German military technology during World War II

German military technology during World War II increased greatly in terms of sophistication. Nazi Germany put much effort into developing weapons, particularly aircraft, rockets, submarines and tanks during the war.

Land systems

Infantry weapons

Germany developed numerous new weapons during the war, including the first assault rifle in the world.

In 1940, Germany developed the Gewehr 43, a semi-automatic rifle to replace the commonly used Karabiner 98k, a bolt-action rifle, for better performance in infantry.

In 1944, Germany developed the first assault rifle, the Sturmgewehr 44 which proved to be widely successful against the allies. However, the late production and usage of the gun was not enough to turn the allies near the end of the war.

German soldiers used the more common MP40, which was an easy to operate submachine gun, designed with almost no recoil, and easier to manage compared to other submachine guns during the war.

Armoured vehicles

Germany recognized the importance of tanks at the beginning of the war. Heinz Guderian, one of Germany's best commanders during World War II largely helped the development of Panzer forces and the organization of tanks into divisions. Hitler at first developed tanks to be used as a propaganda tool, since many thought them to be impressive. However, the effectiveness and power that tanks held caused further development for more powerful tanks.

German tanks often outclassed all allied tanks, except the Russian T-34, and proved very hard to destroy. German tanks had the most armor and often had larger and stronger guns than allied tanks.

The largest and strongest German tank was the Tiger II and its size, armor, and gun size gave Germany the advantage over almost all allied tanks, especially on the western front where the US and British had no equally matched tanks. Because Tiger II tanks were developed late into the war, they were sent directly to combat without much testing. The Tiger II had many problems including engine overheating, steering difficulty, and a high fuel consumption rate. In addition, the detail and the intricate parts of the tank made production inefficient.

Aircraft

German technicians developed the first jet to see combat in the world, the Messerschmitt Me 262 developed after the British Gloster Meteor in 1944. Too late to make an impact against the allied air force, its development led to postwar development of jets.

Missiles