Allied technological cooperation during World War II
Encyclopedia
The Second World War was not won by one nation; the Allies had to cooperate while fighting on the ground, as well as by sharing technological resources and innovations. There are various ways in which the allies cooperated, including the American lend lease scheme and hybrid weapons such as the Sherman Firefly
.
The origin of the cooperation stemmed from a 1940 visit by the Aeronautical Research Committee
chairman Henry Tizard
that arranged to transfer UK military technology to the US in case of the successful invasion of the UK that Hitler was planning as Operation Sea Lion. Tizard led a British technical mission
, containing details and examples of British technological developments in fields such as radar
, jet propulsion
and also the early British research
into the Atomic bomb. One of the devices brought to the US by the Mission, the resonant cavity magnetron
, was later described as "the most valuable cargo ever brought to our shores".
really began to be shared after the fall of France, most of the ‘sharing’ being one sided as America was not yet directly involved in the conflict and thus all the movement of food was from the United States to the United Kingdom. Vast numbers of U.S small arms and ammunition were bought or supplied later under lend lease and arrived in Britain to re-equip the British Army
which had left a large proportion of small arms as well as heavy equipment in France after Operation Dynamo
. The creation of the Home Guard
(Local Defence Volunteers at this time) also put a great demand on small arms supplies forcing units to train with broom handles and makeshift Pikes using lengths of piping and old bayonets. The weapons supplied for the British army were the famous Tommy gun
, M1911A1 handgun and the Colt .45 revolver
. The Home Guard received Browning .30 machine guns
in small numbers, M1918 .30 BARs again in limited numbers and P17 .30 Enfield Rifles
(the British .303 P14 version also being issued).
Slightly later in the war the M1919 .30 Machinegun
(commonly known as the 30-cal) and the M2HB .50 Machine gun entered service with British Infantry and as anti-aircraft machine guns on British tanks and notably with the SAS on their heavily armed Jeeps. The Browning had been standard fitment on British aircraft since the late 1930s
Britain did supply small arms to the USSR, the ubiquitous 9mm Sten Submachine gun
was supplied to Soviet partisan troops.
, M1A1 75mm Pack Howitzers
, 155 mm guns (Long Toms)
are but a few. These weapons were again supplied under lend-lease or bought outright. Tank
/Tank Destroyer
American mounted artillery used by the British included the 37 mm M5/M6 Gun (General Stuart
and General Grant/Lee
), 75mm M2 Gun (General Grant/Lee
), 75 mm M3 Gun (General Grant/Lee and General Sherman
), 76 mm Gun M1
(General Sherman) and 3" Gun M7 (3in SP, Wolverine
).
The Americans in this instance did use a British artillery piece, the Ordnance QF 6-pounder 7cwt
anti-tank gun. The U.S realized at the start of the war that their own 37 mm Gun M3 would soon be obsolete and thus they produced a license built version of the QF 6-pounder under the designation 57 mm Gun M1.
Both 76 mm and 75 mm guns were provided through tanks to the Soviets by the U.S and the British tanks sent were armed with both the Ordnance QF 2-pounder
and the Ordnance QF 6-pounder.
Another technology brought to the US for further development and mass production by Tizard, was the (radio-frequency) proximity fuse.
. Used in all theaters it was a versatile reliable design and easy to produce, thus huge numbers were made and huge numbers were provided to both Britain and the USSR under lend-lease. Despite official opinions the Medium Tank M4 was well liked by some Soviet tankers, while others called it the best tank for peacetime service. When Britain received the tank, it was given the designation Sherman and this is where the name of the Sherman tank came from - the U.K. naming its U.S.-built tanks after American Civil War
generals. Both the British and the Soviets re-armed their M4s with their own tank guns. The Soviets re-armed a very small number with the standard 76 mm F-34 tank gun
but so much 75 mm ammunition was supplied by the USA that the conversions were not widespread. The British conversion is better known as the Sherman Firefly
, mounting the potent Ordnance QF 17-pounder
anti-tank gun in the standard turret with a new mantlet and the radio moved to an armoured box welded to the turret bustle. These conversions both show how a blend of both countries' weaponry was desirable, though unfortunately despite the Americans building a few 17-pounder Fireflies from new, it never went into mass production and did not see action. The Firefly thus remains a purely British variant of the Sherman. The M10 Tank Destroyer, which in British service was named Wolverine, was also up-gunned with the 17-pounder, creating the highly potent 17pdr SP Achilles
tank destroyer. This was used in accordance with British tactical doctrine for tank destroyers, in that they were considered self-propelled anti-tank guns rather than aggressive 'tank hunters'. Used in this fashion, it was a highly effective weapon.
