5 Weird Military Inventions that Did NOT Work Out

[@Sideprojects]

Check out Foreo at foreo.se/qv92 and get 21% off LUNA 4 for the first 100 people. Thank you FOREO for the sponsorship!

[@simplegunsmith]

🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆

[@thisusernameisalreadytaken6764]

are you really peddling such a bs Simon????? you should rather take those raid shadow legends sponsorships than this bs

[@thisusernameisalreadytaken6764]

I just looked more in detail at this and this is unbelievable, really Simon? this is bigger scam than raid will ever be, I would even say that raid is okay compared to this, I'm really sad and dissapointed that one of my favourite creators here is doing this, but hey, enjoy the money right?

[@TheKulu42]

I once read that there was a major drawback to the anti-tank dogs. The tanks used to train them were Russian tanks, so when the time came to use them in combat, they carried their strapped-on bombs to those familiar Russian tanks.

[@PitFriend1]

This is true. The Soviets trained the dogs using their own tanks. These used diesel engines and so the dogs equated the smell of diesel with food. So when confronted with a German tank with a gasoline engine they would often run to the familiar Soviet tank instead.

[@myrlyn1250]

Good! Payback is a bitch. 😢

[@sirsmokealot96]

Humans have always found a way to be the scum of the earth.

[@杠精-e3h]

I'm convinced the Soviets would've continued the program if something like this didn't occur...

[@TheKulu42]

@@PitFriend1 You're right. The dogs would have homed in on the familiar smell. I didn't think of that.

[@sophiev1900]

😂 I forgot that I had the settings on 1.25x because of another video and wondered why Simon was speaking even faster than he usually does. Thinking ‘How many Cokes has he had?!’

[@omgandwtf1]

I'd guess at least 20 grams

[@Kaltagstar96]

OK, part of me loves how slap-dash that flying tank looked, it screams "Shit, we forgot to design a prototype, just look for any old airplane parts lying around the factory and we'll cobble something together over a weekend."

[@mikemaricle9941]

We have them now, the C-130 Specter.

[@ComedorDelrico]

"If we just turn the enemy soldiers gay, they won't be able to fight, and we'll win the battle!" Apparently these guys have never heard of ancient Greece.

[@MindlessGaming-mi5pg]

Modern men are more likely to be gay and they are NOT anything like ancient Greeks. America and the west has indeed been hit by a gay bomb. And it worked beautifully.

[@phantomechelon3628]

"They're turning our goddamn TROOPS gay!" - [not Alex Jones]

[@kiriuxeosa8716]

​@@phantomechelon3628those nutjobs that think being gay is some kind of weakness I forgot which comedian said "I never want to fight a gay guy, they'll take a boot up the backside and like it" Yeah that guy is tougher than me thats for sure 😂

[@ignitionfrn2223]

0:45 - Chapter 1 - Iceberg aircraft carriers 3:00 - Mid roll ads 4:15 - Back to the video 5:50 - Chapter 2 - Flying tanks 9:30 - Chapter 3 - Gay bomb 12:35 - Chapter 4 - Anti tank dogs 15:50 - Chapter 5 - Cornershot PS: To all sideprojectors; did Simon mentionned the Sauterelle Type A crossbow who launches grenades in his channels ?

[@srenkoch6127]

I also think he should have included the 'Bat bomb' along with the 'Gay bomb'. In 1942 or 43 the US army tried using bats to distribute incendiaries to houses in japan by stripping small incensories to the backs of bats and the release them like cluster munitions. The idea was that they would find shelter under roofs etc and then the bombs on their back would start fires. But hen they tried it in New Mexico it kinda worked in the sense that some of the released bats found shelter in the army base used for the development work and set a few barracks on fire... ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_bomb )

[@TimYT97]

If one mentions the cornershot, you shouldn't forget to look at its crude ancestor from WWII the Krummlauf or curved Barrel attachment for the StG44. Even so am not sure the inventor of the cornershot knew about this invention it is worth a mention and could be seen as it's predecessor/ancestor. EDIT: spelling

[@AtheistOrphan]

Cronershot? A device for shooting crones?

