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selil
07-20-2008, 04:17 AM
Looking for a statistic.

What was the total expenditure in pounds of American ordinance during world war 2?

Googled a bunch but it seems to huge. Even some battles would be good, but the big number would be better. Expended is the best number. Not created.

Fuchs
07-20-2008, 04:25 AM
There are two united states bombing surveys - one about Germany and another about japan.
That's at least a significant chunk.

http://www.anesi.com/ussbs02.htm
http://www.anesi.com/ussbs01.htm

I'm not 100% sure, but almost sure that the quantities are included.

Van
07-20-2008, 05:52 PM
Selil,
I don't have the time to dig right now, but I recall hearing numerous comparisons of the tonnage of ordnance expended in Desert Storm and the tonnage expended in WWII. You might look for Desert Storm studies like Harry Summers' and check his references.

selil
07-20-2008, 06:57 PM
thanks all I think I have what I need.

Entropy
07-20-2008, 06:58 PM
I will have to check, but the only reference I remember seeing were specific to air-delivered ordnance.

RTK
07-20-2008, 07:48 PM
So, out of curiosity, what's the answer?

selil
07-20-2008, 09:21 PM
So, out of curiosity, what's the answer?

The information fuchs posted is the better answer. The European and Pacific theater reports are fairly detailed. For comparisons sake I offer the following graphs. They reflect allied ordinance delivered by air in pounds in the Pacific theater. Separated by nuclear and conventional. The second graph shows the effective power differentials. Originally I wanted to find the actual total, but the reports overlap, contradict each other, and are even internally inconsistent. All to show the difference between measurements.

http://selil.com/blog_image/blog_ordinance_poundage.jpg
See the red slice?

http://selil.com/blog_image/blog_ordinance_effect.jpg
Nuclear/Atomic weapons give a pretty big bang per shot.

selil
07-20-2008, 11:23 PM
Here is what I was working on: Cyberspace a terrain: Weaponization of the global grid (http://selil.com/?p=233)

Where I attempt to show how effects are changing in scope.