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Here’s something I’ve been thinking about¦.



If computers, with all the power of today's technology, were in the possession of the UK and the USA throughout World War Two, do you think it possible the outcome of the war may have been very different, perhaps even, ending quicker than it did?

Or do you think the use of computers between the two countries would have had no effect on the war at all?



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binbag;1346416 wrote: .

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Here’s something I’ve been thinking about….



If computers, with all the power of today's technology, were in the possession of the UK and the USA throughout World War Two, do you think it possible the outcome of the war may have been very different, perhaps even, ending quicker than it did?

Or do you think the use of computers between the two countries would have had no effect on the war at all?



bb


Do you mean exclusively used by just the UK & US (impossible)? If the AXIS had computers as well it would not have made any difference in the outcome of the war. The war was eventually won by bombing everything and every body into oblivion. Computers would not have helped.

An intriguing question considering that the first computer was created during the second world war.

But I don't think computers would have had any affect unless they were given total control over all decisions made. In actuality, politicians often go against logical advice.

It's the same as asking would one side win more easily with extra-terrestrial assistance. You're into Stargate territory, it depends on whether the other locals know any aliens to balance the fight: if they don't, they're toast. Computer superiority is a battle-winning edge against mass armed forces just as much as air superiority is.

binbag;1346416 wrote: .

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Here’s something I’ve been thinking about¦.



If computers, with all the power of today's technology, were in the possession of the UK and the USA throughout World War Two, do you think it possible the outcome of the war may have been very different, perhaps even, ending quicker than it did?

Or do you think the use of computers between the two countries would have had no effect on the war at all?



bb


Don't they teach you guys anything? Computers were in use in ww2, OK not as powerful as today's, and they did make a difference to the war effort.

Colossus computer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well just think of, for instance, the sharing of information and/or images from troops on the ground to Battle Command in seconds, during WW2 if UK & USA had computers, as I said, with all the power of today's technology.

That's only one example. I think today's computing technology would have been a blessing for the allies.

If you were ever in the forces (I wasn't) think of the benefits computers, with all the power of today's technology, would have been for the war effort.

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Bit pointless speculating IMO as the other side would very quickly have caught on. Scientific development is not the preserve of any one country much as intelligence services would like to keep weapons developments secret they just can't do it. The germans in particular were no slouches. The allies narrowly won the technological war as it is but we did win the intelligence war thanks to colussus. It's credited with shortening the war by two years or so. Just imagine if hitler had let the production of jet fighters go ahead in 1942 instead of blocking it in favour of bombers, just imagine of self interested politicking hadn't stopped the british making jet fighters first, we might have had them in 1940 but the germans already had their own in the pipeline they would have had them pretty soon as well if we showed up with one first. Or if the germans had been able to out nuclear missiles and better guidance systems on top of the V2's they rained down on london (they did come very close to having a nuclear weapon ). Just imagine if the british hadn't given the Americans all the radar technology we had developed before the war, the carrier battles of 1942 in the pacific might have gone very differently.

binbag;1346416 wrote: .

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Here’s something I’ve been thinking about¦.



If computers, with all the power of today's technology, were in the possession of the UK and the USA throughout World War Two, do you think it possible the outcome of the war may have been very different, perhaps even, ending quicker than it did?

Or do you think the use of computers between the two countries would have had no effect on the war at all?

bb


Folks,

It's a hypothetical question regarding two countries, UK & USA.

binbag;1346846 wrote: Folks,

It's a hypothetical question regarding two countries, UK & USA.


OK I'll reiterate. We did have computers, they did make a difference. Speculating whether the sharing of information and/or images from troops on the ground to Battle Command in seconds, during WW2 if UK & USA had computers, would have made a difference is a bit pointless IMO because the other side would very quickly have caught on it would be naive to think otherwise. In the battle of Britain it was the cordination between radar and controllers vectoring aircraft on to targets that made all the difference, the germans didn't cotton on what was happening until after the battle was won and didn't target the radar stations because they didn't appreciate the significance. By 1943 they were usng the same methods to blast british and american bombers from the skies. Colossus made a difference but wouldn't have been quite so succesful without access to an enigma machine that was captured off an enemy submarine in 1941. We had a tehnological edge over the germans in some areas they had it in others over us. In the battle of france the british and french had better tanks than the germans but they had better tactics and co-ordination.

Things don't happen in isolation, a weapon system might give an overwhelming advantage for a while but only until the other side catches on. Any speculation about whether the kind of techology you are on about would have made a difference that assumes the other side wouldnt have developed counter measures orr their own version of it is pointless, IMO. You did ask what people thought You don't have to agree with me though. So what do you think?

gmc;1346878 wrote: Speculating whether the sharing of information and/or images from troops on the ground to Battle Command in seconds, during WW2 if UK & USA had computers, would have made a difference is a bit pointless IMO because the other side would very quickly have caught on it would be naive to think otherwise.

Any speculation about whether the kind of technology you are on about would have made a difference that assumes the other side wouldn't have developed counter measures or their own version of it is pointless, IMO.

You did ask what people thought You don't have to agree with me though.


Now you've got it gmc, that's what I was interested in reading, answers that specifically referred to the (pointless or not) original question.

I never mentioned anything regarding me not agreeing with any answer, differing opinions go without saying, and they can be very interesting, I might add.



gmc;1346878 wrote: So what do you think?
What do I think? well my answer is in post # 6.

However, it's taken 65 years (excluding the war years) for computing technology to reach the standard we enjoy today.

The technical knowledge of computing, though cutting edge during and after WW2, would have prevented the professionals in the computing field of "catching" on to today's amazing technology we now take for granted.

bb

This is all too binary for me.