Allied technological cooperation during World War II facts for kids
The Allied countries worked together a lot during World War II to create and build new technologies. These inventions helped their armies and spies. One way they cooperated was through the American Lend-Lease program. This program allowed the U.S. to lend or lease war supplies to other countries. They also created combined weapons, like the Sherman Firefly tank. The British Tube Alloys project, which researched nuclear weapons, later joined the American-led Manhattan Project. Many important technologies invented in Britain were built in large numbers by all the Allies during the war.
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Tizard Mission
Cooperation between the Allies began with a special trip in 1940. Henry Tizard, who led the Aeronautical Research Committee, visited the U.S. He arranged to share important British military technology with the U.S. This was a safety measure in case Hitler's planned invasion of the UK succeeded.
Tizard led a British team, called the Tizard Mission. They brought details and examples of British inventions. These included radar, jet propulsion, and early research on the atomic bomb (called Tube Alloys). One device they brought, the resonant cavity magnetron, was very important. It was later called "the most valuable cargo ever brought to our shores."
Small Arms
After France fell, small arms (like rifles and pistols) began to be shared. At first, most weapons went from the U.S. to the UK. This was because America was not yet officially in the war. After the Dunkirk evacuation, the British Army had lost many weapons. The British government looked overseas for more equipment.
For example, the Home Guard, a volunteer defense group, had very few weapons. They sometimes had to train with broom handles! The U.S. sent weapons like the Tommy gun and M1911A1 pistol. Later, the U.S. also provided Browning machine guns for soldiers and anti-aircraft use. Britain also sent weapons, like the 9mm Sten submachine gun, to Soviet fighters.
Artillery
The British used many American artillery pieces during the war. These included M2 105 mm howitzers and 155 mm guns. These were either bought or supplied through Lend-Lease. The British also used American tank guns on their tanks.
In return, the Americans used a British artillery piece. This was the Ordnance QF 6-pounder anti-tank gun. The U.S. realized their own 37 mm gun would soon be outdated. So, they built their own version of the 6-pounder, called the 57 mm Gun M1.
Another important technology shared by Henry Tizard was the proximity fuze. This fuse made artillery shells explode when they got close to a target, not just on impact. It was five times more effective than older fuses. It was very useful against Japanese aircraft at sea. General George S. Patton even said it "won the Battle of the Bulge for us" against German ground troops.
Tanks and Other Vehicles
The Medium Tank M4 was used in all parts of World War II. It was a strong and reliable design, and easy to build. Many thousands were made and sent to Britain and the Soviet Union by the U.S. through Lend-Lease.
When Britain received the tank, they named it the Sherman. This is why it's known as the Sherman tank today. Both the British and Soviets sometimes changed the Sherman's main gun. The original 75mm gun wasn't always strong enough against new German tanks like the Panther and Tiger.
The British came up with a great solution: they put their powerful 76.2mm (3-inch) Ordnance QF 17-pounder gun into the Sherman's turret. This new version was called the Firefly. It was one of the best anti-tank guns of the time. The U.S. also developed its own 76 mm gun for the Sherman. While not as good as the 17-pounder, it was still much better than the original 75mm gun.
The M10 Tank Destroyer was also upgraded with the 17-pounder gun by the British. This created the M10C tank destroyer. It was used as a self-propelled anti-tank gun and was very effective.
The British also used the Sherman tank body for other special vehicles, called Hobart's Funnies. These included the Sherman Crab, which was a tank that cleared mines. Another was the DD Sherman, an amphibious (water-going) tank. The DD Sherman could float using a special screen and move with propellers. Once on land, it could drop the screens and fight normally. Both British and American forces used the DD Sherman during Operation Overlord (D-Day).
The British also sent tanks to the Soviet Union. These included the Matilda, Valentine, and Churchill tanks. Soviet tank crews liked the Valentine because it was reliable and good off-road.
