Buzz
Weapons are based on a simple concept: They are mainly intended to kill or incapacitate individuals. The methods they employ to achieve this can be fairly straightforward, but some take a turn for the bizarre or absurd. Here are 10 weapons from World War II that you won't believe were ever created.
10. Tauchpanzer
Developed by the Nazis for the unexecuted Operation Sea Lion, a planned invasion of the UK, the Tauchpanzer, which translates to 'diving tank,' was meant to be dropped offshore, travel beneath the sea, and then emerge onto land to provide fire support for troops landing on British beaches. The Tauchpanzer was a modified Panzer III tank designed to be entirely waterproof, with features like one-way exhaust valves, inflatable turret seals, and a hose connected to a flotation device to supply the engine with air.
Despite these modifications, the Tauchpanzer could remain submerged for no longer than 20 minutes and could only operate at a depth of 15 meters (50 feet), constrained by the length of its air hose. The design was effective, though, and over 150 tanks were constructed. When Operation Sea Lion was canceled, the Tauchpanzers were reassigned to regular Panzer divisions. They saw use in their intended purpose once, crossing the Bug River during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, before being deployed as standard tanks in subsequent operations.
9. DD Tank
While the Nazis developed underwater tanks for amphibious assaults on enemy shores, the Allies adapted their tanks to float. They accomplished this by adding a cloth screen that could be raised around the tank, enabling it to stay afloat, along with adding propellers for propulsion. The idea was first tested in 1941, and after experimenting with various tanks, the Allies ultimately chose the Sherman tank to modify, although other tanks were also fitted with the screen and propellers.
The DD Tanks made their combat debut on D-Day, where they were sent to shore to support the Allied troops landing on the beaches. Rough seas caused 27 DD tanks to sink to the ocean floor, but subsequent waves of tanks were more successful, and they went on to serve in later campaigns, including crossing the Rhine into Germany.
8. Karl-Gerat
In 1936, Germany began developing a supergun intended to break through the fortified French Maginot Line. Initially designed to be disassembled and transported to its target, the gun was transformed into a self-propelled weapon when its designers realized it was too heavy and unwieldy for manual transport. By 1939, the first gun was undergoing fire trials, and test runs took place in 1940. The weapon was named the Karl-Gerat, or 'Karl Device,' in honor of Nazi General Karl Becker, who played a pivotal role in its design.
The mortar was massive. It featured a 600-millimeter barrel and could fire a shell weighing nearly 1,800 kilograms (4,000 lbs) over a distance of nearly 5 kilometers (3 miles). A later variant, with a longer 540-millimeter barrel, could launch shells over 10 kilometers (6 miles). Each Karl-Gerat came with a support convoy of modified tanks, each carrying four shells. Even with ammunition offloaded to other vehicles, the mortar and its chassis weighed 124 metric tons.
A total of six Karl-Gerats were built, all of which were deployed on the Eastern Front against Russia and later on the Western Front against the advancing Allied forces. One of its notable feats was demolishing the Soviet fortress at Sevastopol, where the huge shells caused massive damage to both the fortress and its command post. However, as the war progressed, the super mortars became increasingly ineffective, being too large and obvious, thus making them vulnerable to air strikes. The Americans and Soviets eventually captured several of the weapons, and one can still be seen today in a Russian tank museum.
7. Sturmtiger
Following the devastating Battle of Stalingrad, where small groups of determined Russian defenders used ruined buildings and debris as cover to fend off a much larger German force in brutal street-to-street fighting, Hitler demanded the creation of a weapon capable of obliterating fortified urban areas with overwhelming firepower. The Sturmtiger was the result. It was a heavily armored vehicle equipped with a colossal rocket launcher.
Based on the chassis of the renowned Tiger I tank, the Sturmtiger added even more armor to an already formidable vehicle. The rocket launcher, adapted from a naval design, had vents around the barrel to release exhaust gases produced when firing. The projectiles were so massive that only 14 could be carried, and one had to be preloaded into the launcher.
The prototype was hastily deployed to suppress the Polish uprising in Warsaw, and several more were produced and used in combat. While they were fearsome weapons, they were also highly inaccurate and ill-suited for the defensive warfare that Germany found itself engaged in after 1943.
6. The Zveno Project
The Zveno project, initiated in the 1920s by the Soviet Union, aimed to provide air support to ground troops while also protecting bombers from enemy fighters. It involved creating a flying aircraft carrier by pairing a massive Soviet TB-3 bomber with multiple smaller, shorter-ranged fighter aircraft or dive-bombers. The TB-3 could carry up to three aircraft: two above its wings and one beneath its body, or alternatively, two beneath its wings.
The experimental war machine was deployed against Nazi Germany during the early, desperate years on the Eastern Front when the Soviet Union was on the defensive. In 1941, a TB-3 bomber, carrying two dive-bombers, successfully brought them within range of the strategic Nazi oil fields at Ploiesti. The dive-bombers successfully struck the facility and returned to Soviet airfields unharmed. Although the Zveno flew almost 30 missions, it was retired by 1942.
5. Mistel Flying Bomb
The Mistel, a concept developed in 1942 by the German Sailplane Association, was an idea for an unmanned aircraft filled with explosives, directed to its target by a pilot in a fighter aircraft mounted above it. The concept was first demonstrated in 1943, but it wasn't until 1944, when the war was turning against Nazi Germany, that the idea was put into action.
