The Second World War was not won by one nation, the Allies not only had to cooperate while fighting on the ground but pooling of technological resources in weaponry, aircraft and new technologies was also a key reason for the Allied victory in Western European, Eastern European, African and the Pacific campaigns. This article aims to outline the various ways in which the allies cooperated including the American lend lease scheme and hybrid weapons such as the Sherman Firefly. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Animation of the WWII European Theatre. ... Combatants Soviet Union1 Poland Germany1 Italy (to 1943) Romania Finland (to 1944) Hungary Commanders Aleksei Antonov Ivan Konev Rodion Malinovsky Kirill Meretskov Ivan Petrov Alexander Rodimtsev Konstantin Rokossovsky Pavel Rotmistrov Semyon Timoshenko Fyodor Tolbukhin Aleksandr Vasilevsky Nikolai Vatutin Kliment Voroshilov Andrei Yeremenko Matvei Zakharov Georgy Zhukov Fedor von Bock Ernst... During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from September 13, 1940 to May 13, 1943. ... Combatants Republic of China U.S.A. (from 1941) U.K. (from 1941) Australia (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) U.S.S.R. (from 1945) Empire of Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Josef Stalin (from 1945) Hideki Tojo The Pacific War was... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Lend-Lease This article is about the World War II program. ... The Sherman Firefly (M4A4 VC Firefly) was a British variation of the M4 Sherman tank, fitted with the more powerful 17 pounder main gun. ...

Small Arms

Small Arms 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 weapons was from the United States to the United Kingdom. Vast numbers of U.S small arms and ammunition were bought or supplied under lend lease and arrived in Britain to re-equip the British Army which had left 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 Thompson submachine gun, Colt .45 M1911 pistol and the Colt .45 M1917 revolver. The Home Guard received M1919 .30 Machineguns in small numbers, M1918 .30 Browning Automatic Rifles again in limited numbers and P17 .30 Enfield Rifles (the British .303 P14 version also being issued). Small arms captured in Fallujah, Iraq by the US Marine Corps in 2004 The term small arms generally describes any number of smaller infantry weapons, such as firearms that an individual soldier can carry. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Lend-Lease This article is about the World War II program. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... French troops rescued by a British merchant ship at Dunkirk Operation Dynamo (or Dunkirk Evacuation or just Dunkirk) was the name given to the World War II mass evacuation of Allied soldiers from May 26 to June 4, 1940, during the Battle of Dunkirk. ... A Home Guard is a part-time civilian reserve military force similar to a militia. ... A lance corporal of the East Surrey Regiment, British Army equipped with a Thompson M1928 submachine gun (drum magazine), 25 November 1940 The Thompson, also known as the Tommy Gun, was a family of American submachine guns that became infamous during the Prohibition era. ... The M1911 is a single-action, semiautomatic handgun chambered for the . ... The M1917 revolver was a US six shot revolver of 45 ACP caliber. ... The Browning M1919 was a . ... The Browning Automatic Rifle (commonly known as the BAR; properly pronounced bee ay are) is a family of automatic rifles (or machine rifles) and light machine guns used by the United States and other countries during the 20th century. ... The M1917 Enfield, P17 Enfield, American Enfield, formally named United States Rifle, cal . ...

Slightly later in the war the M1919 .30 Machinegun (commonly known as the 30-cal) and the M2HB .50 Machinegun 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 M1919 was a . ... This article is about the . ...

Britain did supply small arms to Russia, the ubiquitous 9mm Sten Submachine gun was supplied to Russian partisan troops. This article is about the submachine gun. ...

Artillery

The British made use of many American towed artillery pieces during the war, the M2 105 mm howitzers, 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 105mm Howitzer M2A1(M101) was the standard medium field howitzer for the U.S. in World War two, seeing action in both European and Pacific theatres. ... A number of 75 mm guns were fielded for service by the United States in World War II, in both the Army and the Marine Corps. ... A self-propelled anti-tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle. ... The 37mm Gun M3 was the first dedicated anti-tank gun fielded by the US forces. ... The Light Tank M3 was an American light tank of World War II in use with British and Commonwealth forces prior to the entry of the USA into the European theatre. ... The M3 Medium Tank was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called Lee and its modified version, with a new turret, was called Grant. As a rush job intended to be brought from design to production in a short period, the M3 was... A number of 75 mm guns were fielded for service by the United States in World War II, in both the Army and the Marine Corps. ... The M3 Medium Tank was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called Lee and its modified version, with a new turret, was called Grant. As a rush job intended to be brought from design to production in a short period, the M3 was... A number of 75 mm guns were fielded for service by the United States in World War II, in both the Army and the Marine Corps. ... WWII foreign variants and use: Lend-Lease Sherman tanks Post-WWII foreign variants and use: Postwar Sherman tanks The Medium Tank M4 was the main tank designed and built by the United States for allied forces in World War II, totaling roughly 50,000 tanks plus thousands more derivative vehicles... The 76 mm M1 Gun was a American Forces WWII-era tank gun, which replaced the 75 mm gun on late M4 Sherman tanks, and was equipped on all M18 Hellcat tank destroyers. ... The M10 Gun Motor Carriage known as Wolverine in British service was a US tank destroyer of World War II. // Usage American doctrine planned for tank destroyers to engage enemy tanks while tanks were used principally to support infantry. ...