[@TimYT97]

@AtheistOrphan yes most definitely.... don't write something, while being kinda sleepy, while not writing in your mother tongue, I guess is what I learned from this... and if we want keep with the german theme one could say the cornershot, is the "Eckschuss, es schießt Ecken" would be a good translation 😉...

[@musashi939]

​@@TimYT97haha. This is a Flammenwerfer. It werfs Flammen.

[@silectric]

There was one in the Imperial War Museum.

[@wazwulf2698]

the corner shot is actually another attempt at the german design from WW2, they used a curved barrel

[@DurbleMcBurble]

Simon, wonderful video as always. Keep up the superb work. You’re truly talented in your research and presentation. I am an American who does very much appreciate a refined British accent such as your own, however, I do have a couple questions: 1. What is the quantity of the letter “i” in the word “aluminum”? 2. How many times does the letter “f” occur in the word “lieutenant”? 3. Would you rather have your tea steeped with piping hot spring water, or with icy cold sea water (perhaps from the Boston Harbor)? Just wonderin’ 😉

[@Dj.MODÆO]

That aircraft carrier made of ice had freezer units on it below decks that could make new ice to repair damage, and it could also maintain the entire below decks to below freezing that was capable of making the ice so cold that it froze the ocean water that got between the cracks and was effectively ablative self generated armor. After the war it was left anchored in warm waters with its freezers turned of and it still took many months to significantly melt the hull.

[@phantomechelon3628]

A ludicrous concept that was still kind of impressive. Really does sound like something from the Avengers or Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.

[@ONEDVSDVIT]

I SWEAR YOU'VE COVERED ALL 5 SUBJECTS IN A PREVIOUS VIDEO

[@jessaphillips2846]

The problem I see with the corner shot is the recoil of the gun. Normally the recoil of, say, a 9mm, isn’t much and easily dealt with by an average adult. However, attaching it to a lever and then having the recoil moving sideways compared to the shooter’s arms and hands might make it difficult to control.

[@mathewritchie]

around the same time cornershot was introduced the Australian army was experimenting with a small periscope costing 50c that clipped onto a rifles optics and allowed a soldier to take a peek around blind corners and even aim that way,the cheap price meant soldiers could carry them all the time in the field and if lost or damaged it could be easily written off.I have no idea if they are still issued .

[@francisboyle1739]

The Australian Army was using rifle periscopes in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. I think they were actually quite common in the WWI trenches.

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Thanks for sharing.

[@ninjapumkin]

The ice project still sits at the bottom of Patricia Lake here in Alberta. Can be seen if you care to scuba dive to it

[@cattibingo]

That better not be a fucking mine strapped to that dog

[@astonrichardson5288]

They were Anti-Tank dogs. The Soviets used them to blow up German Panzers 😢

[@Chuck-PK]

you're not gonna be happy

[@BTM666-t7r]

This only makes me hate commies that much more.

[@KleinesStein]

Wait till you hear about the bat bombs from the US (they never saw actual use but the idea is absolutely insane)

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

No, it's just a mine.

[@innastar4349]

Thanks for the code - I have used the one before to get the bear and now this. I love how I can get this here - because I'm loving your content, but that doesn't mean I don't love skincare too

[@dyamonde9555]

"this wasn't a plot out of a Sci-fi novel, but a serious line of inquiry"... yeah, so was MK Ultra. Totally serious research, the lot of it.

[@RetroProg]

And, of course, the greatest Military Invention is.... TikTok.

[@MindlessGaming-mi5pg]

Aka "the gay bomb"

[@annap-4659]

Was not expecting to get a code for a luna 4 while learning about weird war inventions. Cheers, Simon 🎉

[@kineuhansen8629]

i do love weird military invention they are sometime even cooler then those who made into production like the aircraft carrier made of ice

[@AudraK]

😭 while going through Simons various channels that I’m subscribed to I’ve realized how many of his videos never show up on my subscription feed or even recommendations weeks later, even if it’s over topics I tend to watch. Why KZbin Why 😭

[@fugginrambo]

Max is your doppelganger @2:44 Although he does have much better hair.

[@stevoplex]

Additionally, the dogs with explosives often scurried under the tanks of their own side, blowing them up.

[@futurecat]

Happily.

[@iTeerRex]

Mythbusters actually tried the first one. Lol it was a fun episode.

