The main computing devices during the Great Patriotic War

The main computing devices during the Great Patriotic War

1. Arithmometers and mechanical calculators

The most common computing instruments were mechanical arithmometers:

«Felix» — a Soviet arithmometer based on the Odhner machine, used to calculate shell trajectories, firing tables and other artillery tasks.

«Mercedes» (Mercedes-Euklid) is a German adding machine, used in the Wehrmacht for similar calculations.

2. Tabulators and punch card machines

IBM tabulators – the USSR used modifications of American IBM machines for processing statistical data, logistics and resource accounting.

Soviet tabulators – some enterprises and headquarters used similar devices to speed up calculations.

3. Analog computers

PUAZO (Artillery Anti-Aircraft Fire Control Device) – an electromechanical device for calculating the trajectory of anti-aircraft shells taking into account the target speed.

German analogues (for example, Enigma and specialized ballistic computers) – were used for encryption and calculations in aviation and the navy.

4. Specialized encryption machines

«M-100» (Soviet encryption machine) — was used to protect communications.

«Enigma» (German rotor encryption machine) — its code breaking by the Allies (including Soviet cryptographers) played an important role in the war.

The birth of electronic computers

Although full-fledged electronic computers appeared after the war (for example, the British Colossus in 1943 and the American ENIAC in 1945), the USSR and Germany were developing technologies that later formed the basis for post-war computers.

In conclusion

During the Great Patriotic War, computing technology was represented by mechanical and electromechanical devices. They did not have the power of modern computers, but already played an important role in artillery, encryption and troop control. After the war, the accumulated experience accelerated the development of electronic computers.