Real Weird US project during WWII.

[Weird WWII]

Check out this program that the US was developing for the PTO.

Brian

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

[P_Clapham]

Didn't the Germans try the same thing with Dogs?  I seem to recall them training them to go under Russian tanks, the explosives on the poochies would then be set off.  The problem was they trained them with German Tanks.  When the dogs were released into the field, they'd of course run right under the German tanks.

[The Hooded Claw]

It was the Russians who did it with the same effect.  Also the reason that for a short period of time there was a near genocide on dogs in Eastern Europe.

[Weird WWII]

That was a Russian project and because of it the Germans were ordered to kill any dog on the battlefield.  Poor puppies.  Volstand does a great piece with a mine dog and it's handler.

Brian

[pnweerar]

The dogs did fine till one battle where there ended going the wrong way. After that the Russians decided nyet...

Hell of a guided missile.

[The Hooded Claw]

Interesting psychology in play.  The Russians trained them by putting food under their own tanks thereby instilling a sense of comfort and reward with their own tanks.  When things got scary for the dogs, they b eat feet for where they had been trained that they would find food and a familiar face/smell/feel.

I want to know what moron who knew nothing about dog training conjured up the idea.  It's not like dog training was a new skill in WW2.

Now, if you want to talk wackie animal-based weapons you can't beat the American Bat Bomb.  Strap bats into incendiary bomb harnesses, let them loose over Japanese cities and when they have roosted up under the eves of the homes, set them off.

The sad, and honestly shameful part of this weapon system is that they made sure the bats had time to get out of the harnesses.  Nice planning - make sure you don't hurt any bats while you are making sure to kill thousands of Japense cilvilians.

But hey, we ended up dropping the atomic bomb instead....

Sad but true,

[revford]

BAM do a version of the Soviet Dog Bomb too:

http://www.boltactionminiatures.co.uk/product.php?ItemID=53


But who makes nice sized bat models for 28s?

[KeyanSark]

Where was the picture of the Porcine Bomb Thrower that was in the forum??

[The Hooded Claw]

But who makes nice sized bat models for 28s?

Black Tree does a bat swarm, but they are kind of big and cartoony.

Reaper does this,

http://www.reapermini.com/FigureFinder#detail/02668

But, it does have a tombstone in it.

[xeoran]

On the silly animal idea SOE designed an rat that exploded!