It was a crazy german idea i saw the papers but I dont have them.
Funny, I just read the StG 44 was manufactured by “C. G. Haenel Waffen und Fahrradfabrik” saying it’s actually a weapon and bycicle plant. Than this photo came back into my mind…
What is that on the bicycle frame, a tellermine? Plus wouldn’t the bike be a poor support for the gun?
Right about the mine. Apart from that: poor late war measures…
The bike’s not a support for the gun, its just a rack to stow it while the rider is peddling. A push bike is actually a good, cheap way to move troops within a city and it sure beats walking.
I wasn’t paying close attention but yeah it looks like a bracket to hold gun in place rather than shooting support.
But nothing can surpass the amazing power of fear!
Hi All! Just thought I’d add a little about the Multi-head Geballte Ladung appearing as the thread starter – and which I assume some of the subsequent posts about grenade throwing were about?
Anyway, I think theses were fairly common. While doing research on the Romanian Army, I learned they used these in an anti-tank role. The Romanians had no anti-tank rifles, and effective ATGs were in short supply, etc. So they commonly resorted to specially-trained anti-tank teams of two men, using these bundled grenades. Their objective was to place/wedge the grenades in the space between the turret’s rear and the hull deck. It was suppose to be pretty effective, with the tank’s armor being pretty weak there, and the confined space would amplify the explosive effect. I don’t know much about the interior design of Soviet tanks, but the rear of the turret is also were Shermans, etc., stored their ammo. Maybe the concussion could also set of some of the tanks rounds? I wouldn’t want to be near-by if so…anyway you look at it, such men had to had “iron ones” to try and pull this stunt off – I wonder what the casualty rate was?
Anyway, I also read what the photo’s caption said about breaking a tank track, and I’m trying to picture HOW. I mean, the place around a tank’s boggies and treads would seem to be a pretty tough place to make anything “stay in place” long enough to both to hit the target and for letting a guy putting it there get a distance away. Did they just toss it, or plant it like a mine, and pray? On a stationary tank, I guess you could wedge the grenades in somewhere (but if the turret/hull thing is also available, why blow a tread?). But if it’s moving? Anybody know? 