Over 100 Ju-88 bombers were stripped of their internal components and transformed into massive flying bombs, each packed with 1,800 kilograms (4,000 lbs) of explosives. Struts were added to allow a guiding aircraft to be mounted on top of the Ju-88. The Mistel was a very slow composite aircraft, flying at only 240 kilometers per hour (150 mph), which made it an easy target for Allied fighters if spotted. The Mistel was also notoriously inaccurate. Despite the claims of its guiding pilots, many of the bombs missed their targets.
4. The Surcouf
The Surcouf, a colossal submarine built by the French in the late 1920s, stood out not just for its more than 4,000-metric-ton displacement, but because it carried two 20-centimeter (8 in) guns, typically found on heavy cruisers. The signing of the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922 prohibited submarines with a displacement over 2,800 metric tons, but France was granted a special exemption to keep the Surcouf. Originally intended to be the first of three new Surcouf-class submarines, she became one of a kind when such large ships could no longer be built.
The Surcouf served in the French Navy until 1940, when Nazi forces invaded France. She limped out of danger with one engine and was repaired at Plymouth, but when France surrendered, the UK seized the submarine to prevent it from potentially falling into Nazi hands. The Surcouf was later commissioned into the Free French Navy and contributed to the war effort. In December 1941, she was sent to the Pacific Ocean after the US declared war on Japan, but she mysteriously vanished with all hands. It’s believed she was accidentally struck and sunk by a US cargo ship during the night.
3. The Canal Defence Light
A unique attempt by the Allies to create a weapon using light to incapacitate Nazi soldiers, the Canal Defence Light was developed by a Greek engineer living in Britain. The concept involved using a powerful, flickering searchlight that would blind the viewer by causing their pupils to rapidly dilate and constrict, resulting in nausea and dizziness. The searchlight was mounted on a tank in place of the main gun, with an armored shutter to control the light. In trials, the weapon proved to be highly effective.
Despite the production and shipment of hundreds of these secret weapons to the Allied front lines, they were never deployed as planned. This was partly because they were so secretive that Allied commanders were unaware of their existence and partly because those who did know about them didn’t believe they would work. Instead, some were repurposed as searchlights during the Allied crossing of the Rhine, helping to spot saboteurs trying to destroy bridges crucial for the Allies' advancement into Germany. After the war, these weapons were discarded, a tragic end for a creation with such untapped potential.
2. Nakajima A6M2-N ‘Rufe’
The Nakajima A6M2-N 'Rufe' was the only float-equipped fighter to see service during World War II. A variant of Japan's notorious Zero fighter, the 'Rufe' replaced its standard landing gear with seaplane floats. This modification allowed it to operate from island bases, supporting Japan's efforts to control the Pacific's vast islands. The Zero fighters were altered by removing their landing gear and attaching a large central float beneath them, along with two smaller floats on the sides. The first prototype was airborne on the same day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, marking the start of the Pacific Theater.
Despite its large float negatively affecting its performance, the Rufe remained highly useful, proving its value in combat, particularly in the Solomon Islands. However, in 1942, the Americans bombed the base where these seaplanes were stationed, wiping out nearly all the operational Rufes. Japan continued production, ultimately building several hundred of these seaplane fighters. These Rufes were used for attacking Allied convoys, conducting patrols, and assisting Japanese warships with gun-spotting.
As the war wore on, the growing number of Allied fighter aircraft made the Rufe less and less effective. Its already diminished performance could not stand up to even the outdated Allied planes, let alone the new models entering the battlefield. By the war's end, the few remaining Rufes were tasked with defending against Allied bombings of Japan, but they performed poorly in this role.
1. Type XVII Submarine
In 1933, German Professor Hellmuth Walter invented a potentially groundbreaking submarine propulsion system. It was more compact than existing diesel-electric systems, provided more power, and allowed for extended underwater travel. The only problem was that it was powered by hydrogen peroxide, typically used in rocket fuel. The following year, Walter proposed the design to the Kriegsmarine High Command. This submarine could reach speeds of 30 knots underwater, far surpassing the mere 7 knots that conventional submarines could manage at the time.
The propulsion system, known as the Walter turbine, used a stabilized form of hydrogen peroxide to react with fuel oil, generating steam to power the turbine. Initially, the Kriegsmarine dismissed the proposal, but Walter remained determined. In 1937, he convinced Karl Donitz, who would later lead Nazi Germany’s U-boats, to review a revised version. Donitz was impressed, and by 1939, construction of a prototype U-boat powered by the Walter turbine began. The prototype showed potential, leading to the order of four larger, ocean-going Walter turbine–powered U-boats in 1942. However, these were canceled two years later in favor of more traditional U-boats that featured increased battery capacity and better hydrodynamics for underwater speed.
Four smaller coastal submarines equipped with Walter turbines were constructed and underwent sea trials as the Type XVII U-boats. Despite this, none saw combat before the war ended. One was briefly commissioned by Britain as the HMS Meteorite, and later, the UK built two hydrogen peroxide–powered submarines. However, with the development of nuclear power for naval use by the US, these submarines were scrapped, rendering Walter turbines obsolete.