The British also used the Sherman hull for two other Sherman variants known as:
The DD was a swimming tank, a flotation screen gave buoyancy and two propellers powered by the tank's engine gave propulsion in the water. On reaching land the screens could be dropped and the tank could fight in the normal manner. The DD was used by both British and American forces during Operation Overlord
. The DD had impressed U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower
during demonstrations and was readily accepted. It was another key example of combining technologies. Unfortunately for the Americans they did not accept the Crab which could have saved many Engineers
' lives by clearing mines under fire but also under armour. Armoured recovery vehicle
s (ARVs) were also converted from Shermans by the British as well as the specialist BARV
(Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle) designed to push-off landing craft and salvage vehicles which would otherwise have been lost.
The British also supplied tanks to the USSR in the form of the Matilda
, Valentine
and Churchill
infantry tanks. Soviet tank soldiers liked the Valentine for its reliability, cross country performance and low silhouette. The opinion of the Matilda and Churchill was quite low considering their weak 40-mm guns (without HE shells) and inability to operate in harsh winter and offroad conditions.
Deliveries of M3 half-tracks from the USA to the USSR were a major benefit to mechanized Red Army units. Soviet industry did not produce any armoured personnel carriers at all, so lend-lease American vehicles were in great demand for fast movement of troops in front-line conditions. While M3s gave only limited protection, common trucks had no protection at all. Moreover, a large part of the Red Army truck fleet was American Studebakers, which were highly regarded by Soviet drivers. After the war, Soviet designers paid a lot of attention to create their own 6x6 army truck and the Studebaker was the template for this development.
, the famous P-51 Mustang
would not have been the excellent fighter that it was without British technology in the form of the equally famous Rolls-Royce Merlin
aero-engine. It is another excellent example of technological cooperation, in this case American airframe, British engine. The P-51 was also used in small numbers by the British. In addition to the British making use of American planes the U.S also made use of some Supermarine Spitfires based in the U.K and Mediterranean, as well as using Bristol Beaufighter
s in the Mediterranean, and de Havilland Mosquito
es based in the U.K.
Britain supplied Hawker Hurricane
s to the Soviet Union early in the war to try and help the Soviet Airforce
defend itself against the then technologically superior Luftwaffe
.
Frank Whittle
travelled to the US in 1942 to help General Electric
start jet engine production.
, to prevent the potential for vital information falling into enemy hands. The scientists joined the Manhattan Project
at Los Alamos
, New Mexico
, where their work on uranium enrichment was instrumental in jump starting the project. This collaboration eventually led to the Mutual Defence Agreement
between the two nations, whereby American nuclear weapons technology was adapted for British use.
When the Atlantic convoys of war materiel from the US to the UK came under serious threat from U-boats, considerable encouragement and practical help was given by the US to accelerating the build of code-breaking machines.
Subsequently, the co-operation led to significant success in Australia and the far East at breaking encrypted Japanese messages.
Sherman Firefly
The Sherman Firefly was a World War II British variant of the American Sherman tank, fitted with the powerful British 17 pounder anti-tank gun as its main weapon...
.
The origin of the cooperation stemmed from a 1940 visit by the Aeronautical Research Committee
Aeronautical Research Committee
The Aeronautical Research Committee was a UK government committee established in 1919 in order to coordinate aeronautical research and education following World War I...
chairman Henry Tizard
Henry Tizard
Sir Henry Thomas Tizard FRS was an English chemist and inventor and past Rector of Imperial College....
that arranged to transfer UK military technology to the US in case of the successful invasion of the UK that Hitler was planning as Operation Sea Lion. Tizard led a British technical mission
Tizard Mission
The Tizard Mission officially the British Technical and Scientific Mission was a British delegation that visited the United States during the Second World War in order to obtain the industrial resources to exploit the military potential of the research and development work completed by the UK up...
