www abdopublishing com Published by Abdo Publishing a division of ABDO PO Box 398166 Minneapolis Minnesota 55439 Copyright 2015 by Abdo Consulting Group Inc International copyrights reserved in all countries No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher Core Library is a trademark and logo of Abdo Publishing Printed in the United States of America North Mankato Minnesota 092014 012015 Cover Photo Spc Ian Boudreau 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs US Department of Defense Interior Photos Spc Ian Boudreau 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs US Department of Defense 1 Library of Congress 4 6 20 National Archives NARA via CNP Newscom 9 War UPPA Photoshot Newscom 10 Spc William J Taylor US Department of Defense 12 R A Lord Library of Congress 14 Gary Blakeley Shutterstock Images 16 upper left Shutterstock Images 16 upper right 16 lower left 26 Vladimir Gjorgiev Shutterstock Images 16 lower right Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Shawnte Bryan US Department of Defense 17 Andrey Shirokov Newscom 19 Senior Airman Julianne Showalter US Department of Defense 22 45 Staff Sgt Brian Ferguson US Department of Defense 25 US Army US Department of Defense 28 AP Images 31 42 43 Photographer’s Mate 1st Class David A Levy US Department of Defense 33 Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jason C Swink US Department of Defense 36 Lt Shannon Collins US Air Force US Department of Defense 39 Editor Patrick Donnelly Series Designer Becky Daum Library of Congress Control Number 2014944243 Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gagne Tammy Incredible military weapons Tammy Gagne p cm Ready for military action ISBN 978-1-62403-652-1 lib bdg Includes bibliographical references and index 1 United States Army Artillery Juvenile literature 2 Artillery Juvenile literature 3 Military weapons United States Juvenile literature I Title 623 4 dc23 2014944243
CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE Making History 4 CHAPTER TWO Small yet Powerful 12 CHAPTER THREE Locked and Loaded and Large 20 CHAPTER FOUR Explosives 28 CHAPTER FIVE Smart Weapons 36 Top Missions 42 Stop and Think 44 Glossary 46 Learn More 47 Index 48 About the Author 48
5 A mushroom cloud rose above Nagasaki Japan after a US bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the city CHAPTER ONE MAKING HISTORY By the summer of 1945 World War II had been raging for nearly six years But the Allied forces including the United States the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union had begun to take control Germany had surrendered on the European front Japan’s leaders knew they couldn’t win in the Pacific But still they refused to give up
