World War 2 saw the mobilization of armies spanning the globe. Logistics were often stretched to the limit as one side sought to outmaneuver the other in a bid to gain supremacy. Technology was also pushed to its limits in a quest to have the upper hand. Raw materials were being utilized by the dozens and supply lines to production factories were being guarded just as tightly as supply lines to troops on the front line. One of the more important raw materials used in World War 2 was tin.
Tin was important in the war because it was needed for many purposes. A major usage of tin was in the making of the tin can to store perishable goods for the soldiers. Since tin is rustproof, it was used to coat steel cans before sealing food into the cans. Soldiers can then carry around the tin cans in the battlefield and be ensured of a meal when a safe haven is found. Since tin cans are metallic, soldiers also have the option of heating their meals. A hot meal is always welcomed in cold climate battles - no matter what it tastes like. Water containers are also coated with tin to ensure rust-free drinking water. Some soldiers are also equipped with tin cups that double up as pots to either cook a warm meal or brew some coffee.
Soldering Supplies
Tin also played an important role in the electronics used by soldiers. Tin was used in the soldering of circuit boards that made up the bulk of military electronics. The communications radio pack carried by the infantry had a fair amount of electronics. Since the solders were made of tin, they can easily be fixed if they were damaged. All it took was a hot soldering iron to put things back together again. Obviously, a communications pack that was blown to pieces was beyond repair, no matter how much tin you had.
Last but not least are the tin fish used by submarines. The tin fish were not really fish and not made of tin either - not completely anyway. Tin fish was the nickname given to torpedoes used in the submarines.