We always talk about the great battles and leaders of WW II

[Ringel05]

But what is usually left out are the presumed mundane elements, supply and logistics.



Basically we won the war by out producing the enemy and putting the logistics systems in place to get the material to our and allied forces.

There's a reason we were called the Arsenal of Democracy.

 

[lennypartiv]

Not sure we could do that again since Democrats have move our manufacturing jobs to China.

 

[mudwhistle]

Not sure we could do that again since Democrats have move our manufacturing jobs to China.

Democrats would sabotage any war effort.

 

[DudleySmith]

But what is usually left out are the presumed mundane elements, supply and logistics.



Basically we won the war by out producing the enemy and putting the logistics systems in place to get the material to our and allied forces.

There's a reason we were called the Arsenal of Democracy.

Paul Kennedy wrote a recent book on just that topic, about all the mid-level talent we drew on. You can have the greatest Generals in history and without the mid-level management and engineering talents they would be useless with nobody to implement their plans.

Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned The Tide in the Second World War​

Paul Kennedy, award-winning author of The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers and one of today’s most renowned historians, now provides a new and unique look at how World War II was won. Engineers of Victory is a fascinating nuts-and-bolts account of the strategic factors that led to Allied victory. Kennedy reveals how the leaders’ grand strategy was carried out by the ordinary soldiers, scientists, engineers, and businessmen responsible for realizing their commanders’ visions of success.

In January 1943, FDR and Churchill convened in Casablanca and established the Allied objectives for the war: to defeat the Nazi blitzkrieg; to control the Atlantic sea lanes and the air over western and central Europe; to take the fight to the European mainland; and to end Japan’s imperialism. Astonishingly, a little over a year later, these ambitious goals had nearly all been accomplished. With riveting, tactical detail, Engineers of Victory reveals how.

Kennedy recounts the inside stories of the invention of the cavity magnetron, a miniature radar “as small as a soup plate,” and the Hedgehog, a multi-headed grenade launcher that allowed the Allies to overcome the threat to their convoys crossing the Atlantic; the critical decision by engineers to install a super-charged Rolls-Royce engine in the P-51 Mustang, creating a fighter plane more powerful than the Luftwaffe’s; and the innovative use of pontoon bridges (made from rafts strung together) to help Russian troops cross rivers and elude the Nazi blitzkrieg. He takes readers behind the scenes, unveiling exactly how thousands of individual Allied planes and fighting ships were choreographed to collectively pull off the invasion of Normandy, and illuminating how crew chiefs perfected the high-flying and inaccessible B-29 Superfortress that would drop the atomic bombs on Japan.


The story of World War II is often told as a grand narrative, as if it were fought by supermen or decided by fate. Here Kennedy uncovers the real heroes of the war, highlighting for the first time the creative strategies, tactics, and organizational decisions that made the lofty Allied objectives into a successful reality. In an even more significant way, Engineers of Victory has another claim to our attention, for it restores “the middle level of war” to its rightful place in history.

“This superb book is Kennedy’s best.”—Foreign Affairs

From the Amazon site. For some reason the link won't show up when I cut and paste it.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Paul Kennedy wrote a recent book on just that topic, about all the mid-level talent we drew on. You can have the greatest Generals in history and without the mid-level management and engineering talents they would be useless with nobody to implement their plans.

Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned The Tide in the Second World War​

Paul Kennedy, award-winning author of The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers and one of today’s most renowned historians, now provides a new and unique look at how World War II was won. Engineers of Victory is a fascinating nuts-and-bolts account of the strategic factors that led to Allied victory. Kennedy reveals how the leaders’ grand strategy was carried out by the ordinary soldiers, scientists, engineers, and businessmen responsible for realizing their commanders’ visions of success.

In January 1943, FDR and Churchill convened in Casablanca and established the Allied objectives for the war: to defeat the Nazi blitzkrieg; to control the Atlantic sea lanes and the air over western and central Europe; to take the fight to the European mainland; and to end Japan’s imperialism. Astonishingly, a little over a year later, these ambitious goals had nearly all been accomplished. With riveting, tactical detail, Engineers of Victory reveals how.

Kennedy recounts the inside stories of the invention of the cavity magnetron, a miniature radar “as small as a soup plate,” and the Hedgehog, a multi-headed grenade launcher that allowed the Allies to overcome the threat to their convoys crossing the Atlantic; the critical decision by engineers to install a super-charged Rolls-Royce engine in the P-51 Mustang, creating a fighter plane more powerful than the Luftwaffe’s; and the innovative use of pontoon bridges (made from rafts strung together) to help Russian troops cross rivers and elude the Nazi blitzkrieg. He takes readers behind the scenes, unveiling exactly how thousands of individual Allied planes and fighting ships were choreographed to collectively pull off the invasion of Normandy, and illuminating how crew chiefs perfected the high-flying and inaccessible B-29 Superfortress that would drop the atomic bombs on Japan.


