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While the infamous IEDs and roadside bombs of the Middle East are widely known, fewer people remember that the history of booby trapping stretches back centuries. Though every booby trap carries its own dangers, some stand out above the rest. Whether it’s the clever ways these traps are camouflaged in everyday objects, their destructive power, or their sheer cruelty, these 10 traps represent some of the most ingeniously wicked creations ever devised.
10. Zippo Lighter Explosives
In today's world, it seems everyone is fixated on terrorists and the spotlight they’ve garnered. Whether it’s due to the terrifying scale of destruction they bring to guerrilla warfare or the sheer horror of their tactics, the stories never fail to captivate. Yet, many forget that in earlier wars, similar havoc could be wreaked with far less devastation—requiring only a bit more ingenuity.
One of the most notorious examples of this is the Zippo lighter bomb used by the Viet Cong. With just enough explosive power to sever a few fingers or worse, these booby-traps turned what should have been a calm smoke break into a moment of sheer dread for soldiers. The scariest aspect was the near impossibility of distinguishing a rigged lighter from a normal one. Unlike mines or IEDs, these lighters could easily be smuggled into US fortifications without anyone suspecting a thing. Soldiers began to wonder if their next smoke might be their last, or if their hand would even remain intact.
9. Roadkill Explosive Traps
In recent years, insurgent groups across the Middle East have faced mounting difficulties in keeping pace with US and anti-terrorist forces. Their long-established guerrilla tactics have started to fail, forcing terrorist organizations to get creative and develop new ways to strike. One such method is using animal carcasses to conceal bombs. While these attacks are uncommon, there have been documented cases, particularly involving dead dogs in the Iraqi city of Basra.
Beyond being a simple and cost-free method to hide a bomb, using animal carcasses offers other advantages. Unlike conspicuous roadside items like oil drums or tires, they are far less likely to attract attention. This means they are less likely to be spotted and reported. Most importantly for terrorists, they increase the likelihood of causing casualties.
8. Qin Shi Huang's Tomb Traps
When you think of the words “tomb” and “booby trap,” chances are Indiana Jones pops into your mind. In reality, though, most ancient tombs aren’t equipped with giant rolling stones or a myriad of arrow-shooting traps. And even if they were, the complex mechanisms would have likely decayed after centuries or millennia. Right?
Apparently not, as demonstrated by the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, first uncovered in the mid-1970s. While it's famous for the terracotta warriors that accompany the tomb, the real intrigue lies in the ancient myths and scientific evidence surrounding its booby traps.
According to many historical accounts, the tomb is said to contain liquid mercury traps and concealed crossbows. Though these tales alone might seem dubious, scientific findings offer some support. Tests on the air and soil around the tomb revealed mercury levels 100 times higher than expected. Additionally, a corrosion-resistant substance known as chromate was found on the weapons of the terracotta soldiers. If these crossbows were coated in chromate, they could easily still function. While it might sound far-fetched that the traps were chromed, it’s actually plausible. After all, if the emperor could afford to protect his warriors' weapons, why not ensure his tomb was equally guarded? As advocates of this theory suggest, it would be reckless not to take extra precautions to secure his final resting place.
Even more bizarre, when the Chinese government learned of the traps, they imposed strict limitations on how far researchers could explore. Eventually, they went so far as to completely ban any further excavation of the site. While the ban has been lifted, many are still hesitant to be the first to step into the tomb. With further exploration on hold indefinitely, it seems that we may never truly uncover the full mysteries of this renowned mausoleum or the potential traps that lie hidden within.
7. Insect Control Traps
What sets this particular trap apart is that it didn’t target humans or weapons, but rather insects. Proposed in the mid-1960s, it was designed as a method for exterminating the invasive screw-worm fly. Instead of using sharp objects or explosives, this trap relied on a deadly mixture of dieldrin and kerosene as poison.
Capitalizing on the insects’ biological instincts, scientists applied this toxic concoction to the thoraxes of poison-resistant female flies. When these females ventured out to mate, they attracted males who were then exposed to the poison. In essence, the females became live booby traps. For every poisoned female, up to 100 males were expected to perish. Just a few hundred female flies could potentially eliminate around 30,000 of the invasive pests. Though the technique showed some effectiveness, it never gained widespread use and is now regarded as one of the more outlandish ideas of the 1960s.
6. Explosively Formed Penetrators
Up until now, most of the traps listed have been designed to target infantry directly. In contrast, explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) are specifically designed to act as missiles against enemy armored vehicles. Originally developed during World War II, these weapons are still in use today, primarily by terrorist factions.
In their most basic form, EFPs require little more than a metal plate, a container, and heavy explosives. This simplicity makes them easy to construct and deploy. However, their deadly nature is matched by their simplicity—when triggered, the explosion transforms the metal sheet into a lethal projectile that can travel at speeds of up to 2,000 meters per second (4,474 mph), which is more than five times the speed of sound. With such devastating force, the operator can destroy nearly any vehicle they choose to target.
