Carter, Ray Allied Weapons that made the Difference in World War Two

In 1943, US bomber crews stationed in Great Britain were expected to fly a total of 25 missions before being relieved from frontline duty. Most crews never made it past their fifth mission. The Luftwaffe dominated the skies over Europe, and the men of the 8th Air Force paid the price. Strategic bombing was called into question. Until the introduction of the Rolls-Royce-powered long-range fighter P-51 Mustang. The history of the P-51 began with a request from a British procurement commission in April 1940. In response, Dutch Kindelberger and Edgar Schmued of North American Aviation set the course for the development of the groundbreaking P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft. The aircraft was a resounding success, driving the Luftwaffe out of German airspace, enabling devastating attacks on German industry and paving the way for D-Day in 1944. This book tells the stories behind ten other weapons and weapon systems, from the drawing board to successful deployment in the field and their strategic significance beyond the battlefield. They were inspired by outstanding designers such as Sir Sydney Camm, scientists such as Alan Turing and industrial visionaries such as Andrew Jackson Higgin. Their stories are linked to many of the most famous events and figures in the history of the Second World War. Some of the weapons are well known, others less so, and some are not normally considered weapons at all, such as SPAM and the Royal Navy's game that defeated the U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic. The Allies found that these weapons enabled them to better command their forces, as they had confidence in the means at their disposal to achieve victory. The author examines the development, challenges and use of these weapons and analyses their operational and strategic impact on the Allied war effort and their combined contribution to the ultimate victory. This report offers a different perspective on the weapons that won the war.