List of World War II weapons of the United States
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World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
weapons of the United States, which includes
firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
,
artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
,
vehicles A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), wate ...
,
vessels Vessel(s) or The Vessel may refer to: Biology *Blood vessel, a part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body *Lymphatic vessel, a thin walled, valved structure that carries lymph *Vessel element, a narrow wat ...
, and other support equipment known to have been used by the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
—namely the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
,
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
,
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
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United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
, and
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
—as well as the
Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branc ...
and other U.S. government agencies involved in the war, during American involvement between 1941 and 1945. This list includes experimental technology that, while created during the war, was never issued as intended.


Blades

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M1 bayonet The Model of 1905 bayonet was made for the U.S. M1903 Springfield rifle.Note: Variants of the M1903 rifle were produced during World War I and World War II by Springfield Armory, Remington Arms, Rock Island Arsenal, and Smith-Corona Typewriter. Thi ...
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M1917 bayonet The M1917 bayonet was designed to be used with the US M1917 Enfield .30 caliber rifle, as well as with the seven different U.S. trench shotguns. The blade was long. It will not fit the M1903 .30 caliber (Springfield) or the M1 .30 caliber (Ga ...
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M4 bayonet The M4 bayonet was introduced in 1944 for use with the M1 carbine. It was built on the M3 fighting knife. Description The M4 bayonet, like the M3 fighting knife that preceded it, was designed for rapid production using a minimum of strategic met ...
* Ka-bar *
Bolo knife A bolo ( tl, iták, ilo, bunéng, pag, baráng, ceb, súndang, hil, binangon) is a general term for traditional pre-colonial small to medium-sized single-edged swords or large knives of the Philippines that function as both tools and weapons ...
* Bowie knife * United States Marine Raider stiletto * V-42 stiletto


Small arms


Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)


Automatic pistols and submachine guns


Rifles


Carbines


Shotguns

* Winchester M12 * Browning Auto-5 * Remington 31 * Stevens M520-30 *
Ithaca 37 The Ithaca 37 (or Model 37) is a pump-action shotgun made in large numbers for the civilian, law enforcement and military markets. Based on a 1915 patent by firearms designer John Browning for a shotgun initially marketed as the Remington Model 1 ...
* Winchester Model 1897


Grenades and grenade launchers

* M7 grenade launcher * Mk 2 grenade


Mines

* M2 mine *
M5 mine The M5 is a United States minimum metal plastic cased anti-tank blast mine. The mine uses either a glass or porcelain internal case with a protective outer case, made from felt impregnated with asphalt and tar paper. The mine uses a chemical fuze ...
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M7 mine The M7 is a small, metal-cased United States anti-tank blast mine that was used during the Second World War. It was based on the British Hawkins grenade. Approximately 2.5 million were produced before production ceased, and although it has long sin ...


Recoilless rifles

* M18 recoilless rifle * M20 recoilless rifle


Flamethrowers

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M1A1 flamethrower The M1 and M1A1 were portable flamethrowers developed by the United States during World War II. The M1 weighed 72 lb, had a range of 15 meters, and had a fuel tank capacity of five gallons. The improved M1A1 weighed less, at 65 lb, had ...
* M2-A1 flamethrower *
Ronson flamethrower The "Ronson" flamethrower was developed for mechanized applications during World War II and used by the Canadian Army and the United States Marine Corps. The Ronson was developed by the British Petroleum Warfare Department in 1940. Having insuff ...


Machine guns


Infantry and dual

* Browning M1917A1 (.30-'06) * Browning M1918A2 (.30-'06) * Browning M1919A4/A6 and family (.30-'06) * M1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun (LMG) (.30-'06) * Browning M2HB (.50 BMG)


Vehicle and aircraft machine guns and autocannons

* 20mm autocannon * 37mm autocannon * 40mm Bofors autocannon * M4 cannon *
M2 cannon The HS.404 is an autocannon originally designed and produced by Spanish/French company Hispano-Suiza in the mid-1930s. It was widely used as an aircraft, naval and land-based weapon by French, British, American and other military services, par ...
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50 caliber machine gun The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...
(Browning M2) * M1919A4 Browning machine gun * M1917 HMG AA configuration


Tanks


Light tanks

* M2 Light tank *
M3 Stuart The M3 Stuart/Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II. An improved version of the tank entered service as the M5 in 1942 to be supplied to British and other Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. ...
* M5 Stuart * M22 Locust *
M24 Chaffee The M24 Chaffee (officially Light Tank, M24) was an American light tank used during the later part of World War II; it was also used in post–World War II conflicts including the Korean War, and by the French in the War in Algeria and the Firs ...
* LVT-1 alligator (and variants)


