"What are the ten greatest feats of Military Engineering in the 20th Century?."

Mush Martin · 08-30-14, 06:37 PM

Hi all, I know I don't show up too often, but I was having a personal debate
thinking about a book, and asked myself,
"What are the ten greatest feats of Military Engineering of all time ?."
upon considering the question in depth, I asked myself along the line of
a narrower field.

"What are the ten greatest feats of Military Engineering in the 20th Century?."

This is an open debate and is not meant to be a flame forum.
everybody be nice.

Before we begin, I feel that a certain few must be automatically
included.

#1
The Mulberry harbors.

#2
P.L.U.T.O

#3
The Essex class carrier project.

The other seven slots are open and the order is too!

Enjoy the open debate Gents, I know I will

Regards to all

Mush

Platapus · 08-30-14, 07:07 PM

Batteries
Satellites

One thing that ain't on the list would be Powerpoint.

Stealhead · 08-30-14, 07:18 PM

1) Military medicine easily the best hidden benefit of warfare it vastly improves medicine for all

2) Military aviation another example of a hidden benefit for example the helicopter a weapon of war that has saved countless lives

3) Submarine development in particular from the end of WWII to modern times

4) Guided weapons technology makes war a lot more efficient get more done with less manpower (usually)

5) Military communications you cant do much without a way to give orders side benefit you can also snoop on your foe to gather intel and even
hack him. An ironic effect of this is that a very small nation can have a lot of power without ever firing a shot.What happens if a hacker shuts down your nations finical institutions? You could be broken or severally weakened it is the ultimate homage to Snu Tzu The supreme art of war is to subdue your enemy without fighting.

6) Artillery development the biggest leaps here where during WWI but at the end of the day artillery is still the king of battle even more so now. Just think how many more would die if we fought trench style with our modern artillery and air burst (that works every time) and flechette.

7) Food a more recent development MREs(now used in some form by many nations) are a huge improvement on the type of field rations available in the past.

Not sure you can have a top 10 really all the things I listed I feel have equal importance/effect.

ReallyDedPoet · 08-30-14, 07:34 PM

Definitely one would be the submarine, and agreeing with SH above, towards the end of WWII. Advances in technology certainly influenced future designs.

Stealhead · 08-30-14, 07:39 PM

Wait is the question greatest of all time or greatest of the 20th century? You use both terms in the OP.

That kinda changes the perspective a bit.

All Time

1) the atlatl first true long range weapon also pretty darn useful for hunting but if a human enemy has no missile weapon and you do
well you win.

2) Cavalry using animals more mobility and as a battering ram pure genius. Mobility is key you can run down retreating enemies that thins out the numbers. Even take land before your enemy can really muster a defense.

Mush Martin · 08-30-14, 08:09 PM

Ok to close up parameters it is intended to be the 20th century,

the criterion is Military engineering this would include submarines
but would exclude aircraft for example.
(edit: though individual engineering efforts by the military eg. B-29 or SR-71 would count).

Mush Martin · 08-30-14, 08:22 PM

4) Guided weapons technology makes war a lot more efficient get more done with less manpower (usually)

" Where does the V-2 end and the tomohawk begin ?

TarJak · 09-01-14, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tango589

Not just airborne radar, I'd say radar in general. Also, sonar. Used widely from finding enemy submarines, to undersea exploration to helping fishermen locate schools of fish.

Yes but getting all that tech into a small enough package to operate in an aircraft is an amazing feat, particularly in the short few years it was done.

TarJak · 09-01-14, 03:59 PM

If we were talking all time it's have to say canned food. An army matches on its stomach.

Mush Martin · 09-01-14, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarJak

If we were talking all time it's have to say canned food. An army matches on its stomach.

really this dates back to napoleon and peas in wine bottles
field rations are not a 20th century development I feel, but I could easily
be found wrong in this court

.

TarJak · 09-01-14, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mush Martin

really this dates back to napoleon and peas in wine bottles
field rations are not a 20th century development I feel, but I could easily
be found wrong in this court

.

That's why I prefaced it with all time. Canning food started in the late18th century iirc

How about freeze dried rations or the powdered egg? Mmm tasty

Mush Martin · 09-01-14, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarJak

That's why I prefaced it with all time. Canning food started in the late18th century iirc

How about freeze dried rations or the powdered egg? Mmm tasty

This raises another point, I feel the space race "IS" a military issue.
It was either beat the Russkie's or the Yank's!.

Regard's
MM.

Eichhörnchen · 09-01-14, 06:28 PM

Hobart's "Funnies". Not taken up in the main by the U.S. when offered by the British (although they did make use of the DD Tank) these feats of design, of purely military origin, were to contribute much toward the success of D-Day.

Armistead · 09-03-14, 10:26 PM

MRAP II

Mush Martin · 09-04-14, 03:05 PM

I feel we are not ready to stand anywhere yet.

Consider if you will, the Lido Road, or for that matter the
Alaskan Highway. ( these are massive military engineering
projects with lasting economic and political effects.)

How about bio engineering, ie. Not penicillin itself but mass production
techniques developed for penicillin became a mainstay for the rest of
twentieth century immuno research and development.