[@jacobfoster9185]

We used the corner shot and it worked well but was showing us down far more than flash bang grenades

[@KennyNGA]

Liar

[@LiveSilence3]

3:20 mental and auditory whiplash!

[@ugn669]

Hey Simon... perhaps its time to do an episode on 'animals in warfare' or something along those lines... We know they tried using pigeons, now you talk about dogs, and there is more recent stuff about dolphins... i wonder what other aminals were conscripted into the forces.

[@jackmason5278]

Re: the Soviet tank-killing dogs. I've heard the exact opposite. When released, the dogs went, as they were trained, to destroy Soviet tanks.

[@diooverheaven6561]

From what i heard they did both

[@MuchuutheSensible]

I am going to doubt information given FROM the Soviet Union. Expect the worst from people, forgive often, and trust God.

[@KennyNGA]

​@@MuchuutheSensibleI expect the worst from you

[@MuchuutheSensible]

@@KennyNGA Having faith is not a choice, where you put it, is. The best testament to atheism, is a bad religious person. The best evidence of a God is a good religious person.

[@greenanubis]

@@MuchuutheSensible Its hard to be certain of what is what when talking about a community whose core foundation is a belief in imaginary reality, having their psyche forced into two parts, being forced to lie and to "perform" in most social situations. Applicable to both communism and religion. Person like that might sacrifice their whole life helping others in service of ideal or it might start a holy war against its neighbor. Who knows :)!

[@claywest9528]

There are very effective flying tanks. They are the heavily armored attack helicopters like the MI-24 Hind series.

[@2l84t]

Nope...AC130 is by definition the flying tank.

[@claywest9528]

@@2l84t The AC-130 is more like a flying artillery battery with the auto loading 105mm not to mention the other destruction it can rain down.

[@bandit5875]

@@2l84tac130 pops flares to avoid missiles, hind can take multiple iglas and stingers before going down

[@NoahSteel-wx8ry]

I’m surprised Simon didn’t talk about the guns with curved barrels that predated the Corner Shot! 😂

[@bokangletsie1348]

The other main reason the anti tank dogs were shelved was they would often go under the Soviet tanks because they were trained on some .Catastrophic to the strategist

[@Pylon069]

Tank cult? 8:36

[@robertw.anderson6102]

They built a scale model of the ice aircraft carrier here in the United States during the to test the concept on a fresh water lake. After England decided to cancel the idea. The model was abandoned. And without any further input. The abandoned “Pikecrete” model lasted more than a year.

[@ZAV1944]

I don't know if this is true or not but there is a story where that Pyke demonstrated the bulletproof capabilities of Pykrete by shooting it with a revolver, the bullet ricocheted off of the pykrete and hit one of the officials attending the demonstration in the leg(the wound not being serious incase you were wondering).

[@abzzeus]

Yes and he proved its slow melting by chucking it into a hot bath

[@benjaminepstein5856]

That official was Admiral Ernest King, who already hated the British.

[@glaslynx123]

Pyke not at that meeting, it was the flamboyant Louis Mountbatten who shot the Pykrete, ricochet nicked the leg of King's trousers, no injury unfortunately That's the King who cost the lives of hundreds of American sailors by stubbornly refusing to utilise the convoy system in the Atlantic

[@russellfitzpatrick503]

The story of the tank attack dogs does have a weird, and slightly humourous, sidenote ... in that the dogs were trained using Soviet tanks and, once let loose on the battlefield, promptly headed for the Soviet, rather than the intended German, tanks. Also, with the Russian tactic of human-wave assaults, I cannot imagine any Russian soldiers shedding tears about sending dogs headlong to their deaths (if they weren't prepared to shed them for helpless poorly trained soldiers and convicts)

[@lloydevans2900]

Believe it or not, the Americans had their own flying tank designs during world war 2: These were adaptations of the fast tanks designed by John Walter Christie, specifically his M1928 model. This was partially because it already used a powerful (for the time) aircraft engine to begin with, making around 750 HP, partially because it was a lightly armed and armoured tank with a longer hull than most other tanks of the time. Their idea was to attach a disposable wooden biplane frame to the rear two thirds of the tank chassis with explosive bolts, with the propeller driven by a chain drive from the rear sprocket on the tanks engine. Most flying tank designs were designed to be air dropped and either glide or fly for a few tens of miles at most before landing, but the American M1928 derived version was theoretically capable of taking off from the ground. One of the reporters at the time who saw a demonstration of the prototype (it was never put into production beyond that stage) described it as follows: "The most charitable description I can give is that the darned thing looks like it absolutely did not want to fly, but could be intimidated into doing it by the attached biplane frame."

