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Originally Posted by 1967 R50/2
Science trumps industrial output....usually. Using absolutes would just be ridiculous.
But the reality is Germany did not lead the US in technology: They had no computers, inferior radar, the British put superior jets into operation almost simultaneously, etc. German planes, almost every model, was inferior to the US equivalent. Even the ME-262 was designed with almost no range capability, making it vulnerable because it could not stay in the fight.
The reality is that superiority in science comes not from an industrial base, but from having a better EDUCATIONAL base. And the US had the largest and best universities in the world. A powerful mind thinking a new is worth a 100 strong hands pouring steel.
As an aside the Germans were NOT the first to militarize rockets: Rockets in warfare is nothing knew and have been used for centuries: "By the rockets red glare". Which is not to minimize Von Braun's technical achievements.
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It’s generally accepted that Germany was more advanced in technology, in weapons. A jet fighter, Bomber and a liquid rocket powered interceptor
(although dangerous)!! All in operation with nothing from the US and the Brits came in very later with theirs. Their tanks were far superior (Tiger I, Tiger II, Panther). The ME109 and FW190 were always formidable in battle. The dreaded 88 AT/AA gun and on and on.
Germany was not the first to employ rockets but they sure took it to the next level. The V1 Buzz Bomb (that’s what the British Jet was defending against), The V2 – the first ballistic and first man made object to achieve sub-orbital space flight. Over 3000 were launched killing 7200+ people. The US went to great lengths to capture the scientist and as many V2’s as they could. There was a reason for that. What was that guys name?? Oh ya - Wernher von Braun – that guy that ran our first ICBM program and then went on to run that little Apollo program.
I do believe that Germany even used an anti ship missile, the Fritz X