, containing details and examples of British technological developments in fields such as radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, jet propulsion
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
and also the early British research
Tube Alloys
Tube Alloys was the code-name for the British nuclear weapon directorate during World War II, when the development of nuclear weapons was kept at such a high level of secrecy that it had to be referred to by code even in the highest circles of government...
into the Atomic bomb. One of the devices brought to the US by the Mission, the resonant cavity magnetron
Cavity magnetron
The cavity magnetron is a high-powered vacuum tube that generates microwaves using the interaction of a stream of electrons with a magnetic field. The 'resonant' cavity magnetron variant of the earlier magnetron tube was invented by John Randall and Harry Boot in 1940 at the University of...
, was later described as "the most valuable cargo ever brought to our shores".
Small arms
Small armsSmall arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
really began to be shared after the fall of France, most of the ‘sharing’ being one sided as America was not yet directly involved in the conflict and thus all the movement of food was from the United States to the United Kingdom. Vast numbers of U.S small arms and ammunition were bought or supplied later under lend lease and arrived in Britain to re-equip the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
which had left a large proportion of small arms as well as heavy equipment in France after Operation Dynamo
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
. The creation of the Home Guard
British Home Guard
The Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
(Local Defence Volunteers at this time) also put a great demand on small arms supplies forcing units to train with broom handles and makeshift Pikes using lengths of piping and old bayonets. The weapons supplied for the British army were the famous Tommy gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
, M1911A1 handgun and the Colt .45 revolver
M1917 revolver
The M1917 Revolver was a U.S. six-shot revolver of .45 ACP caliber. It was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1917 to supplement the standard M1911 .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol during World War I. Afterwards, it was primarily used by secondary and non-deployed troops...
. The Home Guard received Browning .30 machine guns
M1919 Browning machine gun
The M1919 Browning is a .30 caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century. It was used as a light infantry, coaxial, mounted, aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine gun by the U.S. and many other countries, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War...
in small numbers, M1918 .30 BARs again in limited numbers and P17 .30 Enfield Rifles
M1917 Enfield rifle
The M1917 Enfield, the "American Enfield" , formally named "United States Rifle, cal .30, Model of 1917" was an American modification and production of the British .303 caliber P14 rifle developed and manufactured during the period 1917-1918.-History:Before World War I developed, the British had as...
(the British .303 P14 version also being issued).
Slightly later in the war the M1919 .30 Machinegun
M1919 Browning machine gun
The M1919 Browning is a .30 caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century. It was used as a light infantry, coaxial, mounted, aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine gun by the U.S. and many other countries, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War...
(commonly known as the 30-cal) and the M2HB .50 Machine gun entered service with British Infantry and as anti-aircraft machine guns on British tanks and notably with the SAS on their heavily armed Jeeps. The Browning had been standard fitment on British aircraft since the late 1930s
Britain did supply small arms to the USSR, the ubiquitous 9mm Sten Submachine gun
Sten
The STEN was a family of British 9 mm submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War...
was supplied to Soviet partisan troops.
Artillery
The British made use of many American towed artillery pieces during the war, the M2 105 mm howitzersM101 howitzer
The 105 mm M2A1 howitzer was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theaters. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation...
, M1A1 75mm Pack Howitzers
M116 howitzer
The 75mm Pack Howitzer M1 was designed in the United States in 1920s to meet a need for an artillery piece that could be moved across difficult terrain. The gun and carriage was designed so that it could be broken down into several pieces to be carried by pack animals...
, 155 mm guns (Long Toms)
155 mm Long Tom
The 155 mm Gun M1 and M2 , widely known as Long Tom, were 155 millimeter calibre field guns used by the United States armed forces during World War II and Korean War. The Long Tom replaced the Canon de 155 mm GPF in United States service.-Development:Before entering World War I, the United...
are but a few. These weapons were again supplied under lend-lease or bought outright. Tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
/Tank Destroyer
Tank destroyer
A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...
