Bizarre inventions, experimental technologies, and unconventional weapons developed during the war.
7 factsFamed psychologist B.F. Skinner developed a guidance system for bombs using trained pigeons pecking at a screen to steer the weapon toward its target.
The U.S. military developed a plan to release thousands of bats carrying tiny incendiary bombs over Japanese cities, exploiting their tendency to roost in wooden buildings.
The Soviet military trained dogs to run under tanks carrying explosives, but the program backfired when dogs ran toward familiar Soviet tanks instead.
Lord Mountbatten proposed building a 2-million-ton aircraft carrier out of ice mixed with wood pulp, a material so strong it was bulletproof.
The British military developed a massive rocket-propelled wheel meant to roll up beaches and blast through defenses, but it proved spectacularly uncontrollable.
Germany developed a curved barrel attachment for the StG 44 assault rifle, allowing soldiers to fire around corners and from inside tanks without exposing themselves.
The Nazis built a massive multi-charge cannon in underground tunnels in France, capable of firing shells at London from 100 miles away.