Idiotic Military inventions (1 Viewer)

[Currahee Chris]

I think we all are amazed by the dazzling inventions that seem to leap forth during wartime. Still, for every gem, there are several duds. Just curious what items you guys may have read about or even experienced first hand leaving you wondering HUH??? :smile2:

I cannot immediately recall any myself though some books in WW1 I have read had some real doozies.

 

[Mitch]

Great thread.

For me the British Panjandrum.
Mitch

 

[Currahee Chris]

Great thread.

For me the British Panjandrum.
Mitch

thanks mate...care to elaborate?? Pictures perhaps????

 

[Peter Reuss]

Here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjandrum

 

[Mitch]

Chris...

The Panjandrum was a rollong wheel with rockets. It was fully laden a 4,000ILB bomb moving at about 60MPH. Designed to roll over beach obstacles with ease it was intended to destroy concrete fortifications on the french coast. It would have been Hitlers secret weapon as most spun out of control and ended up like the pics show on its side or, had a tendancy to turn back on those who set it off.

Capable of destroying a ten foot high and seven foot thick conctrete bunker

A crazier weapon or stranger named (derives from Samuel Foote works but, thats another story) I cannot think off
Mitch

 

[Peter Reuss]

The Hajile seems to give it a run for it's money.

The idea was to drop a vehicle from an airplane at a fast enough speed to avoid anti-aircraft fire. So...they made a platform with rockets on it that would light after a free-fall to soften the blow.

An awesome quote of a test run:
As [Hajile] came screaming through the air the watchers on the pier gazed open-mouthed. Then, suddenly realizing that it was going to score a direct hit, every one started running for dear life down the long plank roadway. The concrete "bomb" landed squarely on the roof of D.M.W.D.'s engineering shop. It sheared through a massive steel joist and then demolished the covered way leading to the steamer jetty. Happily there were no casualties, though the Wren cooks preparing lunch a few feet from the wrecked shelter thought the end of the world had come.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajile

 

[Mitch]

another crazy one for sure. I think the russians had some success with this or, as much success that you can with something as dangerous
Mitch

 

[DMNamiot]

Chris,

Two words, Go'er and Gamagoat...

These were the weirdest and most god aweful maintneance headaches ever invented and used by the US Army.

Dave

 

[Napoleon1er]

Here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjandrum

The Hungarians actually used a medieval version of this to great effect during the Siege of Egar, a battle well worth reading about, and thus I recommend "The Eclipse of the Crescent Moon".
-Sandor:salute::

 

[Scott]

The Athens Double Barreled Cannon....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-barreled_cannon

 

[trooper]

The Athens Double Barreled Cannon....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-barreled_cannon

Although it's original concept was misguided it would have been quite formidable if used as a conventional cannon firing canister. Trooper

 

[Scott]

It takes twice as long to reload especially in a pinch.

 

[Currahee Chris]

Chris,

Two words, Go'er and Gamagoat...

These were the weirdest and most god aweful maintneance headaches ever invented and used by the US Army.

Dave

^&grin^&grin^&grin

Why haven't we seen a Gammagoat in 1:32nd!!!!! CLASSIC US ARMY there my friend!! ^&grin

Some pretty interesting entries so far- really interesting.

 

[Ragnar]

Was it in the American Civil War that someone came up with the idea of placing 2 guns next to each other.
With the cannon balls joined together with a chain...The idea being that if the Guns are fired at the same time the heavy chain with cannon balls on either end would just mow down troops.
But if one Gun fired 1st the ball & chain would just swing around and take out the Gun crew {eek3}

 

[Napoleon1er]

Was it in the American Civil War that someone came up with the idea of placing 2 guns next to each other.
With the cannon balls joined together with a chain...The idea being that if the Guns are fired at the same time the heavy chain with cannon balls on either end would just mow down troops.
But if one Gun fired 1st the ball & chain would just swing around and take out the Gun crew {eek3}

That's the Athens' double Barrel cannon that was posted below
-Sandor:salute::

 

[Louis Badolato]

The atomic handgrenade . . . {eek3}:tongue:^&grin

 

[desk11desk12]

Chris...

The Panjandrum was a rollong wheel with rockets. It was fully laden a 4,000ILB bomb moving at about 60MPH. Designed to roll over beach obstacles with ease it was intended to destroy concrete fortifications on the french coast. It would have been Hitlers secret weapon as most spun out of control and ended up like the pics show on its side or, had a tendancy to turn back on those who set it off.

Capable of destroying a ten foot high and seven foot thick conctrete bunker

A crazier weapon or stranger named (derives from Samuel Foote works but, thats another story) I cannot think off
Mitch

Here's a video of this oddity in action.

Carlos

 

[desk11desk12]

How about some more British Secret Wartime Follies ...

Carlos

 

[desk11desk12]

Although it's original concept was misguided it would have been quite formidable if used as a conventional cannon firing canister. Trooper

 

[Martin Tabony]

The atomic handgrenade . . . {eek3}:tongue:^&grin

On a stick!^&grin^&grin