WW2 Weapons Platforms: What accomplished the most with the least?

Started by CountDeMoney, July 03, 2009, 06:47:22 PM

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CountDeMoney

Got into a discussion with a buddy over which weapons systems of WW2 accomplished the most with the least capability;  that is,

He said the F4F Wildcat, the USN's early war carrier fighter that, 1 on 1, had its hands full with the Zero as totally outmatched, but adapted successful tactics to overcome its weaknesses.

I said the motherfucking mother of all biplanes, the motherfucking Swordfish.  Not only assfucked the Italian Navy at Taranto, but made the torp hit that totally doomed the Bismark...all at a max of 150mph.

Notable runner-up: The Sherman tank.  Shitty armor, shitty gun.  Won the war in the west.

Ed Anger

A couple honorable mentions:

Pz II. Helped assrape the Poles and frogs with a 20mm peashooter.
PIAT. A shitty antitank weapon powered by a spring that just kept going.


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CountDeMoney

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 03, 2009, 06:51:53 PM
PIAT. A shitty antitank weapon powered by a spring that just kept going.

Yes, Nerf technology.  Good call.

Siege



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Neil

Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 03, 2009, 06:47:22 PM
I said the motherfucking mother of all biplanes, the motherfucking Swordfish.  Not only assfucked the Italian Navy at Taranto, but made the torp hit that totally doomed the Bismark...all at a max of 150mph.
Indeed.  While the Bismarck was certainly a useful achievement, the operation at Taranto was absolutely enormous in terms of securing British victory.
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CountDeMoney

Quote from: Siege on July 03, 2009, 06:59:21 PM
M1 Garand.

I dunno, Siegy.  It had some flaws, but it was significantly more effective than bolt-actions at the time.

MadBurgerMaker

Maybe the P-39?  The Soviets killed lots of Germans with that thing somehow, both in the air and on the ground.  I don't think it had "less" of anything vs. the Swordfish though.

Razgovory

The German Hetzer was fairly effective for just being an outdated tank chassis with a medium gun stuck to the front.  Actually the Panzer's III and IV did pretty well being used through out the conflict despite rapidedly becoming obsolete.

British Gladiator saw some good service at the begining of the war despite being badly outdated.

About everything the Japanese were equiped with.
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dps


Viking

I gotta add

A) Indians with Matilda-1's in the desert against Italians outnumbering them 10-1

and

B) Soviet Partisans, without doubt the people with the least of everything, any achievement must rank given the premise of this question.
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Siege

Any german tank is out of the question.
They outperformed everything the allies had.

What about the Stuka?

Or the Me 110?


Well, the russian PPSH is a piece of shit, but it seem to have been a very effective sub-machinegun.



"All men are created equal, then some become infantry."

"Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't."

"Laissez faire et laissez passer, le monde va de lui même!"


CountDeMoney

Quote from: Viking on July 03, 2009, 09:47:06 PM
I gotta add

A) Indians with Matilda-1's in the desert against Italians outnumbering them 10-1

Meh, it was Italians.  And there weren't any Matildas at the Little Bighorn, either.

Quoteand

B) Soviet Partisans, without doubt the people with the least of everything, any achievement must rank given the premise of this question.

I'd consider that a gay cop-out answer if I didn't sorta agree with it.

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