Medium tanks

* M2 Medium Tank *
M3 Lee The M3 Lee, officially Medium Tank, M3, was an American medium tank used during World War II. The turret was produced in two forms, one for US needs and one modified to British requirements to place the radio next to the commander. In British Co ...
*
M4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the Military history of the United States during World War II, United States and Allies of World War II, Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman prove ...
(and variants)


Heavy tanks

* M26 Pershing * M26 Super Pershing * M6 (Prototype) * T29 (Prototype) * T30 (Prototype) * T32 (Prototype)


Tank destroyers

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M10 Wolverine The M10 tank destroyer was an American tank destroyer of World War II. After US entry into World War II and the formation of the Tank Destroyer Force, a suitable vehicle was needed to equip the new battalions. By November 1941, the Army request ...
* M18 Hellcat * M36 Jackson


Flamethrower tanks

* M5 Satan * Sherman Zippo


Other vehicles


Passenger vehicles

* Dodge WC series *
Willys MB The Willys MB and the Ford GPW, both formally called the U.S. Army Truck, -ton, 4×4, Command Reconnaissance, commonly known as the Willys Jeep, Jeep, or jeep, and sometimes referred to by its List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog ...


Motorcycles

* Harley-Davidson WLA


Amphibious vehicles

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Landing Vehicle Tracked The Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked (LVT) is an amphibious warfare vehicle and amphibious landing craft, introduced by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. (The USN and USMC use "L" to designate Amphibious vessels, also c ...
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M29 Weasel The M29 Weasel is a World War II tracked vehicle designed for operation in snow. Built by Studebaker, Weasels were also used in sandy, muddy, and desert terrains, including towing loads over terrain wheeled vehicles could not negotiate as in the ...
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DUKW The DUKW (colloquially known as Duck) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious modification of the -ton CCKW trucks used by the U.S. military during World War II and the Korean War. Designed by a partnership under military auspices of Sparkman & Step ...


Trucks

* GMC CCKW 2½-ton 6×6 truck *
Studebaker US6 Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Ma ...
* M35 series 2½-ton 6×6 cargo truck


Artillery


Infantry mortars

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M1 Mortar The M1 mortar is an American 81 millimeter caliber mortar. It was based on the French Brandt mortar. The M1 mortar was used from before World War II until the 1950s when it was replaced by the lighter and longer ranged M29 mortar. General data ...
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M2 4.2 inch mortar The M2 4.2-inch mortar was a U.S. rifled 4.2-inch (107 mm) mortar used during the Second World War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It entered service in 1943. It was nicknamed the "Goon Gun" (from its large bullet-shaped shells, mon ...
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M2 Mortar The M2 Mortar is a 60 millimeter smoothbore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used by U.S. forces in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War for light infantry support. Description The U.S. M2 60 mm mortar was licensed f ...


Heavy mortars and multiple rocket launchers

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T34 Calliope The Rocket Launcher T34 (Calliope) was a tank-mounted multiple rocket launcher used by the United States Army during World War II. The launcher was placed atop the M4 Sherman, with its prominent vertical side frames anchored to the turret's sid ...
* T40 Whizbang


Self-propelled guns

* Howitzer Motor Carriage M8 *
M40 Gun Motor Carriage The 155 mm Gun Motor Carriage M40 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle built on a widened and lengthened Medium Tank M4A3 chassis, but with a Continental engine and with HVSS (Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension), which was intro ...
* M7 Priest


Field artillery

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75 mm Gun M1917 The 75 mm gun model of 1917 was an interim measure, based on the British QF 18-pounder, produced by the United States in World War I after it had decided to switch from to 75 mm calibre for its field guns. History The US decided early in ...
- copy of British gun re-chambered for French cartridge, produced for export *
QF 2.95-inch Mountain Gun The QF 2.95-inch mountain gun was the designation given by the British to a Vickers 75 mm calibre gun. It was originally produced for the Egyptian Army. It was taken into British service in the late 19th century to provide the 'movable a ...
- imported from Britain, used in Philippines *
75 mm Gun M2/M3/M6 75 may refer to: * 75 (number) * one of the years 75 BC, AD 75, 1875 CE, 1975 CE, 2075 CE * ''75'' (album), an album by Joe Zawinul * M75 (disambiguation), including "Model 75" * Highway 75, see List of highways numbered 75 *Alfa Romeo 75, a c ...
* M116 howitzer (75 mm) -also known as "75mm Pack Howitzer M1" * 76 mm gun M1 *
M101 howitzer The M101A1 (previously designated M2A1) howitzer is an artillery piece developed and used by the United States. It was the standard U.S. light field howitzer in World War II and saw action in both the European and Pacific theaters and during the ...
(105mm) - still used in US and worldwide as late as in 2014 *
M3 howitzer The 105 mm Howitzer M3 was a U.S. light howitzer designed for use by airborne troops. The gun utilized the barrel of the 105 mm Howitzer M2, shortened and fitted to a slightly modified split trail carriage of the 75 mm pack howitzer. The ...
(105mm) * Canon de 155mm GPF * M114 155 mm howitzer - also known as M1 155 mm Howitzer * M2 155 mm Field Gun (Long Tom) ** 4.5-inch Gun M1 - version to fire British ammunition *
M115 203 mm howitzer The M115 203 mm howitzer, also known as the M115 8-inch Howitzer, and originally the M1 8-inch Howitzer was a towed heavy howitzer developed and used by the United States Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Histo ...
* 8-inch Gun M1 * M1 240 mm Howitzer