[@ronv6637]

Bombs attached to dogs was a USMC specialty in WW2. Thousands of dogs were "recruited" from owners for war use which many thought would be guard dogs etc. Instead the dogs were trained to infiltrate Japanese bunkers or machine gun positions with explosive strapped to them. This use was kept very quiet until long after the war because owner did not expect the dogs to be sacrificed in this way. This did not do well for USMC reputation for combat effectiveness.

[@donwyoming1936]

We also researched other chemicals to weaponize such as LSD. Or just leaving vast quantities of vodka for enemy troops. 🤠

[@jarrodbright5231]

The first use of chemical weapons to reduce the effectiveness of enemy troops was in Ancient Mesopotamia and involved this deadly weapon called "beer"

[@markstott6689]

For Russians vodka is all you need. 😅😂😅

[@daswhitney]

And now we have the Apache helicopter, basically an upside-down tank.

[@Dr.Fluffles]

Honestly, remove the attraction element of the b0mb idea and it's not actually all that bad of an idea, imo. A b0mb that causes people to get suddenly aroused and makes um... battle *hardened* soldiers would be a pretty useful distraction, lmao

[@masjuggalo]

My understanding is a big fault with the anti-tank dogs is that they couldn't tell the difference between a Soviet and a German tank😂

[@thomasbernecky2078]

Pykrete worked, check out how long the model lasted without cooling.

[@charlesbidlingmaier6251]

I for real thought at one point while I was in the army the corner shot was fancy spec ops stuff. Been out for over 10 years though.

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

Clive Cussler used the idea of an ice ship in one of his novels. Now I know where from the idea came.

[@wildbill6976]

The gay bomb was built and tested; it landed somewhere in Los Angeles...

[@hamiltoncouple01]

It sure did and then some, lol

[@stefanschleps8758]

Maybe the "flying tank" didn't work, but it's descendent does. The A-10 Thunderbolt II. Fairchild Republic's own Warthog! This is as close to flying tank as we are going to get. Sometimes a good idea just has to wait for technology to catch up to make the idea reality.

[@VisibilityFoggy]

AC-130 would like to have a word. ;)

[@muninrob]

@@VisibilityFoggy A-10: "I have 3 inches of armor and an oversized mini-gun!!" AC-130: "hold my 150MM howitzer" Both: "OK - you win"

[@Smilley85]

They are two vastly different beasts, though. The A40 was meant as a delivery system for tanks to be used on the ground, while the A-10 is a tank weapon platform mounted on a combat jet. You can't land with it and use it for infantry support as you would a tank.

[@sarahcoleman5269]

You used to see the corner-shot gun in some TV shows in the 2000s, like CSI and NCIS.

[@jarrodbright5231]

All part of the marketing campaign that ended up goign nowhere outside of a few niche situations.

[@j.p.6932]

10:51 Why do I hear “It’s Raining Men” as soon as the fireworks go off?

[@AtheistOrphan]

Hallelujah!

[@runaway_slav]

Lord Mountbatten was a not good dude, did not just mess around in bathtubs with just Churchill, just throwing that out there

[@j.p.6932]

7:30 lol, I just imagine these huge wings falling on random soldiers.

[@BatCaveOz]

Um, the wings were intended to be discarded *after* the tank/plane had landed on the ground.

[@Screwball70]

It was rumoured that the Russian anti tank dogs had another problem in that the dogs couldn't tell the difference between German tanks and russian tanks. Yup if rumours were true you can kinda see the problem wit that lol

[@TylorAnderson-xl7oj]

bro those soldiers were secretely banging it out

[@jameydunne3920]

The cornershot rifle feels like a ultra rare weapon on a Modern Warfare or Fornite expansion. Or maybe something youd construct on Minecraft

[@j.p.6932]

4:21 Why was Mountbatten standing in Churchill’s bathroom while he was taking a bath?

