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First War Submarine Deployed
The first submarine to be used in warfare, the Turtle, was just one of many upcoming submarines used in wars, such as the German U-boat. Its advantage over ships is being hidden underwater and being able to fire underwater torpedoes. -
First Demonstration of Interchangeable Parts
Eli Whitney showed government authorities the abilities and advantages of interchangeable parts. Although some think the demonstration was staged, the concept was used in companies like Ford, where it worked well with an assembly line. Interchangeable parts also made weapons cheaper and quicker to manufacture than before. -
Revolver Patented
Samuel Colt invented the first revolver. It contained an innovative cocking device and was able to hold five or six bullets in a rotating cylinder. -
First Battleship Built
The French utilized the new steam engine and combined it with a ship to make a deadly force to be reckoned with in the water. Battleships would later become a big part of a country's war effort, especially during the two World Wars. -
First Working Gatling Gun Created
The gatling gun was created by Richard Gatling. It was the forerunner to modern machine guns as it could fire many shots at once. It was used extensively during the Civil War. -
Barbed Wire Invented
Barbed wire, though originally invented to keep cattle from running away from farms, became a symbol of World War I with how much it was used to impair the movement of the enemy with their threatening points. -
First Successful Airplane Experiment
The Wright Brothers made their first successful airplane experiment at Kitty Hawk. Since the publicity of their achievement, airplane and aircraft have been used in various ways in warfare. Some examples are dropping supplies to allies and bombing enemy warships. -
First Use of Tear Gas
Tear gas was first used by Germany during World War I. The gas would cause soldiers to have impaired vision. Tear gas was later joined by gases that produced other effects such as poisoning or disabling. Gases became a big part of World War I. -
Mills Bomb Patented
The Mills bomb, a series of hand grenades, were the first modern hand grenades created. Now, soldiers could throw explosive weapons over a wall or trench to attack the enemy. -
First Use of Tanks
The British Army was the first army to develop, create, and utilize the tank in WWI. The French and Germans later created their own. Tanks grante the army mobility, defense, and firepower that greatly outmatched an ordinary man. -
Discovery of Penicillin
Penicillin was discovered by a Scottish scientist named Alexander Fleming, who noticed its ability to kill many bacteria that cause disease. It reduced the effects of infection during wars, lowering the amount of deaths and amputations. -
Nylon Produced
The nylon material replaced silk during World War II as the U.S. would not trade with Japan, which supplied most of their silk. Some replacements that the stronger nylon material made were in parachutes and in vehicle tires. -
Invention of the Radar
Robert Watson-Watt and Arnold Wilkins invented the radar in Britain after running tests on which materials reflect radio waves back to the radar. The invention allowed combatants to know where enemy aircraft were and in what direction they were headed. -
First Successful Jet Flight
Hans Von Ohain was the first person to create a jet engine that could accelerate a jet quickly. The basics of the engine were then used to manufacture jets for Britain and the U.S. for WWII, where they would participate in dog fights against other jets. -
First Jeep Manufactured
Jeeps were manufactured in order to provide the Allies with an off-road capable vehicle to travel quickly between locations during World War II. The jeep did its job, and soon became available to the public. -
Bazooka Manufactured
Bazookas were created by American scientists for World War II. The strength of the bazooka allowed it to damage tanks to give soldiers a fighting chance against them. -
First Successful Flight of the V-2
The V-2 missile, the world's first long-range missile, was the first modern day rocket. Other long-range missiles and rockets would follow its basic designs to attack distant targets. -
First Successful Test of a Nuclear Bomb
The nuclear bomb was, at first, being designed and planned by the Germans, but the U.S. decided to make the bombs before Germany did to win World War II. The nuclear bomb creates an instantaneous explosion that destorys anything around it. It was used twice on Japan, but now it is just a spoken threat to have them. -
ENIAC Completed
ENIAC, the first electronic computer, was a general purpose machine that was programmed by the U.S. Army to calculate artillery firing tables. ENIAC was the forerunner to many other computers that would be used in warfare.