Fortress and siege guns

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5"/51 caliber gun 5"/51 caliber guns (spoken "five-inch-fifty-one-caliber") initially served as the secondary battery of United States Navy battleships built from 1907 through the 1920s, also serving on other vessels. United States naval gun terminology indicates t ...
(coastal defense) *
8-inch M1888 The 8-inch gun M1888 (203 mm) was a U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps gun, initially deployed 1898–1908 in about 75 fixed emplacements, usually on a disappearing carriage. During World War I, 37 or 47 of these weapons (references vary) w ...
(obsolete) **
8-inch Mk. VI railway gun The 8-inch Navy gun Mk.VI M3A2 on railway mount M1A1 was a World War II improved replacement for the World War I-era 8-inch M1888, 8-inch (203 mm) M1888 gun and was used by the US Army's United States Army Coast Artillery Corps, Coast Artillery C ...
* M1918 240 mm howitzer (obsolete) *
8-inch Mk. VI railway gun The 8-inch Navy gun Mk.VI M3A2 on railway mount M1A1 was a World War II improved replacement for the World War I-era 8-inch M1888, 8-inch (203 mm) M1888 gun and was used by the US Army's United States Army Coast Artillery Corps, Coast Artillery C ...
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12-inch coast defense mortar The 12-inch coast defense mortar was a weapon of caliber emplaced during the 1890s and early 20th century to defend US harbors from seaborne attack. In 1886, when the Endicott Board set forth its initial plan for upgrading the coast defenses of ...
(also railway version) *
12-inch Gun M1895 The 12-inch coastal defense gun M1895 (305 mm) and its variants the M1888 and M1900 were large coastal artillery pieces installed to defend major American seaports between 1895 and 1945. For most of their history they were operated by the Unit ...
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14-inch M1920 railway gun The 14-inch M1920 railway gun was the last model railway gun to be deployed by the United States Army. It was an upgrade of the US Navy 14"/50 caliber railway gun. Only four were deployed; two in the Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles and two in ...
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16"/50 caliber M1919 gun The 16 inch gun M1919 (406 mm) was a large coastal artillery piece installed to defend the United States' major seaports between 1920 and 1946. It was operated by the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps. Only a small number were pro ...


Anti-tank guns

*National Forge & Ordnance 37mm gun (1941) - export (to Dutch) only * M3 37 mm Anti-Tank Gun * M1 57 mm Anti-Tank Gun * M5 3-Inch Anti-Tank Gun * 105mm gun T8 AT/AA gun (cancelled)


Anti-tank weapons (besides anti-tank guns)

* Rocket Launcher M1/M1A1/M9 (Bazooka) *
Boys anti-tank rifle The Boys anti-tank rifle (officially Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys, and sometimes incorrectly spelled "Boyes"), is a British anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War. It was often nicknamed the "elephant gun" by its users due to its si ...
* M18 recoilless rifle * M20 recoilless rifle * M22 dodge rifle


See also

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List of U.S. Army weapons by supply catalog designation This is a historic (index) list of United States Army weapons and materiel, by their Standard Nomenclature List (SNL) group and individual designations — an alpha-numeric nomenclature system used in the United States Army Ordnance Corps Supply ...
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List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces This is a list of weapons served individually by the United States armed forces. While the general understanding is that crew-served weapons require more than one person to operate them, there are important exceptions in the case of both squad a ...
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List of crew-served weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces This list contains weapons that are classified as crew-served, as the term is used in the United States military. While the general understanding is that crew-served weapons require more than one person to operate them, there are important except ...
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List of vehicles of the U.S. Armed Forces Land vehicles by type and current level of use. Light tanks Out of service * M1 Combat Car * Light Tank M2 * Light Tank M3/M5 * Light Tank (Airborne) M22 * Light Tank M24 * M41/A1/A2/A3 Walker Bulldog * M551/A1 Sheridan (Armored Recon ...
*
List of World War II weapons World War II saw rapid technological innovation in response to the needs of the various combatants. Many different weapons systems evolved as a result. Note: This list does not consist of all weapons used by all countries in World War II. By coun ...
{{Weapons
Weapons A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...
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