The Second World War became the War of mass-production, with both sides attempting to out produce the other. The Allied production principle was based around the mass production (mainly in America & Canada) of effective, but standardised, weapon and vehicle designs. Weapons that were sturdy and reliable while not being too technically complicated to manufacture. Once a design was accepted it was steam-rolled into production and manufactured on a scale never before imagined.
The Axis powers on the other hand, such as Germany and Japan, relied on technically advanced designs to act as force strength multipliers. This often resulted in weapons and vehicles that were tactically powerful on the battlefield, but strategically flawed. Slow production resulting from over engineered and technically complex designs, inherent design flaws resulting from rushed development schedules resulting in an abundance of technical breakdowns, or just manufacturing sabotage from the use of slave labour.
Although German designers manufactured some of the most famous weapons of the war - such as the terrifying MG42, and the legendary Tiger Tank - development was slow and often these weapons entered service too late and in too small a numbers to save Germany from defeat.
At the end of hostilities in Europe, with the fall of Nazi Germany. Technical scout groups were crawling all over Europe in search of Hitler’s Wunderwaffen (Wonder Weapons) that he boasted would win Germany the War. What the Allies discovered in the shattered remains of the Third Reich was outstanding! Rockets, cruse missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, super tanks, super cannons, jet aircraft, and the foundation of an Atomic Reactor (precursor to an Atomic weapons program). The treasures discovered in the wake of the collapse of Germany, would go on to fuel a Cold War between the Western Allies and the growing might of the Soviet Union.
Special Note: The equipment lists provide a large amount of detail for the European Theatre of war, plus an attempt to also provide enough material that a Game Master could run an adventure in many other theatres of the Second World War. Thus some readers may find information for the Japanese, Italian, and Russian forces a little lacking.