained the caterpillar tracks as they were good on all terrains. Finally tanks which were upgraded still had the final aim of killing and they continued that as they did not become a means of transport; they stayed the machines of death that they were.
Planes also got a few upgrades however most of the time new planes were made and this meant new design. But the basic chassis of the plane and the aerodynamic shape of the plane were always kept the same. The biplane plane was removed as it was inefficient and planes with one pair of wings were added and continued. Planes also continued their armour type as it was light and durable and they also continued their weaponry mainly because there had been no new weaponry which was discovered nor invented at that time period. Planes also continued to take part in the tactics such as Blitzkrieg and Dog fights and were still being made for them specially as they were efficient and the tactics were proven to be successful. Finally planes also kept the final aim of actually bombing and killing enemies and this meant aerial warfare always remained dominant.
The atomic was introduced very late in the time period and was very effective. It kept a few things the same in the time period because the fact that other discoveries happened after the time period. One of the things that the atomic bomb kept the same was the nuclear material which was plutonium. Basically plutonium was used in Fat Man and was proven to be more reactive and destructive so scientists and armies decided to use that as it meant it is more efficient. Also what atomic bombs kept the same was that they were still being dropped by planes such as the Enola Gay and not by automated launch pads and this meant the pilots witnessed the destruction and were given grief later. The atomic bomb also kept it round shape the same as the meant there was a large surface area for impact and this meant the bombs were more or less fail proof. Finally they also kept the basic concept of killing and causing mass destruction the same as it was what the bomb was made for in the first place.
In conclusion weaponry has changed the nature of warfare in between 1914-1945 and has transformed it because it has gotten rid of the man to man combat which existed at the beginning of the time period in which trenches existed. This was slower and often ended in stalemate however with the development with weaponry it mechanised warfare and it meant there were less casualties and this was good. Also weaponry introduced machines to the world and made the people realise how much they are worth and what potential they have so that in the future they could be developed more.
The tank was advanced significantly from the beginning of the time period in which tanks such as the little willy were very inefficient as they broke down easily and kept on getting stuck however as the time went on people started to realise the potential and hence they started to invest and develop the tanks and turn them into machines of destruction. Tanks advanced so much that they were a must of each army and were vital in the end period of wars. Tanks also became so advanced from what they had started and this made developers and engineers again realise the potential. Tanks went from little Willy to big Willy and then to tiger tanks. This was a huge leap and this meant that machines ruled the battlefield and dominated warfare.
Planes had a very similar route as to tanks on how they changed warfare and made a significant difference. The first biplane was invented by the write brothers and it was in its infancy and mainly used for reconnaissance however as time went on the planes too became better. The biplane was very slow and you could not move it with ease but the planes as they were upgraded got better and faster and more nimble. Planes also got upgrades such as the fact that of bulletproof windshields and deflectors and this meant that lots of pilots were saved and planes crashed less. Planes went from biplanes to fighter planes to planes with jet engines and this was again a huge leap and it made aerial warfare more common and feared as now it was actually effective.
The atomic bomb probably changed warfare the most as it opened up a whole new type of warfare which was the nuclear warfare. This includes the use of nuclear materials as a weapon as they are explosive and reactive. They cause nuclear winter too. Also in the war the bomb was an experiment as no one knew the real outcome however the success meant that it changed warfare as countries and armies realised how good it is as a weapon and as a bomb and how efficient it as it made Japan surrender which is not an easy task. Also the atomic bomb was a “war ender” which again showed its strength and destruction and this helped to change the warfare.
To summarise everything, basically weaponry changed warfare forever as it mechanised warfare with the use of tanks and planes and it also saved many lives because a lot of deaths would have occurred if trench warfare had continued. It also quickened warfare and reduced the chances of stale mate and the atomic bomb opened up a whole new type of warfare and changed how wars are fought.
During the time period of 1914 to 1945 weaponry changed significantly. Weaponry in the World War II has changed warfare forever with the atomic bomb, the upgraded tanks and amazing fighter planes and this is why I chose weaponry. Also weaponry in World War II had advanced from the previous world war in which tanks were in their infancy and planes were mainly being used for reconnaissance. I also chose weaponry because in World War II weaponry became more interesting with tanks getting special attachments such as flails to take out mines and planes being built especially for dog fights and blitzkrieg.
I decided to focus on tanks because in World War I and II tanks become further advanced so now they were feared and could do more and resist more attacks. With this development tanks became a must of the army. Tanks had a lot of major developments such as the flail chains which helped them take out mines; they also became amphibious which meant that there were more options and a lot more versatility. Tanks also became heavier and were more heavily armoured such as the Tiger tank. Some tanks had bridges on them so that the troops could cross mines or debris with ease. Over this time period the basic shape of the tanks and the weapon types stayed the same as there was no new discover of better missiles or other material to make the tanks out of.
I also focused on planes because planes also changed a lot in the time period too. Planes played a large role in key battles and tactics such as Blitzkrieg and the Battle of Britain. Planes were now used to bomb specific targets, attack other planes and drop troops in enemy territory. This was an outstanding advancement as now aerial attacks were more prominent and feared. Planes also got bullet proof windshields and this meant fewer casualties and they also got deflectors which meant less plane losses and propellers could now deflect incoming attacks. Planes also became faster again due to them being made out of better material so they are lighter and this helped them a lot. Again what stayed the same with the planes was that their shape was still maintained throughout the war as it was considered aerodynamic and very good.
The atomic bomb was first used on Japan. I chose this because two of these bombs (Little Boy and Fat Man) ended the war in Japan within one week and caused Japan to surrender and it changed weaponry forever. This one invention caused all other countries to start developing their own bombs after realising the devastation is can cause and how efficient it is as a weapon. The resource used which was plutonium stayed the same throughout the time period as it was more destructive and more efficient.
My topic which consisted of tanks, planes and the atomic bomb changed warfare as it meant the wars were no longer man to man as now machines were involved. Tanks and planes became a must and as they got better more people started to realise their potential. As you can see today tanks and still carry the basic shape seen in World War I and II and are still used. Also the atomic bomb completely changed warfare because this led to nuclear weapons being developed and it opened up a whole new type of warfare nuclear warfare. In that certain time period my topic completely changed warfare as the advancements and inventions of planes, tanks and the atomic bomb made huge differences to battle tactics and how the wars were fought.