The story of World War II is often told as a grand narrative, as if it were fought by supermen or decided by fate. Here Kennedy uncovers the real heroes of the war, highlighting for the first time the creative strategies, tactics, and organizational decisions that made the lofty Allied objectives into a successful reality. In an even more significant way, Engineers of Victory has another claim to our attention, for it restores “the middle level of war” to its rightful place in history.

“This superb book is Kennedy’s best.”—Foreign Affairs

From the Amazon site. For some reason the link won't show up when I cut and paste it.

Vietnam Previewed All American Public and Private Sector Decline Since the 60s

Having been on the frontlines and deprived of that kind of support because of incompetent leadership, I learned to appreciate the value of putting the right people in charge of the rear bases. It was no joke that Force Service Regiment, FSR, was said to stand for "Fuckup, Stumble, and Re-group."

That's why I've always respected Howard Cosell's service. Never having left Brooklyn Naval Yard, he rose from Private to Colonel because of his heroic intelligence is getting the Beans, Bullets, and Bandages over to the frontlines.

Historically, Julius Caesar's father was considered to be a nobody Yet the by-the-book competence of the Roman Army's junior officers like him is what led to the generals' overwhelming victories

 

[Oddball]

But what is usually left out are the presumed mundane elements, supply and logistics.



Basically we won the war by out producing the enemy and putting the logistics systems in place to get the material to our and allied forces.

There's a reason we were called the Arsenal of Democracy.

Home front isolated from the battle front by thousands of miles will do that for ya.

 

[whitehall]

The buck usually stops with the Generals. The generals are responsible for logistics and supply and justifiably get the credit or the criticism. The exception of course is when the media creates a faked legacy for failed generals like MacArthur.

 

[gipper]

But what is usually left out are the presumed mundane elements, supply and logistics.



Basically we won the war by out producing the enemy and putting the logistics systems in place to get the material to our and allied forces.

There's a reason we were called the Arsenal of Democracy.

And all for what? To give half of Europe to a madman worse than Hitler, leading to decades of Cold War and near nuclear winter. To turn China over to another murderous madman worse than Hitler, causing millions of deaths. To allow Dirty Harry to nuke two defenseless cities full of women and children, to show off our power to the world.

Proud? No not at all.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

We don't have the manufacturing capacity, or even close to it, to support a long term global campaign today.

 

[Otis Mayfield]

These guys have hundreds of hours of history videos covering everything from the Fall of Rome to the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

This one is on "Arsenal of Democracy."

America produced 75% of the world's oil at that time, for example.

 

[braalian]

And all for what? To give half of Europe to a madman worse than Hitler, leading to decades of Cold War and near nuclear winter. To turn China over to another murderous madman worse than Hitler, causing millions of deaths. To allow Dirty Harry to nuke two defenseless cities full of women and children, to show off our power to the world.

Proud? No not at all.

We freed Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark from Nazi occupation and restored democracy in those countries. That alone was worth it.

 

[gipper]

We freed Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark from Nazi occupation and restored democracy in those countries. That alone was worth it.

I don’t think so.

 

[braalian]

I don’t think so.

I’m sure they think so.

 

[gipper]

I’m sure they think so.

I’m sure they do, but our intervening in WWII lead to the disastrous imperialism we see today.

Constant war board leads to tyranny at home. We seeing it occur before our eyes.

 

[Ringel05]

We freed Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark from Nazi occupation and restored democracy in those countries. That alone was worth it.

You're being rational, Gripper is unfamiliar with that concept.

 

[braalian]

I’m sure they do, but our intervening in WWII lead to the disastrous imperialism we see today.

Constant war board leads to tyranny at home. We seeing it occur before our eyes.

WWII hastened the end of imperialism. That’s why the map of Africa no longer says things like “French West Africa” and “Belgian Congo”

 

[daveman]

A lot of people are angry that the Allies won.

 

[BackAgain]

But what is usually left out are the presumed mundane elements, supply and logistics.



Basically we won the war by out producing the enemy and putting the logistics systems in place to get the material to our and allied forces.

There's a reason we were called the Arsenal of Democracy.

I can’t find a good copy of a book which I once read about the Ford factory that produced so many or our aircraft. It was about the “Willow Run” plant. I see a copy costing way too much on Amazon.

But, here’s the cover I just copied from the Amazon site.

it’s pure historical-data driven. Non fiction. More like an accounting book. But I found it very interesting. You might, too. (Not at $62.00, though.)

 

[BackAgain]

A lot of people are angry that the Allies won.

But I say, “fuck the Democraps.”

 

[gipper]

WWII hastened the end of imperialism. That’s why the map of Africa no longer says things like “French West Africa” and “Belgian Congo”

No. It didn’t end imperialism. It merely changed who committed it. Instead of Europe, the US became the imperialist power. How could anyone deny this?