American military technology during World War II US cruisers and battleships had their guns directed using information gathered from the ship's radar. American military technology during World War II American military technologies developed during World War II became more advanced and specialized as the war progressed. The technologies produced ranged in complexity from relatively simple items such as small arms and armored vehicles, including tanks, to more complex items such as the atomic bomb. The latter, produced under the secretive Manhattan Project, proved to be an incredibly powerful weapon that revolutionized warfare and was used to end the war. Other technologies, such as the M4 Sherman tank,
Ethnic minorities in the US armed forces during World War II Ethnic minorities in the US armed forces during World War II Ethnic minorities served in the US armed forces during World War II. All citizens were equally subject to the draft. All minorities were given the same rate of pay. The 16 million men and women in the services included over 1 million African Americans, along with 33,000+ Japanese-Americans, 20,000+ Chinese Americans, more than 20,000 American Indians, and 16,000 Filipino-Americans. About 65,034 Puerto Ricans served as well as about 500,000 Mexican-Americans (both white and mestizo) and smaller numbers of other Hispanics. Group totals for European ethnic groups were not tabulated.