5. Viet Cong Punji Traps
Though not as technologically sophisticated as many other traps on this list, the Viet Cong's Punji stake traps were just as deadly and effective. Crafted by guerrilla fighters with limited resources, these traps became infamous for their sheer simplicity. Despite the wide variety of designs, all Punji traps relied on sharpened stakes made from bamboo or similar materials, which were used to inflict pain and death. The Viet Cong developed hundreds of unique Punji trap variations, with two particularly notorious examples being the bamboo whips and the side-closing trapdoor traps.
Bamboo whips were especially known for their swift and sudden strikes, consisting of bamboo pieces with Punji stakes that were bent back and triggered by a tripwire. On the other hand, side-closing trapdoor traps were larger and consisted of a small pair of trapdoors laced with Punji stakes that would be placed over a pit. When an unlucky victim stepped onto the trapdoor, their foot would plunge into the pit as the spikes impaled their ankle.
As if being impaled by sharpened bamboo wasn’t bad enough, the Viet Cong would often smear various substances on the stakes. One infamous example was human excrement. This gruesome tactic was almost guaranteed to cause severe infections in the victim’s wounds, amplifying the damage caused by the spikes. While these traps may seem rudimentary, they played a pivotal role in the ultimate success of the Viet Cong forces.
4. Viet Cong Tank Traps
Since the introduction of tanks during World War I, soldiers quickly became accustomed to riding on these colossal machines as they moved from one location to another. Whether it was the boost to morale or the logistical advantage, this practice became common in the 20th century’s wars.
To exploit the vulnerability of soldiers riding atop tanks, the Viet Cong devised a trap using grenades attached to a rope that hung roughly 4.5 meters (15 feet) above the ground. The grenades were connected to a trip wire positioned slightly lower. This high placement of the trip wire meant that only tanks or similarly large vehicles could activate it, ensuring that resources wouldn’t be wasted on smaller creatures or civilians. A gap of 3–4.5 meters (10–15 feet) was intentionally left between the explosives and the trip wire. As a result, when the vehicle triggered the trip wire, it would be positioned directly underneath the explosion.
3. Booby-Trapped Flags
Often, during a conflict, the various factions involved in a war can struggle to suppress their deep disdain for their enemies. The Viet Cong exploited this shared animosity by rigging their personal belongings with explosives. Flags were the most commonly used items, though other symbols of Viet Cong pride were also employed for this purpose.
While the trap itself wasn’t particularly unique, the psychological manipulation behind it was. When an enemy soldier came across a Viet Cong flag, their instinct would likely be to destroy it, as any proud soldier would. This predictable reaction played into the hands of the Viet Cong. By setting a few grenades with the flag, they could almost guarantee casualties among the enemy.
Beyond the direct casualties, this tactic also had a psychological effect. It instilled a sense of paranoia in the enemy soldiers, making them hesitant in their movements. After all, how would you feel knowing that your victory could be abruptly interrupted by deadly explosions?
2. Crooked Picture Bombs
In the final years of World War II, German forces became notorious for their creative and deadly booby trapping techniques. As their situation grew more desperate, they devised a range of traps and deceptions that were both lethal and dangerously unpredictable. Among the most infamous of these were the anti-officer crooked picture bombs.
Although the specifics of the ruse have faded over time, the general idea is well-known. The concept reportedly originated with German engineers in northwest Europe. Faced with dwindling supplies and constant losses, the Germans became increasingly desperate. Their new tactic was to target high-ranking Allied officers by setting up traps in the largest, most intact buildings in towns they planned to retreat from, assuming these would be used as headquarters for the enemy's leadership.
The Germans faced a challenge, however, as regular traps would only detonate when a building was first explored. This is where the crooked picture bomb came into play. To set it up, a hollowed-out space was created behind a picture or painting, and explosives were packed inside. The picture was then intentionally skewed, rigged to explode when someone tried to straighten it, killing anyone nearby.
The brilliance of this tactic lay in the assumption that, unlike regular soldiers, officers might care enough about a picture to adjust it, particularly after having spent some time in the building. This assumption proved accurate, and while it was effective at eliminating officers, it wasn’t a decisive solution. After six months of fierce combat, Germany had lost Italy.
1. Project Eldest Son
Although Project Eldest Son itself wasn’t technically a booby trap, it was centered around the concept of sabotage. The entire operation aimed at crippling the Viet Cong’s ammunition supplies. The sabotage began when enemy ammunition was collected and transported back to base. At the base, a few rounds from each batch would have their real bullets swapped out for fake ones. These decoy rounds contained a powdery explosive that looked just like gunpowder. The altered ammo was then surreptitiously placed throughout enemy territory, often during Special Forces missions. When an enemy ammo stash was found, a few of these sabotaged rounds would be slipped in. If the enemy used them, the weapon would explode, sending metal fragments into the user’s body.
Special Forces also targeted enemy mortar rounds for sabotage. Instead of completely replacing the insides of the rounds, they only altered the fuses. The modified rounds had faulty fuses that would trigger the explosion while still in the mortar’s chamber. The explosion was typically powerful enough to destroy the mortar, its ammo, and usually kill most, if not all, of the mortar crew nearby.
