[Webstral]

The 98k is an interesting case of a superb system that is not well adapted for the circumstances of its use. I probably don’t need to elaborate with this crowd regarding the excellence of design of the 98k or of its lasting impact on the design of bolt action rifles. As Panther Al points out, the legacy of the 98k endures. However, the legacy is as a sniper rifle, not a battle rifle. The Germans had a superb weapon that was not optimized for infantry combat the way it actually occurs—especially in restricted terrain. The 98k was very poorly suited for the fighting in Stalingrad, where numbers of Sturmgewehr would have been warmly welcomed.

One of the important aspects of technology is knowing how to use it. As has been pointed out, the Me-262 could have had a very significant impact on the air war over Europe if Hitler hadn’t been so fixated on turning it into a bomber. The Battle of the Atlantic could have been turned around much sooner if the US has put more B-24s in at the beginning. The Germans realized early on just how flexible and powerful the 88mm was. The US developed the remarkable Norden bomb sight but tested it in the American Southwest, where sunny skies predominate. The whole concept of daylight bombing was predicated on good visibility from high altitude—conditions that don’t reliably occur over Germany. The Germans realized early on that the turret needs to include most of the tank crew and a radio; thus, with fewer and less combat-worthy tanks than the British and French, they won the Battle of France. I could go on and on, but most of us here know everything I’ve written so far. The inherent qualities of the machine are but a modest slice of the pie that is their success on the battlefield.