The U.S. also sent many M3 Half-tracks to the Soviet Union. These armored vehicles were very helpful for moving troops quickly. Soviet factories didn't make many armored troop carriers, so the American vehicles were in high demand.
In 1942, the Soviet Union sent a T-34 and a KV-1 tank to the U.S. for testing. Another T-34 was sent to the British.
Aircraft
Britain sent Hawker Hurricane planes to the Soviet Union early in the war. This helped the Soviet Air Force fight the German Luftwaffe, which had more advanced planes at the time. British engineer Frank Whittle also went to the U.S. in 1942 to help General Electric start making jet engines.
The American P-51 Mustang fighter plane was first designed for the Royal Air Force (RAF). It started service with the RAF in 1942. Later versions used a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which was built in the U.S. by Packard.
The U.S. also used some British planes. Supermarine Spitfires escorted American bombers in Europe. They were also the main fighter plane for the 12th Air Force in North Africa. Bristol Beaufighters served as night fighters, and de Havilland Mosquitos were used for photo missions.
The U.S. supplied many aircraft to the British Royal Navy and RAF. These included fighter planes like the Wildcat, Corsair, and Hellcat. The U.S. also sent many planes to the Soviet Union through Lend-Lease. These were mainly fighters like the P-39 and P-63. They also sent bombers like the A-20 and the B-25.
Radar
The British showed the cavity magnetron to American companies like RCA and Bell Labs. This device was 100 times more powerful than anything the Americans had seen. It allowed for the creation of airborne radar systems.
Nuclear Weapons
In 1942, with Germany still threatening to invade, the UK sent about 20 British scientists and their research to America. This work, known as Tube Alloys, was moved to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. The scientists joined the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Their work on enriching uranium was very important for starting the project. Britain also helped find raw materials for the project, like nickel powder and uranium from the British Congo.
Code-Breaking Technology
During and after World War II, a lot of information about code-breaking was shared between the UK and the U.S. This included methods, codes, and special machines to speed up code-breaking. When German U-boats threatened ships carrying war supplies from the U.S. to the UK, the U.S. helped speed up the development of code-breaking machines. This cooperation later led to great success in breaking Japanese messages in Australia and the Far East.
Other Technologies
Other technologies developed by the British and shared with the Americans and other Allies include:
- ASDIC (sonar, which uses sound to detect objects underwater)
- The Bailey bridge (a type of portable bridge)
- The gyro gunsight (a device that helps pilots aim)
- The jet engine
- The Liberty ship (a type of cargo ship)
- RDX (a powerful explosive)
- The Rhino tank (a tank with special teeth to cut through hedges)
- Torpex (another powerful explosive)
- The traveling-wave tube (a device used in electronics)
- The proximity fuze (explained earlier).
Technologies developed by the Americans and shared with the British and Allies include:
- The bazooka (an anti-tank rocket launcher)
- The LVT (an amphibious landing vehicle)
- The DUKW (an amphibious truck)
- The Fido (an acoustic torpedo that hunted submarines by sound).
Canada and the U.S. also independently developed and shared the walkie-talkie.
Legacy
The Tizard Mission created a strong foundation for scientific cooperation. This cooperation continued between institutions in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
After the war, the U.S. stopped sharing nuclear technology with Britain. However, when Britain successfully tested its Hydrogen bomb and the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 (both in 1957), the U.S. decided to restart the wartime cooperation. This led to a Mutual Defence Agreement in 1958. Under this agreement, American technology was used for British nuclear weapons, and both countries exchanged nuclear materials to help each other.
Cooperation between British intelligence agencies and the United States Intelligence Community after the war became very important. It formed the basis of Western intelligence gathering and the "Special Relationship" between the UK and the U.S. Many military inventions from the war also found uses in everyday civilian life.
See also
- British Purchasing Commission
- List of World War II electronic warfare equipment
- Operations research
- Radiation Laboratory
- Telecommunications Research Establishment
