What Were They Thinking?
Novgorod.
In 1868 the Scottish shipbuilder John Elder floated an idea that a circular hull would need less armor and use less draft, perfectly true. The Russian Rear-Admiral Andrei Alexandrovich Popov needed cruisers to protect Russia's vulnerable rivers from an enemy Black Sea fleet. Russia was restricted by the Treaty of Paris to only a token naval force on the Black Sea, following the Crimean War debacle. Experiments with a 24 foot diameter model worked well enough that construction on Novgorod commenced, with her going operational in 1874. Armed with two 11" guns, that took over 10 minutes to reload, two were built. These ships were a waste of money and time. While there are many untruths about them, the basic flaw is the design is impossible to move efficiently through a fluid. These were just floating gun platforms.
Kalinin K-7
The 53,000 lb (empty) heavy bomber with a wingspan of 173' 11", did fly but had resonance problems. It crashed and was investigated as sabotage, probably dissident Trotskyites unless I miss my guess. 1933.
The 1,000 ton German Ratte. Never built, and too bad, as that would have just been a fantastic waste of desperately needed war materiel. This was a Fuhrer project that should have alerted those around him that all was not right with the direction of the war.
The Panzer VIII Maus. Only two operational prototypes completed, it weighed 185 long tons and could not cross most bridges, the idea was that it would snorkel rivers. A perfect bomber target, this was an enormous waste of resources by a country that did not have them.
Stauffenberg should made sure that bomb did it's job.
French Char 2c Super Tank
These were only used in propaganda films and were finally destroyed by the French themselves. Largest and heaviest tanks ever used, or built, save the two Maus prototypes. All ten were built by 1921 and as can be imagined were way obsolete by the 30's. One, command tank Lorraine, was up armored to 75 tons.
And, to be fair, the XF-85 Goblin.
This was to be carried in the belly of the B-36 (worth a chapter in itself for expensive, barely useful equipment) and dropped to fend off enemy (Russian) fighters. Then it would return and dock with the mothership, Ha ha! Two built. Test pilots said it was unflyable.
Sebastapol, the 6.7 ton bronze mortar of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. Never used in battle, it lies today on a plateau at Meqedela. This gun and some others were locally cast, most exploded.
Honorable Mention. USS Vesuvius, Dynamite GunShip.
Entered service 1888, used compressed air to throw dynamite at target. Short range and none too accurate, but it did work. Used to some effect in the "war" with "Cuba". Converted to torpedo test boat, sunk by a circle runner. Own goal USS Vesuvius!
Entered service 1888, used compressed air to throw dynamite at target. Short range and none too accurate, but it did work. Used to some effect in the "war" with "Cuba". Converted to torpedo test boat, sunk by a circle runner. Own goal USS Vesuvius!
The Goblin sounds like a bureaucrat's idea of an idea. Drop the plane, pilot shoots down pursuers, returns to plane by way of hook. Why not? You're already using a notoriously poorly engineered strategic bomber ( "two turning, two burning, two smoking, two choking and two more unaccounted for.")
ReplyDeleteAgreed about Vesuvius, but it was still a bad idea. I think there was a model of Vesuvius in Alec Baldwin's office in 30Rock. I really should have mentioned HMS Victoria, currently standing head down at a 90 degree angle in the Med, whose two main guns were so heavy they bent. But since she was rammed and sunk by HMS Camperdown in 1893 I felt like that was piling on.