Jagdpanther – The Jagdpanther was based on the chassis of the Panther tank. It entered service late in 1944 and saw service on the Eastern and Western Fronts. The Jagdpanther combined the very powerful 8.8 cm PaK 43 cannon of the Tiger II and the characteristically excellent armour and suspension of the Panther chassis. A total of 415 Jagdpanthers were produced from January 1944 until the end of the War in Europe. The Jagdpanther had a good power-to-weight ratio and a powerful main gun, which enabled it to destroy any type of Allied tank. Based on the existing Panther Ausf G chassis, the vehicle did not suffer too many mechanical problems. It had an upgraded transmission (the ZF AK 7-400 heavy duty) – which had been planned for the Panther II – and final drive to counter the Panther’s main weakness. It was manned by a crew of five: a driver, radio-operator, commander, gunner and a loader.
Jeep – The Willys MB U.S. Army Jeep (formally the Truck, 1/4 ton, 4x4) and the Ford GPW were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles such as the original Land Rover. With a simple three speed gearbox coupled to a Willys L134 2.2L engine producing 60hp and lightweight construction the Jeep weighed just 1040kg.
Junkers Ju 87 – The Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, “dive bomber”) was a two-man (pilot and rear gunner) single engine, fixed undercarriage and inverted gull wings. It was designed as a very accurate dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, the Stuka first flew in 1935 and made its combat debut in 1936 as part of the Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. The Stuka’s design included several new at the time features, including automatic pull-up dive brakes under both wings to ensure that the aircraft recovered from its attack dive even if the pilot blacked out from the high acceleration. The Ju 87 was an easy target for modern fighters of the time and suffered heavy losses during the Battle of Britain due to its poor manoeuvrability and speed.
Junkers Ju-52 – The Ju 52 was a German trimotor transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. Its first flight was in October 1930 and continued in service with civilian airlines until 1952.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 – The Bf 109 was a single engine German fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid-1930s. It was one of the first truly modern fighters of the era, including such features as all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, a retractable landing gear, and was powered by a liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engine. It first flew in May 1935 and was powered by a Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 liquid-cooled inverted V12, developing 1,455 HP. It was still being used by the Spanish Air Force up to 1965. The Bf 109 has the accolade in scoring more aerial kills than any other aircraft during World War Two.
Messerschmitt Bf 110 – The Bf 110 was a twin-engine heavy fighter (Zerstörer—German for “Destroyer”) in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten (“Ironsides”). It made its first flight in 1936 and was introduced to the Luftwaffe in 1937. The Bf 110 soldiered on until the end of the war in various roles.
Messerschmitt Me 262 – The Me 262 was world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Powered by two Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines. Design work started before World War II began, however engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944. Compared with Allied fighters of its day, including the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor, it was much faster and better armed. It was one of the most advanced aviation designs in operational use during World War II, and the helped the Americans after the war develop aircraft such as the F86 Sabre. The Me 262 was used in a variety of roles, including light bomber, reconnaissance and even experimental night fighter versions.
MG 34 – The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, is a German recoil-operated air-cooled machine gun, first tested in 1929, introduced in 1934, and issued to units in 1936. It accepts the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, and is generally considered the world’s first general-purpose machine gun. The MG 34 was a very versatile weapon and was mounted into many German tanks to protect against enemy soldiers. At the time of its development the MG 34 was the most advanced machine gun. Its combination of exceptional mobility – being light enough to be carried by one man – and high rate of fire (of up to 900 rounds per minute) was unmatched. It entered service in great numbers following Hitler’s repudiation of the Versailles Treaty in 1936, and was first tested by German troops aiding Franco’s Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War.
Mortar – A Mortar is a weapons system that consists of an adjustable tube that points upwards usually mounted on a tripod type design. Rocket propelled grenades are then dropped into the tube to be fired at a set target. They come in a variety of sizes and are highly effective against soft targets. Larger mortars can have some success against more hardened target. The rounds can be either HE (High Explosive) or Smoke.
MP 40 – The MP 40 is a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It was developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively during WWII. Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with inspiration from its predecessor the MP 38, it was used by infantrymen, paratroopers, platoon and squad leaders on the Eastern and Western Front. Its advanced and modern features made it a favourite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war. Although the MP 40 was generally reliable, a major weakness was its 32-round magazine. From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.1 million were produced by Erma Werke.
P-47 Thunderbolt – The P-47 was a single engine fighter bomber powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine. It was the heaviest fighter of World War Two and used in a variety of roles, from bomber escort to bombing and interdiction. It had its first flight in May 1941 and 15,560 went on to be built by the end of the War. Due to its air cooled engine it had a much greater survivability than many other contemporary fighters of the day.
Panzerfaust – The Panzerfaust (“Tank fist”, or Pzf in short.) These simple but effective anti-tank weapons proved to be devastating against Allied tanks during second half of the war, and, more important, these weapons set the pattern for most post-war developments in the field of man-portable antitank weapons. The Panzerfaust 60M doubled the effective range of fire from 30 to 60 meters by using launching tube / barrel of larger calibre and more powerful propellant charge. The actual warhead stayed the same. In November 1944 a further improved version appeared, the Panzerfaust 100M, which extended effective range to 100 meters by using a tandem propellant charge. The semi-experimental Panzerfaust 150M served as a pattern for first Soviet post-war RPG, the RPG-2.
PIAT – The PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank) was a British handheld anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army’s need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapon, and entered service in 1943. The PIAT was based on the spigot mortar system, which launched a 1.1 kg bomb using a powerful spring and a cartridge on the tail of the projectile. It possessed an effective range of approximately 110 m in a direct fire anti-tank role, and 320 m in an indirect fire ‘house-breaking’ role. The PIAT had several advantages over other infantry anti-tank weapons of the period, which included a lack of muzzle smoke to reveal the position of the user, and an inexpensive barrel; however, this was countered by, amongst other things, a difficulty in cocking the weapon, the bruising the user received when firing it, and problems with its penetrative power.