The 155-mm Howitzer M1 was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece. It saw service with the US Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, before being replaced by the M198 Howitzer. The gun was used by the armed forces of many nations, and in some countries, it still remains in service. The 155-mm Howitzer was developed as an afterthought. A new carriage was under development for much of the 1930s for the existing World War I era M1918 until 1939 when it was realized that it did not seem logical to put a new carriage underneath an obsolete howitzer....

The Bofors 40-mm gun is an anti-aircraft, multi-purpose autocannon designed in the 1930s by the Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors. It was one of the most popular anti-aircraft systems during World War II, used by most of the western Allies as well as the Axis powers. The cannon remains in service as of 2013, making it one of the longest serving artillery pieces of all time as well as the most wide spread. During World War II, In order to supply both the United States Army and Navy with a much greater number of guns, Chrysler began mass production. Over the lifetime of the production, their...

The Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) was a class of amphibious warfare vehicle, a small landing craft, introduced by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they rapidly evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles as well. The LVT Mark I was the first military model. Traveling at a respectable six knots in the water and twelve mph on land, it could deliver twenty four fully equipped assault troops to the beach. Though it was only intended for delivering supplies inland until wheeled...

The 155-mm Gun Motor Carriage M12 was a U.S. self-propelled gun developed during the Second World War. Only 100 were built; sixty in 1942 and another forty in 1943. The M12 was built on the chassis of the M3 Lee tank. It had an armored driver's compartment, but the gun crew were located in an open topped area at the back of the vehicle. An earth spade at the rear was employed to absorb recoil. During 1943 the vehicles were used for training or put into storage. Before the invasion of France, seventy four M12s were upgraded in preparation for combat operations. They were employed successfully...

The Pershing was the first operational heavy tank of the US Army; originally the T26, the tank was eventually redesignated the M26 Pershing medium tank. Named after General John J. Pershing who led the American Expeditionary Force in Europe in World War I, it was briefly used both in World War II and in the Korean War. Intended as an improvement of the M4 Sherman, the prolonged time of development meant only a small number saw combat in the European theater, most notably the 9th Armored Division's dramatic dash to take the Bridge at Remagen. On December 22nd, 1944, while the battle still...

The T17E1, better known as the Staghound, was an American armored car design produced during the Second World War. It never saw service with front line U.S. forces but was supplied, via the United Kingdom, to British and Commonwealth forces during the war. A number of countries used the Staghound after the war, with some of the vehicles continuing to serve into the 1980s. Production started in October 1942, and approximately 4,000 Staghounds were built in total. The Staghound was an innovative design that incorporated some cutting edge features. It had two rear-facing six-cylinder engines...

The M18 Hellcat was an American tank destroyer during World War II. Armed with a 76-mm cannon, it was the fastest tracked armored fighting vehicle during World War II with a top speed up to sixty mph. As a result, Buick nicknamed it the Hellcat. The fast speed was reached by keeping armor thickness to a minimum. Hellcat crews took advantage of the vehicle's speed to minimize the enemy's ability to pierce its thin armor. The M18's new design incorporated several innovative maintenance features. The Wright R-975 engine was mounted on steel rollers, allowing maintenance crews to disconnect it...

Since ancient times, dogs have played a large part in warfare. From war dogs trained for combat purposes to dogs used as scouts, they have played an important role in military history. Throughout World War II, the United States Marine Corps used dogs, which were donated by their American owners. In the Pacific Theater, they were integral in taking backs islands from Japanese occupying forces. During this period, the Doberman Pinscher became the official dog of the United States Marine Corps. However, all breeds of dogs were permitted to train to be war dogs of the Pacific. Of the 549 dogs...

The 88-mm gun was a German anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun from World War II. It was used substantially by Germany throughout the war, and was one of the most recognized German weapons of the war. Development of the 88-mm led to a wide variety of weapons. The 88-mm name applies to a series of guns, the first one officially called the Flak 18, then the improved Flak 36, and later the Flak 37. Flak is a contraction of the German word Flugzeugabwehrkanone, meaning "aircraft-defense cannon," the original purpose of the eighty-eight. In English, "flak" became a generic term for ground...

Designed by Swedish cryptographer Boris Hagelin, the M-209 Converter was a portable, mechanical cipher machine. Used extensively during WWII and the Korean conflict by both the Army Signal Corps and the U.S. Navy (which designated it the CSP-1500), Hagelin's device allowed a rapid and secure means of communication. The lunchbox- sized machine was so simple that little training was required to use it, yet its cipher scheme proved very difficult - but not impossible - for the Germans to crack. The M-209's elegant design uses six adjustable key wheels or rotors to produce a reciprocal...