Secret weapons of World War II: German cannons, Soviet super tanks, and bat bombs proposed by the United States.

during World War II, all countries were trying to develop their own "secret weapons" in order to break the strategic balance.

after all, in terms of the world situation at that time, whether it was the Soviet-German battlefield, the Chinese battlefield, or the Pacific battlefield, there was an urgent need to break the deadlock. On this point, it is also a good idea to use new weapons and elite troops to break through locally and shake the other side as a whole. For example, the German elite Hitler and Imperial divisions in the third Kharkov Battle, coupled with the Tiger tanks that made it difficult for the Soviets to shake, caused the Soviet army to lose as much as 100,000 troops.

however, in World War II, Tiger tanks were not really "secret weapons". For all countries participating in the war, each had some eye-popping killer mace, so what unknown means did each country have?

  German cannons with amazing power

Germany actually has a long history of making giant cannons. Germany built the "Big Bertha" cannons as early as World War I. It was a classic made by Krupp at the time. Specially used to attack the city, its caliber reaches the astonishing 420mm, although only eight shells can be fired per hour, but its great power makes countless people tremble. After all, the shell weight of this gun is almost as heavy as that of a car.

as a special weapon to bombard a giant fortress, its record is also very amazing. At that time, the Germans exerted the power of this huge gun for the first time when they attacked Fort Liege, Belgium. During World War I, Fortress Liege was an indestructible fortress, with 12 forts, and the German 210mm guns dug a hole at most, but the big Bertha cannon pierced the concrete dome with one shot, and more than 200 fortress defenders were killed instantly, and soon all 12 forts fell.

under this terrible power, Germany is still fresh in its memory at the beginning of World War II, when the Maginot Line built by the French and the Stalin Line built by the Soviets gave Germany a headache. After all, Marchino's permanent fortifications were built using reinforced concrete technology after World War II. It was far more defensive than the fortress of World War I, and in order to break through these fortifications, Hitler ordered the development of super-heavy artillery.

this task is naturally given to the Krupp family, which specializes in heavy artillery, and the German gun-making skills this time are not the same as those of the first World War. The first shot was remarkable-the 800mm caliber started, and after the successful development of this thing, France actually surrendered. So it was transported directly to the eastern front to deal with the Soviet Union.

the transportation of this thing is a project in itself, because the cannons are so heavy that the surrounding railway bridges can hardly bear the weight, so they have to make a detour to decompose and transport. According to the cannons, 1400 people are required to operate at the same time. There are also special anti-aircraft artillery troops responsible for air defense. The maintenance force of this thing is as high as 4000, and its shells are specially made 7.1t super armour-piercing projectiles and 4.8t high-explosive projectiles. Even the super battleship at sea and Musashi's artillery are unmatched.

on June 5, 1942, the Soviet fortress Sevastopol became the target of Gustav cannons. shells transported by high-power diesel engines were sent into the barrel. After a loud sound, the shells burst out, and the surrounding earth was trembling. The concrete defense fortifications at the depth of 30 meters and 10 meters where the shells fell directly went up in smoke, and the Soviet ammunition depot exploded instantly, including a nearby warship.

however, this kind of cannon could not save the fate of Germany, which was hidden in the snow after playing soy sauce in Leningrad and was eventually blown up by its own people.

  most of the weapons developed by the Soviet Union during World War II are somewhat helpless. For example, the powerful Katyusha rocket launchers, because the German armored troops are really difficult to deal with, so large-area fire support is imperative. However, what is even more troublesome for the Soviet Union is that the firepower of the T34 can hardly penetrate the front armor of the German Tiger tanks, causing the Soviet tankers to "turn pale." Although there are not many Tigers in terms of number, there is an enemy on the battlefield that you can't fight, and it's obviously a huge blow to morale.

however, it is not that the Soviet Union does not have its own "super tank." as early as during the Soviet-Finnish War, Soviet KV-1 tanks made their debut, and their performance was really good at that time, with considerable actual combat results, but the problem of mechanical failure was prominent. But at least it was better than nothing. after the outbreak of the Soviet-German war, the Soviet Union began to use KV-2 tanks, which were equipped with 152mm howitzers, which weighed 40 kilograms and required two loaders. The 1942 KV tank had a front armor as thick as 120mm, which was strong enough to resist most German anti-tank weapons at that time. Even if the German 50mm anti-tank gun is hit on it, it will have no effect at all, and it can be called indestructible.

the tank was not initially loaded with armour-piercing projectiles, but the power of high-explosive projectiles alone was enough to destroy German tanks, and there was even an embarrassing scene of KV-2 drivers driving their tanks directly over German anti-tank positions (Maoist play). In fact, for this kind of tank, the biggest enemy is not the German anti-tank weapons, but the lack of oil and mechanical failure. At that time, according to statistics, of the 54 KV tanks lost by the 14th Mechanized Army Tank Division at the beginning of the war, 34 were forced to give up due to mechanical failure and 11 were forced to give up because they got lost and ran out of fuel (after all, it was too heavy, and no car could pull it).

however, this thing at least gave a good morale boost to the Soviet army. At the end of the war, the IS-4 tanks developed by the Soviet Union were even completely immune to the heavy artillery damage of the Tiger tanks, but because Germany was almost finished at that time, it became a relic of history before it had time to show its power.

bat bomb of bizarre weapon

China has had some strange ideas in the war, some of which have been put into practice and some have not been realized. For example, at that time, the British proposed to build an ice aircraft carrier "Habakuk" because of an acute shortage of steel. in fact, even the drawings were designed, but the problem was that in the end, the heat dissipation could not pass and was forced to give up. (otherwise it might become one of the hardest aircraft carriers in history, with a deck up to 12 meters thick, which was invincible at that time.)

and the German strategic bombing plan-- an air raid on New York. Hitler planned to use long-range fighters to attack New York, and he really built two prototypes, but because he was too advanced and the technology could not keep up, the plane could not fly back with two tons of bombs, so it came to nothing. But if you want to say the weirdest thing, it's American bat bombs.

Are you prepared to look drop dead gorgeous with our exquisite strapless corset wedding dress at your upcoming event? Take your time to enjoy our vast selection.

at that time, the bombing of Japan by the Americans was slow to improve. After all, the system of small factories and small workshops in Japan could hardly be effective in dealing with the bombing of large industrial zones in Germany. So an American dentist came up with an idea: attack Japan with bats carrying bombs and fire. Because the bat's habit can fly around with napalm, it can be called the ultimate arsonist. Japanese wooden buildings are so flammable that they can easily collapse. However, the plan was abandoned in the end, mainly for two reasons, one is that the unpredictability of bats is too high, and the other is that Li Mei's fire attack and atomic bomb are better options.

although each of these plans is refreshing, they are basically difficult to achieve, but the crystallization of human imagination and intelligence, as well as the creativity shown in the war, are worthy of our deep consideration.