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Weapons of WWII
when sniper rifles were in severe shortage. The M1903A4 is a legendary classic sniper rifle. It served with distinction in WWII, Korea, and even Vietnam.
USMC M1903-A1/Unertl
Unlike the US Army, the USMC had a standard issue sniper rifle at the start of hostilities in WWII, it was a M1903/Lyman 5A (5x), which was adopted (with the Winchester A5 Telescope) during WWI. After there was a push to standardize sniper equipment, the Marine Corps Equipment Board did an extensive study of optics under field conditions and recommended a scope of about 8x, with an objective lens of about one and half inches, a medium fine crosshair reticle, and double micrometer quarter minute click mounts. They specifically cited a 8x target scope made by John Unertl as being the best they found. They also recommended the scope be mounted on a Winchester M70 target rifle, but the USMC decided on the M1903 based on favorable accuracy comparisons between specially selected M1903's and the M70. So the M1903-A1 mounted with the Unertl 8x became the "sniping standard" in the USMC.
Tanks
M3
The Lee/Grant tank, (the name depended on if you were in the US Army or the British Army, respectively) was a stop-gap tank. It had a well developed chassis, but as yet there was no way to mount the newly developed 75mm gun in a revolving turret. The Lee had the 75 mounted in the hull, and a 37mm gun in a small turret carried over from the M2 the Lee replaced.
M4
The most widely produced tank in the world during WW 2, the US produced TWICE as many Shermans as Germany produced tanks of all types. A good tank, particularly when first employed in 1942 and 1943, it was easy to produce and very reliable. Noticeably, it is one of the few tanks produced by the major powers to NOT use a Christie style suspension. The Sherman featured rubberized tracks that lasted much longer than the steel tracks of German and Russian vehicles, and served well in Western Europe where there were more roads. It did suffer from shortcomings to off-road mobility.
Atomic Bomb
On 6 August 1945 the United States exploded an atomic bomb over Hiroshima and revealed to the world in one blinding flash the start of the atomic age. As the meaning of this explosion and the nature of the force unleashed became apparent, a chorus of voices rose in protest against the decision that opened the Pandora's box of atomic warfare.
The decision to use the atomic bomb was made by President Truman. There was never any doubt of that and despite the rising tide of criticism Mr. Truman took full responsibility for his action. Only recently succeeded to the Presidency after the death of Roosevelt and beset by a multitude of problems of enormous significance for the postwar world, Mr. Truman leaned heavily on the advice of his senior and most trusted advisers on the question of the bomb. But the final [next page]