--- title: "These WWII weapons were a disaster" description: "Even in times of war, the world has been introducing new weapons into its ranks. Some WWII weapons were incredible flops." date: "2022-09-27" modified: "2023-09-25" authors: - name: "Bethaney Phillips" job_title: "Contributor, Veteran Spouse" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/bethaneyphillips/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/these-wwii-weapons-were-a-disaster/" categories: - "History" - "Tactical" - "War History" - "Weapons" - "World War II" --- # These WWII weapons were a disaster ![trench digger wwii weapons]() *Trench digger "Nellie" above ground rear three quarters view.* Even in times of war, the world has been introducing new weapons into its ranks. Everything from new technology, to updated devices, to psychological warfare has been introduced as an attempt to thwart the enemy. However, not every new invention is a hit. In fact, some WWII weapons were incredible [flops](). (That, hopefully, someone has been able to learn from and not leave the failed attempts to take place in vain.) ## Here is a list of WWII weapons that were a disaster ### The Trench Digger, Nellie AKA White Rabbit, after the first World War, the Royal Navy saw the need for a strong device that could quickly build trenches for its soldiers to take shelter. When brought to life, Nellie was massive and weighed more than 130 tons. In addition, it had no weapons on board, essentially making the slow-moving machine a sitting duck. However, WWII had no need for trenches, and the idea of the White Rabbit was scrapped after only a few were put into existence. ### The Krummlauf ![krummlauf wwii weapon]() *Here is a Krummlauf with its barrel still intact. Image via Wikimedia Commons.* You know the movie *Wanted* with Angelina Jolie, when they “curve” the bullets? The writers of that film weren’t the first to come up with the idea of firing bullets at an angle. But their idea may have been better in practice than this one. The Krummlauf, a German gun attachment, was shaped to shoot around corners. But bullets have too much force and in practice, it failed miserably. The barrels of the guns wore out at the curve, while many bullets simply shattered rather than curve with the gun. ### The Maginot Line Think of the Maginot Line as a World War II-era booby trap, a series of obstacles for soldiers. Between 1929 and 1939, after the Treaty of Versailles, the French Army created a complicated line of traps meant to slow or thwart German forces as they crossed the line into neutral Belgium. French soldiers dug trenches, laid traps, hid artillery, put up fences, etc. This was a French tactic that helped buy them time, which was necessary due to them being severely outnumbered. However, German forces spent little time on the obstacles and were able to gain ground extremely fast, traps and all. ### The Panjandrum ![american wwii weapon]() *American weapon, the Panjandrum.* It looks strange, but its concept is even stranger: this dual-wheeled machine (we say machine in the loosest of terms) was invented to take on the German forces on the Atlantic beaches. Created with two metal wheels, each 10 feet in diameter, the [Panjandrum]() was to be launched from boats. In theory, the rockets around its wheels would be lit, driving it forward to the enemy, wherein the center would then fire in their direction. However, in practice, the device often came apart and rarely, if ever, fired in its intended direction. ### The Smith Gun ![wwii weapons smith gun]() *The Smith Gun on display. Image via Wikimedia Commons.* In Britain, their equivalent of the National Guard was rarely given new or modern resources. Instead, those were sent with the active army, and those at home were left with old and dated gear. That didn’t stop them from using them to the best of their abilities, though. The Smith Gun was one such item, an anti-tank gun with a three-inch gun. It was so large and difficult to use that the gun had to be placed sideways in order to shoot it. To boot, after 200 yards, its aim was useless. In addition, soldiers rarely had bullets to use in the gun. Its main use ended up being for propaganda, when soldiers posed with the large weapon, inciting safety among the British population. ## Author Bethaney Phillips has contributed to We Are the Mighty and MilSpouseFest since 2015, covering history and military family topics. She also served as the Interim Content and Digital Manager at MilSpouseFest in 2021. Now a veteran spouse, she spent six years in an active duty family and served as an SFRG leader. With a bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing, she has more than 15 years of experience in digital and print writing, focusing on researched pieces and human interest stories. She is also a regular contributor to Business Insider, covering family and parenting topics. Her work has been included on Business Insider, Yahoo, Military.com, and Manhattan Magazine. While continuing to freelance, she works as the founding editor of the Clay County Regional, a print and digital newspaper delivered to more than 5,500 recipients. She also serves as the Digital Director/News Director for Taylor Communications out of north-central Kansas. Bethaney spends her free time chasing her two elementary-aged boys, raising chickens, and reading fiction. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [WWW]()