It goes on and on, as I alluded to before, Rickover's naval
atomic power will carry far beyond the twentieth century and
far beyond the oceans.

..............should we pick ten and do a survey?
I am not sure the entries are all in yet?

08-30-14, 07:34 PM	#4
ReallyDedPoet Canadian Wolf Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canada. The one and only, East Coast Posts: 10,886 Downloads: 946 Uploads: 5	Definitely one would be the submarine, and agreeing with SH above, towards the end of WWII. Advances in technology certainly influenced future designs. __________________ Back in the Day

08-30-14, 08:09 PM	#6
Mush Martin Eternal Patrol Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,398 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Ok to close up parameters it is intended to be the 20th century, the criterion is Military engineering this would include submarines but would exclude aircraft for example. (edit: though individual engineering efforts by the military eg. B-29 or SR-71 would count). __________________ RIP Mush Tutorial

08-30-14, 08:22 PM	#7
Mush Martin Eternal Patrol Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,398 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	4) Guided weapons technology makes war a lot more efficient get more done with less manpower (usually) " Where does the V-2 end and the tomohawk begin ? __________________ RIP Mush Tutorial

09-03-14, 10:26 PM	#14
Armistead Rear Admiral Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: on the Dan Posts: 10,880 Downloads: 364 Uploads: 0	MRAP II __________________ You see my dog don't like people laughing. He gets the crazy idea you're laughing at him. Now if you apologize like I know you're going to, I might convince him that you really didn't mean it.

09-04-14, 03:05 PM	#15
Mush Martin Eternal Patrol Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,398 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	I feel we are not ready to stand anywhere yet. Consider if you will, the Lido Road, or for that matter the Alaskan Highway. ( these are massive military engineering projects with lasting economic and political effects.) How about bio engineering, ie. Not penicillin itself but mass production techniques developed for penicillin became a mainstay for the rest of twentieth century immuno research and development. It goes on and on, as I alluded to before, Rickover's naval atomic power will carry far beyond the twentieth century and far beyond the oceans. ..............should we pick ten and do a survey? I am not sure the entries are all in yet? __________________ RIP Mush Tutorial

08-30-14, 06:37 PM	#1
Mush Martin Eternal Patrol Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,398 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	"What are the ten greatest feats of Military Engineering in the 20th Century?." Hi all, I know I don't show up too often, but I was having a personal debate thinking about a book, and asked myself, "What are the ten greatest feats of Military Engineering of all time ?." upon considering the question in depth, I asked myself along the line of a narrower field. "What are the ten greatest feats of Military Engineering in the 20th Century?." This is an open debate and is not meant to be a flame forum. everybody be nice. Before we begin, I feel that a certain few must be automatically included. #1 The Mulberry harbors. #2 P.L.U.T.O #3 The Essex class carrier project. The other seven slots are open and the order is too! Enjoy the open debate Gents, I know I will Regards to all Mush __________________ RIP Mush Tutorial

08-30-14, 07:07 PM	#2
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,362 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Batteries Satellites One thing that ain't on the list would be Powerpoint. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

08-30-14, 07:18 PM	#3
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	1) Military medicine easily the best hidden benefit of warfare it vastly improves medicine for all 2) Military aviation another example of a hidden benefit for example the helicopter a weapon of war that has saved countless lives 3) Submarine development in particular from the end of WWII to modern times 4) Guided weapons technology makes war a lot more efficient get more done with less manpower (usually) 5) Military communications you cant do much without a way to give orders side benefit you can also snoop on your foe to gather intel and even hack him. An ironic effect of this is that a very small nation can have a lot of power without ever firing a shot.What happens if a hacker shuts down your nations finical institutions? You could be broken or severally weakened it is the ultimate homage to Snu Tzu The supreme art of war is to subdue your enemy without fighting. 6) Artillery development the biggest leaps here where during WWI but at the end of the day artillery is still the king of battle even more so now. Just think how many more would die if we fought trench style with our modern artillery and air burst (that works every time) and flechette. 7) Food a more recent development MREs(now used in some form by many nations) are a huge improvement on the type of field rations available in the past. Not sure you can have a top 10 really all the things I listed I feel have equal importance/effect. Last edited by Stealhead; 08-30-14 at 07:34 PM.

08-30-14, 07:39 PM	#5
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Wait is the question greatest of all time or greatest of the 20th century? You use both terms in the OP. That kinda changes the perspective a bit. All Time 1) the atlatl first true long range weapon also pretty darn useful for hunting but if a human enemy has no missile weapon and you do well you win. 2) Cavalry using animals more mobility and as a battering ram pure genius. Mobility is key you can run down retreating enemies that thins out the numbers. Even take land before your enemy can really muster a defense.

09-01-14, 03:59 PM	#9
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	If we were talking all time it's have to say canned food. An army matches on its stomach.

09-01-14, 06:28 PM	#13
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 17,382 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Hobart's "Funnies". Not taken up in the main by the U.S. when offered by the British (although they did make use of the DD Tank) these feats of design, of purely military origin, were to contribute much toward the success of D-Day.