Scott, you are correct, I forgot about Bong. I wasn't counting people who did not fly US built Aircraft.
All of our armor vehicles were substandard with the exception of the Priest self propelled gun (Artillery) until very late in the war when the M26 tank started production About 20 actually saw combat. The biggest problem in the early part of the war was the Sherman was out gunned.
The P40 did well when they could make one diving pass at a Zero and run. And we then sent them to Russia and England. The P39 was also a dud. The Russians loved it as a tank buster. The F4 and F4F's only redeaming feature was the fact that they could take an incredable amount of damage and get the pilot home.
B24 wasn't fielded until 1943, B25 enterd service in 1941 as did the A20.
Most soldiers were still carrying the Springfield 03A3 in 41. Yes it was adopted in 36 but because of budget considerations the Army couldn't afford to replace them in a timely manner. The BAR was a good gun but it's German counterpast....the MG42 was better because it could lay down more fire. Germany had good artillery but the 88MM gun was an anti aircraft gun. German commanders found thay could use it as regular artillery or better yet as an anti tank gun.
We did stand out with being motorized from the rest of the world.
So on Dec 7th 1941 we were in pretty sad shape and ill prepared for war.
So yea I'd say we went into WWII with a heck of a lot of substandard equipment. Imagin getting ready to make an attack as an infantryman, supported by Sherman tanks facing Tiger Tanks and MG42s. Sure you are carrying the M1......so that makes it pure guts that carried the fight at that point. Or being a Marine pilot flying from Henderson Field in 42.
Our Military is famous for claiming to have the best equipment and food in the world......provided by the cheapest bidder!
Heck the Brits had to show us how to fix the P51....by installing the Rolls/Merlin engine in it and granting lience to Packard to make that engine here.
Aircraft production 1939-1945: We out produced Germany and Japan by an almost 2-1 margin.
Tanks: Again we produced so many that when we faced off against German armor we had a 3-1 advantage most of the time.
Ships: From Dec 1941 to 1945 we completed 22 Fleet Carriers and and 141 Jeep Carriers. We won the Battle for the Atlantic when we were building Liberty ships faster than the Germans could sink them, 2751 of them.
At the end of WWII Germany, England and Russia all had Jets that had see combat and we had the P59 ready to enter combat.
SO yea I'd say the biggest things that made us win in WWII was guts and manufacturing!
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