Technology played a significant role in world war II. Some of the technologies used during the war were developed during the interwar years of the 1920s and 1930s, much was developed in response to needs and lessons learned during the war, while others were beginning to be developed as the war ended. Many wars had major effects on the technologies that we use in our daily lives. However, compared to previous wars, World War II had the greatest effect on the technology and devices that are used today. Technology also played a greater role in the conduct of World War II than in any other war in history, and had a critical role in its final outcome.
Many types of technology were customized for military use, and major developments occurred across several fields including:
Weaponry: ships, vehicles, submarines, aircraft, tanks, artillery, small arms; and biological, chemical, and atomic weapons.
Logistical support: vehicles necessary for transporting soldiers and supplies, such as trains, trucks, tanks, ships, and aircraft.
Communications and intelligence: devices used for navigation, communication, remote sensing, and espionage.
Medicine: surgical innovations, chemical medicines, and techniques.
Rocketry: atomic bombs and automatic aircraft.
Technological advances made WWII unlike any war that had previously been fought. Existing technologies were refined, and entirely new weapons emerged as a result of technical advances. This answer focuses on three areas of advancement that revolutionized air, land, and naval warfare.
IN THE AIR
The airplane had been around since the turn of the century and had been used in combat in WWI, but WWII brought about technical advances and new uses for the airplane. As steel, mono-wing planes replaced wood and canvas biplanes, fighters became faster and bombers could fly farther to deliver larger bomb loads. These advances allowed strategic bombing to become an important tactic, especially for the allies against the Germans. The large bombers of the period could fly far enough behind enemy lines to attack population and industrial centers. This same long-range bombing technology allowed the United States to drop atomic bombs on Japan. WWII also brought about the first jet-powered airplanes.
ON THE GROUND
Tanks had been around in various forms since WWI, but it was during WWII that they became a major force on the battlefield. They became faster, more reliable, and more lethal so that by the 1930s, trench warfare had become obsolete. The German “blitzkrieg” or lightning war in Poland demonstrated how tanks, in conjunction with airplanes and infantry, could quickly defeat an unprepared nation.
AT SEA
In WWII, aircraft carriers became the most important ship in the navy, especially in the conflict between the United States and Japan in the Pacific. No longer tied to land bases, fighters and bombers could be brought to a battle along with traditional battleships, destroyers and submarines. This made for a whole new doctrine of naval warfare whereby traditional surface ships became less valuable because they were vulnerable to air attack.
https://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/technology_of_ww2.php
https://www.thoughtco.com/world-war-ii-overview-2361501
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