1. lasers
   X-ray
2. sonar

Britain rapidly deployed sonar technologies at sea. Sonar eventually gave the Allies a tremendous advantage in detecting and engaging (or dodging) enemy ships and submarines.

1. magic
   radio
2. luck

The Fritz x was a radio-guided bomb, and yes, it really worked. The Germans used one to sink an Italian battleship.

1. Lipitor
   penicillin
2. Viagra

Penicillin was discovered in 1928, but it hit mass production during WWII. Its infection-fighting properties helped save many lives during the conflict.

1. bake bread
   train bomb-sniffing dogs
2. land airplanes

The Blind Approach Beacon System (BABS) used radar to help pilots safely land planes in darkness or adverse weather conditions. It made the landing process much safer for crews returning from missions.

1. Legos
   Lite Brite
2. Slinky

James was trying to improve torsion springs to better cushion expensive ship equipment — he observed that one of his test springs exhibited a unique "walking" motion. The Slinky was born.

1. Axis
2. Allies

Germany’s engineers were the first to send night vision technology to the battlefield. Snipers were able to use the devices to shoot their targets even in darkness.

1. to spray paint
   to spray insecticide
2. to spray cologne

Aerosol cans were new item in the war, and they were critical to help apply insecticides. In the South Pacific, those insecticides helped protect troops from bugs that spread terrible tropical diseases.

1. mounted cavalry
   long-ranger bomber crews
2. paratroopers

The Nazis were the first to put paratroopers to widespread use. Hitler eventually lost confidence in these units, but Allied forces took the concept and used it to its full potential.

1. 5 miles
   1,500 miles
2. 100 miles

British radar could detect German planes from about 100 miles away. These systems helped British commanders anticipate attacks and concentrate their fighters where they could best protect civilian and military targets.

1. nuclear-powered tank
   submarine
2. jet fighter

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the first jet fighter ever to reach operational status. It was fast and it was deadly, claiming at least 500 Allied aircraft during the war.

1. about 290 MPH
   about 560 MPH
2. about 921 MPH

By WWII standards, the Me 262 was incredibly fast, with a top speed of around 560 MPH. Many Allied combatants could only stare in awe as the Me 262 blazed through the skies.

1. Lycra
   nylon
2. natural silk

Nylon became popular during the late ‘30s, especially for women’s stockings. During the war, the American military took over many nylon stockpiles to make ropes, parachutes and other important war items.

1. It featured airbags for crash landings
   It simply could not be shot down.
2. The cabin was pressurized.

The B-29 featured the first pressurized cabin. It meant crews didn’t have to wear oxygen masks, and it created a warmer environment, too.

1. tank
   jet aircraft
2. cruise missile

Germany developed many cutting-edge weapons during the war, including an early cruise missile called the V-1. The Nazis targeted cities with the weapon in order to terrify civilians.

1. pulse jets
   anti-gravity drives
2. propellers

The V-1 used a type of pulse jet to reach its targets. The first operational pulse jets were built in 1906 by a Russian engineer.

1. rubber
   petroleum
2. fiberglass

The Axis powers grabbed control of many sources of natural rubber, a vital material for war. The Allies managed to create a type of synthetic rubber that they called Ameripol.

1. 50
   400
2. 1,000

The rubber shortage was dire for America, because rubber was a vital part of many war machines. Government officials directed the construction of 50 synthetic rubber plants in WWII, and these factories wound up producing twice as much as the world’s natural rubber supply prior to the conflict.

1. Mac
   Tandy
2. Colossus

The Colossus was a programmable electronic computer that the Allies used to decode many intercepted German messages. Colossus was a serious step forward in computer technology.

1. Moonlighter
   Vampir
2. X-ray

The ZG 1229 Vampir was a night vision device that could be paired to STG-44 Sturmgewehr assault rifles. The deadly combination marked a subtle shift in nighttime tactics.

1. It was piloted by robot.
   It was armed with nuclear weapons.
2. It was extremely fast.

The Arado Ar 234 was a jet bomber that could hit speeds of nearly 500 MPH, so fast that the Allies couldn’t really intercept it. Fortunately, it was introduced too late to really affect the war’s outcome.

1. a cleverly-designed liquid container
   a jet plane
2. a propane torch

Wehrmachtskanisters were called Jerrycans by the Allies. Jerrycans were a clever update to liquid containers that made carrying and pouring the contents much easier than before.

1. True
2. False

It’s true, Germany used its Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri helicopter for missions during the war. Most of these primitive machines were used for scouting purposes.

1. about 1,000 feet
   about 2,500 feet
2. more than 10,000 feet

The Flettner Fl 282 was a primitive helicopter that could fly to altitudes of more than 10,000 feet. A later version had room for two people, one pilot and one spotter.

1. aspirin
   marijuana
2. crystal meth

Pervitin was an early form of of crystal methamphetamine, which increased alertness and helped numb the terrors of war. Millions of German troops (and Hitler) used it during the conflict.

1. happiness
   relaxation
2. agitation

As with methamphetamine, Pervitin usage eventually caused agitation, aggression and impaired judgment. Some users even died of heart failure.

1. It made radar run on solar power.
   It made radar equipment smaller.
2. It enabled radar to work against individual ground troops.

The cavity magnetron helped to reduce the size of radar equipment. It was a major development that meant radar gear could be mounted onto individual planes.

1. microwave ovens
   solar panels
2. the Internet

Following the war, cavity magnetrons found their way into one of the 20th century’s iconic products — the microwave oven.

1. a blood transfusion system
   a radio navigation system
2. a cruise missile

The Gee-H was a radio navigation system which greatly improved the accuracy of Allied bombing runs. It was also very sophisticated, able to guide up to 80 planes at a time.

1. artificial satellites
   robotic limbs
2. atomic bombs

The Allies dumped many millions of dollars into the Manhattan Project in an effort to make atomic bombs. More than 130,000 people took part in the project, which cost billions of dollars and ultimately led to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

1. tin foil
   super glue
2. waxed paper

Eastman Kodak researchers were experimenting with a host of chemicals in an effort to make clear plastic gun sights. Instead, they inadvertently made super glue ... but the innovation wasn’t marketed until 1958.