American mounted artillery used by the British included the 37 mm M5/M6 Gun (General Stuart
Stuart tank
The M3 Stuart, formally Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II and supplied to British and Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war—and used thereafter by U.S...
and General Grant/Lee
M3 Lee
The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called "General Lee", named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the modified version built with a new turret was called the "General Grant", named after U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant.Design commenced...
), 75mm M2 Gun (General Grant/Lee
M3 Lee
The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called "General Lee", named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the modified version built with a new turret was called the "General Grant", named after U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant.Design commenced...
), 75 mm M3 Gun (General Grant/Lee and General Sherman
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
), 76 mm Gun M1
76 mm gun M1
The 76 mm Gun M1 was an American Forces World War II-era tank gun, which replaced the 75 mm gun on late Medium tank M4s, and was used for all 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 tank destroyers. The previous 75 mm M3 L/40 gun on the early M4 Sherman variants was designed more as an infantry support...
(General Sherman) and 3" Gun M7 (3in SP, Wolverine
M10 Wolverine
The M10 tank destroyer, formally 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage, M10 was a United States tank destroyer of World War II based on the chassis of the M4 Sherman tank. It was numerically the most important U.S...
).
The Americans in this instance did use a British artillery piece, the Ordnance QF 6-pounder 7cwt
Ordnance QF 6 pounder
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II, as well as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles...
anti-tank gun. The U.S realized at the start of the war that their own 37 mm Gun M3 would soon be obsolete and thus they produced a license built version of the QF 6-pounder under the designation 57 mm Gun M1.
Both 76 mm and 75 mm guns were provided through tanks to the Soviets by the U.S and the British tanks sent were armed with both the Ordnance QF 2-pounder
Ordnance QF 2 pounder
The Ordnance QF 2-pounder was a British anti-tank and vehicle-mounted gun, employed in the Second World War. It was actively used in the Battle of France, and during the North Africa campaign...
and the Ordnance QF 6-pounder.
Another technology brought to the US for further development and mass production by Tizard, was the (radio-frequency) proximity fuse.
Tanks and other vehicles
Probably the most well-known tank of the Second World War in Anglophone countries is the Medium Tank M4M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
. Used in all theaters it was a versatile reliable design and easy to produce, thus huge numbers were made and huge numbers were provided to both Britain and the USSR under lend-lease. Despite official opinions the Medium Tank M4 was well liked by some Soviet tankers, while others called it the best tank for peacetime service. When Britain received the tank, it was given the designation Sherman and this is where the name of the Sherman tank came from - the U.K. naming its U.S.-built tanks after American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
generals. Both the British and the Soviets re-armed their M4s with their own tank guns. The Soviets re-armed a very small number with the standard 76 mm F-34 tank gun
F-34 tank gun
The 76 mm tank gun M1940 F-34 was a 76.2 mm Soviet tank gun used on the T-34/76 tank. A modified version of the gun, the 76 mm tank gun M1941 ZiS-5 was used on KV-1 tanks during World War II...
but so much 75 mm ammunition was supplied by the USA that the conversions were not widespread. The British conversion is better known as the Sherman Firefly
Sherman Firefly
The Sherman Firefly was a World War II British variant of the American Sherman tank, fitted with the powerful British 17 pounder anti-tank gun as its main weapon...