[@AtheistOrphan]

Churchill famously like to chat to people whilst taking a bath.

[@johnransom1146]

Gay bomb

[@Rych]

I seem to recall another weird war experiment of Bat Bombs.

[@markbrisec3972]

I don-t understand why was the Corner shot included here? Sure, it's a niche product but it was always intended to be that. Nobody thought that special forces unites would drop their assault rifles and use the Corner shot with a handgun exclusively. It's not a failure by any metric.. I thought Simon would include the first try on the concept by the Wehrmacht where they used rifles with a curved barrel that was issued to their tank crews. The impetus for this weapon was the capability for the crew to shoot down invading infantry that has already climbed on a tank, from the inside with only the curved barrel protruding and taking down the Soviet soldiers. The name of the attachment was Krummlauf, and it was a curved barrel that was attached to their phenomenal StG 44 assault rifle.. Krummlauf was a disaster cause the bullet disintegrated to multiple pieces when exiting the barrel, and the barrel itself would also be destroyed after a few dozen shots..

[@InsanityPlusOne]

Surprised no modern pmcs have taken the winged tank idea outta the attic for the intimidation factor alone, seems doable with modern tech and dropping in on your enemies like that is gonna make em shit bricks.

[@eq2lornick]

We can't call all of those ideas failures. The anti-tank dog did achieve some success on the battlefield as did the corner shot. One could argue that the anti-tank dog was an early version of the anti-tank drones we see today. I could also see a world where the corner shot is more viable with improved technology.

[@ThriveSkateboards]

i think the AC-30 kinda debunks the "theory and practice" scoff of a flying tank. The AC-30 can definitely be defined as a tank in the sky...

[@TheLegend-qk2ux]

I think i Fell in love with simons voice

[@zephyer-gp1ju]

Next time profile the big rocket powered wheel the British worked on to clear land mines on beaches. It ran all over the place.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

The Great Panjandrum. I was hoping for that.

[@Zuklaak]

Far in the future I know, but I wonder if a version of Pykrete could be used on the icy moons in the solar system?

[@fr2ncm9]

Don't forget the vaunted X15 Cruise Basselope.

[@jennifersaylor6907]

I bet the bomb dog idea was used by Max Brooks for the dogs in WWZ.

[@j.p.6932]

4:12 It’s also prohibitively expensive for what it actually does.

[@josef1858]

Not sure if a Foreo is the best gift for a significant other unless they specifically ask for it hahaha. "Hey babe you're looking kinda old.. I got you this. You're welcome."

[@JessWLStuart]

Weren't a number of navies throughout the world using dolphins to find mines at sea?

[@d4rthduckie]

Yes. I know for a fact the US Navy works/has worked with dolphins and seals. I had a girlfriend whos father was a dolphin trainer working with the US military. He also worked on the 1996 Flipper movie.

[@budwilliams6590]

How is an A10 or a Mi-24 not a flying tank?

[@jmanj3917]

0:53 Looks like you have a K in the wrong place, Brain Boy...😮😅

[@That1kid304]

Simon whistler at it again

[@Kirovets7011]

The very first -and primitieve 'cornershot' was developed and used limited by the Germans. Their Sturmgewehr '44' was on it's self an exellent weapon. Someone even came at the idea to literally 'bend' the barrel of the rifle to shoot around corners. However, it didn't work well. The barrels had a very limited lifespan and were very hard to aim. So, they were dropped very soon.

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

The German system was called the "Krummlauf" and was made in various incarnations such as the Krummlauf 30 / 45 / 90 depending on the angle the barrel was curved to. The problem was that the barrels wore out VERY quickly and ended up spraying rounds everywhere but where you actually wanted them to go.

[@NikZ8736]

You forgot to mention the dogs sometimes targeted the Soviet tanks instead...😂

[@sinakeyhani929]

Maybe in distant future, ice air craft carriers or ships become widespread as starships. It is a common knowledge that giant blocks of ice exists in space, so why not turn it into a spaceship with some extensive modifications?

