Ball bearings are a seemingly inconspicuous but vital mechanical part. Its importance lies not only in the fact that it is widely used in various mechanical equipment, including aircraft, tanks, artillery and machine tools for manufacturing these equipment, but also in that it is a key component in the entire mechanical system.

Let’s review an interesting case from World War II. At the end of World War II, both the United Kingdom and the United States would use bombers to bomb Germany from long distances. The British mainly bombed factories or residential areas, while the United States chose a more strategic approach. The United States found a group of mathematicians from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and asked them to calculate where is the most cost-effective place to bomb? As a result, these mathematicians discovered that ball bearings were the most important link in the entire German war machine.

Therefore, the US military carried out focused bombings specifically targeting two bearing factories in Germany. After a month or two of bombing, the two factories were completely paralyzed. Without bearings, German aircraft, tanks and other equipment could not operate normally, and the operation of the entire war machine was greatly weakened.

This case tells us that even a seemingly small component like a ball bearing will have a huge impact on the entire mechanical system once production capacity is insufficient. It is like a "key component" of the entire war machine, affecting the whole body.

In modern joint operations, multiple services, multiple platforms, and multiple elements combine to form a combat system through "tight coupling." If there are similar "ball bearings" in this system, once they are destroyed, it will greatly affect the outcome of the war.

Therefore, we should realize the importance of ball bearings and properly protect and maintain them to prevent them from becoming the target of enemy attacks at critical moments. At the same time, we should also fully consider the importance of ball bearings when designing and manufacturing mechanical equipment to ensure its quality and reliability.

Overall, ball bearings may seem small, but they play a vital role. It is precisely because of its ubiquity and critical importance that ball bearings have become an indispensable component in the mechanical field.