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

[Viking]

If anybody is going to suggest the P-39 I gotta add the Hurricane. It also served the entire war changing roles as time passed and it's capabilities were surpassed. It started the war as a "B" team fighter next to the Spitfire but managed to win the Battle of Britain. It later served as a Tank Buster, Sub Hunter and Dive Bomber in Africa, The Atlantic and Burma.

[Norgy]

I'd say the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (aka Tomahawk).

It first flew in 1938 and was used until the end of the war. It lacked a lot of innovations of newer planes but was rugged enough that it begin as an air superiority fighter and ended up still being a functional close air support fighter by the end of the war. It was also used by over 25+ different nations.

Notable pilots of the plane were Claire Chennault, Gregory Boyington (before he went on to fly in the Black Sheep), and Nikolai Fyodorovich Kuznetsov (a Hero of the Soviet Union).

Good call.

[Razgovory]

Those little Soviet crop dusters that were used to harrass the Germans.  The Po-2s.

Japanese knee mortars.  I love those.  Also the Japanese swords.  Outdated for centuries and still in use!  They played an important role in slowing down allied troops who took them as souvenirs.

[Ed Anger]

  Also the Japanese swords.  Outdated for centuries and still in use!  They played an important role in slowing down allied troops who took them as souvenirs.

[grumbler]

I would argue that the P-40 and Hurricane were not "low capability" aircraft and so shouldn't really be considered.  The Mosquito was very advanced - it was deliberately made out of plywood to use construction facilities unable to work in metal.

The Swordfish definitely punched above its weight.  So did the WW1 RN battleships, Warspite in particular.  I am pressed to think of a system that did more with less than the Swordsfish, though.

Good question.

[Neil]

It's hard to understate the value of wrecking the Italian surface fleet.

[Viking]

It's hard to understate the value of wrecking the Italian surface fleet.

Yeah, it convinced the Japs that they could do it to the Americans.

[The Brain]

It's hard to understate the value of wrecking the Italian surface fleet.

QFFT

[KRonn]

Those little Soviet crop dusters that were used to harrass the Germans.  The Po-2s.

Japanese knee mortars.  I love those.  Also the Japanese swords.  Outdated for centuries and still in use!  They played an important role in slowing down allied troops who took them as souvenirs.

My Great Uncle has one of those swords.  A Japanese officer jumped into his foxhole one night, demanding my uncle surrender. My uncle simply said he emptied his rifle into the officer. Still has the sword as a souvenir, I think anyway. Some years ago he returned some items to the Japanese Consul - papers, diary, what ever,of Japanese soldiers. He said one time he was keeping the sword but I don't know now. He's in a Veteran's nursing home now, in his 90s; I'll have to ask my cousin sometime about it.

[Viking]

Those little Soviet crop dusters that were used to harrass the Germans.  The Po-2s.

Japanese knee mortars.  I love those.  Also the Japanese swords.  Outdated for centuries and still in use!  They played an important role in slowing down allied troops who took them as souvenirs.

My Great Uncle has one of those swords.  A Japanese officer jumped into his foxhole one night, demanding my uncle surrender. My uncle simply said he emptied his rifle into the officer. Still has the sword as a souvenir, I think anyway. Some years ago he returned some items to the Japanese Consul - papers, diary, what ever,of Japanese soldiers. He said one time he was keeping the sword but I don't know now. He's in a Veteran's nursing home now, in his 90s; I'll have to ask my cousin sometime about it.

Did he sign a release form for his life story being used in a film?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DzcOCyHDqc

[Siege]

Swords are worthless.

Oversized knives that you can't use to open MREs.

[Razgovory]

Swords are worthless.

Oversized knives that you can't use to open MREs.

Someday day Siegy will get a joke and not just state the fucking obvious.

[Viking]

Swords are worthless.

Oversized knives that you can't use to open MREs.

Someday day Siegy will get a joke and not just state the fucking obvious.

A Joke that Siegy gets.

Jarhead A: So I saw this Haji and, <comic timing pause>, I shot him!!!!
Siegy: JWHAJWHAJWHAJWHA!!

[KRonn]

Those little Soviet crop dusters that were used to harrass the Germans.  The Po-2s.

Japanese knee mortars.  I love those.  Also the Japanese swords.  Outdated for centuries and still in use!  They played an important role in slowing down allied troops who took them as souvenirs.

My Great Uncle has one of those swords.  A Japanese officer jumped into his foxhole one night, demanding my uncle surrender. My uncle simply said he emptied his rifle into the officer. Still has the sword as a souvenir, I think anyway. Some years ago he returned some items to the Japanese Consul - papers, diary, what ever,of Japanese soldiers. He said one time he was keeping the sword but I don't know now. He's in a Veteran's nursing home now, in his 90s; I'll have to ask my cousin sometime about it.

Did he sign a release form for his life story being used in a film?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DzcOCyHDqc

He's been active in Veteran groups all his life. An author did interview him about ten years ago to get his stories on the war. The author was interviewing many vets for a book on WW2 Marines, a book on the Iwo Jima battle.

[Neil]

Swords are worthless.

Oversized knives that you can't use to open MREs.

Someday day Siegy will get a joke and not just state the fucking obvious.

A Joke that Siegy gets.

Jarhead A: So I saw this Haji and, <comic timing pause>, I shot him!!!!
Siegy: You're an I shot him!!!

Fixed.