Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 45:50-48:18

The classified anti-tank rock

A recalled American archival proposal used a head-sized rock to make a tank shed a track, despite the document carrying a secret classification.

Anti Tank WeaponsArchivesMilitary InventionsUS Army
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

What is the most insane invention or idea found in the archives that can be discussed?

Short answer

One example is a recalled secret US Army proposal to throw a head-sized rock into a tank's tracks and make it shed a track.

Notes

A reported US Army proposal used a rock roughly the size of a human head as an anti-tank weapon. A soldier was supposed to throw it into the tank's running gear and cause the vehicle to shed a track. The document was recalled as being classified secret. This is a secondhand account of another person's archival discovery, with no document identification supplied.