, mounting the potent Ordnance QF 17-pounder
Ordnance QF 17 pounder
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 17 pounder was a 76.2 mm gun developed by the United Kingdom during World War II. It was used as an anti-tank gun on its own carriage, as well as equipping a number of British tanks. It was the most effective Allied anti-tank gun of the war...
anti-tank gun in the standard turret with a new mantlet and the radio moved to an armoured box welded to the turret bustle. These conversions both show how a blend of both countries' weaponry was desirable, though unfortunately despite the Americans building a few 17-pounder Fireflies from new, it never went into mass production and did not see action. The Firefly thus remains a purely British variant of the Sherman. The M10 Tank Destroyer, which in British service was named Wolverine, was also up-gunned with the 17-pounder, creating the highly potent 17pdr SP Achilles
17pdr SP Achilles
The 17 pounder, Self Propelled, Achilles was a British variant of the American M10 Tank destroyer armed with the powerful British Ordnance QF 17 pounder anti-tank gun in place of the standard 3" Gun M7...
tank destroyer. This was used in accordance with British tactical doctrine for tank destroyers, in that they were considered self-propelled anti-tank guns rather than aggressive 'tank hunters'. Used in this fashion, it was a highly effective weapon.
The British also used the Sherman hull for two other Sherman variants known as:
- The Crab, a mine flailing tank, and
- The DD Sherman, the DD standing for Duplex Drive.
The DD was a swimming tank, a flotation screen gave buoyancy and two propellers powered by the tank's engine gave propulsion in the water. On reaching land the screens could be dropped and the tank could fight in the normal manner. The DD was used by both British and American forces during Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. The DD had impressed U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
during demonstrations and was readily accepted. It was another key example of combining technologies. Unfortunately for the Americans they did not accept the Crab which could have saved many Engineers
Combat engineering
A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...
' lives by clearing mines under fire but also under armour. Armoured recovery vehicle
Armoured recovery vehicle
An armoured recovery vehicle is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle- or mine-damaged as well as broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them out of the danger zone for more extensive repairs...
s (ARVs) were also converted from Shermans by the British as well as the specialist BARV
BARV
The Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle is a British military support vehicle used for amphibious landings.There have been three different BARVs in British service since their introduction during World War II...
(Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle) designed to push-off landing craft and salvage vehicles which would otherwise have been lost.
The British also supplied tanks to the USSR in the form of the Matilda
Matilda tank
The Infantry Tank Mark II known as the Matilda II was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. It was also identified from its General Staff Specification A12....
, Valentine
Valentine tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. More than 8,000 of the type were produced in 11 different marks plus various purpose-built variants, accounting for approximately a quarter of wartime British tank production...
and Churchill
Churchill tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV was a heavy British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war...
infantry tanks. Soviet tank soldiers liked the Valentine for its reliability, cross country performance and low silhouette. The opinion of the Matilda and Churchill was quite low considering their weak 40-mm guns (without HE shells) and inability to operate in harsh winter and offroad conditions.
Deliveries of M3 half-tracks from the USA to the USSR were a major benefit to mechanized Red Army units. Soviet industry did not produce any armoured personnel carriers at all, so lend-lease American vehicles were in great demand for fast movement of troops in front-line conditions. While M3s gave only limited protection, common trucks had no protection at all. Moreover, a large part of the Red Army truck fleet was American Studebakers, which were highly regarded by Soviet drivers. After the war, Soviet designers paid a lot of attention to create their own 6x6 army truck and the Studebaker was the template for this development.
Aircraft
In addition to being originally designed to a British specification for use by the RAFRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, the famous P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
would not have been the excellent fighter that it was without British technology in the form of the equally famous Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
aero-engine. It is another excellent example of technological cooperation, in this case American airframe, British engine. The P-51 was also used in small numbers by the British. In addition to the British making use of American planes the U.S also made use of some Supermarine Spitfires based in the U.K and Mediterranean, as well as using Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
s in the Mediterranean, and de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
es based in the U.K.
Britain supplied Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s to the Soviet Union early in the war to try and help the Soviet Airforce
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
defend itself against the then technologically superior Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
.
Frank Whittle
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
travelled to the US in 1942 to help General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
start jet engine production.
Nuclear research
In 1942, and with the threat of invasion by Germany still apparent, the United Kingdom dispatched around 20 British scientists and technical staff to America, along with their work, which had been carried out under the codename Tube AlloysTube Alloys
Tube Alloys was the code-name for the British nuclear weapon directorate during World War II, when the development of nuclear weapons was kept at such a high level of secrecy that it had to be referred to by code even in the highest circles of government...