[@markstott6689]

Water in space is generally frozen within planets or meteors, hence difficult to acquire. Transportation of water from Earth to space would be incredibly expensive due to its weight. Technology has to advance a long way. Plus there's the issue that stars will melt the ice eventually.

[@Morgan_Sandoval]

Of course the craziest brain dropping of the creations of Madman Pyke is on this list!

[@1axmann]

I love me some Simon guess the finding a host to fill these big shoes isn’t going well

[@meh7348]

Pretty sure this is one of his channels. The channels replacing him arent his, he just worked with and presented for them. He's still got plenty of his own channels.

[@bettyswallocks6411]

The Russians are still trying to develop a flying tank. They are conducting live field experiments at the moment in Ukraine. So far, all they have managed is to get tank turrets airborne, but they are getting very good at that. 😈

[@fintonstack1608]

Hold on a minute; isn't 'necessity' the Mother of all invention?? 🤔🤣

[@markstott6689]

Indeed it is 😊

[@philhogan5623]

I imagine the corner shot would have problems with recoil.

[@henriroggeman7267]

Imagine this cornershot's sideways recoil...

[@brs690]

I'd love to see a video about wildland firefighting equipment. If a writer wants to pick up the idea I'm down for a collaboration. Let me sing you the song of my diggers.

[@hornydolphin1393]

diggers is our word you can call them diggas

[@luckily_13]

​@@hornydolphin1393Bruh 💀💀

[@Azphreal]

How did you miss the Pidgeon guided missile.

[@kaldogorath]

I wonder who the editor is for Sideprojects. Not-Sam?

[@billd2635]

What, no Bat Bombs?!! The U.S. experimented with bats by fitting them with small incendiary devices, set to go off by timer. The idea was that these bats would be dropped into Japanese cities where they would then seek shelter in the wooden structures. The bombs would then detonate at the pre-set time. As I recall, some of the bats got loose and ended up burning down some Army research buildings. But I'm not sure of that. How about it Simon? Want to field this one?

[@Allean_Adkins]

That ice stuff sounds like it could work in space...

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

Insane

[@owensnicholas]

Wait. What the hell is with the clip of tanks dancing around artillery doing a pirouette?

[@AndrewC.McPherson-xf5zw]

No need for aircraft carriers in atlantic. Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland and the UK can launch planes to deal with Kreigsmarine.

[@glaslynx123]

At the time of it's conception there was a large area in the Mid Atlantic on the convoy routes, that was out of range of land based planes . Hence creation of Habakkuk . When aircraft range increased to cover this black spot Habakkuk was cancelled

[@TristynRusselo]

As a Canadian/ North American, I dont know much about Churchill. Do a video

[@codyhensley640]

The mock-porn music for the Gay Bomb slide was just super wild. Lol.

[@HyperactiveNeuron]

Anti-tank dogs? Could the Soviets get any lower? Dogs are Angels

[@tinaann3323]

The Germans had a weapon to shoot around corners. I think it was an MP40 with a 90degree bent barrel. This was in the 40’s obviously.

[@manicmechanic448]

The cornershot has a German predecessor.

[@cartoonraccoon2078]

1:18 Shortage of Aluminium? You should have asked the Americans for some Aluminum; it is almost as good.

[@Gsoda35]

anything with the word bomb in it can backfire and one would potentially made a few husband seeking people very happy.

[@billotto602]

The flying tank lives ! The AC-130 gunship !

[@hazonku]

First I ever heard about the Cornershot was while deployed. Some officer saw it in a magazine & thought it was just the coolest until my squad leader bet him $100 that could show dude a better solution right now that doesn't rely on stupid hinges, has more firepower, and will never tun out of batteries or have a broken screen. Dummy took that bet & I got called over & showed my rifle. Solution? Two metal dental mirrors. One sip tied to my barrel to peak corners, the other taped to my upper receiver facing down to point fire around corners without exposing yourself. Cost? About $10.

[@SA12String]

Well, at least now we have robotic dogs that can be pointed at a specific target.

[@Mornomgir]

I see you never heard of the fighting egg.

[@Sniperboy5551]

I wouldn’t call some dogs dying as a “moral dilemma.” I’ve had dogs and love them just as much as anybody else, but if your entire country is being invaded and destroyed, I get it.