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. Polish paratroopers (1st Independent Parachute Brigade) manhandling 6 pdr AT gun The Ordnance QF 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pdr, 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... The 37mm Gun M3 was the first dedicated anti-tank gun fielded by the US forces. ...

Both 76 mm and 75 mm guns were provided through tanks to the Russians by the U.S and the British tanks sent were armed with both the Ordnance QF 2-pounder and the Ordnance QF 6-pounder. Ordnance QF 2 pounder Type Anti-tank gun Nationality UK Era WW2 Target armoured vehicles History Date of design 1936 Production period 1936 - Number built Service duration 1936-1945 Operators War service WW2 Specifications Carriage Calibre 40 mm Barrel length 50 calibres Weight 130 kg Ammunition AP Shell weight 2...

Tanks

Probably the most well-known tank of the second world war is the Medium Tank M4, 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 Russia under lend-lease, despite official opinions the Medium Tank M4 was well liked by the Russian tankers. When Britain recieved the tank, it was given the designation General Sherman and this is where the name of the Sherman tank came from. Both the British and the Russians re-armed their M4s with their own tank guns. The Russians re-armed a very small number with the standard 76 mm F-34 tank gun but so much 75 mm ammunition was supplied that the conversions were not widespread. The British conversion is much more well 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 they never went into quantitative production and did not see action. The firefly thus remains a purely British variant of the Sherman. WWII foreign variants and use: Lend-Lease Sherman tanks Post-WWII foreign variants and use: Postwar Sherman tanks The Medium Tank M4 was the main tank designed and built by the United States for allied forces in World War II, totaling roughly 50,000 tanks plus thousands more derivative vehicles... The F-34 76. ... The Sherman Firefly (M4A4 VC Firefly) was a British variation of the M4 Sherman tank, fitted with the more powerful 17 pounder main gun. ... 17-pounder in Batey ha-Osef museum, Israel. ...

The British also designed two other Sherman variants know as the Crab, a mine flailing tank, the mine flail being powered by the tanks own engine 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 tanks engine gave propulsion in the water. On reaching land the screens could be dropped and the tank could fight in the regular manner. The DD was used by both British and American forces during Operation Overlord. The DD had wowed General 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. ARVs (Armoured Recovery Vehicles) were also converted from Shermans by the british as well as the specialist BARV (Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle) designed to push of landing craft and salvage vehicles which would otherwise have been lost. The following is an extensive catalogue of the variants and specific unique elements of each variant and/or design stage of the M4 Sherman tank. ... The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... The following is an extensive catalogue of the variants and specific unique elements of each variant and/or design stage of the M4 Sherman tank. ... Conqueror Armoured Recovery Vehicle 2 An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle-damaged or broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them off the battlefield for more extensive repairs. ... The BARV is a British military support vehicle, the name coming from Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle. // Sherman BARV Sherman BARV. Centurion BARV at the Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel The original BARV was a Sherman M4A2 tank which had been waterproofed and had the turret replaced by a tall armoured...

The British also supplied tanks to Russian in the form of the Valentine and Churchill infantry tanks. As with the Sherman these tanks were liked for their reliability and cross country performance respectivelely but the small low-powered guns, 2 and 6-pounders, were received less enthusiastically. The most numerous British manufactured tank of World War II, the Infantry Tank III Valentine was known mainly for its inexpensive cost and high reliability. ... The Infantry Tank IV Churchill was a heavy British infantry tank of the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. ...

Aircraft

The famous P-51 Mustang would not have been the excellent fighter that it was without British technology in the form of the equaly 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 in the Mediterranean and by units based in the U.K. The North American P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II and became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. ... The Merlin was a 12 cylinder, 60° V, 27 litre, liquid cooled piston aircraft engine built during World War II by Rolls-Royce and under licence in the United States by Packard. ... The still unpainted Spitfire protoype, K5054, shortly before its first flight The Supermarine Spitfire was a single-seat fighter used by the RAF and many Allied countries in World War II. Produced by Supermarine, the Spitfire was designed by R.J. Mitchell, who continued to refine it until his death...

Britain supplied Hawker Hurricanes to Russia early in the war to try and help the Red Airforce defend itself against the then technologicaly superior Luftwaffe. The Hawker Hurricane is a fighter design from the 1930s which was used extensively by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

See also

• M4 Sherman variants
• Lend-Lease Sherman tanks