, to prevent the potential for vital information falling into enemy hands. The scientists joined the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
at Los Alamos
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Los Alamos is a townsite and census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. The population of the CDP was 12,019 at the 2010 Census. The townsite or "the hill" is one part of town while...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, where their work on uranium enrichment was instrumental in jump starting the project. This collaboration eventually led to the Mutual Defence Agreement
1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement
The 1958 US–UK Mutual Defence Agreement is a bilateral treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom on nuclear weapons cooperation.It was signed after the UK successfully tested its first hydrogen bomb during Operation Grapple. While the U.S...
between the two nations, whereby American nuclear weapons technology was adapted for British use.
Code-breaking technology
Considerable information was transmiited from the UK to the US during and after WWII relating to code-breaking methods, the codes themselves, cryptoanalyst visits, mechanical and digital devices for speeding code-breaking etc.When the Atlantic convoys of war materiel from the US to the UK came under serious threat from U-boats, considerable encouragement and practical help was given by the US to accelerating the build of code-breaking machines.
Subsequently, the co-operation led to significant success in Australia and the far East at breaking encrypted Japanese messages.
See also
- M4 Sherman variantsM4 Sherman variantsThe M4 Sherman tank was produced in several variants and it was also the basis for a number of related vehicles.In addition, Shermans have been modified by several nations from modernization upgrades to complete hull conversions for another task.-Overview:...
- Lend-Lease Sherman tanksLend-Lease Sherman tanksThe United States provided tens of thousands of its Medium Tank M4, nicknamed the Sherman, to many of its Allies during the Second World War, under the terms of Lend-Lease Act.-British nomenclature:...
- Tizard MissionTizard MissionThe Tizard Mission officially the British Technical and Scientific Mission was a British delegation that visited the United States during the Second World War in order to obtain the industrial resources to exploit the military potential of the research and development work completed by the UK up...
- Manhattan ProjectManhattan ProjectThe Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
- Cavity magnetronCavity magnetronThe cavity magnetron is a high-powered vacuum tube that generates microwaves using the interaction of a stream of electrons with a magnetic field. The 'resonant' cavity magnetron variant of the earlier magnetron tube was invented by John Randall and Harry Boot in 1940 at the University of...
- Radiation LaboratoryRadiation LaboratoryThe Radiation Laboratory, commonly called the Rad Lab, was located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts and functioned from October 1940 until December 31, 1945...
- Proximity fuzeProximity fuzeA proximity fuze is a fuze that is designed to detonate an explosive device automatically when the distance to target becomes smaller than a predetermined value or when the target passes through a given plane...
- British Purchasing CommissionBritish Purchasing CommissionThe British Purchasing Commission was a United Kingdom organization of the Second World War.Also known at some time as the "Anglo-French Purchasing Board", it was based in New York City, where it arranged the production and purchase of armaments from North American manufacturers.The Board was able...
- List of World War II electronic warfare equipment
- Bletchley ParkBletchley ParkBletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
- UltraUltraUltra was the designation adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by "breaking" high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. "Ultra" eventually became the standard...
- Operations researchOperations researchOperations research is an interdisciplinary mathematical science that focuses on the effective use of technology by organizations...
- Gyro gunsightGyro gunsightA gyro gunsight is a modification of the non-magnifying reflector sight in which target lead and bullet drop are allowed for automatically, the sight incorporating a gyroscopic mechanism that computes the necessary deflections required to ensure a hit on the target...
- History of radarHistory of radarThe history of radar starts with experiments by Heinrich Hertz in the late 19th century that showed that radio waves were reflected by metallic objects. This possibility was suggested in James Clerk Maxwell's seminal work on electromagnetism...
- Liberty shipLiberty shipLiberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
- Jet engineJet engineA jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
- Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
- ASDIC (sonar)
- Traveling-wave tube
- RDX
- TorpexTorpexTorpex is a secondary explosive 50% more powerful than TNT by mass. Torpex is composed of 42% RDX, 40% TNT and 18% powdered aluminium. It was used in the Second World War from late 1942. The name is short for Torpedo Explosive', having been originally developed for use in torpedoes...