Here's a few more German experimental weapons.

K-P got me looking through some of my old reference books, and I found these other experimental weapons for U-Boats.

“Pillenwerfer”

An anti-detection device. The device consisted of a perforated container of a chemical compound based on Calcium Carbide. When it was thrown or released into the sea, a violent chemical reaction with the water caused a dense screen of bubbles which would reflect ASDIC and SONAR waves, thus hiding the sub from detection.

Similar devices are still in use on today’s submarines.

“Kurier”

A high speed radio “squirt” transmitter. The Kurier device was comprised of a number of dials on which basic information, such as the sub’s ID, position, time, pre-arranged phrases, etc. could be set. On establishing contact with it’s base the sub would switch on the device and transmit the pre-set information at very high speed in a series of pulses. This would dramatically cut down the amount of time the sub was transmitting, thus allowing it to avoid detection by radio direction finders.

As with “Pillenwerfer”, today’s submarines also use the same technique to send information and avoid detection.

“Schnee-Orgel” (Snow Organ)

Consisted of a battery of torpedo tubes designed to be fitted on late model U-Boats. Designed to fire up to 10 torpedoes at once, with a 10 degree spread, the basic idea was that a large area of a convoy could be covered, virtually ensuring that there would be at least one successful hit from each salvo. Having fired it’s salvo, the sub could then take immediate evasive action without the need to maneuver to take more shots at the convoy.

“Wasseresel” (Water Donkey)

A dummy U-Boat conning tower, packed with explosives, and mounted on a float. Designed to be towed by a U-Boat on a long line in order to distract enemy sub hunters. Hopefully the enemy ship would spot the fake conning tower and decide to ram it, thus blowing itself up. The idea proved to be highly unpopular with U-Boat crews, since dragging the device through the water would have slowed their sub down and made it harder to maneuver away from enemy anti-sub ships.

AND...my favourite American experimental weapon..

The Northropp XP-79

This Northropp flying wing fighter was to be constructed entirely of magnesium, and powered by one 2,000lb thrust Aerojet rocket engine, with the pilot controlling the aircraft from a prone position. As early as 1943 it was conceived that the aircraft would be capable of achieving 518mph at 40,000 feet.

However after development of the rocket powerplant met unexpected delays it was decided at Northropp that the prototype would be powered by two 2,000lb thrust J30 Westinghouse turbojets.

Now the good bit.

In addition to the projected armament of four 12.7mm machine guns, the XP-79 was also intended to RAM enemy aircraft. Although not intended to be a suicide plane, the XP-79 was designed to slice off portions of an enemy aircraft using the strongly built leading edge of it's wing (I suppose that would have been a case of just shutting your eyes and waiting for the bang).

On the 12th of September 1945, Northropp's test pilot, Harry Crosby, took the prototype on it's first flight. After narrowly missing a fire truck on the runway, the aircraft appeared to make a normal take off. After making a sweeping pass at 10,000 feet, Crosby turned the aircraft back for another pass. The XP-79 stalled, and plunged into a nose down spin. The pilot attempted to bail out, but was hit by a portion of the aircraft, and never opened his chute. The aircraft was completely destroyed.

The project was subsequently cancelled.

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"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
- Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)