Secret weapons of WWII

I have read and hear about secret weapons of world war two if you no any and would like to talk about them do it here...

I no that there were making types of flying ufo's in nazi german that is one wierd idea

 

This thread would actually go in the weapons area don't you think?

 

Yes, it should. Meanwhile...

Two secret weapons as of 22-Jun-1941 that had great effect were the T-34 and KV-1 tanks...

 

Might depend on whether you are talking about real weapons or myths....

 

WW2 saw plenty like -

Magnetic parachute mines which caused us Brits some problems until we came up with the Double L Sweep, how about Pluto under the sea a pipe line from England to Normandy during D-Day. And of course there were flops like the Panjandrum and strange ones like the Bachstelze.

It's a fascinating area indeed may be a look at them all in turn?

 

Before we proceed, are we going to talk about real, actual, concrete weapons or are we going to indulge in phantasies or wet dreams?

There's a difference, you know...

 

No we are going to talk about ones they tried to make and ones they made that failed so plans and anything really

 

In that case I give you the Bell P-59

 

Za: This aircraft is a jet. -->What is the function/mission of this dummy proppeller?

En español: ¿ para qué le sirve esta hélice?

[SIZE=+1]The first XP-59 with dummy propeller[/SIZE] ​

 

This dummy propeller is simply camouflage. As engines without propellers were secret, there could not appear a plane without a propeller, so this makeshift propleer was stuck just for disguise.

 

Many thanks for your answer, Za!

 

Horten HO-229, Pykrete, Little boy and Fat man, they are my favorite secret weapons. Though I bet Ive forgotten loads

 

Curtiss XP-55 Ascender

canards.... no tail..... swept wings....pusher prop....

designed in 1940 .... first flight 1941

performance wasn't up to snuff .... but it sure LOOKED cool!




... they only made 4 of 'em, and they already had a nick name....



..... the Ass-Ender!!




....this, and the Bat Bomb

-whatever

-Lou

 

They had this thing on Modern Marvels last night...
YouTube - nazi space shuttle bomber

 

I saw that on Modern Marvels last night .... interesting show.

What the YouTube clip left out, was the next analysis that basically indicated that, while the concept was indeed advanced and far-thinking for the time, two main fallacies of the concept were:

A) The launching mechanism - even with the landbased rail launch, the craft could not carry a sufficient amount of fuel to obtain escape velocity.​

B) Re-entry -no allowance was made for dissipating the incredible heat generated by re-entering the upper atmosphere at roughly 13,000 mph vis-a-vis the problematic Shuttle Tile system.​

The History Channel show went on to say that, although Goring did set him up to pursue his research, it was because the Nazi hierarchy had believed him when he intentionally misled them into thinking that the technology was 'doable' in the forseeable future. The show went on to say that he was extremely fortunate to escape with his skin when Goring finally got clued into just how long it would realistcally take to develop the technology!

But it was an interesting show - as well as the following one, on 'Allied Secret Weapons of WWII"..... which is what reminded me of the above mentioned Bat Bombs.

-whatever

-Lou

 

Or, how about the Japanese Fire Balloons, made in response to Doolittle's Tokyo raid (at least, according to Wikipedia - first I've heard THAT particular tidbit!)

9,000 were launched in Japan - they rode the jetstream over the Pacific, and at least 300 were documented to have made it to the U.S. west coast.

talk about 'low tech'!

-whatever

-Lou

 

Secrets of WWII:

The submarines types XXI and XXIII.
Past the war, stolen for USA and URSS, served from model for ulterior developments.

The type XXI are the first autentic submarine, all the rest "sumergibles"

In the case of the class of the US Navy Guppy development.
I think that the clase Tango of CCCP

And past the war, new secrets.

 

That showed up in another thread you might enjoy...
www.ww2f.com/weapons-wwii/12666-most-stupid-weapon-wwii.html

 

this reminds me of a show i saw i think on the History channel, about the development of secret weapon, the funniest i can remember was the guy who got govt funding to train bats to fly for a specific amount of time and then rest, they had small incendiary bombs attached to them, they were to be deployed in the rice paper and bamboo homes of the pacific theatre.
pretty strange!!!

 

Ah, the History Channel... Cliché texts, irrelevant footing, themes to astound rather than enlight, ignorant editors...

Welcome the plague and avoid HC.