What caliber has caused more casualties than any other in wartime?

[timbgtm]

7.9 -8mm

 

[dondon48]

i would say 8mm mauser, the germans killed 10s of millions more russians than the other way round...

 

[LARGO9]

762x39

 

[StuP]

7.62 x 39

Like it or not, unless it was used in WW I or II there just haven't been conflicts with anywhere near the body count to put it in the running.

Artillery was responsible for the majority of battle field deaths in WWI and WWII. The indiscriminate killer, the King of Battle.

Having read extensively about WW I trench warfare I suspect not. Machine guns and diseases killed most people. There countless descriptions of the troops popping up after the most incredible 'softening up' barrages. I don't think a 105 is a C&R caliber, either !

Remember, influenza killed more people than WW I did, during that time period.

 

[JDS556762]

Stone.Rock x Stick Parabellum

 

[GodBlessTheUSA]

Like it or not, unless it was used in WW I or II there just haven't been conflicts with anywhere near the body count to put it in the running.



Having read extensively about WW I trench warfare I suspect not. Machine guns and diseases killed most people. There countless descriptions of the troops popping up after the most incredible 'softening up' barrages.

I beg to differ, not only as a red leg, but also as a student of history. Over 50% of battlefield deaths in WW1 (up to 58% for Germans) were caused by artillery.

WW2 Artillery also accounted for more than 50% of battleground deaths.

Napolean likened it to lightning, and even Stalin called it "the god of war".

Yes, barrages didn't always do what they were intended to do, but the King of Battle has been Artillery for decades.

 

[StuP]

What might be more interesting is which caliber has the highest hits per round fired ratio. I've no idea how many millions of rounds were fired in the world war, but I bet it's a staggering number. Probably turn out to be something like 32 acp / 7.63 used to execute prisoners.

 

[StuP]

I beg to differ, not only as a red leg, but also as a student of history. Over 50% of battlefield deaths in WW1 (up to 58% for Germans) were caused by artillery.

WW2 Artillery also accounted for more than 50% of battleground deaths.

Napolean likened it to lightning, and even Stalin called it "the god of war".

Yes, barrages didn't always do what they were intended to do, but the King of Battle has been Artillery for decades.

I can't refute that off hand, and my comment was directed to the 1st rather than the 2nd. I've studied the 1st far more than the 2nd, as quite a few family members fought in it, only one, my father, in the 2nd. So I need to do some specific research.

 

[1gunsnotenough]

Most at one time. Fat Man
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-oA3irIFYo/TlNGJLZIbDI/AAAAAAAAANA/B-wYtTSmP7A/s1600/4.jpg

 

[dondon48]

Like it or not, unless it was used in WW I or II there just haven't been conflicts with anywhere near the body count to put it in the running.



Having read extensively about WW I trench warfare I suspect not. Machine guns and diseases killed most people. There countless descriptions of the troops popping up after the most incredible 'softening up' barrages. I don't think a 105 is a C&R caliber, either !

Remember, influenza killed more people than WW I did, during that time period.

wwI allies mostly used french 75mm artillery, though there were bigger guns...germans used mostly 77mm and had bigger guns as well...