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I wouldn't say they had a technical lead at the end of WW2, the Germans, and even the British, were way ahead in many areas, and I can't think of an area where they were behind the US. Maybe high altitude long-range bombers, thats about it, but then the Germans had them years before - they just didn't use them.

The US had a huge population and huge production capacity, and the advantage of both being remote from the battlefield.
That and total security of energy (oil) supply, but nothing else.

Yes someone will say the A-Bomb, but the Germans were well down that track and the A-Bomb wasn't even a war winner.

How did this thread evolve into this awesomeness?

Well, I was talking about technology, not simply their equipment was 'better'.
They were ahead in jet engines - they had jet combat aircraft before Britain had given the US a sample of the Whittle engine - and about a decade ahead in rockets.

Technologically they were unmatched, not so in production capacity, its just lucky Hitler was a terrible tactician and didn't understand how to use a technological advantage to his advantage - instead he pretty well threw them all away.

Last edited by Dilbert_X (2012-09-09 06:39:41)

Dilbert_X wrote:

Well, I was talking about technology, not simply their equipment was 'better'.
They were ahead in jet engines - they had jet combat aircraft before Britain had given the US a sample of the Whittle engine - and about a decade ahead in rockets.

Technologically they were unmatched, not so in production capacity, its just lucky Hitler was a terrible tactician and didn't understand how to use a technological advantage to his advantage - instead he pretty well threw them all away.

True. The panzer maus project, railroad cannons etc - while these are some pretty cool things they hogged resources and manpower without them being of any significant value.

Dilbert_X wrote:

Except......

In the 1940s America didn't have a technical lead over anyone.

America was the Apple of the technology world. We didn't always invent everything first, but we saw practical uses for inventions and jumpstarted their popularity. (Then we usually claimed we invented it, as we added rounded corners.)

Radio waves were predicted by a Scottish scientist in the 1860s, but in 1866 an American dentist displayed the first wireless telegraphy and aerial wireless communication. This was 20 years before Hertz (German) demonstrated the first radio wave frequencies. An Italian is credited with proving this could be used to send and receive messages in 1902. But in 1899, the US army already had wireless communication with ships. In 1901, Hawaii had a radiotelegraph service installed to communicate between the islands. In 1904, the vacuum tube was invented in Britain (a diode tube). In 1906, Lee De Forest (an American) invented the triode vacuum tube, allowing a radio system to be capable of carrying voice. In 1907, De Forest invented the Audion vacuum tube, which was used in almost everything electronic until the transistor was invented in 1947. De Forest also invented the AM radio.


Other American Inventions:

1901:
The vacuum cleaner
Instant Coffee (Japanese American, in America)

1902:
The Air Conditioner

1903:
First gas motored manned aircraft
Bottle making machinery
The Tractor
Windshield Wipers

1906:
Sonar

1907:
First synthetic plastic (By a Belgium-American, in America)

1910:
First talking motion picture

1911:
Electrical ignition system for cars

1912:
Motorized movie cameras

1913:
The bra

1914:
Gas mask

1915:
Pyrex

1918:
The superheterodyne radio circuit

1920:
Tommy gun
Band-Aids

1923:
Frozen Food

1924:
Moving coil loudspeaker

1926:
Liquid fueled rockets

1927:
Electronic television system
Technicolor
The iron lung

1928:
Electric Razor

1929:
Car radio

1930:
Scotch tape
Neoprene
Differential analyzer (analog computer)

1931:
Stop motion photography

1932:
Polaroid instant photographs
Parking meter
Radio Telescope

1933:
FM Radio
Drive-In Movie theater

1935:
Nylon
Canned beer

1936:
Voice recognition machine
Colt revolver

1937:
Photocopier

1938:
Teflon

1940:
Color television
The Jeep
Ameripol (synthetic rubber)

1942:
Nuclear reactor (Led by an Italian-American in Chicago)
Electronic Digital computer

1943:
Plastic putty (Silly putty)

1944:
Synthetic cortisone

1945:
Hypertext
Atomic bomb (Numerous countries of origin involved, invented in America)

1946:
Microwave oven

1947:
Mobile telephone
Transistor
Tupperware seal



Considering the number of revolutionary, technological advancements on this list, and the number that made world-wide impact and are still in use today, I have to say I disagree with your assessment that "In the 1940s America didn't have a technical lead over anyone."

Oh, I am sorry, was your quote "The Americans did not have a military technology advantage over anyone" ? Cause that is not what you said.

It looked to me like the conversation was on whether or not the US was a superpower before WWII. Military is not the only factor in deciding a superpower.

Either way America didn't have any kind of lead, the war spurred the country to catch-up, overtake and maintain a lead.

Thats a funny list, did Pace write it?

1936: Colt revolver

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Colt

Americans - So smart they can invent things 101 years after they've been invented and they've been dead 74 years?

I'm not bothering with the rest of the list, except to say Americans have a curious definition of invention which has never squared with their 'first to invent' patent system.

I think police should be required by law to give you a lollipop after a stop-and-frisk.

Dilbert_X wrote:

Either way America didn't have any kind of lead, the war spurred the country to catch-up, overtake and maintain a lead.

1936: Colt revolver

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Colt

Americans - So smart they can invent things 101 years after they've been invented and they've been dead 74 years?

My mistake on that one sorry, had list 40 web pages open looking at inventions, and went in and looked at each one, but missed that one. Not sure what it was supposed to be.

Still disagree with you on the US not having a technological lead. You have no basis for that at all. Of numerous "greatest inventions" sites that target the early 1900s, the US has the vast majority of listings. Britain has a large number, then Germany starts taking off as WWII approaches.

Not really sure where your justification for your claims stand.

HITNRUNXX wrote:

Still disagree with you on the US not having a technological lead. You have no basis for that at all. Of numerous "greatest inventions" sites that target the early 1900s, the US has the vast majority of listings. Britain has a large number, then Germany starts taking off as WWII approaches.

Not really sure where your justification for your claims stand.

Not sure where your justification for saying America had a lead stands, Americans patent anything and everything. It wouldn't occur to most people to bother patenting something like a bra, numbers of patents isn't the be-all and end-all.

At the outbreak of WW2 America had no military technological advantage in any area, and was a long way behind in many - aero-engines and radar being two examples which spring to mind.

At the start of the war, say 1939, America was technologically behind the other protagonists, there's no real argument about it.
It was nothing to do with being in a war or not.