Your American History Reference Guide! - Military production during World War II
Military production during World War II
Military production during World War II was a critical component to victory during the war .
Summary of production
System Allies Axis
Tanks and SP guns 227,235 52,345
Artillery 914,682 180,141
Mortars 657,318 100,000+
Machineguns 4,744,484 1,058,863
Military trucks 3,060,354 594,859
Military aircraft total 633,072 278,795
Fighter aircraft 212,459 90,684
Attack aircraft 37,549 12,539
Bomber aircraft 153,615 35,415
Reconnaissance aircraft 7,885 13,033
Transport aircraft 43,045 5,657
Training aircraft 93,578 28,516
Aircraft carriers 155 16
Battleships 13 5
Cruisers 82 15
Destroyers 814 86
Convoy escorts 1,102 -
Submarines 422 1,337
Merchant shipping tonnage 33,993,230 5,000,000+
Production by nation
Vehicles and ground weapons
Tanks and self-propelled guns
Soviet Union = 105,251 (92,595)
United States = 88,410 (71,067)
Germany = 46,857 (37,794)
United Kingdom = 27,896
Canada = 5,678
Japan = 2,515
Italy = 2,473
Hungary = 500
Note: Number in parenthesis equals the number of tanks and self-propelled guns equipped with main weapons of 75 mm or larger. Smaller producing nations do not have this differentiation.
Artillery
Artillery includes antiaircraft and antitank weapons.
Soviet Union = 516,648
United States = 257,390
Germany = 159,147
United Kingdom = 124,877
Japan = 13,350
Canada = 10,552
Italy = 7,200
Other Commonwealth = 5,215
Hungary = 447
Mortars
Soviet Union = 403,300
United States = 105,054
United Kingdom = 102,950
Germany = 73,484
Commonwealth = 46,014
Machineguns
Machineguns does not include sub-machineguns.
United States =
Soviet Union = 1,477,400
Germany = 674,280
Japan = 380,000
United Kingdom = 297,336
Canada = 251,925
Other Commonwealth = 37,983
Hungary = 4,583
Military trucks
United States = 2,382,311
United Kingdom = 480,943
Germany = 345,914
Soviet Union = 197,100
Japan = 165,945
Italy = 83,000
Aircraft
Military aircraft of all types
United States = 324,750
Germany = 189,307
Soviet Union = 157,261
United Kingdom = 131,549
Japan = 76,320
Canada = 16,431
Italy = 11,122
Other Commonwealth = 3,081
Hungary = 1,046
Rumania = 1,000
Fighter aircraft
United States = 99,950
Soviet Union = 63,087
Germany = 55,727
United Kingdom = 49,422
Japan = 30,447
Italy = 4,510
Attack aircraft
Soviet Union = 37,549
Germany = 12,539
Bomber aircraft
United States = 97,810
United Kingdom = 34,689
Soviet Union = 21,116
Germany = 18,235
Japan = 15,117
Italy = 2,063
Reconnaissance aircraft
Germany = 6,299
Japan = 5,654
United Kingdom = 3,967
United States = 3,918
Italy = 1,080
Transport aircraft
United States = 23,929
Soviet Union = 17,332
Germany = 3,079
Japan = 2,110
United Kingdom = 1,784
Italy = 468
Training aircraft
United States = 57,623
United Kingdom = 31,864
Japan = 15,201
Germany = 11,546
Soviet Union = 4,061
Italy = 1,769
Naval ships
Aircraft carriers
United States = 141
Japan = 16
United Kingdom = 14
Battleships
United States = 8
United Kingdom = 5
Italy = 3
Japan = 2
Cruisers
United States = 48
United Kingdom = 32
Japan = 9
Italy = 6
Soviet Union = 2
Destroyers
United States = 349
United Kingdom = 240
Japan = 63
Soviet Union = 25
Germany = 17
Italy = 6
Convoy escorts
United States = 498
United Kingdom = 413
Canada = 191
Submarines
Germany = 1,141
United States = 203
Japan = 167
United Kingdom = 167
Soviet Union = 52
Italy = 28
Merchant tonnage
United States = 33,993,230
United Kingdom = 6,378,899
Japan = 4,152,361
Commonwealth = 2,702,943
Italy = 469,606
See also