Germany was fighting its wars in an environment that changed technology during World War II. German submarines, which were equipped with cutting-edge technology, constantly faced the Allies' fleets. These submarines (also known as U-Boats) were intended to strike at Great Britain's soft areas. As a result, the battle between the Allied fleets and the German submarine navy is one of the most important examples of WW2 technology.
When World War II began in September 1939, the German navy was in poor condition. The Germans had just 24 warships compared to the 62 that Great Britain had. The British British naval siege of German ports was difficult to break down for the German navy. The British owned over 300 ships. They had ports around the globe. They also boasted the largest naval fleet. They also had a large fleet of tanks. In the first years of the war they increased their tank army. They had six armoured Divisions that consisted of 2,400 tankers. These divisions were well-trained for maneuvers. They were also regarded as the strongest in Europe.
Numerous technological problems plagued the German navy. Torpedo fuse were too sensitive to high temperatures. A German navy had no effective way to detect enemy submarines. This was a big problem for the German navy as they wanted to breach the British siege at German ports. Karl Donitz was a senior officer in the German navy who took over the whole U-Boat flotilla in 1939. He wanted to increase the morale among his crews. He told them to travel by night. They were still in danger every week.
Another notable innovation was also the B24 Liberator airframe. The Radar on this aircraft allowed it to identify and attack targets. It also allowed crews to communicate directly with the commanders on its shores. The Liberator was thus the most effective aircraft during the war. This aircraft was capable of piercing American defenses to destroy strategic targets.
German scientists were also the first to discover nuclear fission. They were particularly interested about the Germans knowledge of this process. During wartime, they were also involved in research in this area. The technology was also studied by other physicists. They were also interested in the weapons in the German arsenal that could be used against Japanese.
The collapsible pipe was another important technological breakthrough. It allowed submarines to pump air into a diesel engine. This innovation was extremely useful for German submarines. However, this technology was not widely applied.
The German navy also had an efficient encryption device called the Enigma. This system consisted in a network of gears as well as disks. Many believed that it was impossible for the system to be broken. The German navy ended up losing the technological arms race. This was because the Germans couldn't produce these innovations in large numbers.