tank mine

[sigmund]

There didn't seem to be any place else to post this, and it does involve alternative force and close quarters combat.

I was watching Tales of the Gun on the History Channel tonight; the topic was Japanese weapons of WWII. The Japanese never managed to develop an anti-tank weapon, so they came up with a alternative. They would dig a hole in the road, and in the hole they would put a 100 lb. aerial bomb and a soldier with a hammer. The hole would be covered, and when an American tank rolled over, the soldier would hit the bomb detonator with the hammer.

Volunteers? Anyone for a tactical course in Urban Hammer??

[dragontooth73]

in all honesty i've NEVER heard of this one. mind you i've done a fair number of japanese war museums, read accounts etc etc and this one? never heard of it to tell you the truth. human torpedos, yes, human antiship mines, yes. human cruise missiles, yes. bamboo spear stockpiles, frying pans, and all manner of truly ridiculous mobilization measures, yes. satchel-charge laden infantrymen charging tanks in suicide runs? of course.

this hammer thing? no.

to be fairly blunt i don't think that last line was funny and it was less than graceful. i've lost generations out of my family in ww2. so have a number of friends on both sides of the pacific. considering the accumulated military experience, ingenuity and dedication of the japanese - that war was an aberration led by delusional, conceited, ignorant, borderline traitors. being dug into a road with a bomb waiting for an M4 sherman tank to roll over is a dishonorable way to be committed to battle, and an inexcusably tragic way to die.

that's enough from me.

[WETSU]

I just returned from taking an introductory Tactical Molotov Cocktail 101 course and a Intermediate Satchel Charge 203 class from Grozney Ranch. It was taught by a bunch of one armed, one legged Chechens and Taliban. A very useful course for tactical takedowns of BMPs, or mobility kills on T-72s.
This spring I will be attending Suicide Bomber/Martyr-basic (I think that's all they teach). It's a traveling course taught by some out of work PLO guys.

[sigmund]

dragontooth73
Sorry for any offense given. My intent was to poke fun at current mind-sets, not at any historic tragedies.

[This message has been edited by sigmund (edited September 06, 2000).]

[dragontooth73]

none was ever taken. i've never met a *bleep* in here yet and i never thought you were one to begin with. i tried to choose my words carefully; i hope i didn't come across as antagonistic.

honestly though, i do remember one bugs bunny cartoon where bugs tries to get into the army, gets his drill sergeant stripped of rank down to a buck private, and then ends up landing a job testing artillery shells with a mallet to check for duds. anyone recall the cartoon in question?

[Ledbetter]

"Eh, it's a livin'"

He was writing "DUD" on each one with a piece of chalk, IIRC.

[fedaykin]

now that's motivation...makes we want to train harder.

[George Hill]

Hammer and Bomb trick... wasnt that Bugs Bunny?