Military Engineering of WWII: A Veteran’s Day Remembrance

I have believe that GE developed the Amplidyne to aim the guns on battleships. Being able to accurately and quickly rotate to an azimuth gave us an advantage. Also the Britts developed Superhetrodyne for superior radio tuning by employing a beat oscilator and were then able to intercept radio signal from German U-boats operating far from land. The Britts also developed the "Flailing Tank" which cleared mines on the beach during the Normandy invasion. The M1 Garrand called by General Patton the finest ... and many others. The most notable scientific achievement was the Manhattan Project. American and British engineers and scientists definitely helped to win the war.

Hello Everyone!

Please don't forget the development of radar by the Brits, followed by it's refinement by US engineers for installation on warships and aircraft! Without radar, the Germans would have won the Battle of Britain, thus leaving no European home base for the US forces to operate from so in order to hit the Axis powers throughout Europe, first by air and sea, then followed by land forces.

As a former US Army Engineer and a Vet of Grenada and Desert Shield/Desert Storm, I salute you Moose for this fantastic posting. It is well written and very informative. and serves as a reminder to the younger generations the contributions that engineers in the service, and well as their civilian counterparts, made towards the war effort. They were indeed invaluable, and without them we probably would have lost the war.

We mustn't forget the contribution of engineers during other later conflicts either, especially those who served during the Korean War, then in Viet Nam and those who supported the both war efforts from Far East bases on Guam, in Thailand, in the Philippines, and in Japan.

Again, thank you! Have a great sunny day!

SUPPORT THE TROOPS!!!!!!!!!!

Definitely a well written professional piece Moose, not that less is expected.

Did in fact Lt. Casey design the Pentagon from a Friday, to a Monday?

Would be interesting to know if the plans were "Pets".

Surly the Pentagon shape of the building was genus.

Thing looks like it has always been there.

They could have called it Fort Pentagon.

Obviously a good design even in light of damage done, and people killed in the 9/11 attack.

I myself pay particular attention to those that built airfields in the Pacific Theater under fire.

Heavy dangerous work is hard enough without people shooting at you.

I am not sure if Seabees were part of the Corps Construction Division or not.

The fact does seem to me that the American GI was better individually armed than even the Germans. Without a doubt the MI Garand would have been more desirable than some 5 shot bolt action like the regular German soldier had.

Seems like the German Infantry, and US Infantry had different strategies as far as how to fight around the machine gun.

Apparently Audie Murphy's weapon of choice was the MI Carbine which sort of belies complaints about stopping power.

I'm slightly off track, but we have discussed guns as engineering feats here.

I think some of the fun of work is gone as I feel the era in the US subsequent to WWII.

A certain rigidity eschewing the legacy of the Can Do, as opposed to the inexperienced but perfectly certified seems to have taken hold.

The constant rotations of currently battling veterans put in the face of US citizens an obvious need for reinstating the draft.

(If we are to go on as we have been.)

In a way the soldiers are and have fought to protect the engineers, and builders, and buildings and bridges.

Peace came and in the US roads and airports, schools and more midtown skyscrapers were built.

Complete Victory was the Mall!

I read somewhere that the difference between the Greeks and the Romans, was Greek cities were pedestrian friendly, whereas Roman Cities relied on horse and chariots.

As the megalopalis grows attempts at Greek architectural and infrastructural precepts are revived.

I'm interested in what airports have been built in the course of the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq?

The Romans left a lot of roads around, and I wonder what airports the US has left so far?

Since all they can grow in Afghanistan is hashish and opium I recommend separating drug smugglers from weapons smugglers by giving them an airport from which to send their product legally to Amsterdam.

Did you know that your country cannot be a member of the UN if drugs are legal?

We can talk all we want about the role of religious fundamentalism, but the role of the International Drug War probably has more to do with our mired floundering in Afghanistan, that none but veterans have the right to joke about.

Certainly I do emphasis my Class, the Working Class when discussing things.

Whatever Theology I may find comfortable, I know that work, and economics and finances mean that there is common ground that transcends comforting beliefs, like there is an afterlife, better than what's going, to fight for.

WWI's political era, is same as what we have now.

We are back to the future, with better bombs.

I've cried over the tragedies of war.

Torture is what keeps it going, and it is a death of a thousand cuts.

Torture was rare during WWI from what I know.

-At least in the back rooms since you can make a case for gas and chemical attacks as torture.

(I allowed a guy to be punched some after he had beat another guy over the head with lead pipe.) -My hands are not pure.

For Xmas I am making Monster Houses...