Indeed I think Britain cleared WW2 debt last year (or possibly year before) and is I think the only country to have fully repaid their war debt to USA. What was paid off at the end of 2006 was not actually 'WW2 debt' per se, but the 1946 loan extended to Britain to cover its immediate postwar liquidity crisis. Most of the debt incurred through Lend-Lease aid was effectively written off. The Finns take pride in being the only nation to repay their war debt to the US in full (First World War debt in their case). Best, Alan
Although not a weapon as such, but from the contract file for K2 Ambulances odered with the AUSTIN MOTOR CO,contract no 1455 FOR 3500 units placed in 1941, Austins were paid £507 each, worth it though they are lovely, I believe the army got rid of the last one in 1964, cannot see the junk they using now last that long, lofty
This RCAF pilot, a distant relative to my father, flew the Spitfire named "President Roosevelt" while on strength with 403 Squadron. The plane, and thus the name, was a gift to England from Warner Brothers, the motion picture company.
I think the Germans were better off in regards to Employees wages , a lot of them did'nt get any !!! they were slaves ! and plenty of British POW's down the Mines , the fringe benefits were "they didnt shoot you if you worked hard".
In 1944 when our crew lost a Churchill Tank we were very stiffy informed that it had cost some 50,000GBP - since we lost another shortly afterwards- I am still awaiting the bill for 100,000GBP's Hopefully I shall be out when it arrives - as it will I have no doubt ! Cheers
In 1944 when our crew lost a Churchill Tank we were very stiffy informed that it had cost some 50,000GBP - since we lost another shortly afterwards- I am still awaiting the bill for 100,000GBP's It was bloody knocked out! Did they think you'd just been careless and exposed it to enemy fire for a laugh?
A few German Halftracks. DB10 - 46000RM Sd.Kfz.9 Famo FM gr 1 (Artillery) - 75000RM Sd.Kfz.9 Famo F2 (Recovery) - 60000RM Sd.Kfz.6 - 32000RM Sd.Kfz.11 (without winch) - 20000RM - Spielberger Expensive. Now wondering at unit cost for Kettenkrads.
Combover -- I don't worry about my share of the cost of two Churchills as according to my bank Statement the Brit Govt has had that amount from me since my first pension cheque in 1989 - all they do now is to copy that first one and change the date as it is exactly the same as it was in August 1989....not penny up or down....as I live in what is known as a "Frozen " country - they got that right on two counts as it is damned cold to-day- but - IF I lived just 20 miles South - I would be paid my full entitlement - with all the heating - bus passes - extra benefits which they now give to illegals who have NO intention of doing anything for Britain.....THAT is NOT what I fought for... cheers
I was watching a History Channel episode of 'Great Planes' last night. Its a pretty bad show, They mentioned that a B-29 cost $385,000 in 194. I used one of the internet convertors and came up with around nine million 2012 dollars. That seems very cheap for a top of the line bomber. Most fighters now cost well over $50,000,000
Thinking about them elsewhere - Closest I've got to the original cost of a Kettenkrad: http://www.kettenkrad.de/answer0.htm Not so helpful, for a variety of reasons (not least of which it likely refers to postwar export versions - a rather different beast), just wondering if anyone else has seen a more contemporary price?
I have always understood that the Lancaster cost £35000, a cost ratio of 7 compared to the Spitfire accepting there wouldbe added costs as minor improvement were implemented. However according to the Air Ministry publication,the Lancaster Pocket Manual 1941-1945 and I cannot see this information published at the the time,the basic average cost across all Marks of the aircraft for the 7377 built, amounted to £58.974.The basic cost was for the airframe and engines.Added to this cost was armaments,radio, radar equipment and other sundries requested from the contractor.H2S was installed on all Lancaster from about January 1944,so the cost of squadron front line aircraft would be much higher for the Lancasters delivered until the contracts were terminated during 1945.There was quite a lot of R&D work carried out on the Lancaster to adapt to its various roles as the war progressed and I would think that these costs would be back charged to the Air Ministry by Avro and other contractors.
Inglis Hi-Power at $37.80 Cdn per copy (1944) plus a $1.50 management fee per weapon. http://www.ai4fr.com/main/page_militaria__collectibles_canada_inglis.html
This subject also covered fairly well on the ww2f.com site: http://www.ww2f.com/topic/20451-cost-of-ww2-weapons/page-2#entry582268 Ron
Torpedomen of HMS SPARROWHAWK working on the 18" torpedoes used by Fairey Swordfish. These cost 2000 pounds each. FLEET AIR ARM ACTIVITIES AT HMS SPARROWHAWK, ROYAL NAVAL AIR STATION HATSTON. MARCH 1942.. © IWM (A 9046)IWM Non Commercial Licence
I think that's correct. I believe we are talking about prices paid by governments to manufacturers, not of "cost" in terms of resources usage. Of course, these prices were ultimately costs to the taxpayers in the case of democracies and for Germany and Japan paid in a large measure by plundering both capital and human resources of occupied territories. Michel